Anya sighed as she walked out of the office building. Today was just one hassle after another. Did he really need those reports right now? She could have managed everything tomorrow. Her workday had been stressful, so she decided to stop by her usual café. She could already imagine enjoying a Greek salad and a cup of coffee, and life would briefly sparkle with different colors.
When she entered, the café was nearly empty. Just as she wanted to sit at her usual table and finally order her salad, she suddenly saw a familiar face. Her husband, Sergey. And he was not alone, but sitting with some flashy woman.
Anya froze in place, as if doused with cold water. The stranger looked like she had stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. A platinum blonde in a tight dress, almost glittering with expensive jewelry. Her makeup was flawless. She and Sergey were having an animated conversation. He was telling her something, and the woman laughed, flirtatiously touching his hand.
Everything inside Anya turned upside down. «So, that’s how it is, huh?» she nearly stormed over to their table. Her first reaction was to approach their table and sort things out on the spot. Loudly, with a flourish, like in the movies. But she held herself back. No, that would have been too simple.
She decisively stepped back, contemplating a plan. She would give him a real game.
Anya chose a table in another corner of the café, but positioned so that she could still see them both. She ordered a Greek salad and coffee but didn’t rush to eat. She pulled out her phone and dialed Sergey. His phone rang on the table. He glanced at the screen and then hurriedly silenced it. Anya smirked. So, he doesn’t want to answer? What’s this important conversation about?
She kept her eyes on them, noting every movement. Sergey leaned towards the blonde, whispering something in her ear. She burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. A hefty diamond ring glinted on her finger.
Anya’s heart clenched. She looked away, trying to compose herself. «Okay, calm down, Anya, stay calm. No time for panic,» she reassured herself, nervously twisting a napkin.
Flashes of memories flickered through her mind. Their first meeting, awkward dates, confessions of love. Could all of that have been a lie? Was he now playing both sides? Anya clenched her teeth but decided to keep watching. She wished she could believe that this was just a colleague. Yes, overly groomed and sitting too close.
Anya, gripping her phone tightly, continued to watch the pair. But then her gaze fell on a man walking past her table. Tall, handsome, with a light stubble. He looked as if he had just stepped out of a commercial. And then it struck her. She waved her hand decisively.
«Excuse me,» she called to the man. He paused, turned his head, and approached.
«Yes?» he asked, surveying her.
«Listen, I have a kind of silly request…,» Anya paused, thinking about how best to explain the situation, «to stage a scene. Nothing complicated. You see, over there,» she nodded towards Sergey, «that’s my husband. And, apparently,» she bitterly smirked, «he’s cheating on me. Could you play along? I want him to feel the way I do.»
The man pondered for a moment, then broadly smiled.
«Alright, why not?» he stepped forward and sat opposite Anya.
«I’m Anya,» she smiled.
«My name is Igor,» the man smiled back.
Anya smiled, trying to keep her composure, but her heart was pounding. She glanced towards Sergey. Noticed. Confusion flashed in his eyes.
He clearly hadn’t expected to see his wife here. Especially not with a man. Sergey froze for a second, then turned back to his companion. He tried to act as if nothing was wrong. But Anya noticed his hand tense.
Anya sat up straight. She pretended to be fully engaged in conversation with Igor. Leaning closer, as if she was sharing something very intriguing. Igor caught her vibe. He played along. Nodding or laughing at the right moment.
Anya glanced towards her husband and his blonde companion. Now Sergey was clearly nervous. He started tapping his fingers on the table. He glanced sideways at Anya and Igor.
The blonde said something to him, but his reaction wasn’t as lively as before. Anya decided to take the next step. She boldly took Igor’s hand. The man, understanding her plan, gently squeezed her fingers and smiled. Sergey looked at them again, this time longer. He said something to his companion, and she stopped laughing. Anya was curious to see how far she could go in this «game.»
«Igor, you’re a great actor,» she said.
«See how tense he is?» Igor whispered. «Just look at his face. Do you think we’ve marinated him enough?»
«Let’s walk past them,» Anya suggested. «See what he does.»
Igor nodded, and they both stood up. Anya took his arm, and they slowly headed towards the exit, passing by Sergey and the blonde’s table. As they passed, Anya decided to throw her final ace. She turned to Sergey with the most innocent expression and said:
«Oh, hello, dear! What a pleasant surprise to see you here. And who is this friend of yours?»
Sergey was clearly flustered. The blonde looked at him, waiting for an explanation.
«This is…,» Sergey stuttered, trying to find the right words. His gaze darted between his wife and the blonde, «a work colleague.»
The blonde frowned, casting a suspicious glance at Sergey.
«Oh, a colleague?» Anya raised an eyebrow. «How interesting! And here I thought you had meetings with clients today.»
Sergey clenched his teeth.
«Anya, what is this circus?» He stepped towards her, clearly losing patience. «Who is this guy? What are you allowing yourself?»
«And you? What would your ‘colleague’ say? Maybe she’s not aware of your marital status?»
The blonde tensed up.
«You’re married?» she asked coldly, not taking her eyes off Sergey.
The blonde quickly turned around and left the café.
«Great,» he threw back at his wife. «Are you satisfied? Why did you set this up? She was an important client. The deal depended on her. She had her eye on me. This meeting was a business maneuver, not what you’ve cooked up in your mind!»
«Maybe you better explain who this guy is with you?» Sergey glanced at Igor.
«What about it?» Anya crossed her arms. «You can have fun on the side, and I can’t?»
«So you’ve been cheating on me?» Sergey clenched his teeth.
«Yes,» Anya lifted her chin, eager to hurt Sergey.
«Listen, I think you can sort this out without me,» Igor awkwardly smiled and tried to leave the café as quickly as possible.
«Well, you’re something else, Anyechka,» Sergey threw a few bills on the table and left the café.
Anya wanted to burst. She couldn’t believe all this had happened. She didn’t even know how she’d return to work now. She called a colleague, asking her to cover for her with the boss, and then she went home. When she opened the door, Sergey was sitting on the couch. He looked surprisingly calm.
«Anya,» he looked at his wife with pain in his eyes. «Did you really cheat on me?»
His look was so sincere that Anya decided to sit next to him and sighed:
«No. I met that man for the first time today. I saw you, and I immediately wanted to hurt you. I couldn’t believe you were cheating on me.»
Sergey ran his hand through his hair.
«Listen, this situation is absolutely ridiculous. I now understand that I acted like an idiot. Please forgive me. I should have told you everything. I know I’m at fault. I was a fool to even agree to that meeting. But you must believe me, there was nothing between us.»
Anya was silent, then leaned into his shoulder. She was still angry at him, but at the same time, she was glad to hear his words.
«Promise me you won’t deceive me again.»
«I promise,» Sergey gently kissed her on the top of her head. «Forgive me, my foolish one.»
He hugged her tighter, and Anya felt the tension of the past few hours slowly release. She was still upset remembering the blonde. But she saw that her husband was remorseful. What mattered was that, in the end, all was well.
