Yur, where are you off to?”
Svetlana peeked out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel and looking at her husband in surprise.
Yuri, a 45-year-old man and manager of a large construction company, decided to act. He packed a suitcase while his wife busied herself in the kitchen preparing his breakfast. And now he was standing in the hallway of their large, cozy apartment.
Svetlana always made food in the morning and fed the family. She believed that a proper, hearty breakfast was not only the foundation of good health but also the guarantee of a successful day. When the children were young, she would rise before everyone else and cook for the whole bustling brood. They had three children, so she didn’t work; she dedicated herself to raising them. Fortunately, her husband’s earnings had always allowed them to live comfortably without requiring her labor.
Yuri said nothing. He examined Svetlana, with whom he had spent twenty-five years, and realized—he was right; he needed to act decisively and immediately.
Lately, his wife had been giving in, growing listless and flabby; there was no longer the fire or the playful spark in her eyes that so attracted men. For a long time now, she had ceased to allure him as a woman.
For that reason, Yuri had Nelya—a young, energetic brunette whom he met at one of his company’s offsite corporate events. She was beautiful and smart, which immediately impressed Yuri. Moreover, she was bold and decisive, qualities that resonated with him. He himself was bold and decisive. And that’s exactly why he now stood in the hallway with a suitcase.
It was time! Enough already—how much longer must he endure this? Why should he live with an unloving woman and waste his hard-earned money on her? The children had grown up and were living on their own. Vanka and Petka were already working, having earned their higher education. Varya, though, was still in her fourth year, but he was always ready to help her. So that part was fine.
But the wife… Why should she cling to him? That was exactly what Nelya had been telling him. And he understood—his beloved was right. Yuri worked hard, sparing no effort, while his wife sat at home spending his money.
“It’s high time you left her. Look at you—settled down, you lazy bum!” Nelya had told him as she hugged him. “And we need to split the apartment. Let her live in a one-room flat, and she can earn her own living.”
“Yes. Nelya, you’re right. Nothing binds us anymore. We need to decide.”
“Are you leaving somewhere, Yuri?” Svetlana asked in surprise. “And why didn’t you warn me? I would have made you some sandwiches. You can’t just take off on an empty stomach. Besides, you don’t know when you’ll get a chance to eat. On a business trip, perhaps?”
“Listen, why are you always clinging to me with your food, huh? Sandwiches! What nonsense! Don’t you know that nowadays you can get a decent bite anywhere—to have breakfast, lunch, even dinner? Let me open your eyes—it’s been possible for a long time! Chicken! You’re always lingering in your kitchen, as if nothing else exists in life.”
Yuri was angry with his wife because he couldn’t get to the point—to proudly and firmly say that he was leaving her, that he was going to another woman.
“Has something happened to you? Why are you so upset, Yuri?” Svetlana asked softly and kindly.
She had long known that her husband had a mistress, and she suspected that one day he would want to leave her. Today, it was likely that day. But Svetlana was a wise woman. First of all, and secondly, she knew her husband well.
“Because! Because I’m leaving you, is that clear? I’ve had enough of this life!”
“Understood. And where to?” the wife asked simply, as if he had mentioned that it was raining outside.
“To another woman. She’s perfect for you—a beauty and a genius! And she will never be like you, always hanging around in the kitchen! She has many other interesting and important things to do.”
“Oh, so you managed to meet such a woman? Congratulations, Yuri.”
“Yes, and what’s the big deal? Don’t I deserve someone like that?” Yuri couldn’t believe how astonishingly easy this difficult conversation was unfolding.
“You? Deserve. You deserve even more, Yuri.”
“Do you really think so?” Yuri asked in disbelief.
“Yes, I do. Who knows you better than I do? You work hard, earn decently, you’re intelligent and—if I may be honest—handsome!”
“Well, you understand, I’ll also have to split the apartment,” Yuri said more softly now, almost apologetically.
“I understand. And it will be fair. I completely support your wish. We’ll split the apartment. Everything as it should be by law,” Svetlana said with a smile.
“Well, you… Thank you, of course, for your understanding. Honestly, I thought you’d start a scandal. But you acted like a human being. After all, it wasn’t for nothing that I chose you as my wife,” the man said proudly.
“Tch… And what scandal? Well, we’ve fallen out of love. So what? Should we live together for the rest of our lives? Who came up with that? We’re not the first,” Svetlana continued.
“Well, that’s good. It’s nice that you think so. There’s one more matter… Would you find yourself a job, at least? Because I’ll stop giving you money. You must understand that by law we will become strangers. Or will you claim alimony? Let me warn you, you’ll lose in court. You’re a capable, healthy woman, Svetlana. You just spent many years at home.”
“At home? So that’s how you see it? And our three children grew up on their own? Fine, I won’t argue with you. And as for a job, I say this: I won’t. I have no reason to look for one.”
“What do you mean? Why? What will you live on? Or do you expect your sons to support you? They’ve only just started working, and probably aren’t earning enough themselves.”
“I’m not going to ask my children for money, for heaven’s sake—what were you thinking?” Svetlana somewhat indignant exclaimed. “I have another option.”
“And what might that be, may I ask?”
“Are you really interested in my personal life after you leave me?”
“Well, I’m interested out of pure compassion and care. After all, we have so much in common—like the children, for example.”
“I’m going to remarry. And my husband will support me,” Svetlana declared, waiting for Yuri’s reaction.
“Remarry? What do you mean?” the husband was taken aback.
“Literally. Soon I’ll be a divorced, single woman. And therefore I have every right to marry again.”
“And what—are there already candidates? Or are you just hoping?” Yuri looked skeptically at his wife’s face and figure. “One must realistically assess one’s chances, especially at your age, Svetlana.”
“Oh, there won’t be any problems! Don’t even doubt it!” the wife confidently declared.
“Where does such confidence come from?” Yuri loosened his tightly knotted tie. He hadn’t noticed when he’d moved from the hallway into the kitchen, where he now mechanically began chewing on the pancakes his wife had just made.
“Please excuse me, Yuri, I’ll speak frankly. As they say, frankness begets frankness.”
“Well, speak then,” Yuri said, already chewing his second pancake. “Would you pour me some tea? What am I choking on…”
“I had long suspected that you wanted to leave me,” Svetlana casually revealed as she poured tea for Yuri.
“Really? And where did those suspicions come from?” the husband asked, surprised.
“Let it be my little secret. So, I thought—what awaits me in such a case? And I decided to take action.”
“Take action?” Yuri was so surprised he stopped chewing.
“Exactly. I registered on a dating site. And you know, I was pleasantly disconcerted by the sheer number of men wanting to meet me.”
“Yes? What got into you, visiting such sites? I’m surprised; I didn’t expect such verve from you,” Yuri said somewhat sardonically.
“Well, now we’re on our own. So I decided to start selecting candidates. It’s not an easy matter, as you know, and it’s not a quick process. One mustn’t err and choose someone who might one day leave for a young and bold woman. You know exactly what I’m telling you.”
“And what—are there already candidates? Or are you just hoping for some?”
“Oh, of course, there are! And plenty of them!” Svetlana continued, smiling both softly and slyly.
“Really? I wonder, what could attract men to an aging woman like you?”
“What do you mean? Because candidates in my age group are the most popular on the site right now. We’re simply in high demand among wise, mature men. The young ones—they’re fickle, unreliable, and might even cuckold you. They’re always chasing after something, always wanting more. But we—we are settled, homey, cozy; we know everything, we know how to do things, and we understand what a man needs.”
“Well, that’s just nonsense! Men are always drawn to younger women,” Yuri objected.
“Drawn, I agree. But after those young ones, they’re completely attracted to other women. And when I mentioned that I cook wonderfully and have my own living space, independent of anyone—since we’re going to split the apartment, as you yourself said—then there was no shortage of eager candidates!”
Yuri fell silent. He contemplated what his wife had told him. For some reason, it was unpleasant to realize that her life would be so good after his departure. A feeling stirred inside him. Jealousy, perhaps? Damn, as if that weren’t enough.
“So you’re leaving?” he asked. “I think someone is already waiting for you, Yuri. It’s not good to keep a lady waiting. And besides, you know, it’s about time for me too. Today I have a meeting with the first candidate. I still need to tidy myself up. He has been asking to meet me for a long time. So, since you’ve decided to leave, why should I wait?”
“You know what? I just remembered—I have an important meeting with suppliers today. I’ll leave the suitcase for now. I’ll pick it up later. This evening. Or tomorrow. And don’t go anywhere. Look at you, always so spry! It’s almost disrespectful to me. The husband hasn’t yet left, and the wife is already out on the town. Take your time with that.”
Yuri left for work. Throughout the day, vague doubts tormented him. Was he doing the right thing? Would his children judge him? Would he later bitterly regret what he’d done? These questions plagued him, preventing him from understanding whether he was right or wrong.
For Yuri, the scenario looked a bit different. He was leaving for Nelya, but if something didn’t suit him there, he could always return to Svetlana. But now it turned out that there would be no going back. Svetlana would have another husband.
Later in the evening, Nelya finally called him.
“What’s the matter? Did you expect me this morning with your things? Why didn’t you show up? I’ve already found an apartment for us in a very good neighborhood. And we need to go to the furniture salon—I need you to approve my choice for the bedroom set. Yes, and we still have to drop by the travel agency at Zhorik’s—to pay for the trip to Bali. You remember Bali, darling?”
Nelya shrieked non-stop, not even listening to whether Yuri was answering her or not.
“Nelya! Be quiet for a second!” he shouted.
“Yes,” she interrupted her stream of words.
“And what’s for dinner today?” suddenly, out of the blue, Yuri asked.
“For dinner? Nothing…” Nelya faltered. “I’m on a diet. And you need to lose weight too—we discussed it. Well, if you want, we could order something from a restaurant…”
She continued talking, but Yuri had already hung up. He knew that at home a hearty dinner and a calm, measured evening awaited him. And he had no desire for Bali.
No other man would ever call his Svetlana his wife. That would never happen!
