Lenochka, which swimsuit should I take?» Vitalina twirled in front of the mirror, trying on one swimsuit after another.
«Any,» replied the attractive middle-aged man without looking up from his monitor.
«Lenchik, you didn’t even look,» the girl pouted her already plump lips and approached Leonid with a catlike walk, placing her hands on his shoulders. «How about I give you a massage?»
«No need, Vita,» the man pushed her hands away and looked into her eyes with a smile, «I need to finish all the work before we leave. You should find something to do too. And if it’s not too much trouble, could you make me some coffee, please?»
«Drinking so much coffee is harmful, especially at your age,» Vitalina squinted slyly and reluctantly headed to the kitchen.
Returning with a cup of aromatic drink, she placed the cup on the table and, sitting on the armrest of the chair where Leonid was sitting, wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear:
«I’m not joking, you need to take care of your health to raise a child.»
«What child?» The man turned so sharply that Vitalina had to jump aside to avoid falling.
«Our child!» she stretched her lips into a wide smile and then puffed them up again, pushing forward, «Aren’t you happy? Didn’t you say you dreamed of becoming a father, and your wife couldn’t make you happy?!»
«As you said yourself, Vita, I’m not at the right age!» Leonid spoke irritably, his usual calmness nowhere to be seen, «I hope you’re joking… It’s inappropriate!»
Vitalina nodded and began packing the swimsuits into a suitcase, still undecided which one was better. Her mind was filled with thoughts, and none of them warmed her soul. How many times had Vitalina tried subtly hinting to Leonid that it was time for them to take their relationship to the next level, but he did not respond to the hints at all, always returning to his wife, although he swore that for many years there had been only business between them.
Now, no trace of joy remained. It would have been better if he hadn’t taken her to the sea, but had made a more confident move. How long could one wait, with weather from that same sea?! Vitalina could think of nothing else but the man of her dreams. Even the fact that Lonya would be nearby for a whole two weeks did not please her. She wanted more, to enjoy the same luxuries as his wife—luxury car, apartment in an elite district, even her perfumes cost as much as Leonid would spend on a trip to the sea with Vitalina. This wasn’t enough for her. And since she couldn’t touch him with a child, which she had only painted in her dreams, it was time to act decisively, to make sure this time.
Settled in the hotel, Vitalina finally chose the brightest swimsuit and went to take a shower after the flight, immediately heading to the beach. Her thoughts were still occupied with Leonid. She could not understand what kept him from taking the next step in their relationship. Everything seemed perfect: she was young, beautiful, and ready to offer him a new, better life. Yet his constant detachment baffled her.
When she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, Leonid was still in the same position, holding a laptop on his lap.
«Lonya, can’t you do without your gadgets even here?» Vitalina sighed tiredly, approaching him. «We came here to relax, and you’re immediately back to your old ways. Don’t you want to come to the beach with me?»
Leonid glanced away from the screen for a moment and looked at her with a slight smile.
«Vita, you know I have a lot of unresolved issues. I need to settle some matters.»
It seemed that this vacation by the sea was merely a formality, something he did for the sake of it. Whenever Vitalina asked him if he would go to the beach or to a café with her, he replied the same thing: «I’m busy, Vita. Go and enjoy the rest, I’ll join you later.» But that «later» never came.
Vitalina felt lonely. She dreamed of how they would walk along the seashore, talk, laugh, how he would take her hand, and all the vacationers would envy them—such a beautiful couple. But Leonid sat in the room, in the company of his laptop, and Vitalina felt like she played a secondary role in his life, something that could always be postponed «for later.»
The beach was crowded, but Vitalina found herself a spot in the shade of an umbrella, on one of the loungers. She stretched out on the lounger, watching the endless horizon and the reflections of the sun’s rays on the water, but even these beauties could not drown out her inner dissatisfaction. Her attention constantly returned to thoughts of Leonid. Suddenly, she overheard a conversation between two women sunbathing nearby.
«Oh, Lilkа,» said one of them, a slim brunette with bright nail polish, «if I hadn’t taken everything into my own hands, I’d be sitting here like you, waiting for the weather at the sea. But see, we’re here at the sea with my husband, he does everything for me!»
«I don’t understand how you managed to bring him over,» her friend replied doubtfully, «Didn’t he have a wife?»
«He had but she’s gone!» laughed the brunette. «He couldn’t decide on his own, so I took the initiative into my own hands—met with her and told her everything as it is! At first, she didn’t believe me, but then, apparently, she understood that I wasn’t joking, and there was enough evidence, as my man had been running to me for a year. The next day she packed his things and put them out.»
Vitalina listened attentively to their conversation, trying not to miss a single word.
«And what, he came straight to you?» Lilka asked incredulously.
«Of course! Where else could he go? When the wife put him out, he came to me. I took him under my wing, comforted him. He even thanked me later that I was so decisive. That’s it, Lilka. Men themselves never decide on such steps, it’s our job to direct them!»
Vitalina didn’t hear the continuation of the conversation. A plan instantly formed in her head. That’s it! That’s what she needed to do to change everything. Leonid, of course, was the man of her dreams, but he lacked decisiveness. All his «busyness,» constant excuses… But she, Vitalina, deserved more. She deserved to live like his wife—to be surrounded by the wealth Leonid was currently spending on another.
«I have to act decisively,» thoughts raced through her head, «Lenya will never leave his wife on his own. He’s too afraid of change. But if I meet with her… if she finds out the truth and leaves him herself…» These thoughts filled her mind, and now she couldn’t wait to return to her hometown.
The next few days passed for her as if in a fog. Leonid continued to spend more time on his laptop than with her. Of course, he showed care—ordering dinners to the room, inquiring about her rest, but it all was so formal that Vitalina couldn’t shake the feeling that for him she was just a temporary diversion.
The day after returning to her hometown, Vitalina got up early. She took a long time choosing her clothes, twirling in front of the mirror, carefully thinking through every element of her image. She had to look confident and beautiful. Today was a very important day.
Having reached the office where Leonid’s wife worked, Vitalina waited for her at the parking lot. She was sure of her rightness and that everything would go according to her plan. As soon as a luxurious red car approached the barrier, Vitalina immediately headed towards it. The woman had just gotten out of the car when Vita took a deep breath and spoke:
«Angela?»
«Yes,» the woman glanced at her, «How can I help?»
«Lenya wants to leave you for me, but can’t decide,» Vitalina declared confidently.
Angela seemed not at all surprised, gave her a quick glance and smiled:
«Let him leave. I never held him back. I can even facilitate it,» she replied detachedly.
Vitalina was initially taken aback by this turn of events, but quickly recovering, decided to press on.
«Great!» she declared enthusiastically, feeling a wave of confidence returning to her. «And since that’s the case, then, I assume you understand that everything acquired during the marriage should stay with Lenya and me. He built the business, invested everything in your company, and he should get his! But don’t worry, we won’t leave you without a job. I’ll even talk to him about raising your salary.»
Angela looked up at her, and a barely noticeable spark of mockery played in her eyes. Suddenly, she burst out laughing, loudly and openly, as if she had heard the best joke in a long time. Vitalina was taken aback by this turn of events, but she tried to maintain a serious demeanor.
When the woman finally calmed down and wiped her eyes, she looked intently at Vita.
«I’m sorry,» Angela finally said, «but that’s the best joke I’ve heard in a long time. Oh, God! How wrong you are, darling. You seem not to know,» she continued, still smiling. «The business is mine. I built it from scratch, and Leonid… Leonid just worked for me, if you can even call it work. He was listed as a manager, but in reality, he spent all his time on his laptop, playing computer games. He did receive a salary, admittedly a very good one. But now, I’m afraid, he’ll lose even that.»
Vitalina stood with her mouth open, realizing what was happening.
«What?» she tried to maintain composure. «That can’t be! It’s not true!»
But Angela wasn’t listening anymore.
«I’m leaving him to you. Do whatever you want with him,» she added before turning around and leaving.
Vitalina stood in complete confusion, watching her leave, and suddenly, a thought flashed through her head: «She’s bluffing! She just doesn’t want to give everything up! But I will get my way, everything will be as I planned!»
That same evening, Leonid appeared on the doorstep of her rented apartment with one bag. Anger was evident in his expression, and Vita immediately understood that something had gone wrong.
«Well, congratulations!» he began from the threshold, tossing the half-empty bag on the floor, «You got what you wanted. Now I’m without everything. No apartment, no job, no money. This is what you wanted, right?»
Vitalina froze in place.
«What do you mean ‘without everything’?» she asked, bewildered.
«That’s what I mean,» Leonid hissed, approaching closer. «All the business belongs to Angela. She supported me, not the other way around. All the money, all the property—it’s all hers.»
Vitalina felt as if she had been scalded.
«What are you talking about?!» she exclaimed, feeling fear and anger mixing inside her. «You said…»
«I said, I said… Yes, I said I would leave her, but I never really intended to! I was comfortable living as I lived!» Leonid took a step forward, his voice becoming harsher. «You wanted me—here I am! And since you stirred this mess, you get to deal with it. You’ll be supporting me, Vitochka, because I’m not used to working.»
At that moment, Vita felt the ground slip from under her feet. This man, whom she considered her chance at a luxurious life, turned out to be her worst disappointment. Everything that had been said and promised, everything she had built in her head—was a lie.
She stared at his face, now foreign and unpleasant, as if he were not the Leonid she had fallen in love with. Now in her eyes, he was a burden, a man who planned to use her just as he had used Angela.
When Leonid fell asleep, Vita stood at the window, listening to the sounds of the night outside. Only one thought spun in her head: «I need to leave. Urgently.» She understood that staying meant becoming a prisoner in this failed adventure.
«Good thing the apartment is rented, no extra trouble,» she thought. The decision was made instantly, and Vita, almost silently, began packing her belongings. Her hands trembled as she packed her clothes in the suitcase, trying to be as quiet as possible.
Finally, her belongings were packed, and Vitalina headed for the exit, casting a final glance at Leonid. «Let him sort out his own problems,» she thought, and hurried away.
Once outside, Vitalina stopped for a second and took a deep breath of the fresh night air. She looked at the suitcase in her hand and felt a strange relief. Vita decided she would never again chase after someone else’s dreams and wealth. Leonid had been a lesson she had learned well.
