Don’t start hysterics, Arina. You should have known, marrying a promising surgeon, that this would happen sooner or later. Just look at yourself in the mirror if you haven’t done so in all these years. You’re old, and I need a young wife. I’m a well-known doctor, people talk about me. People try to get appointments with me. I need a beauty by my side, someone I wouldn’t be embarrassed to show off. Thank me for putting up with you for twenty-five years. That’s a significant amount of time. It was all for the sake of our son, but now that he’s grown up, I can leave you with a clear conscience.»
Arina looked at her husband, listening to his hurtful words, but she didn’t show any emotion. Inside, she was boiling. Twenty-five years had passed! In her mind, they were happy years of marriage. Now her husband was holding his head high, saying things she never expected to hear.
«The apartment that you inherited from your parents is currently empty. You haven’t managed to rent it out to new tenants yet, so move there. I think you lack the wit to demand a division of property, considering you didn’t contribute a penny to buying this house?»
Sergey looked at Arina as if trying to silence her with his gaze. Their son, Roman, had just gotten married a week ago. The father had given them a nice two-bedroom apartment and paid for their honeymoon, and now he came with news that made him shiver. Had he been waiting all this time for his son to settle down? But why endure a wife he didn’t love at all? Arina had dedicated herself entirely to the marriage. She once fell in love with a young surgeon who was just starting his challenging career.
Arina remembered how she twisted her ankle, slipping off a rock. Luckily, she managed to hold on, and nothing serious happened. They were hiking with friends at the time. Sergey was also there. He rushed to help the girl, telling her not to worry because he was a surgeon and wouldn’t let her suffer. That was exactly what happened. The guy skillfully fixed the dislocation, and the leg barely hurt. Arina fell in love with his eyes, blue as the clear sky, and agreed to go on a date with Sergey. They married quickly. Sergey carried his beloved in his arms, promising to move mountains for her. The man insisted that his wife should take care of the home. He was too jealous, and Arina was very beautiful. Sergey immediately made his stance clear – let the wife stay at home, and he would provide everything necessary. Arina didn’t argue. She easily agreed with her husband’s position. The role of a housewife was daunting but seemed manageable. Arina was the perfect wife, and Sergey adored her. Or so she thought until today.
Twenty-five years had passed. Arina was now forty-five, and her husband was forty-nine. A quarter-century walked hand in hand, only to be destroyed now? But there was nothing left to save. Arina understood that she could not fight for a relationship that no longer needed anyone but her. She could also not forgive her husband for such hurtful words.
«You should have told me earlier that you no longer wanted an old wife. I’m sure our son would have understood,» Arina managed a smile. «I’ll go pack my things.»
«That’s it? You won’t even say how bad a husband I am? Won’t you insult me?»
«Why?» Arina asked, leaving her bewildered husband alone with his thoughts.
The woman entered the bedroom, closed the door behind her, and felt something too important and significant break inside her. All this time, she had barely been breathing, listening to her husband’s words and trying to comprehend them. He. Does. Not. Love. Her. And how long had he fallen out of love?
Packing would take a few days. Arina wasn’t planning to leave behind what was so dear to her, knowing that her husband hadn’t asked her to vacate the house for nothing. Surely, he planned to bring his mistress there as soon as possible. To use the comfort Arina had created? That would never happen!
The woman approached the wardrobe, opened it to assess how many suitcases she would need to pack her things, but felt an intense burning in her chest. Nausea crept up her throat, tightening like a vice. Breathing became increasingly difficult, as if her lungs were filled with molten lava, burning from within. Everything before her eyes blurred, and a sparkling pain pierced her chest, and a stifled moan escaped her lips. The light before her eyes dimmed.
Hearing a crash from the bedroom, Sergey immediately rushed there. A bad premonition had gripped him, and when he saw his wife lying next to the wardrobe, he instantly turned pale. After administering first aid and calling an ambulance, Sergey cursed himself for that conversation. He had long wanted to confess that he had a mistress, but probably should have kept it a secret. Sergey felt responsible for his wife. He knew his son would not forgive him if he found out who had driven his mother to a heart attack. Perhaps he wouldn’t forgive him for the divorce either. But it was so hard to pretend when someone else had appeared on the side. A young assistant had turned Sergey’s head, and he hadn’t even noticed how she ended up in his bed. Then she also informed him of her pregnancy.
Sitting outside the intensive care unit, Sergey replayed the conversation with his wife over and over in his head. He thought he could have done it more softly. He wanted to blame her for the breakup, but it was necessary to take the full blow himself to make it easier for her to bear the depressing truth. Clenching his hands into fists, praying that everything would be okay with her, Sergey realized he hadn’t fallen out of love with his wife. But he could no longer stay with her. He had betrayed their relationship, a marriage they had built over the years. All the happy moments of their life together flashed before his eyes. Sergey remembered how he met Arina, their first kiss, how she said the desired «yes» and married him. No mistress could ever give him so many pleasant memories. And what had he traded it all for? A fleeting infatuation? He felt nothing for the mistress that bound him to his wife. However, he couldn’t leave her either, as she claimed to be expecting his child. The baby would need a father. Sergey had raised his son, and now he had to take care of a second child, albeit late in his life to be starting a family. The man blamed himself and thought about how he better proceed until the doctor came out and informed him that Arina’s condition had stabilized. She would be okay.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Sergey pondered. He was trying to understand how best to behave moving forward. Should he insist on a divorce or ask his wife for forgiveness? Something inside screamed that he couldn’t live without her. He loved Arina, and she loved him. But on the other hand—what about the young woman who craved his attention and care?
The man was torn.
When Arina was transferred to a regular room, her husband couldn’t come to visit her right away because he didn’t know how to start the conversation. How to apologize? And when he came, it all just happened. He simply asked how Arina was feeling, what she needed. Standard phrases, a strained conversation. It was crucial for Sergey to decide here and now. He had to stop beating around the bush, but he was deeply mired in a swamp of lies.
There was no one to ask for advice, as Sergey had not managed to make friends. His wife had always been his only advisor and support. Sometimes he talked with his son and asked for support, but now he knew for sure that Roman wouldn’t understand his father. It would be good if he even spoke to him at all.
Meeting with his mistress, Sergey understood that she didn’t love him but was drawn to his success. As he was drawn to fresh young blood. He couldn’t be happy with this woman, but he couldn’t yet tell her his thoughts. Like a dog in the manger, the man was torn between two fires and thought about what he should ultimately do, who to choose? Who to stay with and share the rest of his life with? If the mistress was not embarrassing to show at important meetings, then with his wife, he felt more comfortable. Comfort or beauty? To be loved or to feel young again?
Arina, meanwhile, tried not to think about her husband’s betrayal. If initially, the woman tried to find flaws in herself, thinking about what she had done wrong and how she had displeased her husband, she now simply let go of all these worries. She had done everything right, surrounding her husband and son with care and warmth. Perhaps there was one major drawback after all—Arina never thought about herself. And now she had to decide how she would earn a living and what she would do next. She knew her son wouldn’t leave her and would help, but she didn’t want to burden him. He had his own family. They needed help, not to look out for when they would bring her treats or buy something for the house.
The woman decided that she would try to find a job related to her hobby because she really enjoyed baking, and her cakes were so good that many confectioners might envy her. In the end, there were courses after which she could find a job. And if not, she would try baking to order. There was a lot of work ahead, but the woman was sure she wouldn’t be lost, and she definitely wouldn’t suffer over a husband who left her with nothing. Let God judge him. Everyone makes mistakes in this life. Perhaps the mistake cost Arina her entire youth. But even now, the woman didn’t blame Sergey. She had been happy with him all this time, so those twenty-five years lived under one roof with a man she once trusted were not in vain.
Arina decided not to call her son and tell him that she was in the hospital. She didn’t want to spoil the young couple’s vacation, nor did she hint at the upcoming divorce now. Let them rest and enjoy, and the parents would somehow figure out their relationship and go their separate ways on their own.
The day of discharge arrived. Arina wasn’t kept in the hospital long because she recovered quickly, and there was no point in inpatient treatment. She was prescribed heart-strengthening medications and advised not to worry. She promised she wouldn’t. First and foremost, to herself. Sergey couldn’t come and meet his wife because he was on duty. They met at home in the evening. Arina quietly packed her things, deciding that she wouldn’t rush and that her husband wouldn’t throw her out on the street. After all, they had lived together for twenty-five years.
«Arina, forgive me. I understand that you ended up in the hospital because of me. I’m very sorry. I shouldn’t have driven you to such a state. Maybe I should have said softer that I had decided to separate. I don’t know what came over me, and why I decided to just dump everything on you so rudely. Don’t be mad at me. I didn’t want to blame everything on you.
Of course, I wanted to, but then I realized that it was a crude mistake, and I decided to make amends.» Sergey found out that his young mistress was pregnant and not from him at all. Her revelations were a real blow, but at the same time, the man was relieved.
«Arin, drop this matter. No need to pack any stuff. We’re not going to divorce. I was wrong and fully realize my guilt. I know it won’t be easy for you to accept and forgive me, but please… don’t make a rash decision. I cheated on you, but I never stopped loving you.
Now Arina even found it funny to listen to all the nonsense her husband was telling her. Ended up in bed with another woman, but never stopped loving his wife? Let him tell those fairy tales to someone else, but Arina was fed up with deception.
«Be that as it may, you cheated on me. And everything you said – it didn’t come out of nowhere after all. It means you really think that our marriage should be torn apart. You were right about everything: I achieved nothing in this life, devoting myself entirely to the family. I didn’t take care of myself and didn’t think about it before. Maybe I didn’t look the way you wanted. That’s my fault. The more we love someone, the less they notice it. Don’t blame yourself, Sergey. It happened. Go to her and be happy.
«No, Arina,» Sergey protested. – I won’t be happy with anyone but you. She was deceiving me. Wanted to pin another man’s child on me. I realized that no one loved or would love me as you do. I don’t want to divorce you.
«But I want to divorce you, Sergey. Have the decency not to interfere with me packing my things. After all, I shouldn’t get worked up.
Sergey thought his wife was just offended, that she would eventually cool down and give him another chance, but soon their son returned and helped his mother move. Arina didn’t tell Roman that she left his father because of an affair. She didn’t want to pit father and son against each other and decided that if Sergey wanted to—he would confess himself. However, the boy was smart and figured it all out without any extra words. He couldn’t forgive his father for betraying their marriage with his mother, so he decided that he would minimize communication with him and return the apartment his father had gifted as soon as he could afford his own housing. The boy wanted to achieve everything on his own.
Arina got a job in a small bakery. Her cakes quickly captured the attention of customers, and the place gained popularity. The woman had no shortage of orders, and she started earning well. She spent all the money on herself and now truly lived. She started attending yoga, going to the fitness center, often visited the pool, and generally went out, which had been a luxury for her before, to not irritate her husband unnecessarily.
Sergey couldn’t understand why his wife had left him after all. How could she just forget twenty-five years of marriage and leave him? He told himself that Arina had never loved him at all and was looking for an excuse to leave and find another man. It’s always easier to blame others than to think everything through and find reasons in oneself. After all, not everyone can forgive betrayal, let alone forget it.
