Anna adjusted her veil in front of the mirror and smiled at her reflection. There were only four weeks left until the wedding, and every morning brought a new wave of joyful excitement. At twenty-eight, she had finally found the one she wanted to spend her life with.
Dmitry had entered Anna’s life eight months earlier at a company party. A thirty-year-old programmer with gentle features and kind eyes, he immediately appealed to her. He was attentive and caring, and didn’t try to impress her with expensive gifts.
“Anna, are you ready for the fitting?” the bridal shop assistant asked.
“Of course!” the bride replied, impatient for the moment she would put on the wedding dress.
Her job at an advertising agency brought Anna a steady income—eighty thousand rubles a month. Her parents had given her a two-room apartment for her twenty-fifth birthday, and she had arranged everything else herself. Designer furniture, quality appliances, paintings on the walls—every detail had been chosen with love.
“Oh, how beautiful!” exclaimed Olga Sergeyevna, Dmitry’s mother, when she saw the bride in the dress. “Anechka, you look like a princess!”
The fifty-year-old woman with neat styling and a pleasant smile immediately won over her future daughter-in-law. Olga Sergeyevna worked in the accounting department of a government agency and had raised her son alone after a divorce.
“Thank you for helping me choose,” Anna said gratefully to her future mother-in-law. “A woman’s eye is essential here.”
“Oh, don’t mention it, dear!” Olga Sergeyevna waved a hand. “We’re one family now; we should help each other.”
That kind of support warmed the soul. Anna had worried that her future mother-in-law might take a dislike to her, but her fears turned out to be unfounded.
“Maybe you should look for something simpler?” Olga Sergeyevna suggested, studying the price tag. “Why spend so much money on a single dress?”
“It’s a wedding,” Anna smiled. “Once in your life you can allow yourself some luxury.”
“Of course, of course,” the future mother-in-law agreed. “It’s just that I’m used to saving.”
The following weekend, Olga Sergeyevna came to visit Anna. She walked around the apartment for a long time, admiring the decor.
“My goodness, how beautiful!” the guest kept marveling. “Anechka, you have wonderful taste! And the furniture, and the modern appliances!”
“Thank you,” the hostess said, embarrassed. “It took a long time to set up; I bought things piece by piece.”
“And what a spacious apartment!” Olga Sergeyevna went on praising. “And right in the city center!”
“Yes, my parents gave it to me,” Anna nodded. “They say it’s better to give a daughter an apartment than to leave an inheritance to grandchildren.”
“Wise parents,” the mother-in-law approved with a nod. “Dimochka is lucky to have you. Beautiful, smart, and with a place of your own.”
Anna blushed at the compliments. Olga Sergeyevna seemed sincere and good-natured.
Two weeks before the wedding, Dmitry finally moved in with his fiancée. He brought two bags of clothes and an old laptop.
“Is that all your stuff?” Anna was surprised.
“Why would I need more?” the groom shrugged. “I rented a room; I didn’t really acquire much.”
“Exactly,” his mother chimed in, helping with the move. “Why spend money on unnecessary things when Anechka already has everything.”
The first days of living together felt like a fairy tale to Anna. Dmitry was attentive and caring, helped cook dinner, and didn’t leave his things lying around. In the evenings the couple made plans for their shared future.
“After the wedding I want kids,” Anna said dreamily. “Definitely two, maybe three.”
“Of course,” Dmitry agreed. “We’ll have a wonderful family.”
Olga Sergeyevna often dropped by—either to pick up supposedly forgotten documents or to bring groceries. She would look around the apartment with admiration, each time finding new reasons for compliments.
“Anechka, is that painting an original?” she would ask, examining a reproduction on the wall.
“A reproduction, but a good one,” the bride-to-be would answer.
“And what a big TV! It must have cost a lot?”
“Yes, I saved for it for six months.”
Olga Sergeyevna took note of every detail, which flattered Anna’s pride. It’s nice when your loved ones value your work and accomplishments.
The week before the wedding, Anna lived in eager anticipation of the celebration. The restaurant was booked, the guests invited, the dress hanging in the closet. All that was left was to wait for the happiest day of her life.
On Wednesday, she came home early from work. In the hallway stood Olga Sergeyevna’s shoes—the mother-in-law had come to visit again. Anna smiled, taking off her pumps. It was good that the family had such warm relations.
As she walked past the kitchen, she heard muffled voices. Dmitry and his mother were talking about something, but their tones sounded strange—tense, conspiratorial.
Anna stopped in the hallway and listened. Usually her fiancé and his mother spoke loudly, never hiding their topics. But now they were whispering for some reason.
“…we need to get everything sorted quickly,” came Olga Sergeyevna’s voice. “I’m tired of putting up with that upstart.”
Anna’s heart clenched. Who was her future mother-in-law talking about? And what needed to be “sorted”?
“Mom, be careful,” Dmitry hissed. “What if she hears?”
“She won’t, she’s at work,” Olga Sergeyevna waved it off. “Listen, everything’s going according to plan. Tomorrow we go to the notary and draw up a power of attorney. We’ll say it’s needed for wedding formalities.”
Anna froze, unable to believe her ears. What power of attorney? What were they talking about?
“And if she refuses?” Dmitry asked uncertainly.
“She’ll agree,” his mother snorted confidently. “A lovestruck fool will agree to anything. The main thing is to present it properly.”
The bride’s knees buckled. She leaned against the wall, afraid she might fall. Could it really be that Dmitry and his mother were planning some kind of scam?
“Keep quiet—don’t scare her off!” the groom hissed. “Tomorrow we’ll talk her into giving us the keys and we’ll put everything in our names. We’ll change the locks, transfer the documents. She’ll come home from work in the evening and won’t be able to get into the apartment. That’s it, job done. And then we’ll cancel the wedding. We’ll get the apartment, and we won’t need the girl anymore.”
The world collapsed in an instant. Anna stood in the hallway, feeling everything inside her break. The man she loved and his mother were planning to take her apartment and then dump her.
“Good thing I know a notary,” Olga Sergeyevna went on with satisfaction. “He’ll do it cleanly; no one will find fault. We’ll have the papers done properly.”
Dmitry and his mother laughed as they discussed the details of the fraud. And Anna stood behind the wall, unable to believe what was happening.
Eight months of a relationship—tenderness, care, plans for the future—had all turned out to be a lie. Dmitry didn’t love his fiancée; he just wanted to get hold of her property.
She ran a hand over her face, wiping away tears. She had to act before the swindlers could carry out their plan.
Anna took a deep breath and knocked loudly on the kitchen door. The laughter stopped at once; a ringing silence fell.
“May I come in?” the bride asked politely.
“Of course, dear!” Olga Sergeyevna replied a little too cheerfully.
Anna entered the kitchen and saw Dmitry and his mother looking guilty. He was nervously twisting a napkin; she was forcing a smile.
“You’ve come up with an excellent plan,” Anna said calmly. “Simply wonderful. It’s just a pity I heard the surprise ahead of time.”
Dmitry turned pale, and Olga Sergeyevna tried to feign bewilderment.
“What plan, Anechka? What are you talking about?”
“About the power of attorney you’re planning to arrange tomorrow. About changing the locks and canceling the wedding.”
“Anna, you’ve got it all wrong!” the groom rushed to say. “We were just…”
“Just planning to rob me,” the bride cut him off. “And you planned it very well.”
“No!” Dmitry exclaimed. “You misinterpreted our words!”
“Then interpret them correctly,” Anna suggested. “Explain why you need a power of attorney for my apartment.”
Dmitry opened and closed his mouth, unable to find words. Olga Sergeyevna sat with a stony face.
“Exactly,” Anna nodded. “There’s nothing to explain because I understood everything correctly.”
“Anechka, dear,” the mother-in-law tried to take the initiative, “you must understand, we only wish you well…”
“Good?” the bride repeated. “Taking away someone’s roof over their head—is that good?”
“We didn’t want to deprive you!” Dmitry protested. “We just… just wanted to protect ourselves…”
“Stop trying to confuse me. Protect yourselves from what?” Anna didn’t understand.
“Well, anything can happen after the wedding,” the groom mumbled uncertainly. “A divorce, division of property…”
“So you were planning on a divorce from the start?” the bride clarified.
Dmitry fell silent again, realizing that every word only made things worse.
“You know what,” Anna said wearily, “the wedding is canceled. Starting today.”
“What?” Dmitry jumped up. “Anna, wait! Let’s talk this through calmly!”
“There’s nothing to discuss. You’ve shown your true colors.”
“But I love you!” the groom cried desperately.
“You love my apartment,” the bride corrected him. “Those are different things.”
Olga Sergeyevna stood up and headed for the door. “Let’s go, son. You can see she doesn’t want to listen.”
“Stop,” Anna said, halting them. “We’re not finished.”
Mother and son froze by the doorway.
“Dmitry, tomorrow morning you’ll pick up your things. Leave the keys on the table.”
“Anna, please!” the man begged. “Give me a chance to explain everything!”
“There’s nothing to explain. For eight months you played the part of a man in love. Very convincingly, I admit.”
“It wasn’t an act! I really did grow attached to you!”
“You grew attached to comfort and free housing,” Anna replied coldly. “Now get out of my home.”
Dmitry tried to approach her, but she stepped back.
“Don’t come near me. Don’t ever come near me again.”
“Anechka,” Olga Sergeyevna interjected, “you do realize you’ll be alone? Who will want you at your age?”
“Better to be alone than with swindlers,” Anna cut her off.
The mother-in-law pressed her lips together. “You’ll regret this. It’s impossible to find a decent man these days.”
“A truly decent one may be rare, yes. But an honest one—quite possible.”
Anna escorted the uninvited guests to the hallway and flung the door open. “Goodbye. Don’t come back.”
“What about the wedding?” Dmitry asked helplessly. “The guests, the restaurant…”
“That’s my problem. I’ll handle it without you.”
“Anna, I’m begging—”
“No,” the bride interrupted. “It’s over. For good.”
The door slammed shut, leaving her alone in the apartment. Anna leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding wildly; her hands were trembling.
Eight months of her life spent on lies. Money for the wedding wasted. Shattered dreams of a family and children.
But along with the pain came a strange sense of relief. Anna realized she had avoided a terrible fate. A little longer, and the swindlers would have taken her home.
The next day Dmitry really did come for his things. He looked dejected and tried to talk to his former fiancée.
“Anna, I know you won’t forgive me,” he said as he packed his clothes. “But believe me, my feelings were real.”
“Real feelings don’t go hand in hand with fraud,” she answered coldly.
“It was all my mother’s idea! She said we needed to protect ourselves…”
“Dmitry, enough. You’re a grown man—you’re responsible for your own actions.”
The former groom silently finished packing his bag and headed for the door.
“Be happy, Anna. You deserve it.”
“I will,” she nodded. “But without you.”
After he left, Anna sat down in an armchair and thought about the future. She needed to cancel the wedding, notify the guests, and forfeit the restaurant deposit. Unpleasant, but not the end of the world.
The main thing was that her home was safe. No one had managed to take it from her by deceit or coercion.
A week later, on the day the wedding was supposed to take place, Anna sat at home with a book and tea. The sun was shining outside; aromatic coffee simmered in the kitchen.
Her phone rang—it was her friend Sveta.
“How are you?” her friend asked sympathetically. “No regrets?”
“About what?” Anna was surprised.
“Well, canceling the wedding. Maybe you should’ve given him a second chance?”
“Sveta, they planned to steal my apartment. What kind of second chance are we talking about?”
“But he explained—it was all his mother who talked him into it…”
“A grown man should make his own decisions,” Anna said firmly. “Not obey a con-artist mother.”
“Maybe you’re right,” her friend conceded. “Better to be alone than with someone like that.”
“Exactly,” Anna smiled.
She did not regret what had happened. On the contrary, she thanked fate for learning the truth in time. Another day or two, and the scammers would have taken her apartment.
Anna learned an important lesson: trust must be earned gradually, tested by time and circumstances. And pretty words about love mean nothing without honest actions.
The first wedding never took place, but life didn’t end there. Ahead lay new meetings, new opportunities, new chances for real happiness. Most importantly, her apartment remained safe—no one managed to take it away.
It was a painful but valuable experience—one that made Anna stronger and wiser.
