— Free my apartment! — demanded by a husband. — I found another one, and you’re old and I don’t need her anymore.
Tatyana called her husband several times, but he did not answer. She was worried, because he should have returned home a long time ago. During three and a half years of marriage, he didn’t allow himself to do this: if he returned late for some reason, he always called and warned. The silence was driving me insane. Did something bad happen? What the woman failed to think of. She called a colleague, with whom Andrei communicated well, but he replied that he left work on time, and where he was headed — he didn’t report.
— Kinda was going home. I don’t even know. He felt normal, nothing should have happened. Maybe you ran into one of your old acquaintances, talked and didn’t notice how time flies? Stuff of things can happen. Don’t waste time on yourself. Andrew is a strong man. Nobody can hurt him. She’s driving carefully. I’ll be back home, before I know it.
Tatyana thanked Nikolai, dropped the call and began to call Andrei’s best friend, Denis. From time to time they met at the bar to relax after a hard work week. Denis was at home at that time and said that he knew nothing, and had not contacted Andrei for several days.
The excitement is building up. The clock has long passed midnight, and there was not a single word from my husband. No matter how well and carefully he drove the car, it wasn’t all up to him. On the road, we met various leeches… someone may have just lost control.
Tatyana repeatedly dialed her husband’s number, but he did not answer. She got all out and was about to call the hospitals when she heard the key crack in the keyhole. Jumping into the corridor, the woman looked at Andrei with anxiety. He seemed to look normal, but he swayed slightly. Have you seen anyone after all?
— Why didn’t you even say you were going to be late? And he ignored my calls? I’ve lost my mind. Already called your close friends… — could not help Tatyana.
I didn’t want to make her husband feel guilty, but she was so worried, and he looked as if nothing unusual had happened.
— Did I ask you to bother my friends? She made something up for herself, and began to suffer nonsense herself. It’s okay with me. I’m not obliged to report to you every time I plan to rest. Did you feel me?
Tatyana is off the hook. Previously, her husband did not raise his voice at her, but now he screamed, as if she had come home later and made him worried.
— What happened? You are not your own!
— This certainly doesn’t concern you. How tired I am of your concern. I’m not a little kid to run after with a bib, and you are not my mother to control my every step. Let that sink in already. A wife should meet her husband beautiful and with a delicious dinner, not with outrage. You shouldn’t be worried about who I hang out with.
It was a shame to hear such words. Tatyana loved her husband, was worried about him. She never wanted to turn worry into such an unbearable burden and to annoy a dear person, but she also could not stay silently on the side. She is also human, she had her own feelings. Did the husband not understand this at all? Didn’t he really care that her head had a lot of gray hairs in this situation?
— I’m sorry. If you find my behavior intrusive, I’ll try to keep it together, but in the meantime I’ve got so much on my mind.
— The thing is that you have too rich imagination, but here’s the problem, my dear: you will never figure out the truth anyway, and I will tell you. Tired of portraying the perfect relationship. Over the years that we have been together, you’ve drunk all the blood out of me. I can’t stand you anymore. Free my apartment! I found another one and you’re old and I don’t need you anymore.
— S-old ? — questioned Tatyana. — Found another one?
It was extremely difficult to believe what we heard. How can this even be? Tatiana was only twenty-five. And is this an old one ? Did the husband really find himself a younger girl? He has already turned thirty-two, he was seven years older than his wife, but the difference in age and certain interests never bothered her. Tatyana loved Andrew. Now I didn’t know why I fell in love with him at all. Of course, a man’s good appearance, a pumped body and his perfect manners played a role, but it certainly wasn’t them. Tatyana fell in love at the moment when he didn’t let her fall, catching her in his tight arms.
The past flashed before your eyes in seconds. Tatyana went to a concert of a famous band. She didn’t really want to go there, but her sister bought the tickets, and since she was busy that day herself, she gave them to Tatyana. Tanya went with a friend, but they somehow got separated in the crowd. Trying to find Larisa, Tatyana sneaked closer to the stage. At that moment, someone forcefully pushed her, and the girl almost collapsed into an angry crowd, who wouldn’t even notice her, trampled her, with no remorse… Andrei was nearby and caught her in time. He squeezed to himself, like in those movies where they focus on the rescuer and almost draw nimbus over his head. Smiling at her, he asked if everything was alright, and then asked for her phone number.
Tatyana fell in love with the image she created for herself. She was sure that her husband met her expectations. He behaved like a true positive character who had descended from the pages of books. He never gave him a reason to be jealous of him or to suspect his infidelity. The woman thought she was very lucky. She didn’t know why she got such a perfect chance at a strong family, but now everything fell apart. And it has flown to shreds.
Difficult to breathe, Tatyana looked at her husband and tried to understand if he was telling the truth. However, Andrei looked unmistakable. And there was no hint of a joke in his eyes.
— This is… F- really ? — the woman asked with a broken voice. — Aren’t you kidding right now? Have you found another woman and want a divorce?… Continuation below in the first comment
Tatiana called her husband several times, but he did not answer. She was worried, because he should have been home long ago. In three and a half years of marriage, he had never done anything like this: if he was going to be late for some reason, he always called and let her know. The silence was driving her mad. Had something bad happened? The woman had imagined every possible scenario. She called a colleague with whom Andrei got along well, but he said that Andrei had left work on time, and where he had gone after that was anyone’s guess.
“He seemed to be heading home. I really don’t know. He felt fine, nothing should have happened. Maybe he ran into some old friends, got caught up talking, and didn’t notice how time was flying? These things happen. Don’t work yourself up too soon. Andrei is a strong man. No one’s going to hurt him. He drives carefully. He’ll be home before you know it.”
Tatiana thanked Nikolai, hung up, and started calling Andrei’s best friend, Denis. From time to time they would meet at a bar to unwind after a hard workweek. Denis was at home and said he knew nothing, and that he had not spoken to Andrei for several days.
Her anxiety kept growing. It was already well past midnight, and there had still been no word from her husband. No matter how well and carefully he drove, not everything depended on him. There were all kinds of reckless drivers on the road… someone could easily lose control.
Tatiana kept dialing her husband’s number again and again, but he did not answer. She was beside herself and had already decided to start calling hospitals when she heard the scrape of a key in the lock. Rushing into the hallway, the woman looked at Andrei with concern. He seemed normal enough, but he swayed slightly. So he had met up with someone after all?
“Why didn’t you at least tell me you’d be late? And why were you ignoring my calls? I was going out of my mind. I already called your close friends…” Tatiana could not hold back.
She did not want to make her husband feel guilty, but she had been so worried, and he looked at her as if nothing unusual had happened.
“Did I ask you to bother my friends? You made things up in your head and worked yourself into a state over nonsense. I’m fine. I’m not obligated to report to you every time I decide to relax. Do you understand me?”
Tatiana recoiled. Her husband had never raised his voice at her before, but now he was shouting as if she were the one who had come home late and made him worry.
“What happened? You’re not yourself!”
“That’s none of your business. I’m so tired of your забота. I’m not a little child you need to run after with a bib, and you’re not my mother, so stop trying to control my every step. Get that through your head already. A wife should greet her husband looking beautiful and with a delicious dinner, not with complaints. It shouldn’t concern you at all who I spend my time with.”
It hurt to hear words like that. Tatiana loved her husband and worried about him. She had never wanted her care to turn into such an unbearable burden or annoy the person she loved so dearly, but she could not simply stay silent and keep her distance. She was a human being too. She had feelings of her own. Did her husband really not understand that? Did he really not care that situations like this were turning her hair gray?
“I’m sorry. If my behavior seemed intrusive to you, I’ll try to keep myself under control, but during all this time I imagined so many things.”
“That’s exactly the problem — you have too vivid an imagination. But here’s the thing, my dear: you still would never have guessed the truth, so I’ll tell you. I’m tired of pretending we have the perfect relationship. Over these years we’ve been together, you’ve sucked all the blood out of me. I don’t have the strength to tolerate you anymore. Get out of my apartment! I found someone else, and you’re old — I don’t need you anymore.”
“O-old?” Tatiana repeated. “You found someone else?”
It was almost impossible to believe what she had just heard. How could this even be happening? Tatiana was only twenty-five. And that was old? Had her husband really found himself a younger girl? He was already thirty-two, seven years older than his wife, but the age gap and their different interests had never bothered her. Tatiana loved Andrei. She no longer even knew why she had fallen in love with him in the first place. Of course, his handsome appearance, athletic body, and impeccable manners had played their part, but that was not the real reason. Tatiana had fallen in love with him the moment he caught her and kept her from falling into his strong arms.
The past flashed before her eyes in seconds. Tatiana had gone to a concert by a famous band. She had not especially wanted to go, but her sister had bought the tickets and, since she became busy that day, gave them to Tatiana instead. Tanya went with a friend, but they somehow got separated in the crowd. Trying to find Larisa, Tatiana pushed her way closer to the stage. At that moment someone shoved her hard, and the girl almost fell into the overheated crowd, which would not even have noticed her and would have trampled her without a second thought… Andrei happened to be nearby and caught her just in time. He held her close, like in those films where the rescuer is made the center of attention and they practically paint a halo over his head. Smiling at her, he asked if she was all right and then asked for her phone number.
Tatiana had fallen in love with an image she had invented herself. She had been sure that her husband matched her ideal. He behaved like a true noble hero stepped straight out of the pages of a book. He had never given her any reason to be jealous or suspect him of being unfaithful. The woman thought she had been incredibly lucky. She did not know what she had done to deserve such a perfect chance at a strong family, but now it had all collapsed. Shattered into pieces.
Breathing heavily, Tatiana stared at her husband and tried to understand whether he was telling the truth. But Andrei looked completely calm. There was not even a hint of a joke in his eyes.
“Is this… r-really true?” the woman asked in a broken voice. “You’re not joking right now? You found someone else and you want a divorce?”
“That’s exactly right. She’s nineteen. Fresh and beautiful. That’s what my wife should be like. At twenty-five you look forty. I don’t even know what I ever saw in you. Or maybe you just changed, or drove yourself crazy with all your забота? In any case, the decision has already been made. I don’t plan on backing down from it. Let it all end here and now.”
“This is wrong,” Tatiana shook her head. “What about our love? You said you loved me! Why didn’t you tell me earlier if there was something about me that no longer suited you? I would have changed.”
There was a ringing in her ears. Her head was spinning, and such a powerful weakness rolled over her from the flood of emotions that it was hard just to stay on her feet. Could it really end right now? Tatiana had not yet fully grasped it all, had not yet truly absorbed her husband’s words. They were so cruel, filled with poisonous venom. He had found someone else, which meant he had not been faithful to her. An unwanted tear still slid down her cheek. She did not want to cry in front of him, but… what else could she do? What was she supposed to do now? How was she supposed to live in a world where he was no longer in it?
“I don’t owe you any explanations. Love is gone, the tomatoes have wilted… what else do they say? Anyway… I’m tired and I want to sleep. I’m giving you a couple of days to get out of my apartment. You should understand perfectly well that you won’t get anything in the divorce.”
Andrei spoke as if Tatiana had married him only to get part of his property in the divorce. She had never laid claim to his things, had never even thought of taking anything from him. All the woman had wanted was to love and be loved, but now all those dreams had been scattered to the wind.
She could not listen to any more of the nonsense her husband was spewing, so she took a blanket and a pillow and went to sleep on the sofa in the living room. She did not want to see Andrei after all the insulting words he had thrown at her. The pain spread through her chest, dragging her down and poisoning everything inside. Tatiana could not fall asleep because tears streamed from her eyes and her heart was breaking into pieces. Her husband had simply cast her out of his life like something useless and worn out. He had discarded her and found someone else. No doubt the girl had fallen for his handsome looks, strength, and ability to charm, but… was she really planning to seriously tie her life to a man with such an age difference? Andrei was no millionaire. He had a modest two-room apartment in a residential neighborhood, which his mother had helped him buy, and a car purchased on credit. He was not rich, earned an average salary, and would not be able to shower his young lover with expensive gifts. Tatiana had loved Andrei. He probably thought all girls fell for a pretty wrapper. But whether the one he intended to replace his wife with would actually love him was a big question.
The next day Andrei left early on business. Tatiana was even glad, because it gave her time to pack in peace and quiet. She felt emptied out, and all she wanted was to get away as quickly as possible so she would no longer have to face the icy indifference in his eyes or hear words that could do more than wound — they could kill from the inside.
After packing everything she needed, Tatiana called a taxi and went to her parents’ house. She told them she was going to divorce her husband, but she did not say how deeply the man’s words had hurt her. She did not want to upset her parents. Tanya decided she would deal with her pain and heartbreak on her own. Only to her older sister did she tell what had really happened, and she asked her not to worry.
“I’ll manage. Nothing terrible happened. We’ll get divorced, and that’s that,” Tatiana whispered, accepting the fact that her husband had betrayed her. She simply could not forgive him now. Even if he were to come to his senses and realize his mistakes.
Andrei waited impatiently for the divorce. As soon as Tatiana moved out, he hurried to bring his new lover into the home. Kristina was happy to escape her parents’ control and begin living with a man she found attractive, but she had no intention of marrying him or staying by his side for long. The girl decided that as soon as she was firmly on her feet, she would run away, because setting up a household and taking care of a man was not for her.
A year and a half passed. Tatiana met a new love. She did not rush into marriage and for the time being simply dated Pavel, trying from the start to see what kind of person he was, accepting not only his good qualities but also his flaws. Tatiana had learned that perfect people did not exist, and attempts to put someone on a pedestal usually ended very badly. One had to look at things soberly and realize that the person beside you was a living human being, not an image woven from fantasies.
Andrei’s call came completely unexpectedly. The man was clearly not sober, because his words were hard to make out through his slurred speech. He complained that Kristina had cleaned him out and run away, that all this time he had suffered because he had realized what it was like to live without a caring and loving wife. The man regretted divorcing Tatiana, tried to persuade her to come back, promised her the moon and stars — he would fetch a star from the sky if that was what it took — but… her heart was already taken, and she had long since gone cold toward her ex-husband. Andrei kept trying to convince Tatiana to listen to him and give him one more chance, but he had realized his mistakes too late and now had no choice but to retreat.
