– Get off me!” Alice shouted at Kate, who was crying next to her. “He doesn’t love you anymore, okay? Arrange your life as you can, but don’t bother me!
– But we have a child, and he’s my husband! Alice, you can’t build happiness on someone else’s misfortune!
– Oh, oh, oh! Comfort is for the weak and offended! – parried the happy rival. – And you remember: “It is immoral to live without love! And Kyle is leaving not from his son, but from you. And I do not object to his meetings with his son and alimony – do not whine!”
And Alice clicked her heels to the entrance of the business center.
In the evening of the same day, Kyle hurriedly packed his things and went to Alice’s house to get it over with as soon as possible. Kate cried, begged him to stay, said that she could not live without Kyle… She tried to find out why she was worse than Alice, to which she received a clear answer: “I can’t live with you anymore! It’s boring! My life has just begun with Alisa!”
Several months passed in depression and tears, and Kate felt that life goes on. Her son is growing up, she is young and beautiful. In addition to the experience of a professional housewife, she has a good legal education.
After going on interviews, she found a job in a small consulting firm with a good reputation. The director of the firm Michael immediately took a liking to the candidate. He was impressed by her decent education, focus on work and the fact that her still young mother was ready to be with her son Kate as long as necessary.
Kate gave up on her personal life and focused only on her career. In three years she became the head of the department, and in five years – the deputy director.
The only man with whom Kate spent a lot of time, as they had a lot of common business, was her boss Michael. A smart, well-mannered and handsome man, Kate liked him. But, since he, unlike Kate, was a family man, a relationship closer than friendship was excluded for Kate…
The same could not be said about Michael… And one day, after several years of working together, he told Kate directly that he loved her and was ready to leave his wife and marry her. At least now. Especially since his wife did not give birth to children.
The pain experienced from the divorce with her husband became a very big obstacle for Kate on the way to happiness. She remembered very well what she said to the divorcee five years ago: “You can’t build happiness on someone else’s misfortune!”
But Michael was not going to give up on love, and as Kate did not avoid it, their relationship ceased to be purely friendly.
Michael could not explain to his beloved woman that the relationship with his wife had reached a dead end, that the wedding was a mistake and that his coldness and indifference only tormented his wife, and it was high time to untie this knot…
Kate was adamant… Hearing the steely notes in Michael’s voice during his phone conversations with his wife, she imagined very well what she was saying and what she felt at that time… And she could not dare to take Michael away from this woman
Kate knew that the meeting with Michael’s wife was inevitable and was afraid of it. And, indeed, one day, when she got out of the car, she saw a woman walking rapidly towards her. By the desperate swiftness she realized that it was Michael’s wife.
Coming closer, the woman stopped abruptly. As they say, she was stunned…
– Is it you?! – she barely said.
– Kate whispered. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Kate also stood as if struck by thunder… It was Alice!
The conversation continued in the nearest cafe…
Alice was fervently convincing Kate that yes, Kate was right a thousand times over that she was building on someone else’s misfortune… etc.
– But, Alice, – Kate tried to object, – remember what you told me… It seems that this is a weak consolation for the poor and worthless… And that it is immoral to live without love!
– Yes, Kate, I’m stupid, I’ve never understood anything in life. You were right, everything comes back like a boomerang! But don’t take him away from me – I never loved anyone like Michael! Because of him I divorced your husband! I can’t live without him! You went through this hell yourself, and you, like no one else, should understand me! Besides, you know that evil returns to the one who did it. And you have a child, think!
– Shut up!” Kate shouted at Alice and abruptly got up from the table.
Kate really did not want to become an instrument of retribution and step over her rival, even if it was Alice. And only good law practice helped Michael to convince her that she had the right to be happy.
– “Kate, – said Michael, – if I stay with Alice, three people will be unhappy: me, you and Alice. Nothing will change, I do not love her, and I have never loved her – she was just very persistent… I will leave Alice anyway. And why should we part then?
Thinking about it, Kate realized that if Michael stayed with Alice, he would feel bad. If he stays with her, it will be bad for Alice… So from the two “bad” she decided to choose the one that will not bring misfortune to her loved one
