“I’m so sick of seeing the same thing every day! I’ve had enough. Maybe you should go visit your friends or go somewhere—anywhere—so I can get a break from you.”
Marina wiped her tears away.
“What friends? Kolya, you were always upset when I talked to anyone. You were the one who wanted me to stay home, and now I’m on maternity leave. Where exactly am I supposed to go?”
“Anywhere! Pretty soon I won’t want to come home at all!”
Nikolai turned, slammed the door, and stormed out.
Marina sank into a chair.
And all of this had started because her husband had walked in while she was washing the hallway floor. In his mind, if she stayed home all day, then everything should be spotless by the time he got back. As if the baby never got fussy. As if Marina hadn’t spent nearly the entire night in the kitchen with their daughter because the little girl couldn’t sleep. She had stayed there on purpose so she wouldn’t disturb her husband.
Lately, Kolya had been raising his voice far too often. He had also started coming home late more and more. And Marina had begun to suspect that there might be someone else.
What else was she supposed to think?
She looked at herself in the mirror. She hadn’t been to the hair salon in ages. She hadn’t had a manicure in forever. Her hair was long, so she just twisted it up so it wouldn’t get in the way. And polished nails were useless with a baby anyway.
Marina sighed. She had never imagined things would turn out this way, that her husband would fail the test of her maternity leave so completely. He had grown bored. He never thought about her at all.
She peered into the crib. Sonya was sleeping sweetly.
Well then, now I can work.
Marina smiled.
She had found the side job by pure accident. She had stumbled across it online, written to them out of curiosity, and tried it just for fun. But now the company was sending her more and more documents to review. Sometimes it felt like she already knew everyone there and understood the business inside out.
The boss, the owner of the company, had called her several times. Their conversations were always productive and easy.
The work required patience and precision, but Marina loved that kind of thing—work where every little detail mattered.
And right now, several emails were already waiting for her.
“Marina Pavlovna, if possible, we need this contract reviewed as quickly as you can. The signing is in a week, and I need to know if there are any hidden pitfalls.”
She quickly replied that she would take it on. She could finish it in two or three days.
“I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you. My lawyers miss something every single time. It’s one thing when it’s something small, but sometimes it’s far from small.”
They paid her quite well. And she usually worked when Kolya wasn’t home—or when he was asleep.
Lately she didn’t even have to adapt to his schedule anymore, because her husband was barely ever home.
Marina had been putting the money aside without knowing exactly what for yet. But the savings were kept separately, and of course Nikolai had no idea they even existed.
This time, the contract turned out to be genuinely difficult. She found three major inconsistencies, and one of them looked like it had been planted on purpose.
After she sent her notes to the client, he asked if he could call her. Kolya wasn’t home, and her daughter was asleep, so Marina agreed.
“Hello, Marina Pavlovna.”
“Good afternoon, Dmitry Ivanovich.”
“You have no idea how much you’ve helped me! Honestly, I feel like firing all my lawyers and hiring only you. So tell me—when are you planning to come back from maternity leave? I can help with daycare, and we can work out a schedule too. I won’t make you sit in the office all the time, so most of the work can still be done from home.”
Marina was a little thrown off.
Her husband had also told her that it was time to stop sitting around at home, but the thought of going back to work still scared her a little. Before maternity leave, she had barely worked at all, and not even really in her own field.
“But Dmitry Ivanovich, I don’t have any real experience…”
“Well, as it turns out, that’s better than experience that’s gone stale. So tell me, how much time do you need to think it over?”
“A week.”
“Perfect. I’ll transfer the payment for this job right now.”
Marina hung up and squeezed her eyes shut.
So life was changing direction—and maybe not in the worst way.
Even now, she already knew she would say yes, because she was tired of being her husband’s servant.
She often thought about how so many women never really come back from maternity leave emotionally. Even when they return to work, they still feel guilty for every extra sound, every extra word in front of their husbands. The habit stays with them from the days when he was the provider for both her and the child.
For some reason, whenever a child does something wrong, people always blame the mother. Never the father, who is “tired from work,” who “wants to watch football,” who “just wants peace and quiet.”
Nikolai came back the next day.
Marina had imagined everything. She had cried so much. She had almost started calling hospitals and morgues because his phone had been turned off.
And then he came in as if nothing had happened, undressed, walked into the kitchen, and said:
“Are you going to feed me?”
Marina, who had prepared a whole speech full of accusations, jumped up instantly.
“Yes, of course. But what happened to your phone? I kept calling and calling…”
Nikolai grimaced.
“Phones die. Batteries run out, in case you didn’t know.”
Marina fell silent. Every word she had prepared disappeared somewhere inside her.
After he ate, he softened.
“Next week I’m going away for a couple of days. We’ve got a work retreat at a resort.”
“Oh. Is it just employees, or families too?”
“With families. No kids, obviously.”
Marina smiled.
“Oh, I haven’t been anywhere in so long!”
Nikolai raised an eyebrow.
“And what does that have to do with you?”
She stared at him in confusion.
“Well, you said families. Wives too, I thought…”
“No, that definitely doesn’t include you. Just look at yourself! You’re only fit for scaring crows in a field. Did you seriously think I’d take you with me? You think I want to embarrass myself? Have you completely lost your mind? You’ve gone stupid sitting at home all this time! No, I’d rather not go at all than go with you. And since I can’t skip it, I’ll manage just fine on my own.”
He walked out of the kitchen.
And Marina stayed where she was, feeling as if someone had dumped a bucket of filth over her.
That very night she told Dmitry Ivanovich that she was ready to work for his company.
He called her back the next morning.
“Marina Pavlovna, I’m so happy—you have no idea! Let’s do this: I’ll send you a phone number, you call them and sort out daycare for your daughter, and then in a week I’ll introduce you to the team.”
“That would be wonderful.”
Marina smiled. Dmitry Ivanovich sounded genuinely, almost boyishly excited.
She enrolled her daughter in daycare and arranged for a friend to watch Sonya on the day she needed to go for the introduction.
And oddly enough, it seemed every company had decided to celebrate on the same day.
Her husband left early that morning. He said he had to prepare something, maybe buy a few things, and then head there.
Marina sighed with relief. She wasn’t ready to explain to her husband where she was going—and why she would be leaving without the baby.
There was plenty of time. Her friend came herself and took Sonya. She was the little girl’s godmother, so they had a wonderful relationship.
And then Marina finally decided to do it.
She took out the money she had earned from her work, counted part of it, hesitated, added a little more—and left the house.
Four hours later, she came back, looked in the mirror, and didn’t recognize herself. She laughed and spun around the room.
She had not felt like this in such a long time.
A new hairstyle, a manicure, makeup. And she had bought a suit too—something halfway between business and casual. Exactly what she needed.
At two o’clock, a car pulled up outside the house. Marina got in.
“Wow, Marina Pavlovna, I didn’t expect you to look even better than in your photo! Usually photos flatter people. You’re very beautiful.”
Marina blushed.
Dmitry Ivanovich turned out to be younger than she had imagined. He was only about five years older than she was.
The drive was short. They talked the whole way, laughed, and he told her a little about the company. And that was when Marina felt a flicker of unease.
Everything sounded strangely familiar—too familiar, in fact, to the stories her husband had told her. He had started this job after Marina went on maternity leave, so she knew almost nothing about it, only little fragments he had shared when he happened to be in a good mood.
The car turned toward large, beautiful gates.
“Well, here we are. I think everyone’s already gathered.”
Marina suddenly felt shy, but then pulled herself together.
They walked onto the grounds. There were indeed a lot of people.
And then she saw Kolya.
Everyone was there in couples. Her husband was too. He had his arm around a young woman. The two of them were giggling, drinking champagne, and kissing now and then.
Marina froze.
Dmitry Ivanovich looked at her, then followed her gaze.
“You know Nikolai? He hasn’t been with us long. A very average man, really, but with endless ambition. By the way, he’s the only one here who didn’t come with his wife. He said she had problems socializing and that they were in the middle of a divorce.”
Marina gave a faint, bitter smile.
“Well then, ‘in the middle of a divorce’ is definitely true now. That’s my husband. He said someone like me didn’t belong at parties like this. That I’d scare everyone away like a crow in a field. You’re not afraid, are you?”
Dmitry Ivanovich gasped.
“You’re joking? Though… no, people don’t joke about things like that. Interesting…”
Nikolai hadn’t noticed anyone. He was far too absorbed in his companion.
“Marina, let’s get you a glass of champagne. Then we’ll move on to the formal part. I think you could use something to take the edge off.”
She nodded and took a glass.
“Sit here for now. I’ll come get you.”
She nodded again.
Dmitry Ivanovich stepped onto the makeshift stage.
“So, my friends, another year has come to an end! Congratulations to all of you—and to myself too, because we’ve done pretty well. And by the way, a huge part of that success belongs to our freelance legal consultant.”
Nikolai shouted:
“The way you’re saying that, it sounds like the rest of us did nothing at all!”
Nikolai was a lawyer too. That was how he and Marina had met—back when they were studying.
“Let me continue. As you all know, we’ve had an open vacancy for chief legal specialist for quite some time.”
Nikolai straightened up and edged closer, while Marina covered her face with her hands.
Now she remembered that her husband had once mentioned he was expecting a promotion, that they were going to appoint him any day now.
“And today, I’m pleased to introduce the new head lawyer of our company—Marina Pavlovna Levashova!”
She tried not to look at her husband. She walked past him as though he weren’t there.
His mouth fell open. The woman beside him had no idea what was happening and kept tugging at his sleeve.
“Kolya, you said you were going to be the boss! You said we’d go to the seaside afterward! Kolya!”
Marina stepped onto the stage. Meanwhile, Dmitry was explaining how much money and trouble she had saved the company from.
“Starting next week, Marina Pavlovna officially takes up her new position. But today—we celebrate!”
Dmitry Ivanovich offered her his hand and helped her down from the stage.
Nikolai was waiting for her below.
“What the hell are you doing here?! Why aren’t you at home?!”
“Kolya, lower your voice. And you didn’t buy me at a market, so stop acting like you can order me around with a snap of your fingers.”
“Marina, I’m not joking!”
“Neither am I. Don’t you think your little companion is missing you?”
Kolya turned around—he had completely forgotten about his mistress.
“It’s not what you think!”
Marina stepped closer and smiled coldly.
“Oh yes, I’ve heard your wife has some kind of mental problem, which is why you couldn’t bring her to the party.”
Kolya looked completely lost.
Where had his wife suddenly found this sharpness? And why had he never known she was consulting for anyone?
“That’s enough. We’ll talk at home. Let’s go!”
He grabbed her by the arm, but Dmitry Ivanovich stepped in.
“Nikolai, don’t rush. If I understood correctly from what you told everyone, aren’t you already in the middle of a divorce?”
Nikolai stepped back. He shot Marina an angry look, spun around, grabbed his mistress by the hand, and the two of them practically flew out through the gates.
Dmitry Ivanovich looked at Marina carefully.
“If you want to talk to your husband…”
“No, I don’t. I’ve already made up my mind.”
“Marina, if you need help finding a place to live, please tell me. We’ll figure something out.”
“I think I’ll manage. The apartment we live in belonged to my parents.”
Dmitry looked at her in confusion.
“That’s strange… your husband used to brag that he bought it before the wedding.”
Marina fit into the team immediately.
By the time she came into the office, Nikolai no longer worked there.
He came home only once—to talk to her. But in the end, he left carrying the things Marina had already packed for him.
And for Marina, a new and exciting life was truly beginning.
She loved everything about it: the team, the work itself, the company’s direction—and the fact that Dmitry Ivanovich had started courting her very politely and carefully.
“Life after divorce is only beginning,” Marina thought to herself.
And little Sonya supported her mother in every way. She liked daycare, she liked playing on the couch that had once always been occupied by her father, and she liked the new man in her mother’s life. He was cheerful and always brought her little gifts.
And of all, she loved their wedding day the most.
