Rita’s phone trembled in her hand. The voice of an unfamiliar woman, quiet but clear, echoed in the background. Just a second ago, she had been waiting for her husband’s familiar voice, and now—this foreign whisper in the background.
«Where are you?» she wanted to scream, but Rita gripped the phone tighter, holding her breath and asked as calmly as she could:
«Where are you?»
A woman’s laugh—short, nervous—jolted her nerves. Sergey remained silent, and this silence was more eloquent than any words.
Years of life together flashed before her eyes: morning coffees, family Sundays, quiet evenings. Could it all have been a lie? One second—and the world that had seemed so familiar was now cracking at the seams.
Rita closed her eyes. The truth was somewhere close, very close. All that remained was to find the strength to fully uncover it.
Sergey was still silent. Nearby, a woman’s voice sounded again—this time even quieter, more intimate. Rita felt everything inside her tighten with unspoken suspicions.
«I’m at work,» Sergey finally spoke, his voice too calm. Too mundane.
«What’s that noise?» Rita asked in what seemed a neutral tone.
Her husband hesitated. The second stretched out painfully long.
«A meeting,» he replied shortly. «I have… colleagues here.»
But Rita already knew—it wasn’t the truth. The woman’s laughter, the intonations, the warmth of the foreign voice—none of it sounded like a business setting. Thoughts raced through her head: an affair? a coincidence? a misunderstanding?
She decided to act. Slowly, calculatingly. Sergey must not suspect that she had almost uncovered his lie.
All evening, Rita was perfectly calm. Dinner, talks about work, the usual household chores—every movement she made was deliberate, every intonation—measured. Sergey noticed nothing.
Only late at night, when her husband was asleep, did she take out his phone. She knew the password long ago—their son’s birthday. Her fingers treacherously trembled as she opened the messages.
The first thing that caught her eye was the name. Angelika. Dozens of messages, becoming more explicit with each day. Photos that revealed the nature of their relationship better than any words could.
Rita watched and felt something inside her cool down. Not anger, not despair. Just a cold, lifeless peace of final understanding.
The affair was not a coincidence. It was a deliberate betrayal that had been going on for several months.
Rita put the phone back, trying not to move or betray her state. Sergey continued to snore peacefully beside her, suspecting nothing. Her nails dug painfully into her palm, holding back emotions that were rising to her throat.
The next morning was as usual. Breakfast, coffee, a quick kiss before leaving for work. Sergey didn’t even look her way—engrossed in his thoughts, in his secret life. Rita smiled—now her smile was as sharp as a blade.
All day she pondered her plan. Destroy their marriage? Forgive? Make a scene? No, that was too simple. Too trite for what had happened. She decided to act differently.
By evening, the plan was ready. Rita invited her friend Natalia—the only person she could trust. Natalia was a lawyer and knew her way around such situations.
«I need documents,» Rita said quietly. «All documents about our property, our joint savings.»
Natalia understood with half a word. Women’s solidarity is a remarkable thing. Two days later, Rita had everything she needed: copies of contracts, account statements, documents about jointly acquired property.
Sergey still suspected nothing. He continued to play the role of the perfect husband, sending messages throughout the day, calling. Each call now was a painful mockery for Rita.
Then came the very day when everything was supposed to change.
Rita invited Sergey to a restaurant, choosing the same one where they had celebrated their wedding ten years ago. He was surprised but readily agreed. Perhaps, he thought, his wife just wanted to refresh their memories.
At the table, amidst dimmed lights and soft music, Rita was utterly calm. She ordered his favorite wine and smiled as easily as she had ten years ago. Sergey relaxed, thinking everything was fine.
«To us?» he proposed, raising his glass.
«To the truth,» Rita replied.
At that moment, Sergey sensed something was off. Her gaze was too calm, too piercing.
«I know about Angelika,» she said quietly.
A moment of silence. Sergey paled, the wine frozen halfway to his lips.
«What do you mean?» he tried to object, but his voice betrayed him—it broke, became hoarse.
Rita placed a folder in front of him—printouts of his correspondence with Angelika, financial statements, copies of contracts. All the evidence of his infidelity and all his actions that had been undermining their life together.
«The choice is yours,» she said. «Either we divorce civilly, and you give me half of everything we’ve earned, or I make a scandal that will ruin your reputation forever.»
Sergey looked at her—the woman he thought he had known for ten years, now realizing he had never truly known her at all.
Sergey slowly set down his glass. A drop of wine slid onto the white tablecloth, leaving a dark spot—a symbolic omen of the impending disaster.
«Rita, I can explain everything,» he started, but she cut off his attempt with a look.
«It’s too late to explain,» she replied coldly. «You had a chance to be honest with me months ago.»
The waiter, sensing the tension, discreetly moved away. Around them, a vacuum seemed to form—a quiet island in the midst of a noisy restaurant.
Sergey understood—there was no going back. His affair was fully exposed, his marriage irrevocably broken. Angelika, whom he had thought of as a temporary fling, now became the cause of his family life’s total collapse.
«What do you want?» he asked quietly.
«Justice,» Rita answered.
Her plan was meticulously thought out. Lawyer Natalia had prepared all the documents, gathered irrefutable evidence of the affair. Sergey was stripped of his right to their shared apartment, half of their savings, and nearly any claims.
«But we have a son,» Sergey tried to object.
«That’s exactly why I’m acting this way, instead of making a scandal,» Rita responded sharply. «For his sake.»
At that moment, her phone vibrated. A message from Natalia: «Everything’s ready. The documents can be filed in court tomorrow.»
Rita finished her wine, enjoying it with absolute calm.
At the same time, as Rita was preparing the divorce papers, Angelika was fully confident of her victory. She believed that her affair with Sergey would evolve into something more serious—a real relationship, once he left his wife.
Angelika worked at the same company as Sergey. A sales manager accustomed to achieving whatever she wanted. Her charm and assertiveness had often helped her get what she desired. She had met Sergey a year ago at a corporate event. First, there were innocent flirts, then long talks, then—the affair.
She was not afraid of the consequences. Moreover, she was convinced that Rita—a quiet housewife—would simply accept the situation when Sergey filed for divorce. Angelika envisioned how she and Sergey would have a child together, buy an apartment, and start a new family.
But Rita was not at all like Angelika had imagined her.
When Sergey called her late that evening to tell her about the conversation at the restaurant, Angelika realized that things were not going as she had hoped.
«She knows everything,» Sergey said dryly. «And she’s preparing to file for divorce. She’ll sue for half of the property.»
Angelika was silent. For the first time in a long time, she did not know what to say.
Week after week, an exhausting battle unfolded. Natalia’s lawyer acted harshly and professionally. Sergey realized he had lost even before the legal process began.
Angelika was torn between the fear of losing Sergey and the hope that their relationship might somehow survive. She had not expected such a cold, calculated move from Rita.
Maxim, the son of Rita and Sergey, did not understand what was happening. Rita protected him, shielding him from the family conflict. But children sense tension more acutely than adults think.
One evening, when they were alone, Maxim spoke openly to his mother for the first time:
«Will Dad leave us?»
Rita placed her hand on his shoulder. Her movements were gentle, but they carried an unbreakable strength.
«Dad has already left,» she replied quietly. «He was just physically still here.»
At that moment, she realized: revenge was not her path. She needed not to destroy Sergey, but to protect herself and her son. To build a new life where betrayal would not define her existence.
The court process was a formality. Sergey hardly resisted.
Then Angelika vanished from his life as suddenly as she had appeared—realizing that the affair wouldn’t bring her what she wanted.
Rita won everything: the apartment, half of their joint savings, the right to raise their son. But her greatest victory was her inner peace.
Life went on.
A year later, Rita hardly recognized herself. She had been reborn after that devastating period. Her job at a pharmaceutical company, which she once considered routine, now became a source of professional growth and inner satisfaction.
Maxim was growing up. Initially struggling with his parents’ divorce, he was now becoming a real pillar of support for his mother. Between them, a remarkably trusting relationship developed—not just mother and son, but true close friends.
Sergey occasionally appeared to see his son. Their meetings were short, formal. No warmth, no attempts to mend the relationship. Rita was so calm during these encounters that it frightened her ex-husband more than any scandal.
Natalia, her lawyer friend, often said:
«You are stronger than you think. You’ve turned betrayal into a foundation.»
And it was true. Rita didn’t just survive the blow—she transformed her life. She took advanced training courses, changed her image, started traveling more. Her demeanor became more confident, her life more enriched.
One evening, as she and Maxim were having tea, the son unexpectedly asked:
«Mom, do you regret how you dealt with Dad?»
Rita smiled. Her gaze was calm and wise.
«I don’t regret the truth,» she answered. «About protecting myself and you.»
Sergey’s fate was not so fortunate. After the divorce, his career declined. The company, learning about the office romance and scandal, demoted him. Angelika, whom he had thought was a pillar of support, quickly disappeared as soon as she realized that Sergey was not rushing to propose to her.
One day, meeting Natalia in a café, he tried to inquire about Rita. But the lawyer was resolute:
«You have no place in her life,» she coldly said. «You destroyed everything yourself.»
Maxim gradually drifted away from his father. Their rare meetings became more and more formal. Sergey realized he was losing his son—perhaps forever.
But Rita continued to live. Her inner strength became more apparent with each day. She sought no revenge, threw no tantrums. She simply moved forward, taking with her all the best things—her son’s love, her friend’s respect, belief in herself.
New colors appeared in her life. Work, travel, interesting acquaintances. She wasn’t rushing into new relationships, enjoying her own independence and freedom.
One day Maxim said:
«Mom, you’ve become a different person.»
«The best version of myself,» Rita replied.
And that was the pure truth.
