Lidia set a plate of dinner in front of her husband and sighed. Sergei was late again. Lately, it had become a habit.
“Where have you been all this time? The cutlets are already cold,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.
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Sergei raised his tired eyes.
“Lid, can we do without the interrogation? Work, you know?”
“What kind of work keeps you out until ten at night? You’re the director, not the security guard!”
Sergei poked his fork into a cutlet.
“It’s delicious. Thanks.”
“Don’t change the subject!” Lidia sat down opposite him. “Seryozha, what’s going on? You’ve become… different somehow.”
“Nothing’s going on,” he said, looking away. “It’s a difficult project. A lot of stress.”
Sergei’s phone vibrated. He grabbed it far too quickly, read the message, and frowned.
“Who is it?” Lidia asked.
“Nobody. Someone from work.” Sergei slipped the phone into his pocket. “Listen, I’m tired. Can we just leave it?”
Lidia stared at the man she had lived with for thirty-two years. She knew every wrinkle on his face, every gesture. And right now, she could see that he was lying.
“Seryozha, is there someone else?”
Sergei froze with his fork halfway to his mouth.
“What?”
“I’m not stupid. New cologne, you iron your own shirts now, you’re never in a hurry to come home.”
“Lid, this is paranoia.”
“Then show me your phone.”
“What?”
“Give me your phone.” Lidia held out her hand. “If there’s nothing there, show me.”
Sergei pushed his plate away.
“I’m not showing you anything. What am I, under investigation?”
“So you do have something to hide.”
“For God’s sake, Lid! We’ve been together for thirty-two years and you don’t trust me?”
Lidia gave a bitter laugh.
“Have you earned that trust?”
That night, they slept separately. Sergei slept on the couch and Lidia in the bedroom. In the morning, he left without having breakfast.
A week later, Lidia’s phone rang. It was Katya, their daughter.
“Mom, how are you?” Her voice sounded worried.
“I’m fine.” Lidia was putting laundry away in the closet. “Why?”
“Dad called. He said you two need to talk.”
Lidia’s heart skipped a beat.
“About what?”
“I don’t know, Mom. But his voice sounded strange.”
That evening Sergei came home early. He took off his jacket and washed his hands.
“Lid, we need to talk.”
She knew. Somehow, with a sixth sense, she already knew everything.
“Go ahead.”
“I’m leaving,” Sergei said, looking at the floor. “There really is another woman. I’m sorry.”
The room seemed to spin around her.
“Who is she?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does to me!”
“Vera. She’s thirty-nine.”
Lidia laughed.
“Thirty-nine? Have you lost your mind? You’re fifty-nine!”
“Lid, I didn’t mean for it to happen. It just did.”
“How exactly did it ‘just happen’? Did your foot slip and you fell into bed with her?”
Sergei sighed.
“We love each other.”
“And me? What were these thirty-two years? Garbage?”
“No! But… we’ve been more like roommates for a long time.”
“Roommates?” Lidia grabbed the back of a chair. “I gave you my whole life! A home, care, comfort—everything was for you!”
“Lid, I’m grateful, but…”
“Grateful?” She threw a kitchen towel at him. “Go to your young girlfriend! We’ll see how much she enjoys putting up with you a year from now!”
Sergei packed his things in silence. Only at the door did he turn around.
“I’m sorry. I thought things between us would get better, but… I won’t abandon Katya. I’ll keep helping her. And you too.”
“I don’t need your help!” Lidia shouted. “Get out!”
The door closed. The apartment became quiet. Horribly quiet.
Lidia sank to the floor and burst into tears. Thirty-two years. She remembered Seryozha proposing to her, Katya being born, the two of them building their country house, the time he had the flu and she made chicken broth for him…
The phone rang. Katya.
“Mom, Dad told me everything. I’m coming over right now!”
“No need, Kat.”
“Yes, there is! Wait for me, I’m already in a taxi.”
Lidia got up. She looked at herself in the mirror—disheveled, tear-stained, suddenly older. And he had a younger woman.
She opened the cabinet where the photo albums were kept. Here they were at the seaside. Here at the country house. Here at Katya’s graduation… So many years together! And all of it for nothing?
“Oh, no,” Lidia said, wiping away her tears. “I’m not going to let you erase everything that easily, Sergei Petrovich. I won’t!”
During the first month after Sergei left, Lidia could barely force herself out of bed. The silence in the apartment seemed to ring in her ears. She made herself coffee and sat by the window. Her phone was silent—not a single call or message. Only yesterday Katya had come by, brought a pie, and tried to cheer her up.
“Mom, enough of this! Pull yourself together.”
“Easy for you to say.” Lidia turned toward the window. “You weren’t the one who was betrayed.”
“I know it hurts. But your life isn’t over.”
“It feels like it is.” Lidia smiled sadly.
“Mom, you’re only fifty-eight! You’ve got plenty of time ahead of you.”
“For what, Kat? The house is empty. I’m alone. Why should I even get up in the morning?”
“For me, at least!” Katya hugged her mother. “I need you, do you hear me?”
The doorbell interrupted her memories. Lidia opened the door and found Tamara, the downstairs neighbor, standing there.
“Lid, why haven’t you been going out? I’ve been calling you for three days.”
“I turned my phone off.” Lidia let her friend inside. “I don’t want to hear anyone.”
“Well, you’re going to hear me!” Tamara marched decisively into the kitchen. “Where’s the tea? We’re going to treat this with conversation.”
“There’s nothing left to treat…”
“All right, stop. Look at yourself.” Tamara turned Lidia toward the mirror. “What is this? A grubby robe, red eyes. Is this how you want to show him how much you’re suffering?”
“Show who?” Lidia flinched.
“Your Seryozha! Do you think he doesn’t ask your daughter about you?”
“He asks?” A spark flashed in Lidia’s eyes.
“Of course! Katya called me yesterday. She says her father asks how you’re doing every single day.”
Lidia snorted.
“Probably his guilty conscience.”
“Maybe guilt,” Tamara said, putting the kettle on. “Or maybe he’s already comparing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said! He left you for a younger woman, but life over there isn’t all sweetness and honey. Younger women can be demanding.”
At that moment, Lidia’s phone rang. Sergei’s number.
“Don’t answer,” Tamara ordered. “Let him suffer a little.”
The calls continued. On the third attempt, Lidia gave in.
“Hello.”
“Lid, it’s me.” Sergei sounded uncertain. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. “What did you want?”
“I need to pick up the documents for the car. And… I wanted to see how you were.”
“The documents are in the cabinet, in a folder. And I’m doing great. Much better than when you were here.”
There was a pause.
“Lid, don’t be like that.”
“How should I be, Seryozha? Cry and beg you to come back?”
“No, of course not. It’s just… I worry about you.”
“Don’t. I’m doing well. Great, actually! Tamara is taking me to a concert, Katya comes to visit. My life is full!”
Tamara gave her a thumbs-up.
“Really?” Sergei sounded surprised. “I’m glad for you.”
“And how are things with you?” Lidia asked casually. “Still enjoying the honeymoon?”
Sergei sighed.
“Everything’s fine. Listen, I’ll come by tomorrow for the documents. Will you be home?”
“I don’t know. I have plans. I’ll leave them with the concierge.”
“All right. Bye.”
Lidia hung up and looked at Tamara.
“You heard him? Everything is ‘fine.’”
“He’s lying,” her friend declared confidently. “I know his voice. Something’s wrong over there.”
The phone rang again. This time it was Katya.
“Mom, did Dad just call you?”
“Yes. Why?”
“He called me afterward. Said you sounded so cheerful and energetic.”
“What, am I supposed to lie down in a coffin?” Lidia snorted.
“No, quite the opposite! Good for you!” Katya paused. “You know, he’s having problems with Vera.”
“What kind?” Lidia tried to hide her interest.
“She’s always asking for money. And now she wants them to move to another apartment because apparently theirs is too small for her!”
Tamara and Lidia exchanged glances.
Three months passed. Lidia stood in front of the mirror and barely recognized herself. A new haircut, a light-colored blouse, makeup. She had signed up for computer literacy classes and reconnected with old friends from university. Little by little, life was getting better.
The phone rang. Sergei.
“Yes, I’m listening,” she answered calmly.
“Lid, hi.” His voice sounded tired. “How are things?”
“Fine. What about you?”
“Oh… this and that. Lid, we need to talk. About the apartment.”
Lidia’s heart skipped a beat.
“What about the apartment?”
“Can I come over? It’s awkward to discuss over the phone.”
An hour later, Sergei was sitting in the kitchen, turning a cup of tea around in his hands. He looked haggard, with new wrinkles on his face.
“You look good,” he said, studying Lidia. “Fresh.”
“Thank you. You wanted to talk about the apartment?”
“Yes. You see… Vera wants us to buy a new one. A bigger place.”
“And?”
“I don’t have that kind of money.” Sergei sighed. “I thought maybe we could sell this one and split the money…”
“Have you lost your mind?” Lidia set down her cup. “This is my home! Where am I supposed to live?”
“You could buy something smaller! You don’t need this much space by yourself.”
“Seryozha, are you out of your mind? I’ve lived here for thirty years. This is my home!”
“Our home,” he corrected her. “According to the documents, we both own it.”
Lidia laughed.
“So that’s why you came! To throw me out for the sake of your young girlfriend?”
“Not throw you out. Just settle the issue like civilized adults.”
“The civilized thing would have been not to abandon your wife after thirty years of marriage!”
Sergei was silent for a moment.
“I’m sorry. It’s just Vera… she insists.”
“And you always do whatever she wants?”
“Not always.” He rubbed his face. “But with her… it’s complicated.”
“Poor thing,” Lidia said sarcastically. “Is life with a younger woman difficult?”
“Yes, actually!” Sergei suddenly snapped. “She demands an expensive car, a new apartment, restaurants! Do you think it’s easy for me?”
“What did you expect? That she’d cook borscht for you and darn your socks?”
Sergei lowered his head.
“I don’t know what I expected. I did something stupid.”
The doorbell rang. Lidia opened the door and found Mikhail Stepanovich, her neighbor from the same floor, standing there. He was tall, gray-haired, with kind eyes.
“Lidia Pavlovna, forgive me for bothering you. Could you help me with my computer? My grandson set everything up, but I’ve forgotten how it works.”
“Of course, Mikhail Stepanovich.” Lidia smiled. “I just have a guest at the moment.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” The neighbor looked embarrassed. “I’ll come back later.”
“No, no, I was just leaving,” Sergei said, rising from the table. He looked at the neighbor with interest.
“Sergei, this is Mikhail Stepanovich, our new neighbor. Mikhail Stepanovich, this is… my ex-husband.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” the neighbor said with a nod.
“Likewise,” Sergei replied dryly.
When the neighbor returned to his apartment, Sergei asked:
“Has he been living here long?”
“About two months. He’s a very cultured man. A retired professor.”
“And does he come to see you often?”
Lidia smiled.
“What business is it of yours?”
“None.” Sergei frowned. “I’m going. About the apartment… think about it, okay?”
“I’m not even going to consider it. This is my home.”
After Sergei left, Lidia went over to her neighbor’s apartment. Mikhail Stepanovich really had gotten confused by the computer settings. She explained everything, and then they drank tea with cookies.
“Thank you, Lidia Pavlovna.”
“Call me Lida.” She smiled. “That’s what all the neighbors call me.”
“Then you can call me Misha.”
Back home, Lidia called her daughter.
“Kat, can you believe it? Your father came over. He wants to divide the apartment.”
“You’re kidding!” Katya exclaimed indignantly. “Has he completely lost his mind?”
“Apparently. He says Vera wants a new place, and he doesn’t have enough money.”
“What did I tell you? She’s milking him dry! He’s even stopped helping me.”
“Seriously?” Lidia asked in surprise.
“Yep. He says, ‘Sorry, sweetheart, money’s tight right now.’ And meanwhile he bought her a fur coat!”
That evening, Lidia spent a long time looking through old photographs. Here she and Sergei were young and happy. Here was little Katya. So many years together… And now, for the sake of another woman, he was prepared to take away her home.
“No,” she said aloud. “You won’t get your way, Seryozha. I’ve only just started living.”
Six months passed almost unnoticed. Lidia sat in a café with Tamara, drinking a cappuccino.
“Can you imagine? Misha invited me to the theater.” Lidia smiled. “He says he got tickets for really good seats.”
“Good for him!” Tamara winked. “About time. A decent man, unlike certain others.”
“I don’t mean it like that.” Lidia blushed. “It’s just nice when someone cares about you.”
Her phone vibrated. Sergei was calling.
“Again?” Tamara rolled her eyes. “Third time this week!”
“Hello, Seryozha,” Lidia answered.
“Hi. Are you home?”
“No, I’m at a café with Tamara.”
“I see.” He paused. “Lid, we need to talk. It’s important.”
“About what?”
“Personal. Can I come over this evening?”
Lidia sighed.
“All right. Seven o’clock.”
At exactly seven, Sergei was standing at her door. He had lost weight and his eyes looked sunken. Lidia led him into the kitchen.
“Would you like some tea?”
“Yes, thank you.” He looked around. “It’s… cozy in here.”
“It’s always been cozy.” Lidia shrugged. “You just never noticed.”
Sergei looked at her for a long moment, studying her.
“You’ve changed, Lid.”
“Really?” She placed a cup in front of him.
“You’re different. Calm, confident.”
“Because I’m living for myself now, not for somebody else.”
Sergei nodded.
“I realized that too late.”
“What did you want to talk about?”
“I left Vera,” he said quietly. “A week ago.”
Lidia froze.
“Why?”
“It was hell.” Sergei rubbed his face. “Constant complaints, constant demands. Nothing was ever enough for her—money, attention, gifts. And I… I’m just exhausted.”
“And what now?”
“I’m staying with a friend for the moment. Trying to figure out what comes next.”
He looked at Lidia hopefully.
“Lid, I’ve been thinking a lot. Maybe… we could try again?”
Lidia laughed.
“Seriously? You abandoned me. Humiliated me. Tried to take away my home. And now you want to come back?”
“I made a mistake, don’t you understand?” He grabbed her hand. “Thirty-two years together. That has to mean something!”
“It did.” She pulled her hand free. “Before.”
“Lid, I really understand everything now. I was looking for happiness in the wrong place. It had been beside me all along.”
“Seryozha, what a romantic you’ve become.” Lidia shook her head. “But you’re too late. I learned how to live without you. And I’m… happy.”
The doorbell rang.
“That’s Mikhail Stepanovich,” Lidia said. “We’re going to the theater.”
“So you and him…” Sergei stopped himself.
“We’re friends. He’s interesting to talk to, he’s thoughtful. He respects me.”
Sergei lowered his head.
“I understand. I destroyed everything myself.”
Lidia opened the door. Mikhail Stepanovich stood there holding a bouquet of flowers.
“Good evening!” he said with a smile. “Are you ready?”
“Almost. Come in, I’ll just get my handbag.”
Mikhail stepped inside and saw Sergei.
“Hello. I’m sorry, have I come at a bad time?”
“No, no,” Lidia said, picking up her bag. “Sergei was just leaving. Weren’t you, Seryozha?”
Sergei silently stood up.
“Yes. I’m going. Thanks for the tea.”
At the door, he stopped.
“Lid, I’m still going to hope.”
“You shouldn’t,” she answered gently. “Life moves on. For everyone.”
When the door closed behind Sergei, Mikhail asked:
“Is everything all right?”
“Now it is.” Lidia smiled. “You know, I realized something important. Loving someone doesn’t mean losing yourself in them. For thirty years I was someone’s wife, someone’s mother. And now I’m simply Lidia. And I like that.”
“You’re remarkable,” Mikhail said sincerely. “Independent and strong.”
In the taxi on the way to the theater, Lidia looked out at the evening city. Her phone beeped with a message from Katya:
“Mom, how are you? Dad called and said he’s leaving Vera. Is he okay?”
Lidia typed back:
“I’m wonderful. I’m going to the theater with Mikhail. And Dad… he’ll manage. We all manage when we have to.”
She put away her phone and smiled at her reflection in the window.
Life truly was only beginning.
And in this new life, she would no longer sacrifice herself for someone else’s happiness.
Her time had come—the time to be happy simply because she deserved it.
