Lina stood by the window, mindlessly watching the European snow fall. The phone conversation with her husband was coming to an end-an ordinary, unremarkable call, like many others in the fifteen years of their marriage. Lucas was reporting on a “business trip” to Berlin: everything was fine, the meetings were going well, and he would be back in three days.
“Okay, darling, I’ll talk to you later,” Lina took the phone away from her ear, about to press the red button, but something stopped her. A woman’s voice, melodic and young, spoke clearly on the other end: “Lucas, are you coming? I’ve already run the bath…”
Lina’s hand froze. Her heart stopped for a moment, and then beat so furiously that it seemed to be heard throughout the room. She pressed the phone back to her ear, but heard only short beeps – the man had managed to hang up.
Lina slowly sank into the chair, feeling her legs give out. Fragments of thoughts were spinning in her head: “Lucas… Bath… What kind of bath on a business trip?” Her memory treacherously threw up the strangeness of the last few months: the frequent trips, the late calls Lucas took on the balcony, the new perfume that had appeared in his car.
Her hands trembled as she opened her laptop. It wasn’t hard to log into his email – she knew the password long ago, from the days when they had trust and honesty. Tickets, hotel reservations… A honeymoon suite at a five-star hotel in the center of Berlin. For two.
There was also correspondence in the mail. Christina. Twenty-six years old, a fitness trainer. “Darling, I can’t take it anymore. You promised me you would get a divorce three months ago. How long can I wait?”
Lina felt nauseous. Her first date with Lucas flashed before her eyes-he was a simple manager then, she was a young accountant. They had been saving for their wedding for over a year, living in a rented apartment. Together they rejoiced in their first successes and supported each other in their failures. And now he is a successful commercial director, she is the chief accountant in the same company, and there is a gap between them fifteen years long and twenty-six years wide, like a Christina.
In the hotel room, Lucas was pacing nervously from corner to corner.
“Why did you do this?” his voice was shaking with rage.
Christina was lying on the bed, carelessly throwing on a silk robe. Her long blond hair was scattered on the pillow.
“What’s the big deal?” she stretched like a well-fed cat, ”You said you were going to divorce her.”
“I’ll decide when and how to do it myself! Do you realize what you’ve done? Lina is not stupid, she understands!”
“Good!” Kristina sat up abruptly on the bed, ”I’m tired of being a mistress who is hidden in hotels. I want to go out to restaurants with you, meet your friends, be your wife, in the end!”
“You’re acting like a child,” Lucas said.
“And you’re like a coward!” she jumped up and walked over to him. ”Look at me! I’m young, beautiful, I can give you children. And what can she do? Count your money?”
Lucas grabbed her by the shoulders: “Don’t you dare talk about Lina like that! You don’t know anything about her, about us!”
“I know enough,” Kristina snapped, ”I know that you’re unhappy with her. That she’s bogged down in work and home life. When was the last time you made love? Did you go on vacation together?”
Lucas turned to the window. Somewhere in the snowy city, in his and Lina’s apartment, everything was falling apart. Fifteen years of their lives were crumbling like a house of cards because of one phrase from a wayward girl.
Lina sat in the kitchen, listening to the wall clock ticking. The night seemed endless, even though it was about to dawn. Her thoughts revolved around one thing: what to do next? Outwardly, everything was calm, but inside, emotions were raging-pain, betrayal, rage, and at the same time emptiness.
The phone rang again. It was Lucas. She put it down, not going to answer it. This time, however, a message came through:
“Lina, we have to talk. It’s important. I’ll explain everything.”
She huffed, gritting her teeth. “Explain? What do you want to explain? That a young mistress seemed better to you than the woman you’ve lived with all your adult life?” She put the phone on the table as if it had burned her hands.
But suddenly another thought cut through her mind: why not talk? Isn’t it time to set the record straight? She walked to the window, looking out at the snow that covered the city with a white blanket. Something about this peacefulness reminded her of her own past-how she had built this marriage, believing that Lucas would be her rock. And now it all seemed like an illusion.
Lina turned around and dialed her husband. She decided to let him talk. She would listen, but she would decide for herself. The phone rang for a long time, and finally Lucas answered:
– “Lina, thank you for calling. I’m so sorry… I don’t know how this happened.
His voice sounded dejected, but it didn’t make her sympathize. Lina sat up straight, her voice cold:
– “Are you in Berlin now?
– Yes, but I want to come. We have to talk, he begged.
– Talk now, Lucas. You owe me this.
There was a long pause. Finally, Lucas confessed. Yes, he had been dating Kristina. Yes, it lasted for almost six months. But he swore that it was only because he felt tired and unhappy in his marriage. He was sure that his love for Lina had already faded.
– “Love?” Lina laughed bitterly, “is that your excuse? We’ve been through so much together, Lucas. We’ve built everything from scratch, and this is how you decide to ‘seek happiness’?
He remained silent. She continued:
– “You didn’t even try to talk to me, to tell me that something was wrong. Instead, you just went to someone else.
– “I made a mistake, Lina,” he finally breathed out, “I want to fix it.
– Are you sure? What will Kristina say? Will she accept being just your ‘mistake’ too?” her voice sounded sarcastic, but there were tears in her eyes.
Lucas begged her to give him a chance, convinced her that he would break up with Kristina. But Lina no longer believed a word he said.
– “You’ve already made your choice, Lucas. And now I will make mine,” she said coldly and turned off the phone.
She sat there for a long time, holding her head in her hands. Tears finally broke through, relieving her soul. But with every passing minute, it became clearer that she would not let this betrayal ruin her life.
The next morning, Lina went to see a lawyer. She decided to get a divorce. It was a difficult decision, but she realized that to continue this marriage would be to betray herself. She deserved better.
A few months later, Lina stood in the same place by the window. But now her gaze was not empty. She was looking at the new beginning that awaited her life. She moved into a small but cozy apartment. She started attending the design courses she had been dreaming about for years and finally felt free.
One day she received a message from Lucas. He wrote that he was sorry for what he had done. But Lina didn’t answer anymore. Her new life had begun, and she wasn’t going to look back.
The snow outside the window slowly melted, just like the old wounds. Lina knew that the future is something she creates herself.
