Oh, wait, Katya! Someone is ringing the doorbell. I’ll call you back after I find out who it is and why they’re here,” Lyudmila reluctantly interrupted her phone conversation with her old friend, who was vividly and humorously telling her about her mother-in-law’s recent anniversary. Lyudmila was laughing non-stop as if she were watching a comedy show on TV.
The woman approached the door, looked through the peephole, and was quite surprised. She expected to see one of her neighbors because strangers couldn’t just walk into the building. But instead, there stood a strange-looking young woman whom Lyudmila had never seen before in her life.
Lyudmila decided not to open the door because she adhered to the principle of not interacting with strangers—there were too many scammers and con artists around these days, dreaming of swindling gullible people out of their money.
Lyudmila wasn’t one of those people, and she immediately dismissed communication with suspicious characters. She moved away from the door and picked up her cellphone to resume the pleasant conversation with her friend.
But the doorbell continued to ring. The woman standing outside seemed sure that someone was home and was determined to have her way.
At that moment, Lyudmila was home alone; her husband had gone to a friend’s country house to help with a fence on this Saturday. She approached the door again, looked through the peephole, and studied the woman standing outside.
There was something strange and pitiful about her at the same time, but she didn’t seem dangerous to Lyudmila.
“What actually will happen if I open the door and tell her to go away and not disturb decent people trying to enjoy their legal weekend off?” Lyudmila thought. “Yes, I’ll do just that. She must be mistaken or wants to offer me some scam.”
Without much thought, Lyudmila opened the door. The woman in the hallway instantly perked up, gathering herself inwardly. She even adjusted her hairstyle before she began to speak.
“Hello! Are you Lyudmila?” she asked, fiddling with the scarf around her neck, “Actually, why do I even ask. It’s quite obvious.”
“Look at this,” thought the hostess. “Scammers nowadays are really well-prepared. She even knows my name.”
“Who are you and what do you want? You’ve been ringing for five minutes. I didn’t invite you in. So answer immediately and get out!” Lyudmila said sternly.
“Is Viktor home?” the uninvited guest suddenly shocked her.
“Look at what’s happening!” flashed through Lyudmila’s mind. “She knows about everyone living in the apartment! Clearly a scammer, but a prepared one.”
“Did you come for Viktor?” Lyudmila asked, though she meant to say something else entirely.
“No, for you. But if Vitya is home now, it would be harder for me to talk to you,” the strange woman continued.
“What a twist! Vitya??? What news is this?” thought Lyudmila.
“No, my husband isn’t here. I’m listening.”
“Maybe we can go inside? It’s kind of awkward to talk about such things in the hallway,” the visitor had the nerve to suggest.
“The nerve! I’ve never seen you in my life, and I never let strangers into my home. Speak here, and make it quick.”
“Do you really want me to start disclosing intimate details of my encounters with Viktor right here? So that all the neighbors know what’s going on in your married life?” she said with a cheeky smile.
“What? What encounters?” Lyudmila shouted, louder than was necessary for a calm conversation, not expecting such a claim from a stranger.
“Hello, Lyuda! What’s all the noise? Is everything alright with you?” asked Lyudmila’s neighbor Lidia Ivanovna, glancing at the unfamiliar woman as she emerged from the elevator at that moment.
“Yes, everything’s fine, Lidochka. How’s the weather?” she decided to distract her neighbor from her uninvited guest.
“It looks like rain,” replied Lidia Ivanovna, but she didn’t hurry to enter her apartment, clearly wanting to find out what was happening.
“Come in,” Lyudmila said grudgingly to the stranger.
The woman entered and began to look around Lyudmila and Viktor’s apartment with interest.
“You have five minutes, I’m listening,” Lyudmila blocked her path to the living room. “There’s nothing to see here, it’s not a museum!”
“My name is Olesya,” she began, removing her scarf and coat. “And Viktor and I love each other.”
“God, how trite! Couldn’t you come up with something more interesting?” Lyudmila interrupted her.
“What’s trite about it? We fell in love; it happens. You’re not the first one whose husband fell out of love,” the bold Olesya continued, trying to pass into the room.
“And are you sure? That he fell out of love with me and fell in love with you?” Lyudmila asked, smiling.
“Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come here!” Olesya replied defiantly.
“The thing is, my husband doesn’t love anyone. He can’t. So you are deeply mistaken, dear.”
“No, I’m not mistaken. We work together. And from the first day I appeared in their department, Vityusha, sorry, Viktor Mikhailovich, took a fancy to me, and then confessed his love to me.”
“Really? How surprising! That’s not like him at all. And what do you want from me, Alice?”
“I’m not Alice, I’m Olesya!” she said, offended. “And I want you, Lyudmila, to give your husband a divorce and not stand in the way of his happiness,” the audacious guest continued.
“Listen, how can I give a divorce to someone who isn’t asking for one? Doesn’t even hint at it. Maybe you got something wrong, dear? And Viktor isn’t thinking about a divorce at all. He’s quite happy living as is,” Lyudmila declared confidently.
“Stop it! You’re just teasing me now. Mocking me. I demand that you don’t keep Viktor near you. Give him to me! Why keep a man who feels nothing for you anymore? That’s just silly! You’re still young enough, you’ll find someone else,” Olesya continued.
“And why?— Lyudmila asked, even more amazed by such a foolish conversation.
“What do you mean ‘why?’ You’ll need somewhere to live. Viktor and I will settle in this apartment, and you, I’m sorry, will have to move out,” the guest was ruthless.
“What did you say, Alina, you’ll settle in this apartment?” Lyudmila was even more surprised and burst out laughing, which baffled her interlocutor.
“It’s strange, she was supposed to get upset, cry. Or at least start humiliating me and insulting me out of jealousy towards my husband,” thought the visitor at that moment.
“I’m Olesya, how many times do I have to repeat it!” she said, offended, not knowing what else to add.
“I don’t care, even if you were Pulcheria! It changes nothing. I just don’t understand why you decided you’d live in my apartment?” Lyudmila was surprised.
“How is it—your apartment? What do you think, that I don’t know anything? I know everything, you can’t fool me. This apartment belongs to Viktor. And that means we will live here, and it’s not up for discussion,” Olesya stated pompously.
“Did Viktor tell you that too?” Lyudmila was increasingly surprised.
“No, I found out everything myself. Someone in the HR department told me, a friend of mine works there,” the stranger continued confidently.
“And what else did she tell you? Did she mention that Viktor once left me but came back? And he no longer has the desire to chase after young girls,” Lyudmila laughed.
“What kind of circus are you putting on here! I came to resolve serious matters, and you’re mocking me. Can a woman really talk so calmly about her husband having left her once and then coming back?” Olesya was astonished.
“She can. In our case—that’s exactly how it is. But, of course, if you insist, I’ll talk to my husband. Maybe he’ll agree to move in with you. Do you have a place to take my husband in?”
“What place? Why do I… And this apartment? I definitely know it belongs to Viktor,” the guest said, confused.
“No, I repeat, you are mistaken,” Lyudmila calmly responded. “This apartment is mine. And Viktor lives here as long as I want him to. And yes, now I can calmly say that we live like neighbors. Viktor once left me but came back. Because he realized that he wouldn’t have it as good with anyone else as with me. I don’t know if the apartment issue played a role, but that was a fact several years ago. I took him back only because I value my status in society very much. It’s important to me to remain a married successful woman. And also—because I love our children and grandchildren very much. And I care what they feel at the thought that their parents or grandparents aren’t living together. Some might consider this foolishness or weakness. But I’m sure I acted wisely. And now I’m ready to seriously consider your proposal, if you insist…”
At that time, the door opened, and Viktor came in from his friend’s.
Seeing the uninvited guest in the hallway, he was very surprised and even slightly flustered.
“Olesya Sergeyevna? What are you doing here? On a day off? Did you want to tell me something about work?” Viktor wondered.
“No, she came for you,” Lyudmila anticipated an interesting scene.
“What do you mean? Do I need to go to work?” the husband didn’t understand again. “We’ve never worked on weekends. And there’s a phone…”
“No, dear. She wants to take you away. Completely, can you imagine?” the wife continued with a smirk.
“Well, I guess I’ll go, then… I need to leave. Goodbye, Viktor Mikhailovich,” Olesya was already putting on her coat and backing toward the door.
“Where are you going? And what about Viktor? You came for him, I’m basically not against giving him to you. So why are you backing away now?” Lyudmila pressed the retreating Olesya.
But the guest had already rushed out of the apartment.
“What’s going on?” Viktor was bewildered. “Lyuda, can you explain to me why you talked to her so strangely?”
“Maybe YOU can explain to me what’s happening? Why did this brazen woman with mercantile aspirations come demanding a divorce from me? And that I quickly vacate this apartment for you and her.”
“You’re serious?” Viktor was even more flabbergasted.
“As never before! Are you back to your old tricks?” Lyudmila was no longer smiling. “Viktor, is it really true?”
“No, what are you talking about? It’s totally unclear what’s in the mind of that odd lady. She threw some ambiguous phrases at me, and at the corporate party on March 8th, she approached me and invited me to dance. And then she hung around me all evening. Wouldn’t leave me alone. What she’s made up in her head—only God knows. But all this has long been unnecessary for me. I’m not that age. And I once promised you that I was done with romances. I need to think about grandchildren now, not skirts,” Viktor finished confidently.
“Look, Viktor, you know me. I can pack a suitcase in five minutes. But actually—yes, you’re right. She’s a very strange person. What women won’t do just to sort out their unsettled personal lives!” Lyudmila was amazed.