O sonho de Judy de abrir uma padaria em homenagem à sua falecida avó parece estar ao seu alcance até que seu marido Bryan faz uma jogada chocante. Usando a herança dela, ele compra para sua mãe um SUV de luxo de Natal. Com sua confiança abalada, Judy enfrenta uma escolha: aceitar a traição ou silenciosamente retomar o controle de sua vida.
Sempre acreditei que Bryan e eu éramos um time. Não éramos perfeitos, mas tínhamos um ritmo, uma cadência compartilhada. As noites trocando sonhos sobre o nosso futuro, as promessas sussurradas sob lençóis surrados. Tudo parecia genuíno.
Um casal conversando na cama | Fonte: Midjourney
“Seus sonhos são meus sonhos, querida”, ele disse uma vez, dedos escovando um cacho perdido atrás da minha orelha. “Nós sempre cresceremos juntos porque é isso que o casamento significa.”
Eu sorri tanto que doeu.
Então, quando minha avó faleceu, eu me agarrei àquela promessa. Perdê-la foi como perder minha bússola. Ela foi minha primeira professora na cozinha, guiando minhas mãos desajeitadas enquanto eu moldava a massa em rolinhos deformados.
Uma menina aprendendo a assar com uma mulher mais velha | Fonte: Pexels
Sua cozinha sempre cheirava a açúcar e aconchego, um lugar onde o amor não era apenas falado — ele era amassado em cada porção de massa.
Eu ficava em pé em um banquinho, dedos cobertos de farinha, enquanto a vovó contava histórias sobre sua infância, sua risada tão leve quanto o açúcar de confeiteiro no balcão. E quando um garoto partia meu coração, ou eu tinha problemas com meus pais, assar com a vovó de alguma forma tornava tudo melhor.
Cozinhar era como ela demonstrava amor, seja pelo tempo que passava comigo ou pelos bolos que fazíamos para presentear os outros. E talvez essa tenha sido a maior coisa que ela me ensinou: o valor de fazer algo com todo o seu coração.
Duas mulheres assando juntas | Fonte: Midjouney
Fiquei arrasada quando a vovó faleceu. Quando a advogada ligou para me contar sobre a herança, parecia que ela ainda estava me guiando, suas mãos nas minhas, moldando algo novo. Parecia um sinal.
“Vou abrir uma padaria”, disse a Bryan naquela noite, ainda um pouco sem fôlego com a ideia.
Seus olhos brilharam. “Sério?”
Um homem com um sorriso encantado | Fonte: Midjourney
“Sim. Sério. Para a vovó. Ela sempre disse que eu era boa o suficiente para fazer isso profissionalmente, e sempre recebo toneladas de comentários quando posto algo que fiz no Facebook. Abrir minha própria padaria parece um passo na direção certa.”
“Claro que sim, vamos lá”, ele disse, já abrindo seu laptop para procurar locais.
Por duas semanas, fomos imparáveis. Toda conversa era sobre fornos, arrendamentos e branding. Ficamos acordados até as 2 da manhã esboçando plantas baixas em guardanapos. Parecia que estávamos contra o mundo.
Um casal sentado junto em sua casa | Fonte: Midjourney
E talvez seja por isso que não pensei duas vezes antes de colocar a herança na nossa conta conjunta. Afinal, era o nosso sonho. Ele jogou mil dólares simbólicos, rindo como se fosse uma piada.
“Agora sou um investidor”, disse ele, estufando o peito.
Eu ri também. Mas não deveria ter rido.
A mudança foi tão lenta que quase perdi. Começou com sua mãe. Diane, autoproclamada matriarca do universo.
Uma mulher mais velha sorrindo em uma sala de estar | Fonte: Midjourney
Ela apareceu sem avisar pouco antes do dia 4 de julho, dizendo que havia sofrido um acidente e que seu carro velho havia sido “dado perda total”.
Bryan e eu ficamos chocados e preocupados, mas Diane estava apenas sendo dramática demais, como sempre. Ela tinha dirigido por uma estrada desconhecida, bateu em um buraco e danificou o eixo do carro. Não foi uma tragédia.
O pagamento do seguro foi o suficiente para comprar outro carro, mas ela não queria um usado. Não, não. Diane queria um novo.
Uma mulher com um olhar triste no rosto | Fonte: Midjourney
“Eu não mereço algo bom depois de tudo que sacrifiquei?” ela perguntou, com os olhos brilhando como se tivesse acabado de sobreviver a algo bíblico.
Bryan engoliu como se fosse verdade absoluta. Eu deveria ter percebido naquela época. Bryan sempre se dobrou para agradar Diane, mesmo quando não fazia sentido. Eu nunca pensei que ele chegaria ao ponto de me trair.
Diane choramingou sobre querer um carro novo por meses. Eu me desliguei depois de um tempo, então fiquei chocado quando nos sentamos na sala de estar de Diane no Natal para trocar presentes.
Presentes de Natal bem embrulhados | Fonte: Pexels
“É isso que eu estou pensando?” Diane engasgou enquanto tirava um molho de chaves do carro da caixa de presente que Bryan lhe dera.
Bryan sorriu. “Um SUV Lexus novinho, só para você, mãe.”
Diane começou a chorar e abraçou Bryan com tanta força que pensei que ele ficaria azul. Fiquei ali sentada, olhando, tentando entender como diabos ele conseguia comprar um carro daqueles para a mãe. Fiquei pensando nisso durante o jantar enquanto uma suspeita dolorosa crescia.
Uma mulher sentada em um sofá com os braços cruzados | Fonte: Midjourney
Mais tarde, eu o confrontei na cozinha enquanto ele arrumava a máquina de lavar louça.
“Bryan”, eu disse lentamente, minha voz tremendo. “Onde você conseguiu dinheiro para dar um presente tão caro para sua mãe?”
Ele olhou para cima como se não tivesse entendido a pergunta. “Eu tirei da nossa conta conjunta.”
Minha raiva transbordou. “Você quer dizer que pegou o dinheiro que herdei da minha avó e gastou para comprar um carro para sua mãe?”
Uma mulher chocada e irritada falando com alguém na cozinha | Fonte: Midjourney
Ele piscou, lento e estúpido. “Não é grande coisa, Judy. Ela precisava.”
Agarrei a borda do balcão com tanta força que meus dedos ficaram brancos. “Ela quase nunca dirige e poderia facilmente ter comprado um SUV de segunda mão por uma fração do preço!”
“Querida, não seja assim. A mamãe nos ajuda o tempo todo, então isso nos beneficia também. Além disso, ela merece algo legal depois de tudo que fez por nós.”
Eu vi tudo vermelho.
Uma mulher furiosa parada em uma cozinha | Fonte: Midjourney
“E o que eu mereço? Esse dinheiro é para minha padaria… você me prometeu…”
Bryan riu. Riu de verdade. “Nós vamos descobrir. É só dinheiro, Judy. A padaria vai ficar bem.”
Eu queria gritar, mas senti algo mais frio que raiva se instalar em meu peito. Era clareza. Clareza nítida e perfeita. Eu o vi como ele realmente era. Um tomador. Um usuário. Toda aquela conversa sobre sonhos compartilhados não significava nada para ele.
Uma mulher tristemente abaixando a cabeça | Fonte: Midjourney
Naquela noite, fiquei deitada na cama olhando para o teto, a respiração de Bryan suave e uniforme ao meu lado. Eu não chorei. Eu não lutei. Eu apenas decidi.
O mês seguinte foi a rebelião mais silenciosa da minha vida. Parei de falar. Não com ele, pelo menos. Minhas palavras foram para o banco, o advogado e o agente de empréstimos. Em todo horário de almoço, eu fazia ligações no meu carro, coletando cada migalha de independência que eu o deixava roubar.
O sonho da padaria não estava morto. Era apenas um objetivo pelo qual eu lutava sozinho agora.
Uma mulher lendo documentos | Fonte: Midjourney
Primeiro, abri uma nova conta bancária e movi meu salário para lá. Parei de deixá-lo ver meus planos. Não houve mais discussões sobre orçamento durante o jantar. O único que sabia era eu.
Eu assisti a cada movimento que ele fez, mas ele nunca viu o meu. Homens como Bryan nunca veem.
Em fevereiro, eu tinha um contrato de locação de uma pequena loja. Não era chique, mas tinha coração. A primeira coisa que pendurei lá dentro foi um dos aventais da vovó.
Eu nem convidei Bryan para a grande inauguração. Ele descobriu como o resto do mundo descobriu — navegando nas redes sociais.
Uma mulher encantada em pé do lado de fora de uma padaria | Fonte: Midjourney
Minha irmã postou uma foto minha na grande inauguração, tesoura na mão, meu sorriso tão grande que mal cabia no meu rosto. Havia flores por todo lugar, enviadas por amigos e antigos colegas de trabalho.
Pessoas que eu não via há anos vieram só para me apoiar. Elas provaram meus scones, e eu pude ver em seus rostos — o amor da vovó continuava vivo.
Eu ainda estava limpando migalhas perdidas quando a porta da frente se abriu. As botas de Bryan bateram no chão como tambores de guerra.
Close up das botas de um homem em um piso de ladrilho | Fonte: Midjourney
“Você agiu pelas minhas costas”, ele gritou, com a respiração curta e irregular.
Empilhei pratos na pia, calmo como uma manhã de domingo. “Você quer dizer que foi atrás do meu?” Eu o encarei completamente, limpando minhas mãos no avental. “Esta padaria é minha, Bryan. Você não tem direito a ela. Aproveite o carro. É a última coisa que você vai conseguir de mim.”
Seu rosto se amassou como papel velho. “Do que você está falando?”
Um homem confuso em uma padaria | Fonte: Midjourney
“Estou falando de consequências”, eu disse, caminhando em sua direção. “Você me usou. Estou farto.”
“Você não pode simplesmente ir embora”, ele rosnou. “Nós somos casados.”
Eu sorri como se tivesse um segredo. Porque eu tinha.
“Não por muito tempo”, eu disse a ele. “Os papéis já estão arquivados.”
Uma mulher assertiva em pé em uma padaria | Fonte: Midjourney
A primavera chegou, e com ela, a paz. Não o silêncio que você se força a acreditar, mas o tipo que cresce dentro de você.
Bryan lutou contra o divórcio como eu sabia que ele faria. Ele lutou com palavras, textos e mensagens de voz tarde da noite me implorando para reconsiderar. Mas eu já fui mole uma vez. Não mais.
Ele tentou fazer os pagamentos do Lexus de Diane, mas algo sobre sua energia de “eu pego isso” não durou. No verão, o caminhão de recuperação o levou da garagem de Diane enquanto ela gritava para o céu.
Uma mulher furiosa sacudindo o punho | Fonte: Midjourney
Eu assisti tudo acontecer de longe, tomando meu café gelado como se fosse um lugar na primeira fila da justiça.
Eu não estava amargurado. Não mais. Amargura é muito pesada para carregar. Eu não tinha espaço para ela.
A padaria prosperou. Os moradores locais voltavam toda semana, e eu sabia os pedidos deles de cor. Contratei dois funcionários de meio período. Nas manhãs calmas, eu me sentava perto da janela com uma xícara de chá, observando as pessoas passarem com minhas caixas nas mãos.
Uma mulher sorrindo perto da janela de uma padaria | Fonte: Midjourney
Certa vez, me peguei enxugando uma lágrima, mas não era de tristeza.
“Vovó”, sussurrei, sorrindo para o céu. “Olhe para mim agora.”
Quando Aaron apareceu parecendo um devaneio ambulante e terminou a noite com uma única rosa vermelha, pensei que tinha conhecido meu príncipe encantado. Mas quando ele me disse por que me deu a rosa, bloqueei seu número e fui embora para sempre.
Este trabalho é inspirado em eventos e pessoas reais, mas foi ficcionalizado para fins criativos. Nomes, personagens e detalhes foram alterados para proteger a privacidade e melhorar a narrativa. Qualquer semelhança com pessoas reais, vivas ou mortas, ou eventos reais é mera coincidência e não intencional do autor.
O autor e a editora não fazem nenhuma reivindicação quanto à precisão dos eventos ou à representação dos personagens e não são responsáveis por nenhuma interpretação errônea. Esta história é fornecida “como está”, e quaisquer opiniões expressas são as dos personagens e não refletem as opiniões do autor ou da editora.
The son was ashamed of his mother, a cleaner, in front of the bride’s family, but at his wedding, she caused a sensation.
Marina watched her son trying on a new suit. Tall, well-built, dark-haired—tomorrow her boy was getting married, and it was hard to believe. Ilya carefully studied his reflection in the mirror. He turned around, nodded in satisfaction, noting that the suit fit perfectly. “Fashionable outfit,” the young man turned to his mother. “And the color is good, it looks expensive.”
“It is expensive,” thought Marina, but aloud she said: “I’m glad you like it. I’ll definitely shed a tear at the wedding as soon as I see you in full dress.”
Ilya finally turned away from the mirror: “Mom, are you going to the wedding or what? We agreed that you wouldn’t be there.”
“We agreed, son? I thought you were joking.”
“What jokes?” The son nervously paced the room. “Did you forget what Vika’s parents are like? The wedding will be full of elites. You’ll feel like a poor relative there. I’ll start worrying about you. Mom, do you want to ruin such an important day for me?”
The son sat down next to Marina on the couch, took her hand, and gently squeezed it: “Mommy, just imagine how out of place you’ll look among those dolled-up ladies. My heart would break from such humiliation. And think about how you’ll feel. We’ll come the day after, okay? Have some tea or champagne. You can congratulate us, give us your gift.”
Marina’s heart clenched with hurt. Her own son was ashamed of her to such an extent that he was prepared to appear at his own wedding like an orphan without kin. “Why would I look out of place?” the mother retorted. “I have an appointment with a good hairdresser, I’ll get my nails done. I’ll wear a decent dress.”
“What decent dress? That blue old thing!” Ilya snapped and paced the room again.
“So that’s it.” He stood in front of his mother. “If you don’t understand the nice way, I’ll tell you straight. I don’t want to see you at the wedding. I may be… but I’m ashamed that my mother is a cleaner. I don’t want you to embarrass me in front of Vika’s relatives. Is that clear?”
Marina was shocked by her son’s confession and could not utter a word. Ilya silently took his backpack, proudly flaunted his suit, and headed for the exit. At the threshold, he stopped: “I’ll say it again, don’t come to the ceremony. No one there will be glad to see you.”
Ilya had left a few hours ago. Twilight had set in, and Marina just sat on the couch in complete stupor. She was so shocked that she couldn’t even cry. Tears came a bit later when the woman turned on the light and pulled an old album with family photos from the dresser. This album contained her entire unembellished life. Memories crashed down on Marina with such force that it was hard to breathe. An old worn photo. There she was, a two-year-old girl with blue eyes, gazing intently into the lens. Her colorful dress clearly second-hand. Beside her, a thin, strange woman with a vacant look and a foolish smile. Even in the poor photo, it was evident that the woman was in high spirits.
Marina was two and a half when her mother lost parental rights and disappeared from her daughter’s life forever. As she grew older, the girl never tried to find her wayward mother. Why bother?
A group photo. Ten-year-old Marina with rebellious golden curls stands in the second row, third from the left. Life in the orphanage was no picnic.
The institution where Marina was raised resembled the troubled shelters from documentary films about the nineties. Cooks were caught stealing food, educators didn’t mince words, and the director turned a blind eye to bullying, uninterested in the methods older children used to maintain discipline.
Three attractive girls in waitress uniforms flirtatiously posed for a photographer on the porch of a building with a crooked sign. After school, Marina didn’t think too much about choosing a profession and quickly got a job as a waitress at a roadside café called “By the Road.” The salary was small, but the tips generously left by customers compensated for this.
Twelve-hour shifts were exhausting, but Marina did not despair. She liked her independent life. Her room in a shared apartment was spacious and bright, and the neighbors, an elderly couple, turned out to be friendly. She had enough money, although not much, and unexpectedly discovered a talent in herself. It turned out that she knew how to dress stylishly on a dime. By buying clothes from second-hands, she remade and altered them into fashionable items. In a summer meadow in the forest, a happy and laughing Marina sat on the grass with a crown of flowers, embraced by a handsome dark-haired guy wearing a similar crown. Many years have passed, but Marina’s heart still skips a beat at the sight of this photo.
She had been working at the café for about a year when she met Maxim. That summer morning, the café was unexpectedly crowded. Marina rushed around the room with a tray, serving impatient customers, and suddenly tripped, spilling tomato juice on a guy by the window. A bright red stain spread across his light shirt. Marina was lost for words, realizing that the shirt was expensive. Before she could recover, Stas, the café administrator, rushed to the table and began fussing, threatening her with dismissal.
“Why worry so much?” the guy smiled, handing Marina the keys to his car. “Don’t worry, I’m going to my parents’ country house. There’s a clean shirt in the car. Could you bring the backpack from the back seat?”
“I’ll bring it, Maxim Nikolaevich,” Stas offered helpfully, snatching the keys. “Otherwise, this chicken might break something in your car too.”
Left alone with the client, Marina finally managed to apologize: “Please forgive me, this is the first time this has happened. I swear, I will compensate you for the damage.”
Maxim replied. “It’s nothing serious.”
Maxim extended his hand. She responded with a handshake and then dared to look at him for the first time.
Stas brought him the backpack and escorted him in order to a back room to change. When he passed by Marina, Stas remarked sarcastically:
“What are you waiting for? Has your shift ended?”
While she was just taking payment from a loving couple, she heard a cheerful voice behind her: “Marina, could you spare me a minute of your attention?”
Maxim, in a fresh blue shirt, was sitting at the same table. “Will you take my order?”
“Of course.”
Serving the attractive visitor, the girl felt awkward. Stas personally escorted the guy to the door, then winked at Marina, “Don’t be upset, I purposely snapped at you, otherwise he might have made you pay for the shirt. It costs more than your salary.”
“How do you know this guy?”
“That’s Max Skvortsov, the mayor’s son. Everyone in town knows him.”
By that evening, Marina was so exhausted from the day’s hustle that she had forgotten about the morning incident. She only desired to get home and collapse into bed.
It was already dark outside. Suddenly, a light foreign car pulled up to the café. On closer inspection, Marina recognized the car. What was the mayor’s son doing here?
Maxim jumped out of the car and headed straight for Marina. He approached and handed her the flowers: “Have you finished work? Sorry, I didn’t know what kind you like, so I chose white roses. But I promise that from now on, I’ll only give you your favorites.”
Marina was completely bewildered.
“I’m actually courting you. Besides, the evening is so lovely, maybe we could go somewhere?”, Max said, laughing.
Everything that was happening seemed like a magical dream. Marina realized that she was ready to go anywhere with him. Yet she quickly came back to reality. She remembered she was dressed in old jeans and a simple t-shirt.
“Thank you, but I’m tired, I can’t today”, Marina said regretfully.
“Then tomorrow?” Max was persistent.
The next day they met, never to part again. It was love at first sight. Maxim was an economics student. He had successfully passed his summer exams, and they started seeing each other every day.
Max introduced Marina to his university friends. Together, they often went swimming and barbecued in the wilderness. It was the brightest, most carefree, and unforgettable time of Marina’s life. She never experienced such happiness again.
Marina and Maxim had already started planning their wedding, but all their dreams about the future collapsed. Maxim’s cousin saw him on the street with some ragamuffin and reported it to daddy-the-mayor. Marina’s life turned into a nightmare.
The Skvortsov family disapproved of their relationship. It was understandable. The only son and a girl from an orphanage. Maxim’s mother called hundreds of times a day, demanding that Marina leave him. Maxim’s cousin came to the cafe and caused a terrible scandal.
Then, neighbors also reported that some people had been asking about Marina for an hour.
“Recently one lady”, confirmed Yakov Ivanovich, a neighbor in the apartment, “offered us good money if we confirmed that you were a drug addict and a prostitute. I threw her out.”
Marina told nothing to her fiancé. She knew that his opportunity for an overseas student exchange was being decided at that moment. Apparently, he was also under pressure, because a worry settled in his eyes. Sometimes he would look tensely at his beloved’s face, but, seeing her gentle smile, he would sigh with relief.
Two weeks before Maxim’s departure, Marina received a phone call.
“This is Nikolai Borisovich, Maxim’s father. You must break up with my son before he leaves. Tell him you have another man. If you ignore my words, you will bitterly regret it.”
The mayor hung up. Marina was ready to give her life for Maxim, how could she possibly give up the man she loved so deeply?
When her beloved flew to London, events began to unfold around Marina that she still remembers as a bad dream. Stas, bribed by the city’s mayor, suddenly accused the waitress of a major shortage, and the girl was arrested.
Marina was in sh0ck by her boss’s vile act. As the case quickly went to court, she had no doubt that the truth would soon come out and these horrible charges would be dismissed.
The trial was like a farce. The lawyer provided by the state barely stayed awake during the proceedings. In contrast, the prosecutor tried his hardest. Every day, Marina hoped that Maxim would appear and save her, but a friend informed her that, according to rumors, the boy was planning to continue his studies in England.
Marina was sentenced to three years. It was only in prison that she learned she was expecting a child.
Marina tried not to think about the time she spent in women’s prison—it was too painful. Overwhelmed by emotions, she quickly turned the page of the family album. The photo showed her dark-haired, gray-eyed little boy. Marina tenderly ran her finger over the image. Her son was so affectionate and clever. Only God knows what it cost her to raise him alone.
After serving a year and a half, Marina was released. Her child had not been taken away. Outside, a myriad of problems awaited her. No one wanted to hire a young woman with a small child, especially one with a criminal record.
Her neighbor Yakov Ivanovich helped get little Ilyushka into daycare, Marina was able to work tirelessly. She worked as a cleaner in a restaurant, cleaned offices in the evenings, worked at a car wash on weekends, and sewed pillowcases and duvet covers at night.
She didn’t look back at the past—why suffer unnecessarily? Once she accidentally met a former friend who told her that the roadside café owner, Stas, had gone bankrupt, Mayor Skvortsov had moved to Moscow with his family after receiving a promotion, and his son had married a beauty from the capital a year ago.
Marina wiped away her tears and went to clean floors at the restaurant. She needed to raise her son.
She always tried to please him with tasty food, expensive toys, fashionable clothes. She was ready to do anything to fulfill all his wishes, as much as possible. If Ilya needed a new gadget, he calmly talked to his mother about it, knowing she would find the necessary amount, or at worst, take on extra work.
Certainly, in that Ilya had grown into such an insensitive egoist, she was to blame too. She never complained to him about being tired, never took sick leave, always gave him the tastiest pieces at dinner. No wonder her son never once considered the price his mother paid for the money. And now he was ashamed of her and didn’t want her, a cleaner, to attend his wedding.
«I understand,» Marina sighed bitterly, then turned to Ilya’s portrait on the wall. «Son, I’ve indulged you for 25 years, but this time I’ll do as I see fit. Forgive me.»
She got out of bed and pulled out a box from the nightstand, where she traditionally kept her savings. Plus, her monthly salary was on the card—enough for an outfit, hairstyle, and a visit to the beautician.
Marina’s appearance at the registry office caused a real stir.
She always looked younger than her years, but after visiting the beauty salon, she seemed to have shed a decade. The guests, especially the men, sneakily glanced at the blonde woman in an exquisite blue dress. During the ceremony, the mother, wiping away tears, admired her serious, slightly bewildered son and his charming bride. It was good that she had come here. After the ceremony, all the guests congratulated the newlyweds. Ilya stealthily made his way through the crowd to his mother and whispered:
«So my request means nothing to you? I hope you’re not going to the restaurant?»
«I won’t,» Marina nodded. «I’ve already seen everything I wanted.»
«Hello!» a flushed Vika rushed up to them. «Marina Anatolyevna, you look stunning! The parents invite you to go to the restaurant with them.»
«Thank you, but it’s time for me to leave.»
«What do you mean, time?» Vika was indignant. «Ilya, what’s happening?»
«Really, Mom, where are you rushing to? It’s your only son’s wedding,» Ilya invited his mother to the restaurant with a forced smile.
When it was time for parents to congratulate the young couple, Marina took the microphone:
«Children, be happy, love each other for a lifetime…»
As she descended from the small stage, the woman nearly bumped into a tall man in an expensive suit.
«It can’t be,» said Maxim, blocking her path. «Marishka, is it really you? What are you doing here?»
«Maxim?» Marina couldn’t believe her eyes.
«The bride’s father is my business partner, he invited me to the wedding. What a handsome son you have.» Maxim, nervously, took Marina’s hand. «Maybe we could step aside, talk by the window? Are you here alone, without a husband? I’ve been divorced for 10 years now, and I don’t have any children.»
They talked for an hour. Maxim told how his father, having flown to him abroad, informed him that Marina had met another guy and moved to Moscow with him. Shocked, Max didn’t believe his father but, fearing to humiliate his beloved with suspicions, decided to first find out the truth from his best friend. The friend went to the roadside café but didn’t find the girl there. The owner and waitresses unanimously confirmed the information received from the father.
«I nearly went mad with grief then, stayed in England for another six months, then returned to Moscow. My dad got promoted, then I got married. Was I happy all these years? Not a minute. Only in my youth with you. But how have you been living all this time?»
«Let’s not talk about sad things,» Marina suggested. «It’s a wedding, after all. I’ll tell you everything later, but now invite me to dance.»
Guests couldn’t take their eyes off the beautiful couple. Ilya watched his mother and didn’t recognize her. He suddenly thought that his mom was a very attractive woman who had given up her personal life for him. For the first time in his life, Ilya felt truly ashamed. Then he noticed that his mother, arm-in-arm with some wealthy man, was heading towards the exit, and caught up with her on the porch.
«Mom, where are you going?»
«I’m leaving. That’s what you wanted,» the mother reminded.
«Mom, I’m sorry, but where are you going with this man?»
«I’m ready to go with him to the ends of the earth,» Marina sincerely confessed. «By the way, meet your father, Maxim.»
Ilya looked bewildered at Marina. She paused and added with a smile:
«Yes, it looks like we have a very long conversation ahead. But not today. Today is a wedding!»
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