“Are you sure it wasn’t a mistake, Vera?” Anna whispered, nervously fiddling with the strap of her handbag. “Maybe you just imagined it?”
Vera shook her head, her eyes shining with excitement.
“No doubts at all, Anya. I saw it with my own eyes—your mother-in-law coming out of a jewelry boutique with a branded bag. And it was definitely not the kind of shop that sells cheap costume jewelry.”
Anna frowned, trying to make sense of what she had heard. Her mother-in-law, Elena Pavlovna, had always been a model of thrift and moderation. Where would she get money for expensive jewelry?
“But why would she lie?” Anna wondered aloud. “She could have simply said nothing about the purchase.”
“Exactly!” Vera exclaimed. “Something isn’t right here. Maybe she has a wealthy admirer?”
Anna flinched at the suggestion. The thought that respectable Elena Pavlovna could be cheating on her husband seemed absurd. But a small worm of doubt had already begun gnawing at her from within.
“No, that’s impossible,” Anna tried to object. “You know Elena Pavlovna. She adores Viktor Andreyevich.”
Vera shrugged.
“People change, darling. And often not for the better. You should take a closer look at your mother-in-law. Maybe you’ll notice something suspicious.”
Anna nodded, feeling anxiety rise inside her. She did not want to believe the worst, but her friend’s words had planted a seed of suspicion in her. Now she had to figure out what was really going on in her husband’s family. Now she had to figure out what was really going on in her husband’s family.
“Darling, have you seen my blue tie?” Maxim’s voice pulled Anna out of her thoughts.
She started and turned to her husband, who was standing in the bedroom doorway with a confused expression.
Family.
“Look in the bottom drawer of the dresser,” Anna replied, trying to sound as calm as possible.
While Maxim searched for the tie, Anna secretly studied him. Tall, handsome, with kind brown eyes—he was the spitting image of his father. Could Elena Pavlovna really have betrayed such a husband?
Precious stones and jewelry.
“Found it!” Maxim exclaimed happily. “Listen, you haven’t forgotten that we’re going to my parents’ anniversary celebration today, have you?”
Anna felt everything inside her turn cold. The anniversary! How could she have forgotten? It was the perfect chance to test Vera’s suspicions.
“Of course I haven’t forgotten,” she lied. “I’ve already prepared the gift.”
Maxim smiled and kissed his wife on the cheek.
“You’re the best. By the way, Mom asked you to wear the necklace she gave you for your last birthday. Remember?”
Anna nodded, feeling everything inside her tighten. That very necklace—the one Elena Pavlovna had called “inexpensive costume jewelry.” Now Anna had a chance to examine it more closely.
That evening, when they arrived at the parental home, Anna was on edge. She watched Elena Pavlovna carefully, trying to notice anything unusual.
Her mother-in-law, as always, was flawless: an elegant dress, a perfect hairstyle, restrained jewelry. Nothing about her suggested a woman hiding a secret.
“Anya, I’m so glad you wore the necklace!” Elena Pavlovna exclaimed, embracing her daughter-in-law. “It suits your eyes so beautifully.”
Anna felt her cheeks flush. She barely restrained herself from asking about the origin of the jewelry right then and there.
“Thank you, Elena Pavlovna,” she murmured. “It really is very beautiful.”
The evening dragged on painfully. Every now and then Anna caught herself studying the guests, trying to figure out whether that “wealthy admirer” might be among them. But all the men seemed like ordinary family friends. When the celebration finally came to an end, Anna was exhausted. She had not found anything suspicious, but the feeling of unease would not leave her.
“Is everything all right, sweetheart?” Maxim asked as they drove home. “You seemed tense all evening.”
Anna forced herself to smile.
“Everything’s fine. I’m just a little tired.”
She knew she would not be able to calm down until she discovered the truth about the necklace and about what was really happening with Elena Pavlovna.
“Anna Sergeyevna, you have a visitor,” the secretary’s voice over the intercom interrupted Anna’s train of thought.
“Who is it?” she asked distractedly, trying to focus on her work.
“Viktor Andreyevich.”
Anna started. Her father-in-law? Here? In her office? It was so unusual that for a moment she was at a loss.
“Please let him in,” she finally said.
Viktor Andreyevich entered the office, and Anna immediately noticed how thin and aged he had become recently. There was fatigue in his eyes, and a certain nervousness in his movements.
“Hello, Anya,” he said, sitting down in the chair opposite her. “Forgive me for coming so suddenly, but I need to talk to you.”
“Of course, Viktor Andreyevich. Has something happened?” Anna felt her heart begin to beat faster.
Her father-in-law was silent for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, then said quietly:
“I think something is happening with Lena. She has become… different. She often leaves the house and doesn’t say where she is going. And recently I found keys in her handbag to an apartment I know nothing about.”
Anna froze. Could Vera’s suspicions really have been true?
“Maybe they’re keys to a friend’s apartment?” she suggested, trying to find an innocent explanation.
Viktor Andreyevich shook his head.
“I checked. That apartment was bought a month ago in the name of some Sergey Vasilyev. I don’t know anyone by that name.”
Anna felt her throat go dry. She remembered the necklace, and her mother-in-law’s strange behavior at the anniversary celebration.
“Viktor Andreyevich, did you… did you give Elena Pavlovna any expensive jewelry recently?” she asked carefully.
Her father-in-law raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“No. Why?”
Anna realized she had said too much, but it was too late to retreat.
“It’s just… At the anniversary, Elena Pavlovna was wearing a very beautiful necklace. I thought maybe it was a gift from you.”
Viktor Andreyevich frowned.
“I don’t recall any new necklace. Are you sure?”
Anna nodded, feeling everything tighten inside her. She did not want to be the one to destroy Maxim’s family, but staying silent now seemed impossible.
“Viktor Andreyevich, I think we need to have a serious talk,” she said, taking a deep breath. “But not here. Let’s meet this evening at the café near your house. It will be calmer there.”
Her father-in-law agreed, and they arranged a time to meet. When he left, Anna leaned back in her chair, feeling utterly drained. She understood that today’s conversation could change the life of the entire family, and that frightened her.
“Where are you going?” Maxim’s voice caught Anna off guard just as she was already by the door.
“I…” Anna faltered, not knowing what to say. She did not want to lie to her husband, but she could not tell him the truth either. “I have a meeting with a client. An urgent one.”
Maxim frowned.
“At eight in the evening? Strange time for a business meeting.”
Anna felt her cheeks flush. She had never been good at lying.
“It’s an important client from abroad. It’s daytime there now,” she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
Maxim stepped closer, studying his wife’s face attentively.
“Anya, what’s going on? You’ve been acting strange lately. Maybe you’ll tell me?”
For a moment, Anna almost gave in to the temptation to tell him everything. But then she remembered Viktor Andreyevich, his tired eyes, and decided she had no right to interfere in the situation without his knowledge.
“Everything is fine, really,” she tried to smile. “It’s just a lot of work. I’ll try not to come back too late.”
Maxim nodded, but it was clear from his face that he did not believe her. Anna quickly kissed him on the cheek and slipped out the door, feeling like a traitor.
Viktor Andreyevich was already waiting for her at the café. He looked even more dejected than he had during the day.
“Tell me,” he said without preamble as soon as Anna sat down at the table.
She took a deep breath and began speaking. About the necklace that Elena Pavlovna had called cheap costume jewelry. About how her friend had seen her mother-in-law leaving an expensive jewelry store. About the strange behavior at the anniversary celebration. Viktor Andreyevich listened in silence; only the muscles in his jaw moved, betraying his inner tension.
“I didn’t want to interfere,” Anna finished. “But when you told me about the keys to an unknown apartment… I thought you should know.”
Her father-in-law remained silent for a long time, staring at one spot. Then he said quietly:
“Thank you, Anya. I… I have to figure this out.”
“What are you going to do?” Anna asked, feeling anxiety wash over her.
Viktor Andreyevich raised his tired eyes to her.
“I don’t know. But I can’t keep living like this. I have to know the truth, no matter what it costs.”
When they said goodbye at the café entrance, Anna suddenly noticed someone at a nearby table quickly turning away. She thought she recognized the person, but could not remember where she had seen them before.
Later, at home, lying in bed beside peacefully sleeping Maxim, Anna could not shake the feeling that today she had opened Pandora’s box, and now nothing would ever be the same again.
“Anya, have you seen my phone?” Maxim’s voice pulled Anna out of deep thought.
“What? Oh, no… I haven’t seen it,” she answered distractedly, still thinking about yesterday’s conversation with her father-in-law.
Maxim came up to his wife and looked carefully into her eyes.
“You’re not yourself today. Did something happen?”
Anna tried to smile.
“No, everything’s fine. I just didn’t sleep well.”
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Maxim went to answer it, while Anna remained in the kitchen, trying to collect her thoughts. Suddenly she heard her husband’s worried voice:
“Dad? What happened?”
Anna looked out into the hallway and saw Viktor Andreyevich. He looked even worse than the day before—pale, with red eyes, as if he had not slept all night.
“Son, we need to talk,” he said hoarsely. “And Anya should listen too.”
They went into the living room. Viktor Andreyevich sank heavily into an armchair and began speaking.
“I followed your mother all night. She really did go to that apartment I told you about. And she wasn’t there alone.”
Maxim turned pale.
“Dad, what are you talking about? Is Mom… cheating on you?”
Viktor Andreyevich shook his head.
“No, son. It’s much more complicated. I saw a young man come to see her. About twenty-five years old. And… he looks very much like you, Maxim.”
A heavy silence settled over the room. Anna felt dizzy from the news.
“What are you trying to say?” Maxim whispered.
Viktor Andreyevich took a deep breath.
“I think your mother has another son. A son we knew nothing about.”
Maxim jumped up from the sofa.
“That’s impossible! Mom would never…”
“Please sit down,” Viktor Andreyevich said quietly. “I haven’t told you everything yet. When they left the apartment, I overheard their conversation. That young man… he is ill. He needs serious treatment, and your mother is selling her jewelry to raise the money.”
Anna remembered the necklace and felt a lump rise in her throat. She looked at Maxim—he was sitting with his head lowered, his shoulders trembling.
“What are you going to do?” Anna asked her father-in-law.
Viktor Andreyevich raised his tired eyes to her.
“I don’t know. I love Lena, but this… this is too much. Why didn’t she tell me? Why did she hide it all this time?”
At that moment, the phone rang. Maxim mechanically picked it up and suddenly turned even paler.
“Mom is in the hospital. She had a heart attack.”
The hospital corridor greeted them with oppressive silence. Anna, Maxim, and Viktor Andreyevich sat on hard chairs, waiting for news from the doctors. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, and the tension between them could almost be felt physically.
Suddenly the department door swung open, and a young man rushed into the corridor. Anna immediately understood that this was the same man Viktor Andreyevich had spoken about. His resemblance to Maxim was striking.
“Where is she? How is she?” he blurted out, stopping in front of them.
Viktor Andreyevich slowly rose to his feet.
“And who are you?” he asked, though his eyes showed that he already knew the answer.
The young man froze, staring at Viktor Andreyevich with eyes widened in fear.
“I… my name is Alexei. I…”
“You’re Elena’s son, aren’t you?” Viktor Andreyevich said quietly.
Alexei nodded, lowering his head.
“Yes. Forgive me, I shouldn’t have come. But when I found out that Mom was unwell…”
Maxim jumped up from his chair.
“Mom? You call her Mom? And do you know she has a family? A husband? A son?”
“Maxim, calm down,” Anna tried to take her husband’s hand, but he pulled away.
“Calm down? How can I calm down when I find out my whole life has been a lie?”
Alexei raised his tear-filled eyes to Maxim.
“I didn’t want to destroy your family. I didn’t even know about you until recently. Mom… she always told me my father had died.”
“And who is your father?” Viktor Andreyevich asked.
“I don’t know,” Alexei shook his head. “Mom never told me about him.”
At that moment, a doctor came out of the ward. Everyone immediately turned toward him.
“Relatives of Elena Pavlovna?” he asked.
“Yes,” Viktor Andreyevich, Maxim, and Alexei answered in unison.
The doctor looked at them in surprise but continued:
“Her condition has stabilized. There is no threat to her life, but she needs rest. She is sleeping now, but she will wake up soon. One person may stay with her.”
Silence fell. Everyone looked at one another, not knowing what to do. Finally, Viktor Andreyevich said quietly:
“I’ll stay. I need to talk to her.”
No one objected. When Viktor Andreyevich disappeared behind the ward door, Alexei said uncertainly:
“I should probably go. I’m sorry I caused you so much pain.”
He turned to leave, but Anna suddenly called out to him.
“Wait! You’re sick, aren’t you? You need an operation?”
Alexei looked at her in surprise.
“Yes, but how did you…?”
Anna took a deep breath.
“I think we all need to talk. Is there a cafeteria here?”
In the hospital cafeteria, Anna, Maxim, and Alexei sat at a table, surrounded by tense silence. Suddenly the door opened, and Viktor Andreyevich came in.
“Elena woke up,” he said hoarsely. “She told me everything.”
Maxim jumped to his feet.
“And?”
Viktor Andreyevich sank heavily into a chair.
“Alexei is your half-brother, Maxim. His father is my older brother, Grigory.”
Everyone gasped. Alexei turned pale.
“But Mom said my father was dead…”
“Grigory went missing twenty-five years ago,” Viktor Andreyevich continued. “Elena was pregnant, but she didn’t tell anyone. She was afraid I wouldn’t accept my brother’s child.”
Maxim shook his head.
“Why didn’t she trust you?”
“I asked her the same question,” Viktor Andreyevich replied. “She said she wanted to protect our family. But now she understands that she made a mistake.”
Anna took Maxim’s hand.
“What now?”
Viktor Andreyevich took a deep breath.
“Now we will all help Alexei together. And we will try to become a real family.”
Alexei smiled uncertainly.
“You really want that? After everything that happened?”
Maxim stood and held out his hand to his brother.
“We are family. And family should stick together.”
When they entered Elena Pavlovna’s hospital room, she met them with tears in her eyes and a smile of relief. The secret had been revealed, and now they had to learn to live in a new way—accepting the past and opening their hearts to one another.
