Lera was returning home after a date, lost in heavy thoughts. She had not expected Ivan to propose marriage today of all days. His action had thrown her off balance — she still couldn’t give him a clear answer. Her heart tightened with anxiety: what if she made a mistake again? The wounds from her recent divorce hadn’t healed yet. Was it too soon to decide on a new marriage? She wanted to talk to her mother, to hear her opinion. Wasn’t all this happening too hastily?
Originally, Lera had agreed to meet Ivan with only one goal — to try to return to a normal life and forget about the husband who had betrayed her trust. And now — a wedding? Didn’t everything escalate too quickly? Yes, she knew Ivan had long had feelings for her, but that wasn’t true love… or did he really love her? And could she ever love him herself? Questions swirled in her mind, refusing to let her rest.
Stopping by the door, Lera reached for the doorbell, but as always, it was silent. How many times had they repaired that thing — all in vain. After listening for a while, she knocked, but no one answered. They were probably watching a TV series inside. She didn’t want to disturb them. Lera took out her key — just in case, she had access to her mother’s apartment. For illness or emergencies.
Quietly entering the house, she heard voices from the living room. Her mother had a visitor — Nina Vasilievna, Ivan’s mother. For a moment, Lera prepared to leave so as not to interfere, but something made her freeze in place.
“I hope everything works out, Anechka! Finally, our children will take the course toward marriage. Just as we planned,” said Nina Vasilievna.
Lera’s heart tightened. So, they already knew everything… Why was Ivan in such a hurry to tell about the proposal without even knowing if Lera would accept?
“I’m just happy,” her mother replied. “When she married that Pasha, I nearly lost my mind. No family, no status. He finished some vocational school. She said they loved each other, but is love alone enough to build a family? For Lera, I always wanted the best. And with Vanya, she’ll be in safe hands.”
Nina quietly laughed and whispered something, but Lera couldn’t hear. She carefully crept closer, trying not to disturb the creaky floor.
“Vanya is a responsible guy. Lera is smart, beautiful, caring. She’ll be a good daughter-in-law. Especially now that he inherited such a fortune from his father. I was terribly afraid he’d find some gold-digger who would latch onto him for money. But Lera is completely different. Good thing they gave each other a chance.”
“Inheritance?” flashed through Lera’s mind. She knew nothing about it. Fragments of memories began to form in her head. Back in school, her mother used to say she wanted to see them together, but then her mother herself discouraged her from associating with Ivan: “He has nothing. He’s a student, you need a well-off man.”
Lera had begun to distance herself from Vanya then. Soon after, she met Pavel, fell in love… and was betrayed. Now it turned out the reason for the breakup between her and Pavel could have been entirely different. Ivan didn’t need to prove anything because Lera was free. And all this — for gain?
“I had to do a lot to get Lera to break up with that Pasha. She was crazy about him. I hope Vanya will appreciate her and not hurt her. All this effort wasn’t for nothing.”
Lera’s heart pounded. She couldn’t go in now — she needed to hear more. What if Pavel never cheated on her at all? How could she now look him in the eye? How explain her behavior? She had seen him with another woman with her own eyes… But if it was all a setup, who could she trust now? And most importantly — could she trust her own mother?
Tears welled up. Just a broken doorbell and deciding to enter with a key revealed a terrible truth.
“You did well, Anechka! Couldn’t have done it without you. But let’s keep this between us. We won’t tell anyone how everything was planned in advance. But now the children will be together, and we’ll be calm. Vanya has always loved Lera. He was so happy to propose! Do you think she already agreed?”
“If she refuses him, I’ll make her agree myself. What’s there to think about? Don’t worry, everything will be fine. I’ve already gone to extremes — I drugged my son-in-law and planted another woman with him. I’ll see this through to the end.”
Lera staggered as if hit by something heavy. The world collapsed in an instant, turning into bottomless darkness. Her own mother… her beloved… had betrayed, deceived, and did not even regret it. Lera remembered how she suffered after the divorce, how she wanted to end her life. She recalled how Pavel cried, begging her to listen and forgive. But she couldn’t. She believed what she had seen with her own eyes.
That evening, Lera stayed at her mother’s because the electrician was supposed to come to check the broken doorbell. She waited a long time, but no one came. Her mother called — said she had called a taxi and would be back soon. Lera went home and caught her husband with another woman. She couldn’t believe it, but the fact was too obvious. And now it turns out — it was all staged. Her mother had arranged it all to destroy the marriage for gain. For Ivan’s inheritance. Without it, none of this would have happened. She and Pavel would have been together, happy.
Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Lera took a deep breath and entered the living room. Anna Ivanovna and Nina Vasilievna flinched in surprise. From Lera’s face, they immediately understood: she had heard everything.
“Lera, why did you open the door yourself? The doorbell doesn’t work, but you could have knocked!” her mother tried to take control of the situation.
“I came for advice, mom…” Lera’s voice was barely audible. “Ivan proposed. I wanted to ask if it’s too soon to say yes. Who else to turn to but you, whom I’ve always trusted?”
Anna Ivanovna reached out to her daughter, but Lera stepped back, shaking her head:
“No need for affection. The answer found itself. Thank you for your help. I hope you’re proud of yourselves.”
With every word, her heart was breaking, but she didn’t stop. Turning around, Lera left. Her mother rushed after her, trying to explain, but what could be said? Everything was clear. Anna Ivanovna had deliberately staged the betrayal to ruin the family and bring Lera and Ivan together.
How Lera got home — she didn’t remember. The apartment greeted her with cold emptiness. She collapsed onto the bed and cried, recalling Pavel’s look full of pain and love. How to explain the truth to him? How to ask for forgiveness if he no longer wants to hear her?
Her mother kept calling, but Lera asked to be left alone. The disappointment was unbearable. Her mother acted solely for profit. Without Ivan’s inheritance, she would never have tried to bring them closer. Both women had acted meanly, and the children suffered. Lera felt sorry for Ivan, but she definitely would not marry him. She called him and clearly told him she would not reciprocate his feelings. She did not explain the details — she had no strength.
For several days, Lera vacillated between wanting to call Pavel and fearing a cold response. Finally, gathering courage, she heard only: “The subscriber is out of network coverage.” It was foolish to hope he had been waiting for her all that time. Six months passed. She rejected him again and again. Perhaps he had already found someone else?
At the factory where Pavel worked, Lera learned that he had quit.
“Did he find someone new?” she asked Vladik, Pavel’s best friend.
“How could he, if he loved only you? No. He just decided to go north to work on shifts. Said it would be easier to forget that way. But he keeps asking how you are, if anyone has seen you.”
Lera grabbed Vlad’s hands:
“Tell me where he went. I have to find him. I need to ask for forgiveness.”
Vlad gave her the address, and Lera immediately bought a ticket. Dressed warmly, she set off. At the airport, barely passing through the turnstiles, she threw herself into Pavel’s arms. He held her tightly, not hiding tears of joy. Much remained unsaid in that moment, but now they were simply together. Together. And promised each other that nothing would ever separate them again. They had made a mistake, believed in malicious intrigues, but found the strength to uncover the truth and come back. Pavel held no grudges. He loved her and was ready to start over. They would no longer allow anyone to interfere in their lives. Only trust, only dialogue — and eternal love that withstood the test.
