“Divorce,” I said thoughtfully, looking out the window.
“What?!” came a sharp voice behind me.
I slowly turned around and smiled at my stunned husband.
“I want a divorce, Maksim.”
He shifted his gaze to his mother. Tatyana Stepanovna, who had been eavesdropping by the door, immediately clutched her chest and dramatically collapsed onto the floor.
An old trick. I used to rush to help her before, but now I just shrugged and walked past, heading to my laptop.
Why hadn’t this simple thought come to me earlier? Probably because I had been like that frog in a pot, not noticing how the water was gradually boiling.
But now the boiling was over.
Maksim and his mother had long felt like they owned this place. Once, they seemed like kind and nice people. Or maybe they were just very good at pretending.
Maksim courted me beautifully: flowers, compliments, promises of happiness. But he wasn’t moving mountains for me. Maybe that was how it was planned from the start.
“What have you done to my mother, you idiot?!” Maksim growled, seeing that I didn’t react to his mother’s ‘fainting.’
“Her theatrical skills no longer interest me,” I replied, stepping over the body lying in the hallway and sitting down at the table.
A quick internet search confirmed: getting a divorce without children is easier than easy. Thank God, we had no kids.
“Pack your things, darling,” I smiled at my reflection on the monitor. “And don’t forget your mother.”
He realized the joke was over. Their own apartment was rented out, but I never saw any money from the rent. All expenses — food, utilities, household chores — fell on me.
They had made themselves quite comfortable.
Whenever I even hinted at needing help, the drama began: Tatyana Stepanovna clutching her chest, Maksim accusing me of greed.
But I was tired of this circus now.
“Are you even listening to me?!” Maksim hissed, looming over me.
He was a big, well-built man — he always found money for the gym. I knew he could crush me with one hand without even noticing.
“If you mention divorce one more time, those will be your last words, got it, idiot?”
“What, darling, afraid to lose me? Or can’t sleep thinking I might be with someone else?”
His eyes flared. He grabbed my shoulder, squeezing so hard that my bones cracked.
“If you even think about cheating, I’ll turn you into mince, understand?”
I smirked.
“Take your hand off, crazy. Your mother seems to be dying — aren’t you going to check on her?”
He snorted, pushed me away, and went to the “injured” woman. I closed my laptop and went to take a shower.
That night, sleep wouldn’t come. Maksim snored nearby, turned toward the wall; Tatyana Stepanovna was dozing in her room. I stared out the window at a strange flicker in the sky until I decided to figure out what it was.
It turned out Maksim’s phone was lying on the windowsill, and the screen kept lighting up with new messages.
“Where are you, kitten?”
“Thanks for the bouquet, it’s beautiful!”
“Have you told your dumb wife about us yet? When will she clear out the apartment?”
“Took two tests! You’re going to be a dad soon!”
I put the phone back and went to the kitchen.
That’s the story. Neither for yourself nor for others. A real dog in the manger.
Maksim and his mother had come from the provinces several years ago. Tatyana Stepanovna quickly found herself an elderly admirer, who “accidentally” died soon after, leaving her an apartment — the very one they now rented out.
I suddenly realized a terrible thing: maybe Maksim married me only because of the apartment. Otherwise, why all this? And I, the fool, believed his fairy tales.
Divorce was necessary. But how to kick them out without ending up in the hospital? This time the consequences could be much worse.
In the morning, barely opening my eyes, I went to make breakfast out of habit.
While the “family” was still asleep, I enjoyed the silence and my coffee. A message popped up on my phone from my friend Katya.
We worked together and shared our troubles. She had recently divorced — her husband left her for a young secretary and kicked Katya out on the street.
“I scored tickets to a charity evening! Let’s go!” she wrote.
Wow.
Katya had been hunting for those tickets for six months. It was the biggest construction holding’s event; their parties gathered the entire city elite.
Of course, I agreed. Some kind of breath of fresh air.
Before Maksim and his mother got out of bed, I quickly filled out a divorce application on the court’s website.
“Your application has been accepted for review,” appeared on the screen.
I smiled. After the divorce, I could go to the police — Maksim’s threats gave me the right to protection.
But as long as we were husband and wife, no one would help me kick him out.
“Awake?” Maksim’s voice sounded.
He noticed how I quickly closed the laptop and immediately opened it again.
“Your application has been accepted. Awaiting review.”
“What’s this?” His face twisted.
“I was going to ask you the same thing. Congratulations, you’re going to be a father soon.”
He froze.
“Have you been looking through my phone?”
“You cheated on me,” I answered calmly. “I want a divorce.”
“Is that all you want?”
His hand squeezed my neck. I pressed myself against the wall, looking him in the eye.
“Everything will be the way I say, understand? Behave yourself, or you know what will happen…”
I didn’t look away. His fingers squeezed my neck, but not enough to stop me from breathing. It was a show of strength, nothing more.
“Do you really think I’ll stay with you after this?” I whispered.
His eyes narrowed.
“You won’t go anywhere.”
“We’ll see.”
He suddenly let me go, snorted, and went to the fridge. I knew he’d pretend nothing happened. Always did.
But this time would be different.
The charity evening was held in one of the most luxurious hotels in the city. The hall sparkled with crystal chandeliers; guests in expensive outfits laughed, sipping champagne.
“So, impressive?” Katya nudged me with her elbow.
“Yes… I feel like Cinderella, forgotten to be unmasked.”
We laughed, but my laughter was nervous. I kept looking around, as if expecting Maksim to appear out of nowhere.
“Hey, you seem absent,” Katya frowned. “More trouble with him?”
I nodded.
“I filed for divorce.”
Her eyes widened.
“Seriously? Finally!”
“Yes, but…” I lowered my voice. “He’s not the kind to just leave.”
Katya squeezed my hand.
“You’ll manage. If anything — I’ll help.”
I smiled, but inside I was shrinking with fear.
Suddenly, silence fell over the hall. A tall man in a perfectly fitting suit took the stage.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.”
His voice was calm but so confident that even whispers in the hall died down.
“This is Arseniy,” Katya whispered. “Head of the holding.”
I looked at him, mesmerized. There was no arrogance in his gaze, only cold calculation.
“Tonight we gather not only to do good, but to announce a new project…”
He spoke about building a residential complex, but I barely listened. Suddenly his gaze slid across the hall and paused on me for a second.
Was it just my imagination, or did he really look straight at me?
After the official part, a buffet began. Katya and I wandered among the guests, sipping cocktails.
“Did you see how he looked at you?” Katya giggled.
“Don’t make things up.”
“Oh, come on! You’re beautiful, why not?”
I shook my head. The last thing I needed now was fantasies about a rich patron.
But fate seemed to decide otherwise.
When I turned to get another glass, I almost bumped into him.
Arseniy stood two steps from me.
“Excuse me,” he smiled slightly.
“That was me not watching where I was going,” I muttered.
His gaze swept my face, and suddenly his eyebrows rose slightly.
“Are you… okay?”
I frowned.
“What do you mean?”
He barely nodded toward my hand. I looked down and realized I was subconsciously covering my wrist, which had a fresh bruise.
From Maksim’s fingers.
I quickly lowered my hand.
“Everything’s fine.”
He didn’t look convinced but didn’t insist.
“Have a good evening.”
And he left.
Katya immediately grabbed my hand.
“You just talked to Arseniy Nort!”
“Yes, and he clearly noticed the bruise,” I clenched my teeth.
“Well, maybe it’s for the best? Maybe he’ll save you, like in the movies!”
“That doesn’t happen in real life,” I sighed.
But at that moment, I didn’t yet know how wrong I was.
When we returned home, the apartment was dark. Maksim and Tatyana Stepanovna were apparently already asleep.
I quietly went to my room but hadn’t closed the door when a voice came from the darkness:
“Where have you been?”
I jumped. Maksim sat in an armchair, smoking in the dark.
“At a friend’s.”
“At a friend’s,” he smirked. “Who’s your new friend? A rich admirer?”
“You’re paranoid.”
He abruptly stood and approached me.
“You think I don’t know where you’ve been?”
I froze.
“What?”
“You were at that… charity evening.”
How did he find out?!
“I…”
“A friend of mine called me. Saw you there.”
I felt a chill run down my spine.
“So what? I have the right to leave the house.”
“You don’t,” he grabbed my chin. “You’re my wife. And if I find out you were flirting with someone there…”
I suddenly broke free.
“You’re not my boss.”
His eyes flared.
“You’re wrong.”
He raised his hand, and I closed my eyes, expecting a hit.
But his phone suddenly rang.
Maksim snorted, lowered his hand, and took out the phone.
“Yes?!” he barked into the receiver.
His face suddenly changed.
“What?.. How?..”
He went pale.
“Okay… I understand.”
He lowered the phone and stared at me.
“Who was that?” I asked.
He slowly smiled.
“Looks like you have friends in very high places.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That was my boss. Just got a call… from the construction holding.”
I froze.
“And?”
“And now I have big problems.”
His smile grew even wider, but fury showed in his eyes.
“Congratulations. Looks like you just destroyed my career.”
I didn’t understand what was happening.
But one thing was clear — the game was just beginning.
And this time, I had a chance.
The silence in the room grew thick as smoke. Maksim slowly rolled his phone in his hands, his fingers squeezing it so hard his knuckles whitened.
“Who is he to you?” he hissed.
“I don’t even know who you’re talking about.”
“Lies!” He threw the phone on the bed. “Are you sleeping with Nort? Is he the one who complained to my boss?”
I suddenly laughed — nervously, almost hysterically.
“Have you heard yourself? Arseniy Nort, one of the most influential people in the city, suddenly decided to ruin the career of some construction company manager? Because I complained to him?”
His face twisted. He stepped forward but immediately froze — there was noise in the hallway.
Tatyana Stepanovna, in a disheveled robe and curlers, burst into the room.
“What’s all the yelling? Maksim, what’s wrong?”
“Everything’s fine, mom,” he forced a smile. “Go to bed.”
But she was already staring at me.
“It’s her again, driving you crazy?”
“Mom…”
“Enough!,” I snapped. “You’re both parasites. You moved into my apartment, spend my money, and now accuse me of your work problems?”
Tatyana Stepanovna gasped and clutched her chest.
“Maksim, do you hear how she talks to me?!”
But Maksim didn’t move. His gaze was fixed on the phone, which suddenly rang again.
An unknown number.
He slowly brought the phone to his ear.
“Yes?..”
His eyes widened.
“Now?.. Understood.”
He lowered the phone and looked at me with something like… fear?
“That was my boss. They’re calling me into the office. Now. At two in the morning.”
“Why?”
“Because,” he swallowed hard, “Nortlex Gold just tore up the contract with our company. And my boss wants to know why his employee is on Arseniy Nort’s personal blacklist.”
I was alone in the apartment. Tatyana Stepanovna, muttering something about “ungrateful,” locked herself away.
I sat in the kitchen, clutching a cup of cold tea, trying to understand what was going on.
How did Arseniy Nort find out about Maksim?
Why did he intervene?
And most importantly — what would happen next?
The phone in my pocket vibrated. Unknown number.
“Tomorrow at 10 am. Lori Café. Come. A.N.”
I dropped the cup. It shattered into pieces.
Lori Café turned out to be a tiny but cozy place in the center. Expensive wooden panels, the smell of fresh pastries, and… a complete absence of other visitors.
He sat by the window, in a dark gray suit, flipping through documents.
“Sit down,” he said without looking up.
I sat.
“Do you want explanations?” I asked.
“No,” he finally looked at me. “I want to offer you a deal.”
“What kind?”
“You file for divorce. I provide your security.”
“Why?” I clenched my fists. “Why did you even get involved?”
He leaned back in his chair.
“Because your husband is a thief.”
“What?”
“He managed supplies for our project. Systematically inflated estimates, pocketing the difference. We knew. We were waiting for him to get caught on something big.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You’re his weak spot.”
I laughed.
“You’re wrong. I mean nothing to him.”
“But he’s afraid of losing you,” his eyes narrowed. “Otherwise, why keep you in such… a situation?”
I fell silent.
“Here’s my offer,” he put an envelope on the table. “You file a police report about beatings and threats. We provide protection. After the divorce, you get this apartment and… a fresh start.”
“And what’s in it for you?”
“Your husband goes to jail. His boss too. And I get a clean reputation and 50 million they stole.”
I slowly reached for the envelope.
“And if he…”
“He won’t harm you,” Nort’s voice became steel-hard. “Because if he even looks at you sideways — his career, his freedom, and everything he has will disappear.”
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a key card for a room at the Grand Hotel and a business card for a lawyer.
“I… will think about it.”
He nodded.
“You have exactly twenty-four hours.”
When I returned home, the apartment was empty.
A note lay on the table.
“We left. Don’t look for us. M.”
I sank to the floor and laughed.
Tears ran down my cheeks through the laughter.
But for the first time in three years, I felt — freedom and peace in my soul!
