Nelly, no longer wanting to depend on others, asked the driver to get out of the car and took the wheel herself. She had always believed that a change of activity was the best remedy for stress. And today had been filled with so many emotions that it could have lasted a whole week. The black streak had started early in the morning: partners unexpectedly withdrew from a long-discussed contract that was supposed to be a real breakthrough for the company. A childhood friend, whom they hadn’t seen for several months, suddenly unleashed a harsh tirade about how all men without exception were selfish and incapable of sincere feelings. And to top it all off, her assistant, lawyer Gosha, submitted his resignation letter. On days like this, she especially wanted to be far away from everyone and everything, but Nelly knew there was nowhere to run — she had to keep working.
At home, she took off her coat, undressed, and stood for a long time under a hot shower, trying to wash the tension of the day away with the water. Wrapped in a terry towel, she threw herself onto the bed and immediately sank into the silence of the bedroom. But even that silence was short-lived — suddenly, the phone rang in the dark room. The screen showed Gosha’s name. He never called just like that.
“I have a matter to discuss with you,” he began in an official tone, the kind he usually reserved for business negotiations. “Would you like to hire a reliable person to replace me? My friend Andrey is a very capable specialist.”
His voice sounded a bit strained, as if someone was near him, or he himself felt uncomfortable. Nelly listened silently to his proposal, paused, then cleared her throat softly and replied in a low, slightly hoarse voice:
“All right, have him come to the office tomorrow. We’ll talk.”
After the call, she turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. “Good job, Gosha, you even interrupted my sleep,” she thought. To relax a little and regain her balance, Nelly got up, went to the minibar, and poured herself some brandy. The first sip burned her throat, but within a second warmth spread inside her like an old blanket that gently shields from winter cold. Taking the glass, she went out to the balcony, sat in a soft wicker chair, and wrapped herself in a blanket — the nights were getting colder. That’s how she fell asleep, sitting under the stars with a glass in hand and thoughts slowly drifting away into nowhere.
Morning began with numerous calls. Nelly answered shortly, almost monosyllabically, while brewing coffee and heating up some toast. The housekeeper had taken the day off, so there was no real breakfast. But she wasn’t in the mood for food — an important day awaited at the office, where her colleagues were already waiting. After Gosha’s resignation yesterday, many issues had to be discussed, including a possible replacement.
When Nelly entered the office, Gosha greeted her with a restrained, almost offended smile:
“Nelly Mikhailovna, we’ve been waiting for you.”
She just nodded shortly and went to her office, leaving the door open. The men followed her.
“Allow me to introduce — this is Andrey Olegovich Zavadsky.”
“Could you please wait in the reception area?” she interrupted him before he could finish.
Gosha nodded understandingly and left. Nelly put on her glasses, took the new candidate’s resume, and began studying it carefully. Andrey was clearly younger than Gosha and, at first glance, did not seem like an experienced lawyer. It was hard to determine his exact age, but apparently, he was significantly younger than Nelly herself.
“A typical young specialist,” she thought, closing the documents. “Three years younger than me, minimal work experience.”
At that moment, Andrey suddenly gathered courage and said:
“I understand I look too young, Nelly Mikhailovna. But I started university early — I was only fifteen then.”
Nelly stood up, came closer, and looked at the interviewee with renewed interest.
“So you’re a prodigy?”
“Well… yes, at school they teased me calling me a nerd,” he smiled. “Although, honestly, I have nothing to do with plants.”
She pondered, then looked out into the reception:
“Gosha, prepare the appointment order.”
This decision soon proved entirely justified. Andrey really turned out to be an incredibly capable specialist. He quickly adapted to the new environment, figured out the company’s tangled affairs, organized the documentation, and even proposed a new contract format with the partners. Nelly followed his work with surprise and admiration: how could such intelligence, composure, and professionalism be combined in such a young person?
With each day, Andrey brought new results. The deals he handled successfully ended with contract signings. Court cases were resolved in the company’s favor with minimal losses. It seemed his mere presence in the team influenced success. He was not just an employee — he became the engine, the driving force that charged everyone around with energy and confidence.
At some point, Nelly began to catch herself thinking that perhaps their relationship could be different if he were older or at least the same age. Andrey literally adored his boss. His behavior, views, and words all spoke of deep respect and affection. Sometimes it seemed he was ready to do anything for her.
“But it’s just gratitude,” Nelly thought. “He’s glad to have a job. Of course, he loves me, but more like a student loves a teacher — warmly, but without romantic hints.”
Once, they had to go on a business trip for negotiations. They traveled by train, and Nelly joked:
“At least we’ll get some sleep to the rhythm of the wheels!”
After dinner, Andrey said he wanted to work a little more, and Nelly turned on an audiobook, wrapped herself in a white blanket, and settled comfortably on the berth. The sound of the wheels really acted like a lullaby — she quickly fell asleep.
She woke up to someone gently taking off her headphones and putting them with the phone on the shelf. It was Andrey. He couldn’t sleep, and every breath Nelly took, every turn of her head caused a wave of emotions inside him. Her subtle perfume, the light scent of her hair, her breathing barely audible in the dim light made his heart beat faster. One thought spun in his head: “No… no… no…” But his hands reached out to the blanket to slightly uncover it.
Sleepily, Nelly turned toward him:
“Andrey, what are you doing?”
“Sorry… I just can’t help it anymore…”
The next morning, rain poured outside. The aroma of freshly brewed tea spread through the carriage. And Nelly and Andrey sat in each other’s arms as if the whole world had stopped for them.
“Let’s leave this country for some paradise,” he whispered. “I can’t stand our endless winters. I’ve dreamed all my life of living in the south.”
Nelly looked at him thoughtfully.
“What about our company? You understand how many people depend on us? How many will have to find a new place?”
“We can leave a good manager. Someone who will handle things no worse than us.”
“I don’t know… it’s even hard to find a normal lawyer now. You see — one leaves, another barely arrives.”
She got up, wrapped her robe, and went into the corridor of the carriage. Outside the window, rainy landscapes flickered, people stood near the windows as if also lost in their thoughts. Nelly felt a strange sensation — as if she was being pulled into an invisible net. And the longer she thought about the future, the stronger this feeling became. Returning to the compartment was frightening.
Nelly felt an anxious tension growing inside her. The unexpected closeness with Andrey had left a strange mark on her soul — a mix of warmth and unease. Of course, he was handsome, charming, a pleasant conversationalist, and undoubtedly a caring lover. But how sincere were his words that night? Or was he simply using the moment to bring closer the fulfillment of his dream — to leave for a warm country, leaving behind cold winters and the noise of business days?
This question troubled her. Nelly found no answer, although she repeatedly replayed those few hours spent together in her mind. Meanwhile, after that night, Andrey changed. He became unbearably intrusive, almost every day entering her office, starting to hug, kiss, gently touch her shoulders, lips, hair. His gestures were full of passion, but Nelly increasingly felt an invisible noose tightening around her — not physically, but emotionally. She couldn’t refuse him; after all, he spoke of love, devotion, and being ready to do anything for her.
“Andrey, please stop,” she once tried to gently stop him. “At work, we need to maintain professional distance.”
“But we’re alone,” he objected. “Haven’t you noticed that I always behave perfectly around others? And when we’re together — why not allow ourselves a little romance?”
“What if someone comes in?”
“Who? Lina is at the desk, she won’t let anyone in without your permission.”
He was right: Lina, their secretary, was like a Cerberus, a faithful and vigilant guardian of the office. But that wasn’t the issue. Nelly couldn’t tell where genuine feeling ended and where the role played by the young man began. The obedient employee who followed every boss’s order without questions was gone. Now in front of her was a confident, demanding lover who wanted more than just a side relationship.
Every day he reminded her of his proposal to leave. He constantly repeated that they could drop everything and start over somewhere under palm trees where the sun shines all year round. She laughed, but the more she looked into his eyes, the less she understood — was he joking or serious? At such moments, Nelly tried to lull him with promises: “Yes, of course, as soon as the company comes out of the crisis, we’ll definitely leave.” That helped only temporarily.
She remembered her first husband — that very handsome man who could arrange surprises that made her heart skip a beat. He also spoke of eternal love, of always being there until death parted them. But as soon as the company’s affairs went bad, he was the first to disappear by the next steamer, leaving Nelly to deal with debts alone. Then she realized that outward shine does not guarantee inner strength.
“I wonder,” she thought, “how Andrey will behave if I really go bankrupt? If all my achievements collapse? Will he see in me a woman worthy of love or just run away like that first one?”
That thought, like a spark, began to flare in her mind. And soon turned into a real flame of determination: she needed to test him. Test not with words, but in action. He spoke too easily about a shared future, too confidently about love, as if it meant nothing to him.
She decided. She called Lina, asked her to prepare a fake document — a claim from a partner stating that Nelly’s company must compensate losses due to poor quality goods delivery. The document had to look real, legally impeccable. The secretary, though suspicious, didn’t ask questions. She had long known: when Nelly Mikhailovna took something in hand, it meant business.
When Andrey received the document, he immediately realized something was wrong. He quickly skimmed the text, then looked at Nelly:
“What does this mean?”
“It means, my dear fiancé, that I am bankrupt. The company may go bankrupt.”
Andrey looked at her carefully, trying to understand if she was joking or serious. But Nelly’s face was stone cold. He silently sank into a chair.
“Listen, that’s even good!” he suddenly said. “No more mismatched marriages — you’re no longer a wealthy businesswoman, and I… I love you anyway. So let’s file the papers at the registry office tomorrow, and go meet the parents this weekend.”
Nelly froze. He was not upset, not scared — he was pleased. More than that, he began to command. As if he now took control of the situation, and she, the former mistress of the position, turned into a woman dependent on him.
When he left, Nelly crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash. How dare he talk to her like that? How could he think she belonged to him now? Just one day — and he already considered himself her master. Just you wait, you’ll regret it, she thought, pacing the office, unable to calm down.
She recalled all possible ways to take revenge, teach this impudent man a lesson. She thought about books, movies, stories about women who skillfully manipulated men. And it seemed she found a way.
On Saturday, Andrey came to pick her up to go to meet his parents. Seeing Nelly, he almost lost his speech. She was dressed… no, rather, dressed in the opposite of her usual style: worn-out jeans with holes in the knees, battered sneakers as if found in a dumpster, a short black top, and a huge shirt hanging like a sack. Her hair was tied in a messy bun.
“What’s this masquerade?” he asked, puzzled.
“I just want to look like a bankrupt businesswoman,” she replied sarcastically.
“I didn’t know you were such a prankster,” he smiled, opening the car door.
While Andrey went to warn his parents, Nelly stayed in the car. At that moment, a gypsy woman approached the window.
“Want a fortune telling, beauty?” she asked.
“I have no money,” Nelly answered.
“I’m not after money. I wanted to warn you. You came to Oleg Vitalyevich? Don’t you dare hurt him. I’ll curse you if you do something bad!”
Nelly was stunned.
“Who is this Oleg Vitalyevich?”
“A famous surgeon. He brought my son back from the dead. I watch over him now. And you — a stranger — suddenly came to his house…”
“Oh, that’s Andrey’s parents!” it dawned on Nelly. “Oh God, what have I done? How will I look to them like this?”
The gypsy added:
“Andrey is their only child. They’ve pampered him. He is modest, smart, never brought girls home before. And you — a grown woman, and suddenly…”
Nelly felt her insides tighten. She realized she was wrong. She was testing the wrong person. Andrey was not a mercenary opportunist — he really loved her despite age, social status, and external differences.
When Andrey returned, Nelly confessed:
“Forgive me. I planned to test you, to show what it’s like with a bankrupt woman. But now I see: you’re not like that. You’re real.”
“Everything’s fine now,” he smiled. “I already told my parents you were an extra in a crowd scene and didn’t have time to change. So just play along.”
Nelly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“I will always love you. No tests, no conditions.”
