Tatyana awaited her wedding day with special trepidation. From childhood, she had imagined how wonderful the day would be when she would finally marry the man with whom she wanted to spend her life. However, everything started going wrong from the morning: the makeup artist she had booked a month and a half in advance called early in the morning to say he couldn’t make it, without giving any reason. Just that he couldn’t come. And Tanya had chosen him based on glowing reviews praising his punctuality. Of course, anything could happen, but the makeup artist spoke dryly, and his voice sounded as though he had just woken up after a «fun night.» Tanya’s mother tried to calm her down, saying that they would do a beautiful makeup job on her themselves. Tanya tried not to wind herself up. The last thing she needed was to go to her wedding with tear-streaked eyes. And it wasn’t like she would cancel everything over makeup, right? No big deal! After all, Yegor had said that Tanya looked beautiful even without makeup.
The groom was late to the appointed time, caught in a traffic jam, so they agreed that the parents would bring Tanya to the civil registry office. And what was this?
«Mom, maybe I shouldn’t get married? Is it too early? Everything seems to be going against me,» Tatyana said on the way to the registry office. «Cancel everything? Postpone until better times? Surely all these coincidences mean something. Look, a black cat even crossed our path.»
«What nonsense are you talking about? You’re upset over makeup and traffic jams? And cats… they just run around. It’s harder for them with all these human superstitions. If there are other reasons, then you might think about it, but if you and Yegor love each other, then dismiss your doubts.»
Tatyana loved her groom, but she couldn’t understand why such trials had befallen her on such a beautiful day. Maybe her expectations were too high? Should she have been prepared for things not to go according to plan?
The final blow came when she received a message from the photographer stating that he couldn’t conduct the photo session because he had just broken his camera. Tatyana was ready to burst into tears but held on with all her might.
«In our time, there weren’t even such professional photo sessions,» her mother consoled. «We’ll take beautiful photos on the phone.»
When Tatyana met Yegor, she calmed down. The groom looked at his bride with admiration. Love and warmth radiated from him. Everything was right, and the temporary difficulties were nonsense. The most important thing would happen regardless, and they would become husband and wife.
During the registration, Tatyana was nervous. She was scared that something might go wrong. Her heart pounded in her chest like a frightened bird caught in a trap. But in an instant, she and Yegor exchanged wedding rings. They signed the documents, and there – they were husband and wife. Tanya had even forgotten about all the troubles. She was immensely happy. However, another trial awaited.
«Tanechka, I don’t understand what this is all about?» – the mother-in-law approached the newlyweds.
Tatyana even glanced at her dress, checking if she had gotten dirty somewhere. It was unclear why her mother-in-law was speaking to her in such a tone.
«Is something wrong?» – Tatyana decided to clarify.
«Of course, something’s wrong. Your family didn’t contribute a penny to this wedding. I don’t understand how they had the audacity to show up at the restaurant? We didn’t count on them. They shouldn’t even dare sit at the festive table.»
Tatyana was speechless. How could they not have counted on them? After all, she and Yegor had counted how many places would be needed together. Tatyana thought it might be a joke. Some kind of game? A test to check her reaction? Noticing her daughter’s confusion, her parents also approached. Only her husband, for some reason, remained silent.
— Lyudmila Yevgenyevna, if this is some kind of joke, it’s a bad one. Everything has been going wrong since this morning, and I’m taking it too hard.
— Seriously! What jokes? Sveta, since your daughter can’t say it, I will. You and Denis didn’t put a penny into the celebration, so have the decency to leave the restaurant without causing a scene. The guests are already looking at us.
Tatyana looked around the restaurant filled with guests, most of whom she didn’t even know. Only a few familiar faces flashed by, and the rest… who were they? Relatives? Friends of her mother-in-law? What was most unclear was why Yegor was silent. He completely ignored his mother’s conversation as if everything was planned that way.
— Actually, the banquet was paid from our savings, which Yegor and I…
— Exactly—Yegor and you. Forgive me, but you and Yegor are now part of our family. I’ll say it again—your parents didn’t contribute a penny, so they can do without the festive cake.
— Tanechka, don’t worry, — her mother said, barely holding back tears. All this time, she was holding her pale father’s hand, calming him, just so he wouldn’t lash out and tell the relatives off. «It’s okay. We’ll leave. We didn’t want to come that much. We just wanted to support. It’s okay.»
Tanya again looked at her husband for support, but Yegor seemed to have swallowed his tongue. Was he afraid to speak against his mother?
Tanya’s parents left, and her husband led her to a table. She barely realized what was happening. Only when the guests shouted «bitter!» and Yegor leaned in for a kiss, did the young woman snap out of it. She pushed her husband away from her, frowning at him. It was hard to breathe. Her heart ached. If they dared to treat her family this way, what guarantees were there that one day they wouldn’t cast her aside too? The stunned faces of her parents flashed before her eyes. Why did Tatyana need such a celebration? This wasn’t the wedding she dreamed of. And now she regretted saying «yes» to Yegor.
— Tanyush, what’s wrong? Everything is fine, right? The guests are waiting for us to kiss, — her husband gently nudged.
— Well, kiss them if you’re happy, — Tatyana blurted out and ran out of the restaurant. She didn’t belong there. She felt like a stranger at her own wedding. Tears stung her eyes. She didn’t even remember how she ran out of the restaurant and down the path. What was most surprising—Yegor didn’t chase after her. He didn’t even try to stop her. And there was no need. Tatyana had already made her conclusions—she wasn’t needed by her husband. If he really loved his wife, valued her opinion, he would never have acted like this. The moment his mother started that strange conversation, Yegor should have intervened. But he just indifferently remained silent. He knew all about his mother’s plans, probably in advance. And he stayed silent.
Hearing a car horn, Tatyana stopped and turned around. Her parents hadn’t left yet. They stood by the roadside. Her mother got out of the car, and Tatyana ran to her in an embrace.
— Tanechka, you shouldn’t run away from your own wedding because of us, — her mother tried to console her, wiping away tears.
— And what should I do? Turn into their puppet? They’ll start pulling strings on me. No, Mom, I’m not okay with this. I refuse to live in fear that one day my mother-in-law will be dissatisfied with my behavior, and my husband and I will divorce. With my husband! — Tatyana hysterically laughed. — Where is this husband? Did he rush to stop me? Decided to calm me down?
Just as she said these words, she heard a guilty voice from the side. Tanya turned and saw Yegor. He hesitated to come closer and stood a few meters away from her.
— Talk to him. If you don’t talk, you’ll regret it, — her mother whispered.
Tatyana wiped her tears. She didn’t care anymore—whether her makeup was smeared, how she looked. She didn’t plan to return to the restaurant. And she decided to talk to Yegor for one single reason.
— Tanyush, don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. It was my parents’ decision, not mine. They’re used to counting every penny. Your parents really didn’t contribute to the wedding.
— My parents are paying off a loan they took for the down payment on our apartment. Good thing we hadn’t chosen anything yet and didn’t get into a joint mortgage! — Tanya said bitterly.
— Don’t be angry, Tanechka! The main thing is that we love each other, right? And your parents weren’t offended, were they? Come wash up and return to the hall? Guests are waiting. Mom is calming them down as best as she can.
Yegor tried to embrace Tatyana, but she recoiled from him and looked at her husband with a cold, stranger’s gaze. The man reeked of alcohol. He already looked «cheerful.» And although he hadn’t drunk much yet, he was already swaying.
— You came only because your mother told you to?
— What does my mother have to do with this? Did their decision really bother you that much?
— And you think it was normal? — Tatyana replied with a question to his question.
— I saw nothing wrong with it to make a mountain out of a molehill. Even your parents reacted normally, and you’re throwing a tantrum over nothing.
Shaking her head, Tatyana tried to brush a stray strand from her face. She had already made up her mind.
— I won’t allow anyone to treat my parents like this and humiliate them. If you think what happened is normal, we have nothing more to talk about.
Tatyana took off her wedding ring and handed it to Yegor.
— You bought it, might as well add me to your debtors.
— What does that mean? Why are you taking off the ring? You know that’s a bad omen?
Tatyana bitterly laughed. How many signs did she need to see to understand that the day, which was supposed to be the happiest, would turn into a black mark on the calendar? She shouldn’t have married Yegor. They rushed it. Tanya wasn’t entirely sure when she said «yes.» She tried to convince herself it was just nerves, but now she understood—her intuition had been screaming then that she should stay away from such a groom and his family.
— It means I don’t plan to stay your wife. Thank you for showing your true feelings towards me now.
With these words, Tanya turned around and walked to her parents’ car. She saw that her father was barely holding back from hitting her newly minted husband. It was time to leave, to prevent things from getting worse. Now there was nothing left to do near those who had left the worst impression.
— Tanya, you’ll regret this! Don’t do this! Everything can be resolved peacefully! — Yegor yelled after her.
Tatyana just raised her hand and waved to her husband, not even turning around. Just like that, she became a wife for one day. It was funny and bitter. Hopes were not fulfilled. Everything turned upside down. And now it was scary to go through something similar again: meeting, dating, and disappointment.
— Are you sure you want to leave? — her mother asked when Tatyana got into the car.
— Mom, I won’t let anyone humiliate you and Dad. There are plenty of men in this world, and even more mother-in-laws… But you and Dad are the only ones I have. If they rejected you by humiliating you, then don’t even count on my favor.
— My daughter! — her father’s voice trembled. — Well, what are we sitting here sniveling about? After all, it’s not our last day alive. We’re all alive, and that’s more important. Yegor should be thankful that my mother talked me out of having a man-to-man chat with him. My fist was itching.
— I saw, Daddy, but it’s not worth it. Why waste energy on those who don’t deserve it?
The engine pleasantly rumbled, and the car moved. Tatyana was glad that she and Yegor hadn’t moved in together before the wedding, as is fashionable now. She wouldn’t have to meet him again and go collect her things. She was also glad that she saw her husband’s true side now. Better this way than to be deceived and later become a punching bag for his mother. She surely planned to teach her daughter-in-law a lesson and make her obedient. She kept her son under her heel, too, since he was afraid to say a word against her and didn’t have his own opinion. What was she counting on? Didn’t she feel sorry for Yegor at all? It was doubtful he would be happy in the future. Tatyana sighed heavily and tried not to think about her husband. After all, he didn’t think about her. His state didn’t interest him at all. If his mother hadn’t been worried, trying to calm the guests, he probably wouldn’t have come out…
Tatyana didn’t grieve for long. She filed for divorce. They had no joint property or children, so the divorce went smoothly. The man didn’t even try to talk Tanya out of it. His whole demeanor showed offense. She had disgraced his family in front of all the guests, put him in an awkward position, not to mention the money spent on the wedding. The money her parents borrowed for the down payment on the mortgage was spent as intended. Tanya had a good salary, so she was approved for a mortgage immediately, and soon she moved into her apartment. Tanya didn’t plan to give up and regret the loss. In essence, she hadn’t lost anything but gained freedom from a joyless future. As for Yegor, it was difficult for him. He understood with his mind that Tanya was right about everything, but his mother was constantly by his side, saying how deceitful his ex-wife was and how lucky the son was to get rid of her early. Did he have a chance for a happy future with such a mother? A huge question… but Tanya was no longer looking for an answer.
