— Don’t talk nonsense! What do you mean—you won’t let me back in? Me! — Vitaly, with a surprised expression, stood in the doorway of his former apartment.
«— You’re talking nonsense now. And why have you come here, huh? Where is it written, in what law, that some moral freaks—having indulged themselves on the side—have any right at all to come back to their ex-wives? — Liliana marveled.
«— Lilka, don’t be foolish. If you let me back in, you won’t get anywhere! — insisted Vitaly. — Have you already forgotten everything?
«— No, I haven’t forgotten anything. I remember perfectly well how you dashed off after a young, brainless beauty, forgetting everything in the world, — said his ex-wife with a disdainful smile.
«— And why are you slapping labels on? How is she brainless to you, huh? — Vitaly took offense, nearly forgetting why he had come here.
«— Oh, how else? She found someone to be jealous of, you little dummy. She grabbed truckloads of happiness. But I see you’ve quickly come to your senses, now that you’re here again.
«— You talk, but think! — Vitaly drew himself up. — I am your legal husband…
«— I was! — the woman cried with undisguised joy.
«— Well, that can be fixed quickly. I repeat—I am your husband, with whom you’ve spent nearly twenty years. We have two children—you simply can’t erase that from our lives. So, stop fooling around and set the table. Let’s celebrate my return.
Vitaly carried a large suitcase and a gym bag into the apartment, paying no attention to Liliana’s protests.
«— Don’t act up, don’t act up! Have you forgotten whose apartment this is? — Vitaly asked strictly, critically surveying himself in the hallway mirror.
«— No, why would I forget? This is our joint apartment, which I am now trying to sell in order to split the money between us. You yourself wanted that when you left, — Liliana reminded her ex-husband. — You demanded it, shouted, insisted that it had to be done quickly.
«— Well, you haven’t sold it yet. And thank God! Now there’s no need to sell. And this apartment is mine, do you understand? — Vitaly stated confidently.
«— Ours.
«— No, mine! And you know it very well, dear, which is why you have no right to keep me out.
«— But we bought it together when we were married, — Lilya was surprised, having already managed to forget the insolence of her former husband.
«— And then you say that you also contributed to its purchase, — he cynically smirked. — You literally gave all your meager paycheck. Don’t be ridiculous! If I hadn’t been there, with your salary as an ordinary accountant you couldn’t even have bought a dog kennel. And I already held a good position at our factory back then. I always brought you decent money. That’s why we decided once that you needed to move from your cramped room in the communal apartment to a proper apartment. And we bought this apartment. Forgotten?
«— No, I haven’t forgotten. My memory is as sharp as ever. But the money from renting out—and later from selling—my room was invested here. So there’s no point for me to babble about the difference in our salaries. I can do the math too; I’m not dumber than you, you sensible person.
«— Look at you start talking! Look how bold you’ve become without me, letting yourself go, — Vitaly said in a strict tone, frowning.
«— Listen, if you have nowhere to live, rent a room or go to a hotel, since you’re flaunting your income here. I’ll sell the apartment and that’s it—nothing binds us anymore. And besides, we won’t be living together. It’s all just plain foolishness! — Lila declared indignantly, looking at Vitaly with a mix of astonishment and disdain.
«— Oh, we will! And don’t argue. Our children will thank us for this later, — Vitaly proclaimed proudly, setting Lila straight.
«— They won’t. They’re on my side. They don’t even want to talk to you, — Liliana stated with satisfaction.
«— I see… You’ve turned them against me, against their own father! You’ve completely let yourselves go without me, forgotten all sense of order. Well, I’ll quickly set things right, — the ex-husband threatened.
«— Unlikely, — the woman assured him. — You’re starting all this for nothing, Vitaly. If Mashka kicked you out, then nothing will go wrong for you here either. I have no intention of forgiving you, I won’t live with you anymore, and it’s all utterly absurd. We divorced, and I already have a different life.
«— What? You have a different life? Don’t make fun of my gray hairs! Haven’t you looked at yourself in the mirror for a long time? Lilek, even in your youth you didn’t shine with beauty—and that’s saying it mildly. And now, in your forties, even more so! You should thank me for making sure you’d face old age with a worthy man by your side, — Vitaly boasted cynically.
«— And yet, I insist that I have a personal life that no longer concerns you at all, — Lila calmly retorted.
«— What personal life? What are you doing? I took you as my wife twenty years ago out of pity. I felt sorry for you, you dummy. I think—who would need such a dummy anyway? I made you happy, you might say. And you, ungrateful, could have at least thanked me once for that. You could have just stayed with the girls, — Vitaly continued to belittle his ex-wife.
«— Oh, of course! There you go again—in your usual role, the universal benefactor, patron, and saint! You’ve jumped on your favorite subject. And I’ve already forgotten how you love to heap praise on yourself.
«— Lil, enough already, huh? Now take a breath and start rejoicing that your husband has returned. It means not everything about you is bad. You’re a good wife—that’s what it means! — Vitaly smiled broadly at her, straightening his thick, curly hair.
Liliana even burst out laughing as she looked at him at that moment.
«— Your charms don’t work on me, master of seduction! That’s it—you can relax and save your strength and time.
«— What? Have you really decided to spend the rest of your life alone? But we’re still so young, and we could very well enjoy the second half of our lives. Travel, for example. Eh? What do you say to that? Want to go to the seaside, or maybe somewhere even farther once—or twice a year? Our children are grown up now, and I earn well, so we can afford it. Your friends will be envious of you. Or we could buy a house out in the country. We’d sell this apartment and buy one. Lilek, how does that idea sound? Our children, our grandchildren—when they’re born, everyone will come over. Well, think about it. What exactly are you refusing?
«— It’s a so-so idea. Although you could achieve all that without me, with some other woman.
«— I don’t need any other. I have a wife, a legal one, — Vitaly insisted.
«— I’m not your wife! Get off my back, for God’s sake! You’ve gotten too attached.
«— I do want you, — the man said unceremoniously as he strode into the kitchen. — Now come on—feed me and stop throwing a fit. I’ve already gauged how hurt you are, but there’s a limit, you know! Enough!
Vitaly even managed to peek at what Liliana was cooking in her pots. But at that moment, the cell phone began to ring.
«— Yes, — the woman answered with a smile. — And I’m glad to hear from you. Come over, of course! But I must warn you—an unforeseen circumstance has arisen. Yes, him. Just as you suspected.
«— Who else is calling you? — the ex-husband asked jealously.
«— This is my beloved man, — Liliana answered calmly.
«— Oh, just don’t! Don’t make me laugh! Who needs you—an old, ugly hag! Unless some cad coveted you because of the apartment. But let him know—this apartment is mine! — Vitaly shouted.
«— Oh my, how funny you are! A rich man with half a two-room apartment. And who I am for—you’ll soon find out. He’s coming here now, to me.
«— Stop this circus, Lilka. You’ve exhausted me already, for God’s sake! Surely it’s one of your friends calling, and you’re blatantly lying to me about a man. You’re of no use to anyone! — Vitaly looked haughtily at the smiling woman.
«— Well, well… You’re deluding yourself. A self-assured turkey.
«— I’ll show you! Ouch! Have some respect for your husband, — Vitaly threatened with his finger.
Twenty minutes later the doorbell rang.
«— It’s me! I’ll open it myself; this is my apartment! — Vitaly shouted as he rushed into the hall.
Imagine his astonishment when he saw, in the doorway, his immediate superior—the deputy director of the factory where he had worked for many years as a senior engineer.
«— Oh, Dmitry Ivanovich! What an unexpected but pleasant meeting! Come in, come in! I’m so glad to see you. And what brings you to my home? Are you here to offer me some new position, huh? — the man asked with a broad smile. — Such matters can be discussed in the office. See, Lila, how management values me! They come to my home to talk about work.
«— And I’m not here for you. And as far as I know, Vitaly, you haven’t lived here for a year now. So step aside and let me through.
«— Not for me? — Vitaly’s expression changed. — Are you joking, Dmitry Ivanovich? And if not me—a senior engineer—then to whom? Not to her—a mere staff member, a drab little mouse from accounting?
Vitaly looked at his ex-wife in confusion.
«— Yes, I came for the woman I love. Hello, Lilenka, — with these words, Dmitry Ivanovich embraced Vitaly’s ex-wife and even kissed her on the cheek.
«— To her? — the man was dumbfounded, seeing his boss dote on his ex-wife.
«— Yes, to her. I proposed to her, and Liliana accepted, for which I am eternally grateful.
Dmitry Ivanovich and his former wife gazed at each other with loving eyes.
«— What the hell? Are you playing a joke on me? — Vitaly couldn’t believe what was happening.
«— No, of course not. I’m a widower; it’s been three years. And Lilichka is divorced. I, Vitalka, had long ago taken notice of your wife—I always admired her. And when I found out that you, you idiot, dumped her, I didn’t wait around. And now we’re together.
«— It can’t be! — Vitaly, utterly stunned, couldn’t believe it.
«— It can, it can. And behave respectfully. Don’t forget that you’re in the presence of my immediate superior and his future wife. Now, pick up your suitcases and get out of here.
«— Uh… — Vitaly tried to say something.
«— And if you continue to get all worked up and start claiming your rights, I’ll fire you. Yes, that’s right. I’ll find a reason, just you wait.
«— What about… the apartment? Mine… ours?
«— Lila will sell the apartment; we won’t need it. We’ll live in my house. She’ll give you your share from the sale, just as we agreed during the divorce. But right now, Vitaly, you have absolutely nothing to do here. So no more drama—you understand that this will only hurt you further. And forget about a new position. You’re not worthy of it. You could mess it up at any moment.
Vitaly left with his bag and suitcase from his former entrance and went off to find shelter. He still didn’t know where to go. His mind was in disarray, unable to believe what had just occurred.
In his mind there was only one thought—his own boss had found his Lilka, that unattractive, old woman who was supposed to sit at home waiting for him, Vitaly.
That’s the question.
