— There will be no wedding. Father is against a pauper in our family!” Sasha’s voice, my fiancé’s, pierced through the slightly open door. I was standing in the next room, already dressed in a white gown and clutching a bouquet of daisies that I had picked early that morning. My heart pounded wildly, and I could barely hold onto the flowers.
“— Sasha, are you serious?” It was Mishka, his younger brother. “She’s already there, ready. Are you really going to tell her?”
“— What am I supposed to do?” Sasha spoke softly, yet every word reached me. “Last night, Father screamed all through the night that he wouldn’t let her into the house. He threatened to cut me off from my inheritance and my job if I got married.”
I pressed my back against the wall, feeling the rough wallpaper catch on the lace hem of my dress. The air in the room was filled with the scent of lavender—Aunt Nina had placed a vase of dried herbs on the dresser. Outside, birds chirped, but inside me, everything rang with pain and disbelief.
Through the slightly ajar door, I could see part of the kitchen: Sasha sat at the table with his face hidden in his hands, and Mishka stood by the window, arms crossed over his chest. I wanted to burst into the room and yell, but my legs felt as if they were rooted to the floor.
“— Sasha,” Mishka took a step toward him, “you love her. You gave her a ring. How are you going to look her in the eyes now?”
“I do love her,” Sasha raised his head, and I noticed a sparkle of tears in his eyes. “But what can I do? Without my father, I am nothing. I have no proper job, no money. And she… She’s from the countryside, Mishka. She has nothing.”
“And so what?” Mishka snorted. “You knew that from the start. You promised you wouldn’t give a damn about anything. And now you’re giving up because of your old man?”
Sasha leapt up, pacing the kitchen, and slammed his palm on the table.
“— I’m not giving up!” he shouted. “It’s just… I don’t know how to live without his support. He gave me everything—education, a car, a job. If I go against him, he’ll kick me out. How are Lisa and I supposed to live?”
I squeezed the bouquet so hard that the stems snapped. Lisa. That was me—a country girl he had sworn to love no matter what. And now I was “a pauper,” the reason there would be no wedding.
The door creaked, and I knew I could hide no longer. I stepped forward, flung open the door, and entered the kitchen. Sasha froze when he saw me, and Mishka retreated to the window, pretending he wasn’t there.
“— Lisa,” Sasha said, his face growing pale, “did you… did you hear?”
“Yes,” I replied, trying to stay calm despite the turmoil inside. “I heard everything, Sasha. So, there will be no wedding?”
He tried to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. He just stared at me—at my dress that I had commissioned from a seamstress with my last bits of money, at my hair that I had carefully styled before the mirror. I could see his shame, but that no longer mattered.
“— Lisa,” he finally began, “I didn’t want things to turn out this way. I really love you. But Father…”
“Father,” I interrupted. “It’s all because of him, isn’t it? And where were you, Sasha? You promised that we’d overcome everything together. And now? Am I nothing to you?”
“You are nothing,” he stepped toward me, but I withdrew. “You are everything to me. But I can’t go against him. You don’t understand, he…”
“I understand perfectly,” I said, feeling tears burning my eyes. “You chose his money over me. It’s as simple as that.”
Mishka cleared his throat and interjected:
“Lisa, don’t think that he doesn’t love you. It’s just that Father is a real tyrant. But I’m on your side, alright?”
“Thanks, Mishka,” I looked at him. “But I don’t need pity. I believed that Sasha and I would build a family. And now… now I don’t even know who he is to me.”
Sasha lowered his gaze, and I threw the bouquet on the table before leaving the kitchen. The dress whispered as if mocking my shattered dream, and a hollow emptiness gnawed at my chest, as if someone had torn everything light from within.
I went into the small bedroom where I was supposed to become a bride that morning. There stood a modest bed with a colorful coverlet, an old mirror in a wooden frame, and my worn sneakers hung by the wall. I sat on the edge of the bed, looking at my reflection: a white dress, red eyes, disheveled hair. I longed to tear off that outfit and run far away, but I lacked even the strength to do so. I just sat there, struggling to breathe.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I thought it was Sasha, but it was Aunt Nina—a short woman with kind eyes and silver curls.
“Lisa, darling,” she said as she sat down beside me. “I heard everything. How are you?”
“I don’t know, Aunt Nina,” I sniffled. “Everything has crumbled. He left me because of his father. He said I was a pauper.”
“A pauper?” she frowned. “You’re hardworking, smart, and beautiful. Their family is blind if they don’t appreciate you. And your Sasha… he’s a wimp to give in so easily.”
“I thought he was different,” I whispered. “He promised we’d overcome everything together. And now…”
“Promises are just words,” Aunt Nina placed a hand on my shoulder. “Actions show who really is who. What are you planning to do now?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I think I might go back to the countryside. At least my parents wouldn’t betray me there.”
“Good,” she nodded. “And take off that dress, don’t torture yourself. I’ll make you some tea, you can sit for a while, and then we’ll decide.”
I nodded, and she left. Slowly, I began unfastening the buttons on my dress, feeling tears streaming down my cheeks. This day was meant to be the happiest of my life. And now I was just a girl in someone else’s home, burdened with debt for that dress and a broken heart.
An hour later, I sat in the kitchen with Aunt Nina, dressed in old jeans and a sweater, holding a cup of tea. In front of me was a plate of pancakes, and the lady herself sat across from me.
“Eat, Lisa,” she said. “You’ll need your strength. You’re looking too pale.”
“Thank you, Aunt Nina,” I took a pancake, though I had no appetite. “I don’t know what to do next. I have a job in the city, but living there is expensive. And now, on top of everything…”
“Do you want to stay in the city?” she asked, pouring herself some tea.
“Yes,” I nodded. “I work as a waitress in a café. The money is meager, but it’s mine. In the countryside, it’s just a garden and cows. And I want to live, not just survive.”
“Then stay,” Aunt Nina shrugged. “I have a spare room where you can stay until you get back on your feet. And tell your Sasha to go his own way.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Aunt Nina had always been blunt as an arrow. And her suggestion seemed reasonable.
“What am I supposed to tell him?” I asked. “He’s still out there, busy sorting things with his guests.”
“Just don’t say anything,” Aunt Nina waved her hand dismissively. “Pack your things and leave. Let him run around later if he must.”
I thought about it. Maybe she was right. To run back to him, begging—wasn’t my way. He chose his father, and I would choose myself.
I returned to the house where the wedding was supposed to take place. There were no guests left—only Sasha and Mishka sat on the porch, smoking. Seeing me, Sasha jumped up.
“Lisa, where have you been?” he said, throwing down his cigarette and rushing toward me. “I’ve been looking for you!”
“At Aunt Nina’s,” I replied coldly. “I’ve packed. I’m leaving.”
“You’re leaving?” he froze. “Where to?”
“To the city,” I said. “I’ll stay with Aunt Nina until I can rent an apartment. And you… do what you want, Sasha. There’s no wedding, right?”
“Lisa, wait,” he grabbed my hand. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just…”
“You just chose your father,” I interrupted, wrenching my hand free. “And his money. I’m not needed by you. It’s all clear.”
“Not clear!” he raised his voice. “I love you, Lisa. But I can’t go against him. Don’t you understand what that means?”
“I do understand,” I said. “It means you’re a coward. And I don’t want such a husband.”
Mishka turned away, and Sasha’s face went pale.
“Are you serious?” he asked quietly.
“Serious,” I nodded. “Goodbye, Sasha.”
I left without looking back. The dress was left on the bed—if he wanted it, let him have it. I no longer needed it.
I moved in with Aunt Nina. She gave me a small room with a narrow bed and an old wardrobe. I continued working at the café, saving money. Sasha called a couple of times, but I didn’t answer. Once, he even came, standing under my window with flowers, but I didn’t come down. Aunt Nina drove him away, threatening him with a broom.
A month later, I rented a tiny apartment in the city—with shabby walls, but my own space. I worked and learned to live again. Sometimes I thought of Sasha—his smile, his promises. But then I recalled his words at the door, and my heart grew colder.
A year passed. I found a second job—as a cleaner in an office in the evenings. I saved up for some courses—I want to train as a cook and open my own business. Sasha no longer called; I heard he left somewhere with his father. And I live on. Not a pauper, as he once said, just Lisa. And that’s enough.”
