Why do you need to sit at the table? Your job is to serve the guests, to make sure they are fed and happy. And you shouldn’t eat; you’re already fat enough,» said the husband.

ДЕТИ

Larisa pondered for a long time what to give her husband for his birthday. Unable to come up with anything, she decided to ask him directly. And he blurted out:

«A gym membership.»

«But you don’t even like sports,» she said, surprised.

«I don’t need it! Buy it for yourself. You’ve really let yourself go. It’s embarrassing in front of friends.»

Larisa flared up, her eyes filling with tears, but she remembered how her mother taught her to always listen to her husband. If Dima said so, there must really be something wrong with her.

She cleared the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and went to the bathroom. There was a large mirror there, and Larisa began to critically examine her reflection.

«He’s right. I need to lose weight. But only after the holiday. Otherwise, what am I supposed to do, stare into the guests’ mouths? I planned to cook so much… the diet will have to wait,» Larisa thought and went to sleep.

She craved attention from her husband, but he grumbled something and turned away.

«Tired. Well, okay,» she excused him again.

The next day, returning from work with a whole bunch of bags, Larisa started cooking at the stove.

She was a professional pastry chef and cooked excellently. Her pies and buns were popular among customers. Many came specifically for them and bought in bulk. But Dima, apparently, was used to his wife’s good cooking and no longer noticed it. He took it for granted. But he really liked to boast about his wife’s skills in front of friends.

Therefore, on the eve of the holiday, he wrote a whole list of dishes that should be on the festive table.

Larisa was exhausted, but by the appointed time everything was ready.

The guests began to gather, settled at the table, and looked questioningly at Larisa.

«Where’s Dima?»

«He said he’s on his way… that’s work for you,» she defended the man of the hour. And finally, he showed up.

«Got held up at work, couldn’t get away. And I gave Masha a ride from the stop,» he said, letting Maria in front of himself. She was Larisa’s longtime friend, and no one was surprised that Maria was also invited to the party.

Masha sat next to Dima, and Larisa had to take a seat at the edge of the table on the most uncomfortable stool.

«You’ll need to be running around, serving guests anyway,» Dima told his wife. «And why do you need to sit? You’re on a diet! Serve us some salad. Masha, do you want some aspic? Or are you watching your figure?»

«I’m perfect, nothing extra,» she laughed.

«Coming right up…» Larisa ignored her husband’s comment and rushed for the appetizer. «Let’s have the plates.»

Guests happily tried the aspic. It turned out meaty, dense… but Dima liked it more like jelly.

«Something’s off today, wife… forgot how to make aspic?»

«Is it bad that there’s a lot of meat in the aspic?» Gleb, a family friend, was surprised.

«Of course, it’s bad. I prefer more jelly.»

«Stop nitpicking, Dim.»

«Oh, alright. It’s Larisa’s professional deformation. She cooks at home like it’s for sale. Look at this egg pie, for example…» Dima took a pie and broke it in half. «See?»

«What?»

«Too much dough.»

Larisa looked at her husband, then shifted her gaze to the pie, and felt deeply hurt. She had tried so hard! It wasn’t her fault that Dima had grabbed the one with the least filling. The last one on the tray, which she wanted to eat herself but lost among the others and accidentally put out on the table.

«There’s plenty of filling in mine. Laris, don’t listen to Dima. Everything’s very tasty,» said Ira, Larisa’s sister.

«Yes, yes. Everything’s delicious,» the guests supported.

«Thank you, I tried,» Larisa blushed.

«I also baked last week. Remember, Dim? You came over for tea at my place,» boasted Masha.

«There, the pies were perfect. Homemade,» Dima nodded.

Larisa felt uneasy. She didn’t touch the food all evening. She collected the dirty plates from the guests and went to the kitchen.

In the fridge was a cake made from a new recipe. It turned out lighter than Dima’s favorite cake. Larisa didn’t have enough time, and now she scolded herself for deciding to be creative instead of making the traditional cake.

She brought tea and with a trembling heart took the tray with the dessert. Larisa was afraid her husband would be upset, so she was very nervous and didn’t notice the cat darting under her feet. Larisa stumbled, couldn’t hold the cake, and it fell onto the table. The cake crumbled, and tea spilled on the brand-new white tablecloth.

The room fell silent, but Dmitry broke it.

«How can you be so clumsy?! Can’t even carry a cake, can’t lift your feet!» Dmitry didn’t hold back in front of the guests, scolding his wife like a schoolgirl in trouble. And Larisa was pale as chalk. She felt very uncomfortable, ashamed, and hurt. Her toe was swollen, and she almost cried.

«We need a cloth,» Masha quickly realized. «Otherwise, everything will be in tea. It’s already dripping onto my pants…»

«I’ll help,» volunteered Ira. Guests began to come to their senses. Someone went for a cloth, someone carried away the dishes. And only Dmitry continued to scold.

Larisa couldn’t stand it and went to the bathroom, where she let her tears flow. Her foot hurt, but her heart ached even more.

«Laris, how are you doing in there? Need help?» After a while, she heard Gleb’s voice.

«I’m fine.»

«Guests are leaving… they’re asking for you. Will you come out?»

«Yes… of course,» she tried to stand up, but it was very painful. «Ouch!»

«What’s wrong?»

«My toe is swollen.»

«I’ll unlock the door now.» Gleb managed to unlock the simple lock and entered the bathroom. «You need to go to the emergency room.»

«Really?»

«Yes.»

«Who’s going to take me at this time?»

«We can take a taxi. I’ll help you now…»

They reached the hallway, but all the guests had already left. Only Ira was washing dishes after the party. And Dima, seeing that Larisa was limping, flew off the handle.

«Decided to completely ruin the holiday for me?!»

«She might have a fracture…»

«Even so, stuffed herself with extra pounds on state grub, and now can’t even stand on her legs…» Dmitry hissed angrily looking at Larisa. His gaze made her feel even worse.

«Alright. Let’s go,» Gleb called a taxi and helped Larisa get in. «Dima, are you coming?»

«What, do I need to?» he asked. «I think you can manage without me.»

Gleb didn’t answer. He and Ira got in the taxi and took Larisa away.

It turned out not to be so bad. Larisa’s leg was bandaged and she was released. But she didn’t want to go home, so she went to her sister’s place. The next morning, Gleb came to her. He brought flowers and medicine. Larisa was amazed by his care. He had never shown her such attention before.

«Laris… I’ve wanted to say this for a long time… maybe you should leave Dima?»

«And where would I go alone? Who needs me at thirty?» she frowned.

«I need you. I’ve loved you for a long time, and he’s been fooling around with Masha behind your back. Can’t you see?» Gleb confessed.

«You must have misunderstood something…» Larisa was taken aback. She thanked Gleb for his help and, after saying goodbye to her sister, went home. She decided not to call her husband for some reason, thinking she would use her own key. And she deeply regreted it.

Dmitry wasn’t home, but Masha was sleeping in her bed. And clearly, she wasn’t expecting her return.

«How could you?!» Larisa whispered, stepping back.

«I thought they put you in the hospital…» said Masha, waking up. «Though it’s for the best. Now there’s no need to hide.»

«Indeed. For the best,» said Larisa and limped to the elevator without looking back. She immediately called Gleb and told him what had happened.

«See, you didn’t believe me.»

«And is your offer still valid?»

«Valid. I’m on my way,» Gleb said. He kept his promise. First, they moved in together, and after she divorced Dima, he even married Larisa and strictly forbade her to lose weight.

«You’re a beauty! A gorgeous woman… And Dima is a fool to trade such a treasure for Masha… Well, good, more for me.»

Larisa smiled. In her life, there were no more reproaches and grievances. Her new husband appreciated Larisa with all her virtues, and she returned the same to him.