Why did you come home so early?!» the husband exclaimed, startled, instinctively closing the door in his wife’s face.
«What do you mean?» Svetlana managed to insert her bag into the doorway to keep the door from slamming shut. The situation resembled a cheap joke. Only in this joke, the role of the «business trip husband» was played by the wife, Svetlana…
She had not wanted to leave, suspecting her husband of infidelity!
Svetlana had always dreamed of building a career. She worked hard and eventually achieved the position she desired. Initially, her husband, Gosha, was skeptical about his wife’s new job.
«And why were you appointed? Couldn’t they find someone else?»
«What do you mean?»
«Well… A man, for example, or a younger girl…»
«So, you think only guys or young girls should hold good positions? What about mature, experienced women? Are they supposed to be dumped? To just fade away?» Svetlana was offended.
«No, I didn’t mean that,» Gosha flustered. He tried to explain, to justify himself, but it didn’t work out.
Svetlana was hurt and did not speak to him for several days. Then she announced that she was going to Moscow.
«Why?!»
«They’re calling me to the main office. For business.»
«For how long?»
«No, just a couple of days.»
«Next time, let me know in advance! How am I supposed to live alone?»
«You’ll manage. You’re not a two-year-old. Sausages, pasta, dumplings—they haven’t been banned.» Gosha nodded gloomily. Svetlana left, but it was just the beginning.
From that moment, she often had to travel either to Moscow or to Saint Petersburg. She never left for more than three days and always informed her husband of her trips. Usually, Gosha was upset, muttered to himself, but lately, something in his behavior had changed. He became secretive, acted strangely, and seemed to only wait for when his wife would leave.
And Svetlana, as if to spite him, did not leave. Her company was facing changes again, and she had to work even harder. She stayed late at the office, and Gosha had a lot of free time without his wife. And when free time appears, activities are usually found. Sometimes these activities lead to the breakup of a family.
Svetlana understood this, noticing how her husband had changed. He often hung out on his phone, showed no interest in her news, and openly worried about his wife «sitting at home.»
«Honey, do you have problems at work?» he asked once.
«No… What makes you think that?»
«I figured you haven’t been to Moscow for over two months,» Gosha looked disappointed. «Did they find a replacement?»
«Not at all! I’m just needed here. But why are you asking?»
«Just wondering… Maybe you forgot to tell me something important? Just wanted to check.»
«Don’t worry. If I go anywhere, you’ll be the first to know,» Svetlana snorted. She thought about her husband’s behavior, his questions, and strange looks.
«Probably found himself a mistress,» Svetlana thought. Moreover, she noted that her husband completely stopped bringing money home.
«Maybe we should go to the store together?» she suggested, calling her husband.
«I don’t think I want to spend time on that. That’s what the internet is for.»
«In that case, order the groceries yourself. I don’t have time for it, and you’re already home.»
«Alright,» Gosha agreed. Half an hour later, the payment was deducted from Svetlana’s card.
«Why didn’t you pay yourself?!» she asked.
«I’m having some financial difficulties, my salary was delayed… And usually, you pay for the groceries. I don’t see a problem.»
«I see a problem! You’ve become a freeloader, and you don’t even do basic things: you even forget to say good morning, immediately grabbing your phone! You lock yourself in the bathroom and sit there for hours. What are you doing there for so long?!» Svetlana exploded.
«I thought ‘bathroom’ matters were something every person is entitled to. Ever heard of personal boundaries?» Gosha responded unhappily. He didn’t like that his wife called him a freeloader.
«You need personal boundaries? Tired of me, are you?» Svetlana crossed her arms. «Fine, then rejoice: they’re sending me on a business trip.»
«When?» His eyes sparkled. He couldn’t hide his joy.
«Actually, tomorrow. It’s an urgent, long trip…» Svetlana wanted to say it was for a year but feared he wouldn’t believe her, and her plan wouldn’t work.
«How long are you leaving?»
«For a month,» she blurted out, noticing that his hands were reaching for his phone.
«Wow… he can’t even control himself! I haven’t even left yet, and he’s already inviting his mistress over!»
Svetlana’s thoughts were sadder than ever. Yet, she had recently been worried not about this, but about the fact that her boss had called her into his office and talked for a long time.
«Think it over, I’m not rushing you.»
«I understand, but I have a family… It’s too difficult a decision to make alone.»
«Of course. I’ll give you time to think.»
«How long do I have?»
«One and a half to two months. By summer, I need to submit a report to the main office. Perhaps, you’ll be the one to deliver it, already in your new position.»
Svetlana smiled modestly. She could hardly dream of such an offer. But her husband, Gosha, was against such changes. Therefore, the woman did not experience the full spectrum of emotions. She postponed the conversation for some time: she needed to prepare her husband for this news. And then such a turn.
It turned out that her husband couldn’t wait for his wife to free up living space!
Svetlana packed her suitcase with a heavy heart. Her inner voice told her not to leave, but she went anyway. Fortunately, they did approve her trip, from which she planned to return unexpectedly, without warning.
Svetlana left: she left her husband, and he didn’t even notice that the refrigerator was empty, that his wife had not prepared clean shirts for him…
This trip was different. Gosha did not call his wife to find out how her flight went, how she reached the hotel. He didn’t send her messages and, in general, seemed to forget about her existence. Moreover, when his wife called, he responded quite dryly, in passing. As if he was always in a hurry, and he had no time to spend a few minutes on a simple conversation.
At first, Svetlana pitied herself, cried into her pillow, realizing that their marriage was doomed, but after a few days, she caught herself thinking that any ending is the beginning of something new.
Two weeks later, during a conversation with her boss, she made a fateful decision:
«I agree, Boris Lvovich.»
«Have you thought it all through?» he asked, restraining a smile.
«Yes.»
«In that case, we’ll have a meeting tomorrow. It’s fortunate that you’re currently in Moscow.»
«Okay.»
Svetlana was unanimously approved. Another rung on the career ladder was passed. She would have been happy, but domestic problems prevented her from feeling complete happiness.
«You can start your new duties from Monday. Perhaps you need to finish some matters at home?» her new boss clarified.
«Yes. You’re right.»
«In that case, go to your town, close all issues, and return. I hope a week will be enough for you to resolve everything.»
«Yes. That’s quite enough,» Svetlana nodded. She booked a return ticket and, without delay, headed home. She did not call her husband. She needed to catch him by surprise. Which is what happened.
Entering the building, she took out her key and, with trembling hands, unlocked the door.
«Who’s there?» her husband’s voice came from near the door. For a moment, Svetlana thought she had worked herself up, that her husband was faithful to her, and now, at home, she would not find proof of his infidelity.
«It’s me.»
«Sveta?! Why did you come home so early?!» the husband was frightened, closing the door in front of his wife’s face.
«What do you mean?» Svetlana managed to shove her bag in so the door wouldn’t close. «Do you think I should ask for permission ‘to enter?’ Come on, move aside! I’m tired from the trip.»
Svetlana pushed the door with force and entered the apartment. Her husband’s facial expression was indescribable. It seemed he was ready for anything just to make his wife disappear.
«Aren’t you happy to see me? Didn’t miss me in two weeks?» she looked at the stranger’s items in the hallway. A jacket, sneakers… Svetlana expected that her husband’s mistress would wear heels, not these cloth «slippers.»
«I-I missed you… But why so early? Or are you just passing through?» the husband babbled nonsense, and Svetlana suddenly found it funny.
«Exactly, I’m just passing through. I’ll settle some things and then I’ll go on,» she walked deeper into the apartment, from which noise was coming. Svetlana was so agitated that she didn’t immediately notice the layer of dust on the floor, nor did she see the bags of glue. Only upon looking into the room did she understand what was happening. In her absence, her husband decided to renovate! True, he hadn’t managed to finish because his wife had come home earlier.
«Did the surprise not work out?» she propped her hips with her fists. «How sweet, I see we have pink walls and a cartoon picture on the wallpaper. Did you regress to childhood? Or decided to set up a room for our 18-year-old son? He’s a boy, not a princess! And he lives in a dorm at the institute, and it’s too early for him to get married and have kids!» Svetlana snapped. Gosha looked down. «I’m waiting for explanations, don’t be silent!»
«It’s a room for my daughter.»
«You have a mistress who gave birth to a daughter?!»
«No… I have a daughter, who gave birth to a daughter. God, I understand how strange all this sounds… After all, we’ve been together for twenty years…»
«Yes! You’re right, it sounds like you’re out of your mind!»
«Listen, Sveta, I have a daughter. I didn’t know about her existence until recently… She’s twenty years old… Her mother died, there’s no one to help her. Recently, I found out I became a grandfather. Basically, Alice found me and asked for help. Her man left her, and she has nowhere to live. She’s alone with an infant… And I feel guilty that she grew up without a father. Let me at least give my grandson what I didn’t give my daughter!» Gosha spoke disjointedly, and Svetlana couldn’t believe his words.
«I see the renovation is almost finished?» she squeezed out.
«Yes, the crib will be delivered the day after tomorrow. Don’t worry, everything’s already paid for. Svetochka… Dear, I didn’t tell you in advance because I thought you wouldn’t agree, that you’d be angry and wouldn’t allow me to shelter the poor girl. I was hoping that when you returned from your business trip, everything would already be ready, and Alice with the baby would move in here. I just hoped you wouldn’t kick a young mother out into the street… You’re a kind woman!»
«You’re absolutely right. I won’t kick a mother with an infant out. I’ll kick you out! Pack your things now, so there’s no trace of you here in an hour!» she yelled. «And you, continue working!» Svetlana addressed the woman doing the renovation. «You have 24 hours to finish.»
The woman nodded.
Gosha stood as if dead or alive.
«Sveta… How can you kick me out? We’ve been together so many years… Where will I go? And why do you need such a big apartment alone?»
«I’ll figure that out without you. Go to your ‘daughter and her daughter’!»
When her husband left, the renovation woman approached Svetlana.
«Where should I deliver the crib? Or will you refuse?» she asked.
«Bring it here. Everything’s paid for.»
Svetlana sat on a chair and pondered. How fortunate that she was offered this job with relocation to Moscow. Otherwise, she would now be struggling with her own sanity over letting a stranger with a child into her apartment. Who was Alice really to Gosha, a daughter or a mistress, Svetlana didn’t know. But she couldn’t allow another woman to live on her territory. And the renovation? It was very timely.
Svetlana dialed her friend’s phone number.
«Anya, hello. I’ve decided to move after all. They’re paying for my accommodation in Moscow, my son lives in the dormitory of the institute, and my husband…» she paused. «I kicked out my husband. In general, the apartment is free. Move in, live there. I won’t charge much for rent, we’re friends after all. And don’t buy furniture for the granddaughter. Gosha ‘took care of’ the future tenants.»
Anya was delighted by the fresh renovation in the children’s room. She had been renting an apartment nearby, but the owner decided to sell the property, and the woman and her daughter and granddaughter were left without a roof over their heads. They had no property of their own—a complicated story. She hadn’t hoped that her friend would decide to move, but now she was very happy.
«Thank you, Sveta! I promise the apartment will be in safe hands. And don’t be sad about your husband’s infidelity. There are few men who stay faithful to their wives… Let him now live with his ‘daughter and granddaughter,’ pay for a rental apartment, and buy groceries. You’re not obliged to support them.»
The women talked for a bit, and Svetlana went to pack her things. Serious changes were ahead in her life, which she needed to prepare for carefully.
Divorce, property division, and a new job, a new place to live, and new horizons. In Svetlana’s new life, there was no place for old Gosha, although he tried very hard to reconcile and even came to visit her in Moscow. But Sveta did not forgive mistakes…
