“I’m pregnant by your husband! Vacate the apartment!” the sister announced.
Raindrops tapped against the window, beating out some strange rhythm in her heart. The water streaming down the glass looked like the tears Diana had shed when they called to tell her that her husband had been taken to intensive care. Gripping the edge of the windowsill with her long, perfectly straight fingers, the woman stared outside and clenched her teeth so she would not break down into hysterics again. She kept trying to tell herself that everything would be all right, but fear was stronger. The doctors gave no guarantees. Roman was in a coma, and no one knew whether he would regain consciousness.
The world beyond the window seemed bleak, stripped of life, even though people bustled about, hurrying to get home. Their silhouettes flickered before her eyes, blending into one gray blur. An unwelcome tear still slipped down her cheek, but Diana quickly brushed it away. There was no one nearby to support her. It felt as though everyone had turned away from her in a single instant. Then again, she did not need support. Her suffering was nothing. Roman was the one who needed help. If Diana could have done anything, she would not have hesitated; she would have given all the money in the world. Even her life. She loved her husband too deeply and was terrified of losing him. Three years of marriage, filled with happiness and so many beautiful moments, could not simply end.
“If You exist, save him. I beg You,” Diana whispered, looking at the full moon reigning majestically over the heavens.
Someone knocked on the apartment door. She did not want to pay attention. It was probably the neighbor needing something. Or maybe someone had come to push another trendy vacuum cleaner. But the visitor was persistent and clearly had no intention of leaving. She had to force herself away from the window and check who had come. Complete indifference to everything around her had become a constant companion. Depression had crept up unnoticed, and only one longed-for piece of news could pull her out of this swamp.
In the stairwell stood Alexandra, Diana’s half-sister. The girl was smiling, clutching the handle of a suitcase. She lifted her chin, looking at her sister as if expecting a warm welcome. Or perhaps she was simply enjoying Diana’s painful appearance. Lately Diana had changed greatly and was no longer the radiant beauty she once was.
“Why are you here? And with luggage?”
“Where else would I be? I came here because I have every right to,” Alexandra said as she stepped into the apartment, looked around, and set her suitcase beside the ottoman. Taking off her wet raincoat, she hung it up and sighed. “The weather is awful. I froze on the way here. You could at least put the kettle on.”
“And still… I didn’t invite you.”
Alexandra was the daughter of Polina Renatovna, Father’s new wife. Like in fairy tales about wicked stepmothers, Polina Renatovna had never cared much for Diana. Alexandra behaved arrogantly too, while Diana… she had never begged for affection or demanded love. She accepted everything as it was and never expected that one day she would gain a mother and a sister.
“I don’t need an invitation. You see… I’m pregnant by your husband. Vacate the apartment, because my child and I have far more right to it than you do.”
“What are you saying? How dare you even say such a thing? Do you feel untouchable because Roman can’t answer you right now?”
Diana felt a deep sting of hurt. Had people truly lost all sense of what was sacred? Could anyone really insult a person standing on the edge like this? Her husband would never have cheated on her. Of that Diana was certain. She had not the slightest doubt in her spouse.
“Pff… I didn’t expect you to believe me right away. You were always blind and never noticed the obvious. He and I were seeing each other behind your back for six months, and you, naïve as ever, had no idea. He was going to divorce you. Even his mother knows about it. She supports me and is happy that Roma and I are having a baby. And you’re an empty shell. You couldn’t even give him a child in three years.”
Diana and Roman had never planned on children yet. They wanted to enjoy their life together first and only then start a family. Children were a huge responsibility, Roman had always said so. And now her sister was calling her an empty shell? Diana wanted to slap the insolent girl, but she held herself back. She was not going to sink to Alexandra’s level.
“Does Lyudmila Borisovna really know about your affair? Then why didn’t she tell me anything?”
Alexandra only snorted. She took her phone out of her handbag and dialed someone.
“Mom, Diana doesn’t believe me. Tell her she has no place in the home of my future husband. Roman can’t throw her out himself right now, but you know what he promised me. Where am I supposed to go in my condition, Mom?”
Alexandra smiled smugly and handed the phone to her sister. Diana heard her mother-in-law’s icy voice. The woman demanded that her daughter-in-law vacate the apartment and stop being stubborn.
“When my son regains consciousness and recovers, he won’t need his nerves frayed. Rehabilitation is a long enough process as it is. Leave him in peace and get out of his apartment. Sasha is expecting his child. She will be his lawful wife.”
Roman had not even regained consciousness yet… no one knew when that would happen or whether it would happen at all, and yet his mother was behaving monstrously.
“I heard you, but surely you understand that this apartment is marital property?”
It was hard to speak, but Diana was not going to give up that easily. She had already yielded too much to Alexandra in the past. Even if her sister really had some kind of relationship with Roman, Diana could only believe it if her husband confirmed it himself.
“You’re not going to stoop that low, are you? My son put the money into buying that apartment! You contributed next to nothing. If you really love him, then leave and leave him alone. When Roma wakes up, I’ll explain everything to him myself.”
Diana ended the call and handed the phone back to her sister. There was no point in continuing such a conversation—it would only shred her nerves further, and they were already hanging by a thread.
“Leave. Until Roman regains consciousness and divorces me, I’m not vacating the apartment. You’re used to always being served everything on a silver platter, but this time will be different. I am not going to believe empty words.”
“How dare you? That’s your husband’s child! Do you want me to get a DNA test and shove it in your face?”
Truthfully, Diana wanted nothing. Only to be left alone. In recent days she had done nothing but pray to heaven. She was barely eating or sleeping. She kept waiting for the phone to ring and for someone to tell her that her husband had finally come to. But the call never came, and now this. Maybe another woman would have believed it and left, but Diana… she could not. She was not going to make a scandal if Roman confirmed everything, but neither could she abandon him based only on the words of a sister who had always known how to embellish things. Her mother-in-law might not know the whole truth. She might be conspiring with Alexandra because she had never liked Diana and wanted to get rid of an unwanted daughter-in-law. Who even knew what the truth really was?
“You’re going to regret this bitterly! Even if Roma never wakes up, I’ll still get a DNA test and throw you out of the apartment, because it belongs to my child, not to you…”
Continuation just below in the first comment.Raindrops tapped against the windowpane, beating out some strange rhythm in her heart. The water streaming down the glass looked like the tears Diana had shed when they called to tell her that her husband had been taken to intensive care. Gripping the edges of the windowsill with her long, perfectly straight fingers, she stared out the window and clenched her teeth so she would not collapse into hysterics again. She kept trying to tell herself that everything would be all right, but fear was stronger. The doctors made no guarantees. Roman was in a coma, and no one knew whether he would ever wake up.
The world outside the window seemed bleak and lifeless, even though people hurried along, rushing to get home. Their silhouettes flickered before her eyes, blending into one gray blur. An unwelcome tear still slipped down her cheek, but Diana quickly brushed it away. There was no one beside her to offer support. It felt as if everyone had turned away from her in an instant. And yet, she did not need support. Her own suffering meant nothing. Roman was the one who needed help. If Diana could have done anything, she would not have hesitated. She would have given all the money in the world. Even her own life. She loved her husband too much and was terrified of losing him. Three years of marriage, filled with happiness and countless precious moments, could not simply come to an end.
“If You exist, save him. I beg You,” Diana whispered, looking at the full moon, which reigned majestically on its heavenly throne.
Someone knocked on the apartment door. She did not want to pay attention. It was probably the neighbor needing something. Or maybe someone had come to push yet another trendy vacuum cleaner. But the visitor was persistent and clearly had no intention of leaving. She had to force herself away from the window and go see who had come. Complete indifference to everything around her had become her constant companion. Depression had crept up unnoticed, and only one longed-for piece of news could pull her out of this mire.
In the stairwell stood Alexandra, Diana’s half-sister. The girl was smiling, clutching the handle of a suitcase. She tilted up her chin as she looked at Diana, as if expecting a warm welcome. Or was she simply enjoying her sister’s miserable appearance? Lately, Diana had deteriorated badly and was no longer the radiant beauty she used to be.
“Why are you here? And with luggage…”
“Where else would I be? I came here because I have every right to,” Alexandra said as she walked into the apartment, looked around, and placed her suitcase by the ottoman. Taking off her wet raincoat, she hung it up and sighed. “The weather is awful. I froze getting here. Why don’t you put the kettle on?”
“And still… I didn’t invite you.”
Alexandra was the daughter of Polina Renatovna, Diana’s father’s new wife. Just like the wicked stepmothers in fairy tales, Polina Renatovna had never cared much for Diana. Alexandra behaved arrogantly too, and Diana… she never forced herself on them or demanded love. She accepted everything as it was and never expected that one day she would gain a mother and sister.
“I don’t need an invitation. You see… I’m pregnant by your husband. Vacate the apartment, because my child and I have far more right to it than you do.”
“What are you saying? How dare you even say something like that? Do you feel untouchable because Roman can’t answer you right now?”
Diana felt a sharp sting of hurt. Had people truly lost all sense of what was sacred? How could anyone insult a man who was hanging by a thread? Her husband would never have cheated on her. Diana was certain of that. She had not the slightest doubt about her spouse.
“Pfft… I didn’t expect you to believe me right away. You’ve always been blind and unable to see the obvious. He and I were seeing each other behind your back for six months, and you were so naive. He was going to divorce you. His mother knows about it too. She supports me and is happy that Roma and I are having a child. And you’re an empty shell. In three years, you couldn’t even give him a baby.”
Diana and Roman had not planned on having children yet. They had wanted to enjoy their life together first and only then start a family. Children were a huge responsibility, her husband had always said so. And now her sister was calling her an empty shell? Diana wanted to slap the insolent girl across the face, but she restrained herself. She was not going to stoop to Alexandra’s level.
“So Lyudmila Borisovna really knows about your affair? Then why didn’t she tell me anything?”
Alexandra merely snorted. She pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed a number.
“Mom, Diana doesn’t believe me. Tell her she has no place in the home of my future husband. Roman can’t throw her out himself right now, but you know what he promised me. Where am I supposed to go in my condition, Mom?”
Alexandra smiled smugly and handed the phone to her sister. Diana heard her mother-in-law’s icy voice. The woman demanded that her daughter-in-law vacate the apartment and stop standing her ground.
“When my son wakes up and recovers, he won’t need his nerves frayed. Rehabilitation is already a long process. Leave him alone and get out of his apartment. Sasha is carrying his child. She will be his lawful wife.”
Roman had not even regained consciousness yet… no one knew when that would happen, or whether it would happen at all, and his mother was already behaving monstrously.
“I hear you, but surely you understand that this apartment is marital property?”
It was hard to speak, but Diana was not going to give up so easily. She had yielded to Alexandra too many times before. Even if there had been something between her sister and Roman, Diana could only believe it if her husband confirmed it himself.
“You’re not going to sink that low, are you? My son put the money into buying this place! You didn’t contribute a penny. If you really love him, then leave and let him be. When Roma wakes up, I’ll explain everything to him myself.”
Diana ended the call and handed the phone back to her sister. There was no point continuing such a conversation—it would only shred her nerves even more, and they were already hanging by a thread.
“Get out. Until Roman wakes up and divorces me, I’m not leaving this apartment. You’re used to always having everything handed to you on a silver platter, but this time it will be different. I am not going to believe empty words.”
“How dare you? This is your husband’s child! Do you want me to do a DNA test and shove it in your face?”
To be honest, Diana wanted nothing. Only to be left alone. In recent days, all she had done was send prayers up to heaven. She had hardly eaten or slept. She had waited endlessly for the phone to ring and for someone to tell her that her husband had regained consciousness. But no calls had come, and now this. Maybe another woman would have believed it and left, but Diana… she could not. She was not going to make scenes if Roman confirmed everything himself, but neither could she abandon him based on the words of a sister who had always known how to embellish the truth. Her mother-in-law might not know the whole story, or she might have conspired with Alexandra because she had never liked Diana and wanted to get rid of an unwanted daughter-in-law. Who knew what the truth really was?
“You’ll bitterly regret this! If Roma doesn’t wake up, I’ll still do a DNA test and throw you out of the apartment, because it belongs to my child, not to you.”
As soon as the door slammed shut behind Alexandra, Diana hurried to lock every bolt. Stumbling to the bed, she collapsed and burst into bitter sobs. She no longer knew what to believe, how to go on living, or what to hope for. The catastrophe that had fallen on her head had turned everything upside down. What was the right thing to do?
A few days passed. While Diana was reviewing a project at work, the hospital called and told her that Roman had regained consciousness. He was asking for his wife, but he was still in intensive care, and visiting him was impossible. Tears streamed down her face. Diana forgot all about her sister’s visit and the conversation with her mother-in-law. At that moment, she could think only of the fact that her prayers had been heard. She wanted to see her husband as soon as possible and speak to him, to make sure he had really woken up.
That evening, Lyudmila Borisovna met Diana outside her office and asked her to walk with her through the little park. The woman asked her to leave her son alone and not destroy his happiness.
“He and Alexandra love each other. They’re going to be parents soon. I understand that this situation is unpleasant for you, but you can’t keep him by your side by force, can you? You’re not going to pressure him now, are you? He’s in a very difficult situation.”
“If Roman wants a divorce and confirms that he and my sister are together, I will not stand in the way,” Diana said crisply.
She was tired of everyone around her trying to convince her to abandon her husband without even seeing him. She could not do that. If only for the sake of what had once existed between them, she had to look him in the eyes. And if they were to part, then let it be on a gentle note. Diana could not curse or hate the man she loved. It would hurt if he truly had cheated on her, but it would be survivable. She could bear it—if she knew he was happy.
As soon as Roman was moved to a regular room, Diana rushed to him at once. He met her with a strange, cold look, and when she tried to take his hand, he jerked it away as though a leper had touched him.
“I want a divorce,” Roman declared immediately.
“A d-divorce? So you really decided everything?” Pain gripped her chest, stabbing near her heart. Diana had not expected the conversation to begin that way, even though she had prepared herself for any turn.
“Yes. I’ve decided everything. I want a divorce as soon as possible.”
“So she wasn’t lying? You really were seeing each other behind my back for six months, and you’re expecting a child?”
Surprise appeared in Roman’s eyes. He frowned, but in an instant his face turned to stone again.
“She? Who are you talking about?”
“Alexandra… or do you have other mistresses too?”
That truth felt utterly repulsive.
“That’s none of your concern. I want a divorce, and that’s final. I don’t owe you any explanations.”
Diana nodded. She had wanted to hear confirmation from her husband. She had heard it. She had hoped he would explain things more gently, but his cold indifference was destroying her from within. Nodding once more, she turned and walked out of the room. As she slowly wandered down the corridor, she overheard nurses whispering.
“Poor thing… she doesn’t know the whole truth. He forbade the doctor to tell her that he’ll be confined to a wheelchair. He didn’t want to ruin his young wife’s life, so he decided to divorce her. How awful… Why would he do that to her? She had the right to decide for herself whether to accept him like that or not.”
Diana turned around for a moment, and the nurses startled and scattered into different rooms. Were they talking about her and Roman?
The man had looked surprised when he heard about his supposed affair with Alexandra. He had not denied it, but neither had he agreed. Had he wanted a divorce because he did not want to become a burden? Fool. Diana returned to her husband’s room and looked decisively into his reddened eyes. Was he hurting too? Then why was he abandoning her? Why had he tried to push her away without asking what she wanted?
“You made the decision for me? How could you? Just answer one question honestly: did you cheat on me?”
Roman pressed his lips together and shook his head.
“I have no idea what your sister made up or why, but I did not do that. Not with her, not with anyone else. And yet I still would like a divorce. You can’t even imagine what kind of future awaits you beside a man in a wheelchair.”
“I was ready to dig you out from under the ground when you were in a coma. Do you think changes like that will scare me? I’m not letting you go, and we’ll get through everything together.”
A month and a half later, Roman was discharged from the hospital. As Diana walked with her husband, pushing his wheelchair in front of her, she smiled. She was overjoyed that he had survived and believed that together they would do everything possible to help him walk again. And if it did not work, she would never regret staying with him and would remain by his side until the very end—in sorrow and in joy.
When she happened to run into Alexandra, Diana looked her sister in the eyes. She did not make a scene or try to find out what Alexandra had hoped to gain by lying about her pregnancy. She simply walked past. Diana learned that her sister had convinced her mother-in-law that she and Roman had been involved. Lyudmila Borisovna had believed her, which was why she insisted that Diana step aside. The woman asked her daughter-in-law’s forgiveness for falling so easily for Alexandra’s stories, but they had sounded so convincing—after all, Alexandra had even been willing to take a DNA test to prove that she was carrying Roman’s child. Most likely, she had been counting on the man’s death so she could falsify the DNA results and convince everyone it was his baby. But… nothing came of it.
Roman was grateful that his wife had not run away and had waited for him. He begged forgiveness for ever entertaining thoughts of separation and promised that, for Diana’s sake, he would become stronger.
Rehabilitation was progressing slowly, but the man was doing everything he could to learn to walk again. When he found out that his wife was pregnant, he began trying even harder, because he had gained an extra reason to fight. True love can overcome any hardship and will not listen to spiteful tongues.
