The week flew by. They swam, sunbathed, went on excursions, ate seafood at good restaurants, and spent warm nights in their hotel rooms. Andrey almost stopped thinking about home and what awaited him when he returned. Almost.
On the day of departure, Vika hugged him at the airport.
“Don’t forget your promise,” she said softly, caressing his lips. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”
“I remember,” Andrey murmured, reluctantly walking away. “I’ll call her as soon as I speak to her.”
They were on separate flights, so such precautions seemed appropriate.
For illustrative purposes only.
On the plane, Andrey ordered whiskey and thought about what he would say to his wife. After ten years of marriage, their relationship had become almost like a stranger’s.
Late that night, a taxi pulled up near his apartment. After paying the driver, Andrey stood frozen for a few moments, staring out the windows. The living room light was on. Marina wasn’t asleep. He took a deep breath and went to the entrance.
The door opened silently. She left her suitcase in the hallway and listened. Soft music and voices were coming from the living room. “The TV,” she thought, took off her shoes, and walked toward the sound.
What he saw left him paralyzed. In the middle of the room was a festive table with champagne and a cake decorated with a candle in the shape of a “10”.
Marina was sitting on the sofa, but she wasn’t alone. Next to her was a tall, blond man whom Andrey had never seen before. They were laughing, and the stranger had his hand on her shoulder.
“What… what’s going on here?” Andrey asked hoarsely, taking a step toward the room.
Marina shuddered and turned around, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Andrei? You’re back already?” He looked at his watch. “We weren’t expecting you for another two hours.”
“Us?” Andrei looked at his wife, then at the stranger, then back again. “Who is it?”
The blond man got up from the sofa and extended his hand with a smile.
– Alexey. Nice to meet you.
Andrey ignored his hand.
—Marina, what’s wrong? What kind of vacation is this?
“Have you forgotten?” Marina seemed genuinely surprised. “Today marks ten years since our wedding.”
Andrey felt like the ground was giving way beneath him. It was his wedding anniversary. He’d completely forgotten. Worse still, he’d spent the week with another woman plotting how to file for divorce.
For illustrative purposes only
“And you decided to celebrate with… with this?” He nodded to Alexey, who was still smiling calmly.
“Don’t worry,” Alexey said, returning to the sofa. “I’m only here for work.”
“To work?” Andrei clenched his fists. “At my house? At night? With champagne?”
“He’s an interior designer,” Marina explained calmly. “I decided to do some renovations while you were gone. It’s an anniversary surprise.”
“In one room? In one week?” Andrey asked incredulously.
“Not just in the living room,” Marina said, standing up and gesturing for her to follow. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest.”
As if through a fog, Andrey followed his wife. Their bedroom had been transformed as much as the living room: new wallpaper, a bed, lamps, pictures on the walls.
“This…” I couldn’t find the words.
“Do you like it?” Marina asked hopefully. “I’ve wanted to change something for a long time. I thought that, while you’re at your ‘conference,’ it was about time.”
Andrey noticed how she emphasized the word “conference” and cringed inside.
“Very… unexpected,” he finally said.
“That’s not all,” Marina said, opening the door to the next room, which used to be her office.
Andrey froze in the doorway. The space had been completely transformed into a child’s room, with blue walls, a small crib, and toys.
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