— If you touch it again, I’ll break your fingers! Never, you hear me, never dare to touch my phone again! — Vadim angrily snatched the phone from his wife’s hands.
— Oh God, what does he have there anyway? — Katya’s heart pounded with fear. After six months of relationship, she saw her husband in rage for the first time.
— And I didn’t do anything wrong… Just wanted to look at the photos. — Ekaterina curled up in the corner of the couch.
— An affair… I will never believe it. We just got married. Everything is fine. — Katya shook her head and hugged her knees.
— Probably read too many men’s blogs about personal space. Just showed his teeth. — Katya stared at a decorative candle and started to look for reasonable justifications.
— Darling, here are some cherries. I picked the biggest ones for you. — Vadim, as if nothing had happened, smiled amiably and placed a tray of berries on the table.
— What are the plans for tomorrow? My friends invited us over. You always say that I don’t introduce you to anyone… It’s about time. — Vadim took Katya’s hand. — Shall we go?
— Yes, darling, with pleasure. — Katya smiled and decided to move past the unpleasant phone incident.
Before Vadim threatened to break Katya’s fingers if she touched his phone again, everything was like a fairy tale. And Ekaterina sincerely wished it would always remain that way. If only she knew what awaited her next.
The next day Vadim and Katya arrived at their friends’ house.
— I’m Ilya, and this is my wife Dasha… — Come in, dinner is almost ready. Glad to see you! — The friendly couple cheerfully opened the door.
Vadim handed over a bottle of wine and entered the cozy living room with Katya.
— Katya, what do you do? Vadim hardly told us anything… — Dasha asked casually.
— I work in cinema. I organize film shoots. — Ekaterina sipped some wine and took a piece of blue cheese for herself.
— Cinema… That’s so interesting… Not like your job in the salon… — Ilya playfully looked at his friend. — How many cars did you sell this month?
— Twelve. Heading for a solid bonus! — Vadim proudly responded and proposed a toast. — To the lovely ladies and my charming wife Ekaterina.
— When I first saw her in a cafe… She was the only one sitting with a book. A woman with a book these days… That’s a rare sight. I fell for her right away. — Vadim enthusiastically recounted the story of meeting Katya.
— And why didn’t you have a wedding? Why just get registered? What about the celebration? — After serving the guests some salad, Dasha looked at Vadim and then turned her gaze to Ekaterina.
— My mom is currently recovering from surgery, we’ll celebrate later. Right on our anniversary. We’ll invite you first. — Vadim took Katya’s hand and smiled.
— Your friends are so nice. — In the car, Katya affectionately looked at her husband. — Great evening.
— Really, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen this apartment somewhere before… — After a thought, Katya added and absentmindedly stared out the window.
— Déjà vu! — I sometimes have that feeling too. — Vadim smiled and asked the taxi driver to turn on the music.
A month passed. A fresh and warm May arrived. Katya and Vadim’s relationship was at its peak. After the harsh phone incident, Vadim behaved, in Katya’s view, perfectly. Their relationship bloomed along with the lilacs, cherries, and roses.
But unexpectedly, Katya discovered something that changed everything…
— Ekaterina, I found more apartments for the shoots. I have three locations that would work. Approve one of the properties. — A sweet assistant, Vika, entered Katya’s office.
— Yes, I’ll look soon, send it to my email. — Without taking her eyes off the computer, Katya responded.
— It’s already in your email. — Vika exited the office.
— No way? — Katya exclaimed. — This is the apartment where I was with Vadim when we visited his friends Ilya and Dasha.
— I knew I had seen it somewhere. So, it is in our film database. — The girl looked at the property in astonishment.
— Maybe they rent it out… Renting an apartment for shoots is always profitable… — Katya pondered. — Very curious… I’ll choose this apartment.
— Ekaterina, hello, come in… — Yelena Pavlovna amiably opened the door to the apartment Katya had visited before.
— Yelena Pavlovna, you won’t believe it, but a month ago I was here… Who are Ilya and Darya to you? — Katya excitedly asked, looking around the living room.
— I don’t know such people. Perhaps one of the tenants. This is one of my apartments that I rent out short-term… Would you like some tea? — The hostess politely offered.
— Yes, with pleasure… — Katya decided to stay longer.
— Yelena Pavlovna, I plan to approve your apartment for a month of shooting… But please help me understand… This is an important moment for me. — Sipping tea, Ekaterina cautiously started the conversation.
— A month ago I was here with my husband. People who were here introduced themselves as the owners… Their photos were in the living room… — Ekaterina described Darya and Ilya in detail.
— I wouldn’t want to rent an apartment only to have something unpleasant surface during the shoot…
— Ekaterina, here are the property documents, I’ve been the sole and legal owner for ten years. — Yelena Pavlovna took out documents from her bag.
— A month ago, you say… There were film shoots here all winter, you definitely couldn’t have gotten in… Everything was equipped… Then an elderly couple lived here for three weeks. They definitely don’t match your description… — Yelena Pavlovna shook her head.
— Wait… I remember. A man rented the apartment for a day here… Vadim, I think his name is. Tall, pleasant-looking. — Yelena Pavlovna detailed the man.
A piercing anxiety gripped Ekaterina’s chest. She had just heard a detailed description of her own husband…
Ekaterina lied to the landlady that she didn’t remember Vadim and skillfully changed the subject. Before leaving, she confirmed the rental of the apartment and booked it for the shoots. Confused, Katya walked out of the building.
— Why would my husband rent an apartment and pass it off as his friends’ apartment… — In bewildered feelings, Katya got into a taxi.
— And most importantly, friends… His friends said it was their apartment. Even put their photos up… — Katya nervously drummed on the armrest.
— What don’t I know about my husband? What else don’t I know? What do I know at all… — Katya twirled her phone in her hands, remembering how strictly her husband forbade her from touching his mobile.
— Darling, let’s meet up with Dasha and Ilya. We haven’t seen them for a long time… They are such a nice couple. — Katya suggested after dinner.
— Can’t do, Katya, they went to the sea until autumn… When they return, right away. — Without taking his eyes off the TV, the man calmly responded.
— Alright, kitty, I’m off to bed… Tired. — Puckering her lips, Ekaterina went to the bedroom.
Katya slept poorly all night. She couldn’t understand exactly what her husband was hiding… But her female intuition definitely told her that Vadim was hiding something. The next morning, Katya was in for a new shocking discovery.
On a clear Saturday morning, Vadim and Katya went to a shopping center to make purchases. Vadim wholeheartedly bought Katya two new bright dresses and beautiful pink shoes.
Arm in arm, the couple headed towards an iconic Moscow restaurant, which welcomed guests with its coziness on the top floor of the complex.
— Seryoga, is that you? — A loud interrogative shout came from behind.
Katya turned around, and Vadim unexpectedly quickened his pace.
— It’s definitely you! I recognized you right away. Only long hair and a different nose… — An unfamiliar man circled Vadim and looked him in the eyes intently. — But you died…
— Sir, you’ve mistaken me for someone else! — Without slowing down, Vadim dryly responded.
— Grey, what? It’s me, Misha. Misha Gorodetsky… Don’t you recognize me? — The unfamiliar man tensed. It was clear that he was trying to understand whether Vadim recognized him or not.
— Sir, I tell you again, I see you for the first time… I’m not Sergey. You’ve mistaken me for someone else… Go your way. — Vadim sharply pulled Katya forward and rushed to the restaurant entrance.
— I was at your funeral! You didn’t die… You’re not dead! Alive… Seryoga… More alive than anyone… What a situation! — The man shouted and froze in the distance.
— Darling, what was that just now? — Katya inquisitively looked at her husband.
— No idea, Katya. They mistook me for someone else. It happens… — Vadim calmly looked at the menu and placed an order.
— I don’t believe it… Everything is fine in our relationship, but I don’t believe you! — At that moment, Katya felt a strong sense of anxiety.
— I definitely need to look at what’s in his phone… I feel that’s where I’ll find the answers. — At that moment, all dishes became tasteless for Katya. More than anything, she wanted to know the truth.
In the evening, Katya offered Vadim some wine. She only pretended to drink and didn’t have more than a glass… When Vadim fell deeply asleep after nearly a whole bottle, Katya carefully placed the phone on her husband’s finger and unlocked the screen.
Ekaterina quietly sneaked into the bathroom. What Katya saw on her husband’s phone shocked her.
First, Katya opened her husband’s chats in one of the messengers. Almost all the conversations were work-related, except for one.
In one chat, Katya learned that her husband had hired Ilya and Darya, or rather, Gleb and Ksenia, to play his friends. They were actors whom Vadim had paid twenty thousand each to play their roles.
The chat discussed topics for conversation and questions in detail. A whole scenario was laid out. From excitement, Katya sat down in a cold empty bathtub and covered her mouth with her hand. But the most interesting part started when the woman opened the photo album.
Flipping through photos from several years back, Katya was horrified. In them was a completely different person… The same Sergey whom the stranger in the shopping center had called out.
The man had short hair and a different nose… There were few photos, but Katya saw enough.
— God, so Vadim lied to me everywhere. He’s not from the city he told me. And the cake had «Sergey» written on it… So, he is indeed Sergey… Or was Sergey… And his passport name is Vadim… — Ekaterina didn’t know what to think.
That fresh May night, sitting in the bathtub, Katya knew for sure that Vadim was not who he pretended to be. The woman remembered the threats not to touch her husband’s phone and became even more frightened.
The next day, Katya decided to have a serious talk with her husband and suggested meeting after work in a crowded cafe. Just in case, Katya took all her money and documents with her.
— You never know what will happen next… If he threatens me, I won’t go back to him… — Approaching the cafe, Katya clenched her bag tightly.
Nothing foretold trouble… Katya drank juice and read a book.
— Quiet. Don’t attract attention. — Vadim heavily landed next to Katya and grabbed his side.
— Give me your thumb. — Vadim abruptly grabbed Katya’s thumb and pressed it to his phone.
— Now this phone is yours. Guard it as the apple of your eye… — Vadim placed his phone in Katya’s hands. The man blinked twice and nervously licked his dry lips.
— Vadim, what do you mean… What’s happening? — Katya looked at her husband in fear, forgetting her plan to confront him with a dozen awkward questions.
— No time to explain, — Vadim blurted out. — That man yesterday… In the shopping center… He recognized me. And yesterday on social media, he wrote that I’m alive… — Vadim called the waiter and asked for a glass of water.
— What do you mean by «you’re alive»? Were you not alive? — Katya didn’t understand anything.
— Yes, Mikhail was right. Actually, my name is Sergey, and a year ago I staged my own death. More precisely, they helped me. — The man eagerly drank water.
— What do you mean your name is Sergey? And you staged your own death? — Katya struggled to find words.
— I worked undercover in a large criminal organization… There’s so much evil there… You can’t even imagine… A huge syndicate of darkness… Like in your TV shows. — Vadim looked around sharply.
— They discovered me, and I had to change my appearance, passport… I got into a witness protection program. Moved to Moscow. Until yesterday, the gangsters thought I was dead… My death and funeral were very convincing. Except for my parents… No one knew I was alive.
— Now the phone… Before they discovered me, I stole a billion rubles from them. In cryptocurrency, money in a special account… Right here… You have access… — Vadim showed a special app on the phone.
— We were supposed to fly away with you in a month to the other side of the world and live there long and happy… But, it looks like you’ll have to fly right now and without me… — Vadim smiled.
— Vadik, I’m pregnant… I won’t fly anywhere without you… — Tears welled up in Katya’s eyes.
— What? — Vadim turned pale.
— I just found out this morning. — Katya grabbed her husband’s hand with both hands. — We’re going to have a baby.
— You will have… — Vadim whispered weakly and released his side.
— Vadik, you’re bleeding… — Katya looked in horror at the blood-stained shirt. Are you wounded? Why didn’t you say anything…
— These people have connections everywhere… They caught me this morning when I was approaching work. I managed to escape, but they wounded me… I can’t go to the hospital… It’s the end for me. But you live. You and the child live. For me.
— This money… It shouldn’t fall into the hands of such evil people. — Vadim clenched his teeth in pain and lost consciousness.
— You’re not going to die in my arms, don’t even think about it! — Katya opened her bag, found a tampon, and stuffed it into the bullet hole.
Then the girl called her father. For the first time in five years.
— Dad, it’s a long story. But right now, you need to save my life and my husband’s. And also your future grandchild’s.
— So what if you’re retired, in your profession there are no former ones!
— Yes, I remember we argued because I chose cinema, not to follow in your footsteps… But now that’s the least of what I want to argue about again.
— Let’s talk to each other again for one day, and then you can continue not talking to me…
— No, I’m okay for now… But there’s some kind of high-level bandit syndicate… They found my husband in a day, who was in a witness protection program. They wounded him, but he miraculously escaped.
— What? Immediately throw away phones and come to the place where I loved to play with you the most as a child?
— Dad, I can’t throw away his phone, there’s a secret offer and a lot of money there…
— Understood… Throw my phone to hell, break the husband’s phone case, remove the battery and SIM card.
— Yes, I closed the wound as you taught, but he’s very bad…
— Understood, I’ll catch a car. The old-fashioned way. Stretching out a hand. And not under the cameras…
— We’re moving out…
Olga and Nikolai sat on the seashore, admiring the beautiful, quiet landscape.
— Mom, Dad, look at the big fortress I built… — The ringing voice of the child broke the quiet seaside idyll.
— The fortress of all fortresses. And the biggest fortress… That’s our family. — Nikolai cheerfully hugged the boy.
— Darling, here’s a strawberry. — Olga handed the child a large red berry.
— And even if the whole world is against us, I will never stop adoring you! — Nikolai tenderly looked at his wife.
— And I you! The hero of my best novel. — Olga kissed her husband tightly.
— But for that time you wanted to break my fingers if I touched your phone… I will never forgive you. — Olga playfully poked Nikolai in the side, knocked him onto the hot sand, and gently pressed herself against his heart.
— It’s beating…
— Thanks to you…
The sun broke free from the cloud trap and brightly illuminated the faces of two new people and one very cute boy. The sun, which shines equally on both the good and the bad…
