It seems like just yesterday I thought Andrey and I were the perfect couple. Thirty years together, two children, a house—life was full.
We had everything: a house by the sea, an apartment in the city, a car…
And I trusted him. «He’s my husband, the father of my children,» I told myself when suspicions crept into my soul.
But one day everything was shattered.
Evening. Andrey was late from work. Well, I thought, it happens, he’s busy. He forgot his second phone at home. Yes, my Andrey, who can’t even go to the bathroom without it, left his mobile on the nightstand.
Well, okay, I thought, no big deal. And then—ding!
A message came. One, then another. I didn’t stop cooking in the kitchen, as usual, but… but my heart skipped a beat. I picked up the phone and saw: «Marina.»
I sat there, staring. Eyes fixed on one spot. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I had never spied before, but apparently, fate had its own plans.
«I miss you… When can we meet? I’m waiting…» I read aloud. Everything inside me broke.
He returned an hour later, but I had already made a decision. No, there won’t be any hysterics. That’s not my style. I had built my life brick by brick. I put my whole self into it.
He thought I wouldn’t notice anything. Men generally think women are foolish and can be easily deceived, especially when it comes to infidelity.
I had been his «quiet front» for many years, and Andrey had stopped taking me seriously. And that was his biggest mistake. Cry? No reason to! If a man cheats, he’s not worth crying over.
The plan quickly matured. I decided not just to find out more but to make him regret everything. But carefully, cunningly, giving him no chance to suspect anything. First, I would find out everything, and then—we would act.
«You’ll succeed,» I whispered to myself in the mirror, looking at my reflection.
The next morning began as usual with Andrey going to work. He returned late. I decided to act calm, without suspicions, so he would notice nothing.
He was holding his phone. Thoughts were spinning in my head: «What else is he hiding, who else is he talking to?»
The next day I saw this Marina. No, not directly. In the cafe where they usually sat. I started going there every evening. And there they were. They entered together, sat at a table in the corner. She—young, about thirty, thin as a reed. Andrey sat opposite, smiling, stroking her hand.
«I wonder how long this has been going on?» flashed through my mind.
I started checking bank accounts. I have an old acquaintance, Galina, she had been my accountant for several years. I turned to her for advice, very carefully, like, do you know how to check the accounts? We sat in her kitchen, drinking coffee, and she listened to all my talks.
«Olga, you’re not just curious for no reason,» she finally said. «Did your husband do something?»
I told her. And within an hour, we were digging through bank documents. Galina checked all the transfers, all the accounts. And what did we find? Andrey had been transferring money to an unknown account for several months.
«What is this?» I couldn’t hold back. «Who was he sending such amounts to?»
Obviously. He was spending money on his Marina. Bought her an apartment, and even sent her monthly transfers. So that’s how it was.
Now everything fell into place. The hurt, like a nail, settled in my heart, but I knew: I couldn’t show it, otherwise, the whole plan would fall apart.
I had to get what was mine. I gathered the documents, found a lawyer. We prepared everything, Galina checked the accounts. Now I had a full picture: where, how, and how much he had taken.
«Olga,» said the lawyer, «You’ll take everything you have. I have all the evidence in my hands.»
But it wasn’t time yet. I decided to press him further. I made copies of all the documents, hid them at a friend’s place, and began preparing for the response. He had no clue. He returned home every evening with a smile, and I waited for the moment when I could reveal the cards.
I opened several of my accounts and transferred most of our funds there.
Andrey noticed nothing. The money disappeared slowly, gradually. I pretended that everything was usual, bought groceries, took care of the children and the home.
And he… he thought everything was as before. He chattered like a nightingale about work and plans. He said he had financial difficulties, we needed to sell some property, and I agreed. But everything was registered to me, quietly, without noise.
He didn’t even suspect that he was digging his own grave.
«Olya, I was thinking, maybe we should sell the cottage?» he said one evening.
«Of course, dear.»
All the documents were there, he just had to sign where I told him to. He didn’t look, didn’t bother to check. Why should he? After all, I’m his faithful wife. What need is there for checks?
Months went by. Andrey still went to work, and in the evenings, he met with Marina. I wanted to scream, tear my hair out from the hurt. But I had to keep myself under control. If I let my emotions out, I would ruin everything.
At the next dinner, I looked at him. His look was like that of a satisfied cat. He smiled at me, poured wine. For a second, I wanted to throw in his face: «You’re cheating! You betrayed our family!» But I restrained myself, just clenched the glass a bit tighter.
«Olya, you seem tense,» he suddenly noticed.
«There’s a lot of work piled up.»
I waited for the right moment, and it came. I decided it was time to strike. It was an evening, Andrey was about to go to «friends» again. Marina, of course, was waiting for him.
But that evening I didn’t let him go.
«Andrey, wait,» I said as he was already putting on his jacket. «We need to talk.»
«Something happened?»
«Don’t you want to tell me something?» I asked with a smile.
«What nonsense again?»
I paused to make his nerves stretch even tighter.
«Nonsense, you say?» I looked up at him, cold as ice. «How about Marina? Is she also nonsense?»
His facial expression sharply changed. He turned pale and began to look around nervously. He clearly did not expect such a turn.
«Andrey, this… this isn’t what you think,» he stammered like a schoolboy caught with cheat notes.
«Really?» I sharply stood up, walked to the cabinet, and took out an envelope with photographs and bank statements. «And what’s this?»
For the first time in so many years, I saw fear in his eyes. He was no longer the confident man. Now before me was a lost, pitiful person who didn’t know what to say.
«Olya, it’s a mistake. I’ll explain everything… It’s temporary, we’ll fix everything…» He started to get nervous, trying to approach me, but I stepped back.
«You thought I wouldn’t notice? You betrayed me not only with another woman but spent our money on her. How are you not ashamed?»
I saw him flounder, not knowing what to say. Just a minute ago, he thought he was a king, but now the crown had rolled off his head and under the table.
«We’re getting a divorce,» I said coldly. «Everything is ready. I’m taking the house, the cottage, and half of all assets. The rest—for the kids. All documents are in my hands. You signed everything.»
He stood before me, white as snow. Tried to say something, but I wasn’t listening. I had everything: money, evidence, documents. He tried to justify himself, but it was pathetic.
«Olya, wait… let’s figure this out, talk…» He was still trying.
«Talk?» I laughed.
Andrey tried to contact Marina, but she, as expected, disappeared. Of course, why would she need a man who could no longer provide her with a fancy life? Andrey was left with nothing.
The morning started as usual. I woke up, opened the windows—the light rain was falling outside. Fresh air filled the room. I made myself coffee, sat at the kitchen table. Now everything in this house belonged only to me. My house. My money. My life.
An old photograph caught my eye, where Andrey and I were hugging and smiling.
Back then, I thought we had everything ahead of us. Now this photograph seemed to me something distant and almost unreal, like a frame from a movie. I looked at it for a long time, then crumpled it and threw it in the trash bin.
One evening, when I was relaxing with a book in hand, there was a knock on the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone. I thought for a second that it was the mail, but unlikely. I went to the hallway and opened the door.
Andrey was standing on the threshold. His look was heavy, weary. No trace of the self-satisfied man I knew a year ago. He had aged. His hair was disheveled, his face gaunt, dark circles under his eyes.
«Olya… may I come in?» he said quietly.
I looked at him silently, not rushing with an answer. The anger and hurt I had carried inside for so long began to subside. Not because I forgave him. But because I saw before me a broken man who had cornered himself.
«Come in.»
He walked into the living room, sat in the armchair, looking ahead as if not knowing what to say. I stood opposite, arms crossed over my chest, waiting for what he would say.
«Ol… I came… to apologize,» he finally said, not raising his eyes to me. «I lost everything. You, myself, the kids, our life… I understand it’s too late to change anything. But I want to apologize.»
«You came here for forgiveness?» I asked, looking at his weary face. «Or because you have nowhere else to go?»
Marina left him, the money ran out, and now he was in the very position he always despised—alone, without support, without means.
«Olya, I’m not asking you for anything. I just… just want you to know that I’m sorry. All this time I thought only of myself, how to make life better for myself. But you—I betrayed you. I have no excuse. I understand that.»
«Andrey,» I calmly answered, «I’m not angry with you anymore. And I don’t want to seek revenge. But you must understand—there’s nothing left between us. You destroyed what we built for so many years. And now you have to live with that. That’s your punishment.»
«Thank you for listening.»
He left, and with his departure, I felt the final thread that tied me to the past snap. That’s it.
A few months later, I met an old friend, Nikolai, whom I hadn’t seen for about ten years. We used to be neighbors many years ago. After that, he moved to another city.
We met by chance in a store, struck up a conversation. He suggested we have coffee, and I agreed. We talked about life, shared stories.
«You know, Olya,» he said, «time goes by, and you only become more beautiful.»
I laughed. His compliments no longer embarrassed me as they once did.
«Maybe because I finally stopped living in the past?»
He looked at me anew, with interest.
«Nikolai smiled, and I felt the beginning of something new. As if life had given me a second chance.»
