Inga Alekseevna nervously adjusted her apron as she approached the door. The doorbell rang again, this time more insistently.
She flung open the door, and there stood Zhenya, her daughter.
«Sorry, Mom. It was hectic at work. Couldn’t get away earlier. And I won’t stay long. Igor is still on a business trip, and I need to pick up Olya from dance class.»
«It’s okay, it’s okay… I understand.»
Inga Alekseevna nodded, but something in her gaze was different than usual. She almost immediately turned around and gestured for her daughter to come into the kitchen.
«Let’s go, I’ll make some tea. You must be freezing.»
The kitchen smelled of mint and brewing tea. As Zhenya took off her coat, her mother fussed at the table, but her trembling hands gave away her agitation: tea leaves spilled right onto the tablecloth.
«Mom, what’s wrong?» Zhenya looked up at her mother. «You’re acting strange today, as if… I don’t know, scared.»
Inga Alekseevna took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
«I don’t know how to tell you this, dear,» she finally spoke, fiddling with the corner of a towel. «Something strange is happening in our house.»
«Strange? What do you mean?» Zhenya frowned, her voice growing serious.
Inga Alekseevna carefully stood up and, opening a kitchen drawer, began to take out items, which she laid on the table. Zhenya watched as her mother displayed: a pair of mismatched earrings, a bright shade of lipstick, a piece of nail polish, a small round mirror.
«Mom…» Zhenya squinted, trying to understand. «What does all this mean?»
«Wait. That’s not all,» her mother interrupted. She bent down and pulled out a bag from under the table. And from it—a silk robe, Inga Alekseevna unfolded it before her daughter.
Zhenya stared at the item. It was a delicate pink robe, hardly something her mother would wear. Zhenya felt her stomach twist.
«Mom… Are you thinking that dad…» she stumbled over her words, as if they were stuck in her throat, «is cheating on you?»
Inga Alekseevna turned sharply, her face flushed as if she had been insulted.
«What?!» she exclaimed. «Zhenya, how could you think such a thing? Your father would never do that! And certainly not in my house!»
«Are you sure?»
«Yes, dear, I’m sure,» the woman stated firmly. «But I also don’t understand where all this comes from. We return from the dacha every Sunday, and then… Then I start finding these things. Something new every week.»
Zhenya was silent for a long time, trying to piece everything together.
«Have you told anyone?» she asked cautiously. «Did you tell dad?»
Inga Alekseevna shook her head.
«No. What am I supposed to tell him? He’ll think I’ve lost my mind.»
«Okay,» Zhenya tried to take control of the situation. «Listen… Does Yurik have the keys?»
Inga Alekseevna nodded.
«It’s odd to bring girlfriends to your parents’ house when you live alone… Don’t you think, daughter?»
«It’s odd, odd… But I think it’s worth asking… I’ll talk to him myself. So he won’t have to blush in front of you…»
Zhenya stood at the university gates, waiting for her younger brother. Students noisily exited the building, discussing classes and plans for the evening. Finally, she spotted Yura among the crowd. He walked calmly, with a backpack slung over one shoulder.
«Hi, little brother,» Zhenya smiled.
«Hi, Zhenka,» Yura nodded in response. «What are you doing here? Did something happen?»
She gestured with her hand, inviting him to step aside from the crowd.
«I want to show you something. Tell me if you recognize these items.»
Yura frowned.
«Zhen, what? Are you moonlighting as a detective?»
She took out two earrings and a bright red lipstick from her pocket. Handing them to her brother, Zhenya closely observed his reaction.
Yura looked at the items in surprise, turning the earrings in his hands.
«Don’t recognize,» he gave his sister a puzzled look. «What is this even?»
«Spill it,» Zhenya started with light sarcasm. «Why are you bringing girls to your parents’?»
Yura laughed awkwardly.
«What am I doing?» he blurted out.
«Don’t play dumb. I’m not mad. Just curious.»
Yura looked at his sister as if she were insane, then smirked.
«Zhen, are you sure dad didn’t drop you on your head as a kid? I don’t bring girls to my parents’. I have my own apartment.»
«Then where does this come from?» Zhenya frowned. «Mom finds such stuff at home. Different earrings, lipsticks, mirrors. A cute robe, by the way.»
Yura was clearly intrigued.
«And you don’t think it’s dad?»
Zhenya sighed.
«No, Yura. Everything appears only when he’s back with mom from the dacha. He’s not even home during that time.»
Yura fell silent, digesting what he’d heard.
«That’s really strange…» he finally said. «And mom? What does she think?»
«She’s as shocked as I am. We thought of you…»
Yura shrugged.
«Listen, Zhen, if it’s not me and not dad, then who?»
«That’s what I want to find out,» Zhenya cut him off. «And you’re telling the truth, right?»
«Zhenya!» Yura rolled his eyes. «Again: I have my own apartment. And I meet girls there. My parents’ house isn’t a brothel.»
Zhenya chuckled involuntarily, but her anxiety only grew inside.
«Alright, good. Then we’ll keep looking.»
In the evening, when Zhenya put Olya to bed, she quietly closed the nursery door, making sure the girl was really asleep, and went to the kitchen. She dialed her mother’s number.
«Zhenya? Did something happen?» Inga Alekseevna’s voice sounded anxious.
«No, mom, everything’s fine,» Zhenya reassured her immediately. «I talked to Yura. He’s not involved.»
Silence hung on the other end of the line.
«Lord…» her mother finally spoke, and her voice carried despair. «Well, where does all this come from in my house?! I’m simply going mad with this mystery, Zhen.»
«I don’t know, mom,» Zhenya took a sip of tea, thinking over her next words. «But I have a plan.»
«A plan? What kind?» Inga Alekseevna became alert.
«Don’t go to the dacha this weekend. And don’t tell anyone.»
«But why?» the mother asked bewilderedly.
«Listen further,» Zhenya interrupted. «Igor returns on Sunday, right?»
«Yes,» confirmed Inga Alekseevna.
«Great,» Zhenya quickly thought through the details. «Let dad take Olga to the movies. And you and I will set up an ambush at your house!»
«An ambush?» the mother asked, trying to understand what her daughter had in mind. «Zhenya, what nonsense is this? It’s silly.»
«No nonsense, mom! We’ll just sit in the room, quietly, with the lights off. If someone comes, we’ll see everything. We’ll find out who it is and how they get into the house.»
The mother moaned.
«Do you think this will work?»
«I’m sure,» Zhenya answered firmly. «Just don’t tell dad. This is just for us.»
«Alright,» Inga Alekseevna agreed after a brief pause. «But, honestly, I’m scared to find out what all this means…»
«Don’t worry, mom. We’ll figure it out!»
Ending the conversation, Zhenya thoughtfully looked out the window. She had loved detectives as a child, but she never imagined she’d be solving such mysteries.
Saturday turned out surprisingly sunny, but Inga Alekseevna’s house remained dim. Zhenya and her mother settled in the living room, having drawn the curtains tightly. The door to the room was closed so no one accidentally noticed them from the corridor.
«Zhen, this is some kind of foolishness,» whispered Inga Alekseevna, nervously fiddling with her dress. «And what if no one comes?»
«Then we’ll just spend a nice and quiet day at home,» Zhenya answered calmly, trying to speak as quietly as possible.
«And what if I need to use the restroom?» asked the mother.
Zhenya smiled, shaking her head:
«Mom, you’ll go. Relax.»
Inga Alekseevna sighed. And suddenly they heard the key turning in the front door. The women exchanged glances, and Zhenya’s heart pounded harder. The door opened, and a cheerful female laughter swept through the hallway.
«Oh, Igor! I bought us so much today!» said a high, ringing voice.
Zhenya froze in place, disbelieving her ears.
«Igor?» she repeated the name aloud before her mind could make sense of the situation.
Zhenya jumped to her feet and rushed to the hallway. There she faced a surprise: her husband, Igor, stood at the entrance, embracing a blonde with bright makeup. In her hands, she held a couple of bags with fruits and delicacies.
«Zhenka?» Igor froze as if he saw a ghost. The blonde in his arms stood still, not understanding what was happening.
«What is this?!» Zhenya’s voice trembled with anger.
«It’s not what you think!» Igor stammered.
«Really?» Zhenya stepped forward. «And what should I think, Igor? Is this your colleague? Or did you bring gifts for my parents from Kazan?»
The blonde tried to step back but tripped over a carpet. Her gaze darted between Igor and Zhenya.
«Zhen, I… This is accidental…» Igor began to defend himself.
«Accidental?!» Zhenya raised her voice. «You brought another woman into my parents’ house! Accidentally?»
At that moment, Inga Alekseevna peered out of the living room.
«Zhenya, maybe we can discuss this later?» Igor took a step back.
«There’s no ‘later’, Igor,» Zhenya said coldly. «I want to know who this woman is and why you’re here at all. Immediately.»
The blonde quietly mumbled:
«Maybe I’ll go?»
«Yes,» Zhenya snapped back sharply, not taking her eyes off her husband. «You’ll go. Right now. And you, get to the kitchen!»
«Zhen…» Igor tried to object.
«Get moving!»
The blonde, realizing she was unwelcome, hurriedly fled. Igor shuffled to the kitchen.
Zhenya watched Igor, and a storm raged inside her. Zhenya felt neither pain nor disappointment—only rage and disgust. With each word from her husband, her anger grew stronger.
«It’s not what you think!» Igor began hastily, backing up to the wall. «This… This is the first time!»
«Don’t lie to me!» Zhenya exploded, stepping toward him. «Don’t lie!»
«I’m not lying!» he shouted, throwing his hands up. «I thought no one would be here! Your parents usually go to the dacha!»
«And this time they decided not to go!» Zhenya nearly shouted, her voice breaking. «And do you know why? Do you?!»
«Why?» Igor looked pitiful, but he tried to maintain the last vestiges of composure.
«Because your girlfriend left us clues!» Zhenya began pounding his shoulders with her fists, as if she couldn’t express all that was happening inside any other way. «Mom! Show him!»
Inga Alekseevna, who had been standing at the kitchen door all this time, looked bewildered.
«Zhenya, maybe we shouldn’t…» she attempted to object.
«Show it!»
Inga Alekseevna, realizing that arguing was futile, went to the cabinet and took out the previously prepared finds. Earrings, lipstick, and then the robe appeared on the table.
«Oh, my God…» Igor groaned, grabbing his head.
«Here’s your God!» Zhenya shouted again, her face blazing. «You couldn’t even clean up after yourself? Or was that also ‘the first time’?»
«But I cleaned up!» Igor squealed, trying to justify himself. «I washed everything, laundered…»
«What a good boy!» Zhenya burst into sarcastic laughter. «A medal for you, labor hero!»
Then Inga Alekseevna, who had been trying to stay out of it until now, suddenly exclaimed:
«Igor! Did you do all this in our bedroom?!»
Igor froze and said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes.
«That’s disgusting!» his mother-in-law shouted, stepping back from him. «No, the whole situation is a nightmare! But this detail is just horrible!»
«Forgive me…» Igor looked pathetic.
«Forgive?!» Zhenya raised her voice again. «You couldn’t rent a hotel room?!»
«You monitor my cards!» Igor tried to find an excuse, but it sounded pathetic. «I didn’t want to spend money… Natasha herself bought food so I wouldn’t be compromised…»
Zhenya felt something snap inside her. His words, full of pettiness and selfishness, seemed to open her eyes to how despicable her husband was.
«You’re not even a man,» she said coldly, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. «You’re pathetic, vile, cowardly…»
She didn’t know what killed her more: the fact of the infidelity or how insignificant the person she had tied her life to turned out to be.
After Zhenya threw Igor out, he tried for a long time to regain her favor. He called, begged to meet, wrote apology letters. Sometimes she found him at the entrance, where he stood with a bouquet or a box of chocolates, but none of his actions moved her. For Zhenya, he ceased to exist.
They decided not to discuss the father’s infidelities with their daughter, little Olya. They told the girl that dad had temporarily gone on a business trip, but that didn’t make it easier. Zhenya’s mother often visited her. And during one of their conversations, Inga Alekseevna said:
«Zhenya, I’ve thought it all over… And I’ve decided that I can’t sleep on this bedding anymore. I’ll burn everything.»
«Everything?» Zhenya asked, not immediately realizing what was meant.
«And the sheets, and the towels… Your father already took the mattress to the dump, but that’s not enough. It feels disgusting somehow…»
So they ended up at the dacha, where they set up a bonfire in the backyard. A huge bag with bedding, towels, old blankets, and coverlets lay at their feet. Zhenya and her mother took turns throwing fabrics into the fire, which instantly burst into flames.
Inga Alekseevna suddenly hugged her daughter.
«Maybe we’ll burn something else? To feel lighter?»
Zhenya, thinking it over, looked at her mother and said sarcastically:
«Can we burn that ‘dog’?» Zhenya handed her mother a photo.
Inga Alekseevna laughed.
«It’ll be okay, dear,» she said, patting Zhenya on the back. «In five years, you’ll remember all this and laugh.»
Zhenya nodded, but her smile was bitter.
«If it wasn’t happening to me, I’d be laughing already.»
They stood, watching as the flames seemed to devour memories of betrayal.
«Soon you’ll be ready to start over from scratch…» Inga Alekseevna mused, watching the fire.
Zhenya just shrugged.
«I’ll start small: with the first alimony payment, I’ll buy you new bedding!»
The mother smiled. They both hoped that a brighter future lay ahead.
Igor, left without a family and a roof over his head, deeply regretted his rash act. He had to pay a large sum in alimony to his wife, and with the remainder, he rented an apartment in a remote corner. There was no money left for women… He had to be content with little and wait for better times.
