Alexandra sat heavily on a chair in the narrow storage room of the «Brillant» cleaning company. The day had been busy—three apartments, a country house, and an office. Every step was a struggle: her back ached, her legs throbbed. She was only forty, but she felt much older. She smiled sadly at her thoughts and began to take off her work uniform.
«So, getting used to it?» The energetic voice of Lyudmila, her colleague, brought her back to reality.
«Yes, so far so good, nothing special. I thought it would be harder.»
«Oh, just you wait! You haven’t faced the real challenges yet,» Lyudmila nodded significantly, like an expert on other people’s problems. «You know, sometimes it happens… A ‘New Russian’ shows up. On the surface, everything is decent; you think, what could be so special? But no! You get to the site—my God! It looks like an entire company of soldiers has been partying non-stop for a week.»
To emphasize her point, Lyudmila even waved her hands. Alexandra muttered skeptically: «Come on, that can’t be true! And you handle that all by yourself?»
«What else can I do?» Lyudmila shrugged. «There aren’t enough people, and the owners demand perfect cleanliness. Reputation is everything to them. So we play the professional. Believe me, you’ll see all sorts of things!»
«They probably won’t trust me with such big contracts right away. There must be a probation period before being allowed into rich homes?»
«In principle, yes,» agreed Lyudmila. «But don’t get too comfortable. Imagine something unexpected comes up. Anyway, I have to go, I have too much work!» She grabbed her bag and left quickly, leaving the clicking of her heels behind her.
Alexandra watched her go. Where did that woman, over fifty, get all that energy? She could never sit still!
Alexandra’s life hadn’t turned out the way she had dreamed. Born fatherless, her mother had raised her alone, working herself to exhaustion. At eighteen, out of naivety, she got pregnant. The boy, of course, disappeared instantly. Her mother simply sighed: «Apparently, it’s our fate—to be born a girl and then suffer alone.»
At that moment, Alexandra decided: she would not suffer! As soon as her daughter was two, she would find a job and start living independently. But the years passed, and no worthy man appeared. Every time she tried to start a relationship, men backed off immediately upon learning of the child. They fled from a single mother like the devil from holy water. Life was slipping through her fingers.
One day, in a moment of despair, she asked her mother: «Mom, who is my father? Was he rich or famous? Why do we live so poorly?»
Her mother looked at her strangely, fell silent, then replied: «He was rich, that’s for sure. Famous or not, I don’t know. But I decided to bring you into the world. He hadn’t planned on having a child.»
Alexandra understood everything. Her mother was right—you can’t force yourself on someone who wants neither you nor your child. All that remained was to manage on her own.
Things didn’t go as planned with her daughter either. As soon as she grew up, she drifted away from her mother. She wanted a different life. She left the first chance she got, calling rarely, never visiting. Sometimes she asked for money, but meeting up was never on the table.
And now, her mother was seriously ill. Health problems—her legs were failing her. Alexandra felt she would have to work hard to pay for her mother’s treatment. Although she was over forty, she could have lived a little for herself, but that desire had almost disappeared. All her strength was devoted to simply holding on and moving forward.
A slamming door brought Alexandra back to her thoughts. How time flies when you dive into memories!
Olga Sergeyevna, the wife of the cleaning company’s owner, rushed into the storage room: «Alexandra, how great that you haven’t left yet! Listen, there’s an emergency. We have no one else. Are you free today?»
Alexandra blinked, perplexed: «Yes, Olga Sergeyevna, I was just about to go home. What happened?»
«We need to completely clean a huge house… Anyway, no time to explain, let’s go quickly!»
Alexandra sighed and, grabbing her bag, hurried after her boss.
After crossing several corridors, they entered Olga Sergeyevna’s office. Sitting opposite Alexandra, she began to speak: «I understand, you’re new, you have little experience. But we have no choice—you have to go. It’s an important client; a lot depends on this contract for the company. I’m sure you’ll manage!»
Alexandra nodded, understanding that it was impossible to refuse.
«Perfect!» Olga Sergeyevna rejoiced. «So here’s the deal: you need to tidy up a mansion. Our client’s father lived there; he passed away recently. Now, everything superfluous needs to be removed and the house prepared for sale. I think there won’t be much dirt—they were wealthy people. But there will be a lot of work.»
«How much time do I have?» asked Alexandra.
«Four days. The client is already there. Valentin will drive you. Come on, hurry up!»
Alexandra raised her eyebrows in surprise. Olga Sergeyevna’s personal driver didn’t usually transport ordinary cleaning ladies. However, the situation was exceptional. She nodded obediently.
«Wait,» her boss stopped her. «Be careful there. In rich homes, there are many temptations. Don’t even think about stealing anything—the consequences would be very serious. You would never work in this field again.»
Alexandra was stunned by this turn in the conversation. Indignation slowly began to boil inside her: «What are you saying, Olga Sergeyevna?! How can you even suggest such a thing?»
«Come on, don’t get upset,» she muttered conciliatorily. «I’m just obliged to warn you. But the pay is good. Your mother is sick, isn’t she? You need money for her treatment?»
Alexandra simply nodded, tired. Her mother really was very sick, and the cost of medicine was exorbitant. This was not the time to stand on principle.
«Good, run to the car! Valentin knows the address; they are already waiting for you.»
The client was indeed waiting for Alexandra in front of the imposing gates of a luxurious three-story mansion. A middle-aged man, elegantly dressed in a strict black suit, with an inscrutable expression. His somber gaze gave Alexandra a shiver.
«Listen,» the client began without preamble, «while you were coming, I thought about it and decided: the house must be completely cleared of anything personal. You will have four days instead of two. The dishes, the vases—leave them as they are. But clothes, photos, and other small things—remove them without hesitation.»
Alexandra almost protested, thinking of the valuable items or memories that might be among the belongings. But she bit her tongue in time. It wasn’t her business. If she was told to do it, then she had to obey.
Meanwhile, the client continued his instructions: «Once everything is ready, the house can be put up for sale. The appearance must be impeccable. If you find something truly valuable—jewelry, gold—inform me immediately.»
Alexandra nodded obediently.
«Good, get started. I will check the result in four days,» he said abruptly and, turning around, headed toward his car.
She watched him go, thoughtful, and got to work. Walking around the mansion, she decided to start with the second floor. At first glance, the rooms were in perfect condition. The study, apparently the owner’s favorite place, was particularly pleasant—everything shone, items were in their places; only a light dust and cobwebs betrayed the long absence of inhabitants.
In the bedrooms, however, more serious tasks awaited. The closets, like overstuffed barns, threatened to collapse under the weight of clothes and boxes. Sighing, Alexandra went down to the ground floor for trash bags and prepared for a long haul.
At nightfall, Valentin came to pick her up, calling from the hall, but she asked him to wait a bit.
«Maybe that’s enough for today,» she thought, approaching the last closet. «I’ll start sorting, and I’ll finish tomorrow.»
She pulled a chair over and stood on her tiptoes to reach the contents of the top shelf. That was when her gaze fell on a small, ordinary box.
Curiosity got the better of her. She carefully pulled it out and, holding her breath, lifted the lid. Inside were old photos and some documents.
The first photo made her stop dead. It showed a young and beautiful mother, as Alexandra had never seen her—radiant, smiling. She began to go through the other photos with trembling hands. Here was her mother with a man—tall, elegant. She had already seen his portrait downstairs in the hall. Another snapshot showed herself—a chubby baby. That photo was kept at her own home.
Her brain was racing. Why were these family photos here? Who was this man next to her mother? Was it her father?
Her hands shook so hard she struggled to unfold the documents. The first was a will, covered in stamps and signatures. After quickly scanning the text, Alexandra let out a stifled cry and collapsed onto the chair, drained of strength.
It turned out the owner of the house—the man in the photo—was her father! The will stated that many years ago, against his wishes, he had left his love and his child. All these years, he had been tormented by remorse but had never dared to intervene in their lives. Sensing his end approaching, he had decided to secure the future of his daughter and her mother, leaving them the mansion, a considerable sum of money, and an apartment.
Alexandra’s head was spinning. Was this really all true? No doubt—the names, the dates coincided. So, her father hadn’t simply abandoned them? He loved them? Why then hadn’t he come forward sooner? How many things could have changed over the years!
A sudden noise and Valentin’s voice snapped her out of her stupor: «Hey, Alexandra, are you coming soon? Are you still alive?»
«Yes, I’m coming down right now!» she replied, hurriedly stuffing the papers into her bag.
On the way back, she remained silent, plunged into a whirlwind of thoughts. She didn’t even notice when she got out of the car and walked up the steps. Only when her mother spoke did she realize where she was: «Sasha, my dear, what’s wrong with you? You’re acting strange. Did something happen?»
Alexandra sat slowly on the sofa next to her mother, took a deep breath, and blurted out: «Mom, we need to talk. Today, I learned something about my father.»
Her mother froze, her face expressing worry: «My God, Sasha, what are you saying? So many years have passed… And he is probably dead by now…»
«That’s exactly it!» Alexandra took the photos and documents out of her bag and handed them to her mother.
She put on her glasses and examined the photos carefully. Recognition, surprise, and deep pain followed one another on her face. Taking the will, she read through it slowly, regularly wiping away tears. Finally, she put the document down and said softly:
«Victor and I loved each other madly. We always dreamed of being together for our whole lives. But he wasn’t born into the right circle… His family was rich and influential.»
She paused, gathering her thoughts: «When our relationship was discovered, his parents were furious. For them, it was a disgrace. They decided to marry him to a girl from a good family, who already had a child from a first marriage. And by that time, you were already growing inside me…»
Her mother sobbed, and Alexandra squeezed her hand tightly, though she herself was struggling to hold back tears.
«When the truth came out, Victor resisted for a long time. He didn’t want that marriage. He knew I was waiting alone. But his father gave an ultimatum: either the marriage, or they would crush us, you and me. What could we do?»
«We spent a whole night talking. Crying, thinking… And we decided the best solution was to separate. He promised to help, but I refused. I was too proud, too stupid…»
Now, her mother was stroking Alexandra’s hand, while Alexandra let her silent tears flow freely. How unfair it all was! They loved each other, wanted a family, but fate had decided otherwise.
«We could have found each other again, even years later, even in old age… Hugged each other, talked. But we didn’t have the time. It wasn’t meant to be…»
A heavy silence settled in the room. Alexandra was the first to break it, wiping her eyes: «Mom, you understand… He didn’t abandon us. Just the circumstances. He thought about us his whole life! He wanted to help, even if it was only at the end. We received everything he could leave.»
«Oh, Sasha, I don’t even know…» sighed her mother. «So many years have passed. Other heirs will surely come forward.»
«We are going to try!» declared Alexandra firmly. «Tomorrow, I will go to the lawyer. I will find out everything. We will fight for what Dad did for us.»
The legal proceedings dragged on for almost six months. The women fought desperately for the inheritance, proving their kinship with the deceased. Sometimes it seemed impossible to win—the other claimants were too powerful and influential.
But one day, Olga Sergeyevna suddenly took their side: «Sasha, forgive me, old fool that I am! I didn’t understand the whole story right away. But when I understood, everything became clear. My husband and I went through a similar situation. Back then, his family was also against our marriage. They threatened to disinherit us, to kick us out of the house. But he held firm, for me; he endured all the hardships. We won then, despite everything. And for you, forty years ago, it was even harder. Don’t worry, Sasha, we’ll get through this! We will fight to the end!»
And they really won. The court recognized Alexandra and her mother as the legitimate heirs. To their great surprise, they inherited the mansion, a considerable sum of money, a luxury car, and even an apartment no one knew existed.
«It’s our first little apartment!» exclaimed the mother upon learning of its existence. «We rented it from an old lady when we were meeting Victor in secret. Apparently, he bought it for us later…»
«Great, Mom! You know what? Let’s give that apartment to Milka. Your granddaughter, my irresponsible daughter. She seems to be improving; she found a job. Let her live there, let her start her family.»
Her mother agreed happily. A few days later, she invited Alexandra and her granddaughter to join her: «Girls, shall we go to the cemetery today? I want to visit Victor.»
In front of the magnificent marble monument, the mother knelt, not holding back her tears: «Hello, Vityenka. Forgive me for coming so late…»
«So many lost years, we didn’t have time to find each other. But well, what can we do about it now? I will join you soon. Just a little patience…»
Alexandra tried not to listen to her mother’s words. Her heart clenched with unspoken pain. Beside her, Mila held her grandmother’s hand tightly, also struggling to hold back tears.
When her mother, unsteady on her feet, headed toward the cemetery exit, Alexandra lingered for a moment by the grave. She couldn’t bring herself to leave. She wanted to stay there, if only for a minute, to talk to the man she had never known.
Shaking her head and casting a final glance at the monument, she hurried to catch up with her loved ones: «So, girls, are we going home? There are still so many things to do!
