Victor and Lika lived in marriage for eight long years, full of ups and downs, hopes and disappointments. Their story began with a dazzling romance—the kind that makes your heart beat faster and makes you see your beloved almost as a hero from a fairy tale. Victor literally showered Lika with flowers—roses, chrysanthemums, tulips… He brought them in huge bouquets, as if trying to fit all his tender feelings into one moment. The expensive gifts he gave seemed almost absurd against the backdrop of his modest salary as a novice specialist, but to him, it was important—to show that he could be generous when he loved.
They were young, full of energy and faith in the future. Despite the difficulties life threw at them, they always found the courage to stay together. They made plans: to work hard and persistently, save up for an apartment, take out a mortgage, and then pay off the bank as soon as possible. For them, this was the path to a real, full life, where there would be room both for a cozy home, children, and peace.
But time passed, and the parents also started showing interest. Especially Victor’s mother, Anna Petrovna, who often reminded them:
— Don’t delay having children! A woman’s body ages quickly, and Lika is already twenty-five!
Her son replied with a slight smile:
— We don’t want to delay or bring a child into hardship. A baby should come when we can provide everything necessary.
Anna Petrovna, as a true admirer of folk wisdom, did not miss the chance to paraphrase a famous saying:
— God gave a bunny—He’ll give a meadow too!
Victor laughed, though inside he understood his mother had longed to hold grandchildren:
— If He gives a bunny right now, we’ll try to pay off the meadow as soon as possible. Only meadows these days aren’t cheap…
They joked like this, but deep down Victor was not strictly against the child arriving a little earlier than planned. The couple simply agreed not to rush. However, children, as is known, rarely obey schedules and plans. And if Lika got pregnant, they would certainly accept this gift with joy. It was just too early to tell Anna Petrovna—she would immediately start testing her daughter-in-law for pregnancy using her “folk methods” with pickled cucumbers and other omens.
Years went by. The apartment was bought and officially owned. They renovated it—stylish, cozy, with children’s dreams tucked away in a corner of the living room. Then came the turn of the car—a good, comfortable one. Soon Victor started talking about the family needing a second car. After all, when the child appeared, they’d need to take him to doctors, to the park, to school, to activities… It would be convenient if each spouse had their own car.
It seemed everything was ready. Home, two cars, stability, enough money. But no child. Attempts to conceive continued, sometimes with hope, more often with bitterness. Lika felt her heart tighten every time another test came back negative. She herself wanted to become a mother more than anyone, but her body refused to respond to her pleas.
Then Victor began to change. His former kindness was replaced by irritation, and softness by rudeness. He stopped holding back his emotions and began to say things that made the pain unbearable.
— Are you by any chance infertile? — he would flare up. — My friends are already hinting that we’re not trying hard enough. And mom keeps asking: “When will you finally give me grandchildren?”
— This is our personal business, isn’t it? — Lika said quietly, wiping away tears. — Why does everyone around think they have the right to judge us?
— Yes, personal! — Victor replied sarcastically. — But we told everyone that we’d first buy an apartment, a car, a second car, and then have a child. Now we have everything, but no child. You can’t give birth!
— It’s not my fault! — she burst out. — I get regular checkups! Last month I did all the tests again, had an ultrasound. Everything’s fine with me!
— If a woman is fine and not using contraception, pregnancy happens. Didn’t you know that? — he sneered, deliberately hitting harder.
This repeated again and again. Conversations ended with tears, resentment, and destruction of the trust and love that once bound them. Lika noticed how Victor came home less often, how he made up excuses for being late at work, how he increasingly spent nights away from the family. She suspected something but didn’t dare to ask directly. She was afraid to hear the truth.
And one day the truth burst out on its own.
— I’m leaving, — he said, coldly looking into her eyes. — I have another woman. And she’s pregnant.
Lika froze. The world collapsed in an instant. She wanted to scream, ask why, beg him to stay, but her voice betrayed her. Only after a few seconds, with effort, she said:
— Go.
He couldn’t leave with dignity. Before leaving, he called her an empty shell, a worthless wife, adding even more pain to her heart. He probably wanted to finally break her by humiliating her before leaving. But Lika didn’t give him that satisfaction. Not a single tear, not a single sob—only icy determination and a broken heart.
Later she learned: Victor had left for Alina—his colleague with whom he had a long-standing affair. This woman was completely different: passionate, impulsive, capricious. She would pull him close, then push away, as if playing with his feelings. But it was this unpredictability that excited Victor. Lika, soft, caring, faithful, now seemed to him just a background. Her beauty, affection, patience no longer inspired him. He looked at her no longer as a beloved woman but as a potential mother who had not met expectations.
When Alina announced she was pregnant, Victor was over the moon. At that very moment, he decided that his marriage with Lika was over. Not because he no longer loved her—but because he had found a new “meadow” where he decided to jump with his “bunny.”
With anticipation, full of trembling and excitement, Victor awaited the ultrasound results. What would his beloved give him—a boy or a girl? His heart beat faster than usual, his hands slightly trembled with tension, and his eyes shone with the joy of a future father.
—I don’t care, as long as the baby is healthy, — he firmly declared when Alina playfully smiled and asked about the child’s gender.
— But still? — she persisted, as if she knew something more.
Victor sighed, thinking a bit, and said:
—I always dreamed of a son… But I’ll be incredibly happy if it’s a daughter.
— Well, since you dreamed of a son, it will be a son! — laughed Alina, handing him the sheet with the ultrasound results.
The widest smile blossomed on Victor’s face. He seemed to already see the little boy who would call him “dad,” grab his finger, and look with trusting eyes. Joy overflowed him, swept him away like a wave after long years of waiting. He felt like a real man, head of the family, a father finally given a chance to make his dreams come true.
When the boy was born, Victor became the most caring and devoted father. He helped Alina with everything: changing diapers, bathing the baby, getting up at night to the crib, learning to understand every cry and squeak. His mother, Anna Petrovna, was also overjoyed. She literally adored her grandson, said he was the most beautiful child in the world, and was ready to hold him for hours, lull him, and tell him stories.
As for Lika, Victor thought of her less and less. Sometimes, in moments of reflection, his thoughts involuntarily returned to the past. He wondered how she lived, if she had found happiness, if she remembered him. And a strange desire arose in his soul—to appear before her with a stroller, to walk by with his head held high, to prove that he had become the father he dreamed of. Why? He couldn’t understand. Perhaps to atone for his guilt or just from male vanity, but most often these thoughts quickly faded, replaced by care for the newborn.
Meanwhile, Lika lived a completely different life. After the divorce, she gathered all her strength and directed it toward her career development. Each year she grew more confident, professional, and strong. Her diligence did not go unnoticed—a promotion became the logical outcome of her efforts. Young, beautiful, with a sparkle in her eyes and inner resilience, Lika became the object of attention for many men. One of them—Kirill—stood out for his care, generosity, and sincerity. He didn’t rush things, gave her space, respected her past, and built the present with love and patience. Lika appreciated this but did not rush into new relationships. Her heart had to be ready.
The first months after the divorce were painful, and the image of Victor often appeared before her eyes. But over time the memories faded, and the pain receded. Especially when she learned that Victor had a son. Although her heart tightened inside, Lika sincerely wished him happiness. May he be a good father, may he find what he wanted so much.
But fate had other plans.
Victor had to face a cruel truth. When doctors informed him that his son Egor’s blood type was group three, while he and Alina both had group one, doubts crept into his soul. He recalled biology lessons, tried to find an explanation, but the more he thought, the less logic he found.
— Blood type alone can’t determine paternity, — noted Galina, Victor’s aunt and a nurse by profession, — but if both parents have group one, the child can only have group one or two. Three is impossible.
— Then why does Egor have group three?! — Victor protested.
— Do a DNA test, — advised Galina, — and forget all these fears.
He did. And the fears were not unfounded.
The test results showed: Victor was not the biological father of Egor. It was like a lightning strike that hit him to the core. But the trials did not end there. Further examination revealed that Victor himself had a serious medical problem—azoospermia. The chance of becoming a father naturally was close to zero.
— You cannot have children, — the doctor said coldly.
This phrase shattered all his hopes, dreams, and plans. Victor felt as if a whole world was collapsing inside him. His son was not his son. His family was not his family. His fatherhood was an illusion. He made a scene with Alina, who, without blinking, confessed that during their affair she had also been seeing two other men.
— So you don’t even know who Egor’s father is? — Victor asked in horror.
— On paper—it’s you, — Alina answered indifferently. — The rest doesn’t matter.
His heart was torn to pieces. He loved this child, believed in him, considered him his own. And now it all turned out to be a lie. He cried, screamed, punched the wall, but nothing could be changed.
Turning to his friend Maxim, Victor hoped for consolation but heard only:
— Vitek, you love Egor. You were his father for a whole year. What changed?
— Everything changed! — Victor shouted. — I loved my son. And now I have to hug a stranger?!
A call from Lika was unexpected. He asked to meet. She agreed, though she had no idea what he would say. Victor came with repentance, sorrow, and a plea for forgiveness. He told her the diagnosis was confirmed, that he truly couldn’t have children, that he had wrongly blamed her, that Alina had deceived him.
— I want to come back, — he said, looking into his ex-wife’s eyes.
Lika looked at him in disbelief. Did he really believe she would take him back? After everything he had said, after betrayal, humiliation, and pain?
— I would like to believe you, — she said softly, — but I cannot tie my life to you again. I started over. I am happy with Kirill.
— But you loved me, — he stubbornly repeated.
— I did, — Lika smiled. — But that was long ago. And, you know, I almost don’t remember you anymore.
She asked him to leave. He left, bowed under the weight of his mistakes, not realizing that forgiveness is not just a right but a choice. And Lika chose to start a new life without him.
Later Victor legally challenged paternity. He renounced Egor despite his former love. His mother, Anna Petrovna, also turned away from the child, stating she would not babysit a stranger.
And Lika? Lika married Kirill. Their family became a true fortress of love and harmony. And one day fate gave them an unexpected but joyful surprise—Lika became pregnant and gave birth to twins! Two healthy boys who became the meaning of life for their parents.
One day, while walking with her husband and strollers, Lika saw Victor. She silently passed by, not even greeting him. Not because she didn’t want to—simply she felt no need. The past was behind her.
And Victor watched her for a long time. In his eyes were sadness, regret, and a deep understanding of a simple truth: happiness cannot be bought with money, cars, or even the birth of a child. It can only be earned—with honesty, love, and respect.
