“First, she’s getting old, now she’s ill as well! That’s it, I’m filing for divorce!” snapped her husband, slamming the door in irritation. He had no idea just how wrong he was…
Larissa sat at the kitchen table, gripping her phone. The voice on the other end had just dropped such unexpected news that, for a moment, the world around her seemed to vanish. Thoughts raced through her head, but none of them formed a clear plan of action.
What was she supposed to do? The question pounded inside her, but no answers came. She wouldn’t share her troubles with anyone—she’d learned long ago that people rarely celebrate others’ happiness or truly sympathise in hardship. Words could be empty, and what lay in a person’s heart was anyone’s guess.
Once, she could have confided in her parents—they had been her rock. But now they were gone, and Larissa missed them more than ever. Her husband? There was a time she trusted him completely, but lately, she’d noticed him growing distant. More and often, he made sly remarks about age, hinting that autumn had come too soon for her. He’d quote articles about how women age faster than men or casually chide her for “letting herself go.”
But Larissa didn’t see any change in herself. She still got her hair done, gave herself manicures after a bad salon experience, and dressed stylishly. Sure, time had left its mark, but it wasn’t as if *he* was getting any younger. Other couples their age still held hands, laughed together, made plans. Larissa, though, was often left alone—her husband started staying late at work, and she knew full well those “late nights” meant something else.
She didn’t want to trouble their children with her worries. Their daughter had just gotten married and was expecting, and their son was studying in another city. Larissa decided not to burden them. But one thing was clear—she needed to talk to her husband. She had to know if the man she once loved was still in there somewhere.
That evening, she met Oleg as he came home from work, her expression serious.
“Something wrong?” he asked, noticing her look.
“Yes,” Larissa took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. “I’ve been given some bad news about my health. If I need help, will you be there for me?”
Oleg tensed.
“What kind of news?”
“That’s not the point,” she replied. “The point is, *will* you stay if things get hard?”
Her husband exhaled, rubbed his face, and sank into a chair.
“Lara… look, you brought this up yourself. I’ve been meaning to say something for a while now. The truth is, I’m leaving. You started ageing too early, and now this illness… I’m sorry, but I can’t be your caretaker. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me, and this… it’s too much. There’s someone else, anyway. You’ll manage—you always do.”
He stood quickly, went to the bedroom, stuffed some things into a bag.
“I’ll come back for the rest later. Get well. No hard feelings.”
The door slammed, and Larissa was alone. She didn’t cry. Just smiled wearily—*Well, that settles that.*
A few days passed. Larissa sat by the window, thinking about what came next, when the phone rang—her son’s number flashed on the screen.
“Mum, you home?” Theo asked cheerfully.
“Yes, of course. When are you visiting?”
“That’s the surprise! I’ve been assigned an internship back here! Can you believe it?”
Larissa laughed.
“Now *that’s* a gift!”
For the first time in ages, she felt something like relief.
A week later, Theo was home. That same evening, Larissa decided to talk to him.
“Theo, there’s something you should know…” she began. “A solicitor called me. Turns out, the people I thought were my parents—they weren’t my birth parents. My real mother left me as a baby and moved abroad with some wealthy man. She became a widow recently, hired a detective to find me… but she died in a plane crash before we could meet. Now, I’m being asked to claim an inheritance.”
Theo whistled.
“Blimey! And you’re not sure?”
“No. How do I feel about this? She abandoned me—now I’m supposed to take her money?”
“Mum, if you don’t, it’ll go God knows where. This way, you’d be set for life.”
“You’re right. But I don’t even know where to start. I don’t speak the language, I’ve no passport…”
“We’ll figure it out,” Theo said firmly. “I’ll find us a solicitor who can help.”
Days later, Larissa stood at the steps of a plane in a foreign country. Beside her was William, a seasoned solicitor who knew every detail of the case. He wasn’t just professional—he was surprisingly good company.
“Larissa, I’ll be honest—I hesitated before taking this job. But something told me meeting you would matter,” he admitted.
She smiled.
They handled the paperwork, but selling the property took time. William showed her the city, took her to landmarks. Slowly, Larissa realised something—for the first time in years, she felt… happy.
When everything was settled, William walked her to the airport.
“Larissa, I’ll miss you when you’re gone. It’s rare to meet someone so easy to talk to.”
“Then come visit,” she said softly.
“Count on it,” he replied, grinning.
Back home, Larissa divided the money fairly—bought Theo a flat, set up a trust for her daughter, and put the rest in savings.
She never thought of Oleg again—until the day he called. He stood on her doorstep, unshaven and reeking of drink.
“Lara… take me back,” he slurred.
“Go away.”
“Who else would want you?” he scoffed.
Just then, the lift doors opened, and William stepped out.
“Good evening, Larissa,” he said, handing her flowers.
Oleg paled.
“Leave,” Larissa repeated. “We’ve nothing left to say.”
She shut the door.
Two years passed. Larissa became a grandmother. William proposed, and she said yes.
Then one day, a call came from the hospital—Oleg had suffered a stroke. He was asking for them.
Larissa gathered the children.
“Mum, I wouldn’t go,” Theo muttered.
“Sweetheart, part of being human is knowing how to forgive.”
They went.
In the hospital bed lay a frail, aged Oleg.
“Forgive me…” he whispered.
Larissa shook her head.
“I’ll arrange a carer. Don’t expect more.”
That evening, she sat in the garden. William took her hand.
“Regret it?”
“No. Without him, I’d never have known what real happiness was.”
She looked at him and smiled.
