Vera? You’re early today…” Albert stopped short when he saw his wife in the doorway. She stood there like an unpleasant surprise he hadn’t expected at all.
“They let me off work; I finished everything. Did something happen? Are you going on another business trip?”
Albert glanced at the open suitcase. This was the last conversation he wanted right now. He’d hoped to leave earlier and leave a note—his only idea of how to handle the situation. Talking things out was always hard for him, especially when he had to tell the truth.
“No… It’s not a business trip. It’s forever,” he managed to say, feeling his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth.
Vera froze, trying to understand what he meant. The realization came slowly, slicing her heart like a sharp knife.
“They’re transferring you? Why didn’t you say anything? We could have decided together…”
“I’m not leaving for work. You’ve understood correctly, Vera. I’m leaving you.”
His voice sounded hollow, as though he himself didn’t believe what he was saying. To avoid a hysterical scene, he decided to say it plainly.
For a few seconds, Vera just stood still. Then she burst into loud laughter, which quickly turned into a hoarse sob as tears blurred her eyes.
“A note? You were really going to say goodbye with a note? How did I hurt you so much?”
“It’s not about you… Though, what am I saying? Of course it’s about you too. Vera, I know everything. I saw your test results. I don’t need a sick wife. And I’ve found someone else. We’ve been together for a while, and I love her, not you.”
Each word hit like a blow. Watching her husband, Vera thought he had never truly known how to love—neither her, nor himself, nor even the person he was now building a new life with. Love doesn’t vanish so fast without reason; that’s impossible.
“So you don’t love me anymore?”
“No, I don’t. I’m sorry. I couldn’t be a good husband. And I’m not ready to look after a sick woman, to change bedpans for someone who’s bedridden. That’s not for me. You know I’m an artistic soul; I need freedom, inspiration. And with you…that’s not the life I want. You won’t be able to give me a child, and I’ve always said I want kids—a real family. We’ll never have that, so just let me go without any big scenes or blaming each other. If you start arguing, I have plenty more to say.”
Vera only nodded. She didn’t want to continue this conversation. Every word scraped at her soul, but she realized it was better to let him leave now than keep wasting her time with someone who didn’t value her.
“Go. Be happy,” she whispered, feeling a tightness in her chest.
She had met Albert by chance in a park. From the first moment, he captured her attention—tall, slender, with a wandering artist’s gaze. They struck up a conversation about painting, history, and art. Late at night, they would stroll beneath the stars, discussing anything and everything. His constant cowardice, which showed itself in all aspects of life, hadn’t bothered her back then.
“He won’t be able to protect you if he ever needs to!” warned Marina, her best friend.
“If necessary, I’ll protect him. I love him,” Vera would reply, certain of her feelings.
Their three years of marriage were full of highs and lows. When Albert, who worked as a designer, fell into depression, Vera was there—helping him find a way out, supporting his ideas.
“You’re my muse!” he would often say, delighted by his career successes.
And now it turned out he’d found another muse? Just replaced her, like swapping an old paintbrush for a new one?
Vera had always tried to be the perfect wife. She suppressed her own desires if they clashed with his mood. Whenever they argued, she was the first to make peace, believing a man had the right to be weak. But now she asked herself: Should I have been different? Maybe if I’d thrown fits and demanded attention, he would have valued me more?
She went into the kitchen, unable to look at him any longer. Every word coming from the hallway sounded like a death sentence. Her body was shaking, yet no tears would fall. It was as if they were stuck inside, flooding her soul with pain. Her heart was clamped in a vise, but she knew this feeling would pass. Life would go on, and memories of their love would just be part of the past.
“Vera, I’m going. I’ll leave my keys on the dresser. Sorry it turned out this way. I hope you’ll sign the divorce papers? I don’t want to go to court. I won’t take the appliances I bought, either.”
“I’ll sign. Good luck,” she forced out, not turning around.
Albert’s footsteps faded down the hallway; then the lock clicked. Vera heard the front door close and felt a sudden wave of indifference. She imagined chasing after him, trying to explain how wrong he was, but instead she just sank onto a chair.
The faucet started dripping again. The old, cracked mixer was one of many minor things they never got around to fixing together. Now it was solely her problem. “I should call a plumber,” she thought, trying to focus on something practical. Household tasks helped distract her from the pain, even though a dull ache gnawed at her from inside.
Deciding she needed some relief, Vera packed a bag and went to stay with her mother in a neighboring town.
“Mom, I did the right thing by not telling him the truth, didn’t I?” she asked over tea that evening.
“Of course, my girl. If the man is such a coward and an egotist, let him go. A traitor doesn’t deserve your trust. It will hurt, a lot, but it’ll pass with time. Come here when you can’t bear it anymore. But don’t go back to him. If he’s not ready to be with you when times are hard, he’s not the one for you.”
Vera nodded, though her heart still bled. She knew her mother was right, but that didn’t dull the pain.
The test results that had so frightened Albert actually belonged to Vera’s friend Marina. She had asked Vera to help her arrange the tests through private insurance because she couldn’t wait in the regular queue. Vera agreed, using her work coverage. The results were alarming, but she’d immediately sent them to Marina and suggested further checkups. She’d been worried for her friend, but now it all seemed distant and empty.
“Well, here’s the thing—I wasn’t entirely honest with you,” Marina told her, speaking with a hint of sadness. “The free clinic gave me the same diagnosis. I just wanted to double-check. But it’s fine, my friend. Now I appreciate every moment even more and plan to live life to the fullest while I still can. Thank you for supporting me.”
Vera wanted to help Marina, to visit her and spend some time together. They hadn’t seen each other since Albert had left Vera. It felt wrong to bother her friend with her own troubles, but knowing Marina was back in the city, Vera bought her favorite pastries and paid her a visit. She intended to give her a pleasant surprise, never suspecting how things would turn out. Maybe if someone had warned her, she would have thought twice before going—though perhaps everything happened exactly as it was meant to.
“Albert?” Vera froze on the threshold, unable to believe her eyes.
“Vera… Didn’t you say you were coming?” Marina appeared in a silk robe. “We’re a bit busy right now… Albert’s painting me. You’re interrupting.”
“Painting?” Vera slowly looked toward the clothes-drying rack in the hall, where she recognized her husband’s things.
“So you two are together now?”
“Sorry, dear, but why should you be the only one who’s happy?” Marina smiled, though guilt flickered in her eyes.
“But you always said he was a coward, that it was impossible to be with a man like him…”
“I did. But back then, we weren’t close enough for me to see his true self. Now I’m perfectly satisfied.”
Vera nodded, trying to stay calm. She didn’t bother asking if Albert knew about Marina’s condition—the very illness that had once caused him to abandon his wife. It was up to both of them to deal with their consciences. They had been seeing each other behind her back, betraying her again and again.
Without another word, Vera turned and walked out. She had no intention of continuing her friendship with Marina or even thinking about their relationship anymore. Two weeks later, she officially got divorced. Though the freedom felt more burdensome than liberating at first, Vera had to learn how to live anew. It no longer mattered how long her husband and friend had hidden their affair. The past had lost all meaning. Vera focused on herself instead: she got the long-awaited promotion at work and started renovating her apartment, determined to begin again with a clean slate.
Meanwhile, Albert married Marina, seeing her as the muse who would help him succeed. She lived life to the fullest, never mentioning her illness to her new husband. Sometimes Vera wondered if she’d done the right thing by concealing the truth, but she always pushed the thought aside. It turned out Albert had paved the way for his own downfall.
Time went on, and Vera’s career soared. She became a department head, changing both inwardly and outwardly. Albert never tried to contact his ex-wife—maybe he had long since considered her part of his past. It didn’t matter anymore. Vera had let him go, realizing he was never going to be the one for her. Her heart opened up to someone new: Pavel, an old acquaintance, confided that he had harbored romantic feelings for her for a long time but had never dared to interfere with her marriage to Albert.
“I thought I’d get over it, find someone else, but no. My heart only beats for you,” he told her one day.
Those words touched Vera deeply. Albert had never spoken to her so tenderly. He was always stingy with compliments, even in their best moments.
Day by day, Vera trusted Pavel more, preparing for a serious relationship. She knew she couldn’t let past mistakes shape her future. She wanted a child, to hear that cherished “Mom.” To be happy with someone who genuinely cared about her. With Pavel, Vera felt calm and confident. Her love for him was different from what she’d had with Albert—instead of raging passion, it was a warm, comforting feeling that surrounded them both.
They got married. At first, they lived in Vera’s apartment while renovating Pavel’s house. When Vera found out she was pregnant, she was over the moon. Pavel, too, was overjoyed and constantly told her how lucky he was.
One weekend, while Pavel was out shopping, someone knocked on the door.
“Probably forgot his keys,” Vera muttered, rubbing her belly.
When she opened the door, she froze—Albert stood before her, exhausted and lost. He no longer resembled the confident man she’d once known.
“What do you want?” Vera asked coldly.
“You knew! Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice trembled with indignation. “Why didn’t you warn me that the life I ran away from was waiting for me with Marina? You knew everything!”
“I did know. But you made that choice yourself. And it turned out to be the right one for you.”
“She’s ruining me! She has me by the throat and won’t let go! I can’t live like this. You knew I needed freedom!”
“And you knew I needed love and loyalty, but that didn’t stop you from sneaking around with my friend. So what do you want from me now? Everyone chooses their own path, Albert. You made your bed—now lie in it.”
He bowed his head, realizing how deeply he’d hurt Vera. He’d hoped she might help him, but he knew that was impossible. After a few minutes of silence, Albert turned around and left. He would have to accept the consequences of his own choices. Marina held onto him tightly and wasn’t about to let go, threatening him in every way she could. Vera had been right—he had chosen his fate himself, and now he had to live with it.
