After the divorce, Sergey did not trust women. His first wife turned out not to be the most honest girl, and almost immediately after buying a luxury apartment, she filed for divorce and for a division of property. It turned out that she had prepared documents and provided proof that she had a fairly high salary.
Sergey, on the other hand, had been working unofficially for a long time, and due to being head-over-heels in love, he had not only registered a new car in his wife’s name but also put her on the deed of the purchased apartment. In the end, he had to spend a significant sum to reclaim his own money.
Humbled by bitter experience, he “took to his water” when considering new candidates for a life partner. Having made a mistake, Sergey learned a lot and decided it was time to work for himself and earn a “white” (official) salary. Over time, his business took off nicely, and he managed to recover the lost money.
Working hard, Sergey dreamed of a family, children, and true love. But every new girlfriend seemed mercantile to him. Most of them, for some reason, wanted to dine at expensive restaurants, wear branded clothes, and vacation at the best resorts. They were practically offering their love in exchange for complete support. Moreover, none of them planned to have children for at least another five to ten years, while Sergey, having lost his mother at an early age, longed for a large and solid family.
— “You’re looking in the wrong circles,” his father advised.
— “Go to the library?” Sergey laughed.
— “Yes, even if it’s just to go to the library.”
But Sergey never made it to the library. One rainy autumn day, when he stopped by to thank his lawyer for his services, his secretary brought him a very tasty coffee.
He wouldn’t have noticed the girl if it weren’t for that divinely brewed drink. The girl herself was quite ordinary. A white blouse, a modest skirt falling below the knee, no high heels and minimal makeup. She was the opposite of Sergey’s previous girlfriends.
“That’s just what I need,” he thought, taking a closer look.
— “What’s your assistant’s name?” Sergey asked.
— “Kristina.”
— “Married?”
— “No, she’s a single mother. She never had a husband. And what?”
— “Oh, nothing… She’s a very good secretary. And the coffee is delicious.”
As it turned out, that evening Kristina had asked to leave work early.
She left the office in silence and headed to the bus stop in the pouring rain. Sergey noticed her as he was leaving the parking lot.
— “Can I give you a ride?” he asked. Kristina agreed, though she was very embarrassed.
And within a month, she introduced him to her child, Sasha.
Little Sasha immediately became attached to Sergey. He decided that this was the long-awaited dad that the boy had been wishing for at Father Frost’s place for several years in a row.
— “Don’t try to change his mind,” Sergey smiled, when Kristina wanted to explain the truth to her son.
— “But…”
— “I want us to get married. Do you agree?”
— “Yes.”
At that point, their modern Cinderella and handsome prince’s fairy tale could have had a happy ending… but Sergey was afraid that once Kristina became his wife, she would change and turn out to be just as mercantile as his first wife.
He tried not to spoil his wife too much, but when Kristina became pregnant, Sergey decided that it was time to buy a new apartment in which each child would have their own room. Only, some inner instinct or misconception prevented Sergey from acting as he had the last time. He needed advice, so he decided to ask his father, Boris Ivanovich.
— “If you don’t trust her and are afraid, then you need her to sign a waiver of any share in the future apartment.”
— “How can I say that to a pregnant woman? She’ll be offended. I just can’t do that.”
— “Then what do you want?”
— “I don’t know… I want to avoid a repeat of the previous situation in case of a divorce. Of course, I understand that my future son won’t be left without support, and I don’t want to think about the worst. But you know how hard that last divorce was for me… My ex-wife still haunts my nightmares.”
— “Kristina, as far as I can see, is completely different.”
— “Yes. I really want it to be that way, but I’m afraid that her life has changed too much. From a single woman with a child, she became the wife of a businessman. That could overwhelm many women. And as a result, our children will suffer… Sasha included. I, of course, hope that all this is just my silly fantasy… but wouldn’t it be better to live together for a while first… and then start acquiring joint property?”
— “If you feel that way, then you need to listen to your inner voice.”
— “And what should I do?”
— “Live in the old apartment, the one you bought before the marriage.”
— “But it will be cramped for us. I found an excellent option in a new building…”
— “If you want to have your cake and eat it too, there’s only one option…” said Boris Ivanovich.
The father suggested that Sergey arrange the apartment in his name and furnish it as if the property were being given as a gift to the young family by his father-in-law. “Given” formally, without any documentation, while Boris Ivanovich remained the de facto owner of the apartment.
Since Sergey trusted his father, he decided that this was the best option available. Therefore, the deal was concluded without involving Kristina, with the apartment being registered in the name of Sergey’s father.
The wife did not know that her husband had bought the apartment. At that time, she was busy preparing for the birth.
And when Kristina was discharged from the hospital, she immediately told her husband that she wanted to move out to her aunt’s place in the countryside for the time being. He didn’t even get a chance to tell her the news about the “father’s” purchase of a new apartment for the young family.
— “In our village, there’s a big house for two families, with its own garden. Previously, on the other side of the house, my mother lived… but now our side is empty,” said Kristina.
— “And why didn’t you sell your share?” Sergey asked tensely.
— “I don’t know… probably because there are memories there, my childhood.”
— “And your aunt? She’s still a stranger…”
— “She has no other relatives besides me. Her daughter died three years ago. And besides, in my family, she’s the only one left… anyway, Aunt Lusia said she’d help with the baby. We won’t get in her way; she helps us too. This is the best thing we can do now because it’s better for the baby to live in the fresh air for the first few months rather than in a smoky metropolis. And it will be good for Sasha too, since he has been getting sick rather often.”
— “And what about me?” Sergey frowned.
— “You can come on weekends, or take the electric train to the office. Two hours and you’re in the center. In rush hour, driving through the city takes even longer.”
— “I’m not used to the electric train…” Sergey was at a loss. But after a little thought and a visit to Aunt Lusia’s, they decided that it really would be better.
— “We’ll stay until the frosts, and then see,” said Sergey. He could afford to take a vacation to spend some time with his wife and children, and they began living in the country house.
Sergey made a small repair in just a week while they were moving their things, and a construction crew refreshed the rooms. The house became even cozier and welcomed its residents with pleasure.
Aunt Lusia was a modest and unassuming woman. No one bothered anyone; they lived harmoniously. The aunt helped with the children, and Sergey and Kristina even had time to be alone together. Soon enough, the wife became pregnant again.
— “This is wonderful news,” Sergey sincerely rejoiced, although Kristina did not feel a strong desire to have another child. “I’ve always dreamed of a big family.”
— “Stay here. The boys are doing well, you too, and your husband has adjusted,” said Aunt Lusia. Sergey realized that he should find a place for the house not far from where they were living, so that his family could have an even better life. But for now, he was afraid to propose this to Kristina. She was satisfied; she had no desire to move back to the city.
The apartment, registered in the father’s name, was not left idle: tenants lived there. Sergey completely trusted his father, and Boris Ivanovich was a responsible man with few entanglements, so he helped his son willingly. He particularly enjoyed personally collecting the rent from a new tenant, Anzhelika, who had moved into the apartment with her common-law husband.
Anzhelika was a beauty. Young, well-dressed, and sociable, she immediately won Boris Ivanovich over, so he was very upset when, after some time, Anzhelika announced that she had to move out.
— “I’m sorry to let such wonderful tenants go,” said Boris Ivanovich.
— “The thing is, my fiancé turned out to be a dishonest man… he decided that our relationship no longer made sense.”
— “Why?”
— “Because his legal wife found out that he wanted a divorce and to marry me. But she’s not willing to let him go, and for some reason, he chose her. In short, he will no longer be paying for my housing.”
— “I’ll talk to your son,” assured Boris Ivanovich.
— “And can your son help me? I thought the apartment was yours…” Anzhelika lowered her eyes and said.
— “It is mine. Really.”
— “If that’s the case, then only you can help…”
Boris Ivanovich did not mention to his son that Anzhelika had stopped paying rent. At first, he felt a bit ashamed about it. But then he himself moved into that apartment to live with his young widow.
Sergey learned about this only at his father’s funeral.
Boris Ivanovich passed away suddenly. The doctors said his heart couldn’t take it.
Undoubtedly, Sergey was very distressed about his father’s death, but his distress soon turned into astonishment and anger when he saw in the “yesterday’s” tenant—a woman in a black dress and a mourning hat—crying next to him.
— “Who is this?” Kristina asked, looking at the weeping Anzhelika.
Sergey was at a loss for an answer. Kristina still did not know that Sergey had secretly bought the apartment and registered it in his father’s name.
— “Hello, Sergey… this loss is irreparable for both of us,” Anzhelika approached him and, despite his wife being right beside him, clung to his neck.
— “Excuse me… were you close to my father?” Sergey asked tensely.
— “Of course. I was his wife. We didn’t have time to get to know each other better, he really wanted to introduce us… but he died,” Anzhelika burst into even louder tears. Kristina felt uncomfortable watching this. And Sergey could not believe what Anzhelika had said.
But the documents said otherwise. A week before his death, Boris Ivanovich had indeed signed papers with Anzhelika, without saying anything to Sergey.
Everything happened so quickly that it couldn’t sink in. Just a few days ago, he had been planning to go to his father to say that it was time to sell the apartment. Sergey no longer wanted any secrets from his wife and was planning to buy a big house where there would be enough room for their family. He needed money…
But Anzhelika was not planning to leave.
— “Forget about the sale, the apartment is mine now,” declared the wife of his father when Sergey came for the keys.
— “You have no right! You set everything up! Perhaps he died at your bidding?!”
— “Go away if you don’t want to face charges of slander,” Anzhela threatened. “Although… if you want to keep living here, there is one option,” her robe “accidentally” revealed her shoulder a little, but Sergey did not fall for that cheap trick. He left to consult his lawyer friend.
— “Everything must be done so that Anzhelika is left with nothing.”
— “In this case, I won’t help, but there is one person… he is an acquaintance of Kristina’s. Ask your wife to speak with him. He should be able to help.”
— “I can’t…”
— “Why?”
— “Because Kristina doesn’t know the details.”
— “You hid the purchase of the apartment from her?”
— “Yes. I was afraid,” Sergey said, covering his face with his hands. He realized that, through his own stupidity, he had risked losing much more than just the apartment.
For some time, he thought and searched for words to explain more gently what he had done behind her back with that deal. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to confess. Sergey felt very ashamed in front of his wife.
©Stella Kiari
However, Anzhelika handled it perfectly for him. She called Kristina and told her how her husband had come over and tried to seduce her in order to deceitfully acquire his father’s apartment.
— “Nonsense. Sergey loves me. We have children!” protested Kristina.
— “Really? Then he wouldn’t have been making secret deals with regard to real estate behind your back. He never wanted to have anything in common with you. You two are from different social classes, darling. Isn’t it strange that you still live in your old house while your husband is raking in huge sums and buying apartments left and right? I’m sure he has more properties that you don’t know about. Perhaps they’re registered in the name of his mistress or his ex-wife, whom he might still love. Boris Ivanovich told me a lot about his son. Sergey will do anything as long as you don’t get anything in a divorce. Isn’t that great? And you, keep having children, sitting in your village with rose-tinted glasses on your nose.”
— “And what’s in it for you? What do you gain from all this?”
— “I just wanted to do you a favor. Women’s solidarity,” said Anzhelika before hanging up. She was counting on the fact that if problems arose in Sergey’s marriage, he wouldn’t waste time in court trying to reclaim his father’s apartment.
When Sergey got home, a packed suitcase was waiting for him. Kristina said nothing, but he understood everything without words.
Sergey left in silence, unable to muster the courage to explain. And what was there to explain? His own cowardice? His distrust of his wife?
“I lost everything. And it’s all because of my first wife. She is the reason for all my misfortunes. She is to blame for everything,” he thought, sitting alone in the kitchen of his old apartment. The only thing he couldn’t understand was why his own father had betrayed him so treacherously. But the answer to that question had been taken to the grave along with Boris Ivanovich.
After some time, Sergey finally found that very lawyer. The trial had not yet taken place, but there was every chance to fight.
Kristina could not forgive Sergey, but she did not file for divorce and allowed him to meet his sons. Aunt Lusia really wanted to reconcile the spouses, but to build new, trusting relationships, Sergey simply needed to work hard on himself.
Perhaps this story will have a happy ending; let’s believe that the family will reunite and that justice will prevail. And what do you think, should Kristina preserve the family?
