«Tanja, you always shout so loudly!» Marinka burst out laughing, and her friend Valya joined in.
It was hurtful to tears. Tanya had been working here for over half a year, and her colleagues constantly made fun of her. Understanding why exactly Marinka and Valya had chosen her as their target, Tanya, nevertheless, couldn’t respond in kind. Tanya was mute.
She closed the door behind her and shut herself off from the noise coming from the street. An argument was escalating: Sasha, the favorite of all the female staff, was outraged by Marinka’s behavior.
«Do you enjoy tormenting Tanya?» he asked seriously.
Marinka looked at him in surprise.
«Who’s tormenting her? It’s just a joke!»
«Strange jokes you have,» Sasha noted. «It’s like laughing at a child who can’t respond.»
Marinka looked around for support from her colleagues, but everyone averted their eyes. It was all fun to laugh at Tanya, but now suddenly Marinka was the guilty one.
«If you don’t see it, then yes, you’re tormenting her,» Sasha said without a trace of doubt. «And we all know why.»
He was aware that Marinka had a crush on him and even told others that they were dating. He was fed up with her audacity and decided to put an end to it.
«Oh really? And why is that?» Marinka sneered mockingly. She guessed what Sasha might say, but didn’t want to hear it.
«Do you really want to know? Won’t you be disappointed?» Sasha continued with the same calm.
Marinka was forced to choose between self-assurance and fear: if she said she didn’t want to know, she’d lose on all fronts and fall in the eyes of her colleagues.
«Speak up, since you have something to say. What do you find in that weak fool?» she shot back.
«She is smarter and more dignified than she appears,» Sasha disappointed her. «Unlike you, she doesn’t respond to barbs and looks smarter for it. Everyone knows you think you’re the queen of beauty, but Tanya is clearly better, and everyone understands that.»
«Get glasses, there’s nothing beautiful about her,» Marinka snapped back.
But the fact that colleagues, who had laughed along with her, were now on Sasha’s side—this she could not ignore. She jumped up and ran out of the restaurant, throwing back:
«Go to hell, all of you!»
Someone from the colleagues remarked:
«She was trying for you, Sasha, wanted to look cool, and you… just threw her in the dirt.»
«I responded as I should have,» Sasha said. «Tanya can’t respond herself, so someone needs to stand up for her. We’re not animals to gang up on the weak. Alright, break’s over, let’s get back to work. Don’t forget, we have a big event tomorrow!»
Colleagues murmured and returned to work, and the chef, the only person over 50 in this restaurant, stopped Sasha:
«You did well to stand up for Tanya, just don’t hurt her with this. You know Marinka, right? She holds grudges.»
Work continued in full swing.
It seemed that everyone had already forgotten about the incident: restaurant employees talked and laughed. By midnight, the hall was fully ready for tomorrow’s celebration. The next day the restaurant was rented for a wedding—the local tycoon was marrying off his daughter.
Tanya lingered, though she didn’t like staying late, but she never refused because she needed the money for surgery.
«Tanya, wait, let’s talk,» Marinka’s voice rang out.
Tanya stopped, seeing Marinka and two other girls in front of her.
«Well, why don’t you call for help? Ah, right…» Marinka continued sarcastically when Sasha appeared behind Tanya. He looked sternly at Marinka.
When Tanya and Sasha were outside, he said to her:
«Tanya, I’m sorry this happened. It’s a pity you can’t speak—then you could have definitely responded to them.»
«I can actually speak, just quietly,» Tanya whispered.
Sasha froze, looking at her.
«Don’t think I’m deceiving you,» Tanya continued. «There was a serious accident in my childhood, it injured my throat. When I was in the orphanage, no one paid attention to my problem. Later, when I grew up, I sought medical help and started treatment. I’ve had two surgeries already. Now I can talk a little, but it’s very difficult. I need one more surgery, it’s expensive and not urgent. I’m saving up for it.»
«You’re a completely different person to me now.»
«Please, don’t tell anyone. I can only speak for up to five minutes, then I need a long rest.»
«Tanya, what happened then?»
«My parents and I were driving, and a big car crashed into us, my parents died. The driver of that car was unharmed—he was a very influential person.»
«No way…»
«It’s possible. I decided then that I wanted to become a doctor because the ambulance took a very long time to arrive. If it had come faster… Anyway, I decided to help people. I’m still preparing. I still have time. And that man… I learned about him when I grew up. I was nine when it happened, I remembered him and his wife. Then I found information about the accident. The report said that my father had alcohol in his blood, but he never drank, he had a heart condition.»
While they talked, they reached her house.
«We’re here. Thank you, Sasha, I wouldn’t want to conflict with Marinka as well.»
«Don’t worry. If you don’t mind, I’ll tell everyone your story, and they’ll leave you alone.»
«Are you crazy? You’ll be ridiculed.»
Sasha smiled:
«Let them laugh if they dare.»
Tanya was too tired to even whisper.
«Quiet until tomorrow,» Sasha said, pressing a finger to his lips.
Tanya nodded, smiled, and disappeared behind the door.
The restaurant was busier than ever.
There were as many visitors as had never been on one evening. Tanya also came at the start of the party. While congratulations and speeches continued, all the staff watched. Tanya glanced at the attendees, when suddenly her attention froze.
«I, as a father, want to give the newlyweds an apartment,» announced the man with evident pride. «And I’ll give them a house when they give me grandchildren.»
Tanya turned pale and stepped back. Sasha immediately approached her.
«Tanya, is everything okay?» He looked at her worriedly. Tanya silently pointed to the man whose voice she had just heard. Sasha immediately understood. «Is that him?»
Tanya nodded.
«Honestly, I’m not surprised,» said Sasha. «There are legends about him in town, and many of them speak of his cruelty and the victims of his schemes.»
Just then, Marinka approached.
«Tanya, when you and Sasha are together, do you whisper moan?» she giggled and smiled, walking away.
The wedding continued in full swing. The even rhythm of music and joy reached Tanya. At some point, a commotion started, turning into panic. She looked into the hall: the oligarch’s wife lay on the floor. Around her were the bride, the groom, and the perpetrator of the commotion. The crowd seemed confused.
Tanya approached. Someone was calling for an ambulance, others were shouting. The woman’s face turned crimson, then blue from choking. Tanya carefully examined the guests, but no one even tried to help. The woman’s eyes rolled back, and she heard the bride scream «Mom!» That scream returned to Tanya as an echo of memories.
She quickly grabbed a bottle of alcohol and a knife, moving towards the woman. The bride froze in place.
«The ambulance will be here in fifteen minutes!» someone shouted.
Tanya shook her head negatively and started to act. The bride, hugging her father, watched. Tanya acted calmly and confidently, and after a few minutes, the woman breathed, though laboriously.
After that, the saved woman consciously looked around, stopping her gaze on Tanya, who faintly smiled.
«She saved her life,» someone whispered.
Doctors arrived and took the woman under their care.
Tanya stood up and went to the dishwashing area. Soon all her colleagues gathered there.
«Tanya, where did you learn that? We thought you wanted to stab her!» someone exclaimed admiringly.
Blushing, Tanya looked at Sasha.
«Oh, what did she do so special,» Marinka snorted demonstratively. «Anyone could have done it.»
«Well, why didn’t you go save her?» someone winked at her.
«I’m a waitress, not a rescuer! And some people better wash the dishes, the pile is growing,» Marinka responded, pointing to the dirty dishes.
Unnoticed, a man joined them. It was the same person, the rich man who had ordered the banquet. «Is that true?» his stern gaze was directed at Tanya. She remained silent. «I’m asking you, is it true? Why are you silent?»
Sasha intervened:
«She can’t talk because of an accident in her childhood.»
The man ran his hand over his face, deep in thought:
«So it was you, in that accident? You recognized us. Why did you help?»
Tanya just shrugged and turned away.
The man, after standing for a minute, got into his car. Everyone who was in the room breathed a sigh of relief.
«What was that?» echoed from the crowd. «He didn’t even say ‘thank you.'»
«What accident was it, Tanya?» the colleagues asked curiously.
Tanya just looked pleadingly at Sasha, who, spreading his arms, began ushering everyone out:
«Enough, enough. The wedding isn’t over, everyone back to your places!»
After the guests dispersed, the manager called Tanya to him.
«Tanya, I have news for you. You’ve been asked to resign,» he said. She raised her eyebrows in confusion and reached for a notebook.
«For what? I really need this job,» Tanya wrote, hoping for an explanation.
«Tanya, understand, my hands are tied. I’m just a subordinate,» he explained, sadly spreading his hands.
Tanya cried all the way home. Sasha walked beside her, clenching his teeth in anger.
«That’s a turn: saved a person from death, and she got fired for it,» he murmured bitterly.
Approaching their courtyard, they saw two SUVs.
«Look, it’s him and with security,» Sasha noted.
Tanya, lips pressed together, headed towards the men. One of them stepped forward to meet her.
«Can we talk?» he offered, casting a glance at Sasha, who shook his head no.
«I won’t leave her alone with you,» Sasha stated firmly.
The man smiled.
«Fine, you can stay. As you understand, I did exactly what I had to do. But on that day, I hadn’t been drinking and didn’t crash into your car on purpose—it just happened. I couldn’t go to jail then: a little daughter and a business. Your parents couldn’t be brought back… I’ve thought of you often, though I assumed if you hadn’t found us, you probably didn’t need to. Thank you for saving my wife. And you were fired so you could focus on treatment and study. Don’t worry about money, everything’s set up in your name,» he explained and added after a pause: «my wife and daughter are everything to me. I would never leave them. I apologize for what happened.»
He got into the car, leaving a note in Tanya’s hand.
As the SUVs drove away, Sasha quietly noted:
«Feels like he had to step over himself to say all that.»
Half a year later, the restaurant buzzed with wedding joy. The staff didn’t know until the day of the celebration who was getting married. Learning about it, some were surprised:
«No way that fool is marrying Sasha, especially in our restaurant!»
Marinka, slamming the door, went to request days off—she didn’t want to serve that wedding. But nearby, Tanya, together with the woman she saved, approached the restaurant politely and joyfully. This time, Tanya spoke aloud, and they both seemed happy.
