Andrey was not the best liar. While packing his suitcase in the bedroom, he tried to avoid the gaze of Marina, the woman he had lived with for almost ten years.
— A conference, the whole week — said Marina, leaning against the doorframe. — And of course in Sochi, exactly when everyone else is on vacation.
— Well, yes — muttered Andrey, hiding his swimming trunks under a pile of shirts. — The company covers all expenses, it would be strange to refuse.
— Your colleague Vika is going too? — there was no question in Marina’s voice, just a tired statement.
Andrey hesitated for a moment, then continued packing as if nothing had happened.
— Yes. She’s in charge of the presentation. Work is work.
— Of course — replied Marina, crossing her arms over her chest. — Just like at the company party last year, when you were “working” until four in the morning.
— You’re starting again? — Andrey slammed the suitcase shut. — I explained everything back then. It was an important project.
— A project for which she told you to delete all the messages from your phone?
Andrey put the bag on the bed and finally looked his wife in the eye.
— I’m not going to discuss this. The plane leaves in three hours.
— Give my regards to your “colleague” — said Marina, stepping away from the doorframe to let him through. — Have a nice rest.
Andrey mumbled something under his breath and hurried to the door.
Marina stood alone for a long time in the middle of the bedroom, looking at the family photo on the nightstand. Then she firmly took her phone and started searching for the number of someone who might help her.
Mid-June in Sochi: the water pleasantly warm, the waves gentle.
Andrey lay under an umbrella, watching Vika swim in the sea. Her tanned body shimmered in the sunlight and drew the attention of tourists.
— Come here! — she called, waving her hand. — The water is simply wonderful!
— What are you thinking about? — asked Vika, swimming closer and wrapping her arms around his neck.
— And don’t say about work.
— No, it’s just… I forgot to send the report before leaving.
— Liar — Vika smiled and gently kissed him on the cheek. — You’re thinking about your wife, aren’t you?
Andrey frowned.
— We agreed not to bring that subject up here.
— All right, all right — Vika calmed down. — Maybe we should swim to the buoy?
In the evening they had dinner in a restaurant overlooking the sea. Vika wore a new dress she had bought the day before in the boutiques along the promenade. Andrey watched how the setting sun gilded her skin and thought she was beautiful. But something still troubled him.
— Shall we go to the mountains tomorrow? — asked Vika, sipping wine. — I want to take nice photos for social media.
— Of course — Andrey nodded. — We’ll also buy a few souvenirs.
— Does Marina like souvenirs? — Vika asked childishly.
Andrey winced.
— I asked you not to start that subject.
— Sorry — said Vika, placing her hand on his. — But sooner or later you’ll have to solve this situation. We can’t hide forever.
— I know — Andrey replied gloomily. — After the vacation I’ll talk to her.
— Really? — Vika’s eyes sparkled with hope. — Promise.
— I promise.
The week passed quickly. They swam, sunbathed, went on trips, ate seafood in good restaurants. Andrey almost stopped thinking about home and what awaited him there. Almost.
On the day of departure, Vika hugged him at the airport.
— Don’t forget your promise — she said softly, touching his lips. — I’m waiting for your call.
— I know — muttered Andrey, pulling away from her with difficulty. — I’ll call as soon as I talk to her.
They bought tickets for different flights — a precaution. On the plane Andrey ordered whiskey and wondered what he would say to his wife.
After ten years of marriage, their relationship resembled that of strangers.
Late in the evening the taxi stopped by his apartment. After paying, Andrey froze for a moment, looking through the windows. The light in the living room was on. Marina was not asleep.
He sighed deeply and walked to the door. The door opened silently. He left his suitcase in the hallway and listened. From the living room came quiet music and voices.
“Television,” he thought, taking off his shoes and heading inside.
What he saw made him freeze in place.
In the center of the living room stood a festively set table with champagne and a cake decorated with a candle in the shape of the number “10.”
Marina was sitting on the couch — but not alone. Next to her stood a tall blond man whom Andrey had never seen before. They were laughing, and the stranger’s hand rested on Marina’s shoulder.
— What… what’s going on here? — asked Andrey hoarsely, stepping toward the room.
Marina flinched and turned to him.
— Andrey? You’re back already? — she looked at the clock in surprise. — We expected you only in two hours.
— We? — Andrey looked from his wife to the stranger.
The blond man stood up and, smiling, extended his hand.
— Alexey. Nice to meet you.
Andrey ignored the offered hand.
— Marina, what’s going on? What kind of celebration is this?
— You forgot? — Marina looked surprised. — Today is our tenth wedding anniversary.
Andrey felt the ground slip from under his feet. He had completely forgotten — and worse, he had spent the week with another woman, planning a divorce.
— And you decided to celebrate it with… with him? — he nodded toward Alexey, who kept smiling calmly.
— Oh, don’t worry — said Alexey, sitting back down on the couch. — I’m only here for professional reasons.
— Professional reasons? — Andrey’s fists clenched. — In my house? In the evening? With champagne?
— He’s an interior designer — Marina explained calmly. — I wanted to renovate while you were away. It’s an anniversary surprise.
— In one room? For a week? — Andrey asked in disbelief.
— Not just in the living room — Marina stood up and motioned for him to follow. — Come, I’ll show you the rest.
Like in a fog, Andrey followed his wife. In the bedroom the changes were just as obvious: new wallpaper, a new bed, lamps, paintings on the walls.
— This… — he was at a loss for words.
— Do you like it? — Marina asked hopefully. — I’ve wanted to change something for a long time. I think the timing of the “conference” was perfect.
Andrey noticed how she emphasized the word “conference,” and shuddered inside.
— Very… unexpected — he finally said.
— This is not all yet — Marina opened the door to the next room, which used to be his study.
Andrey froze in the doorway, as if paralyzed. The room had completely turned into a nursery: blue walls, a small crib, toys.
— What is this? — he muttered.
Marina hugged herself with her arms, suddenly very vulnerable.
— I wanted to tell you on our anniversary. I’m pregnant, Andrey. Fourteen weeks.
Time seemed to stop. Andrey looked at his wife, at her slightly rounded belly that strangely had escaped his notice until now, at the crib, at the teddy bear on the shelf.
— Pregnant? — the word sounded foreign. — But we…
— Do you remember that night before your business trip to Novosibirsk? — Marina smiled faintly.
Andrey remembered — three months ago. A rare moment of closeness in their relationship, which was already fading.
— Why didn’t you tell me earlier?
— I wanted to be sure. I waited for the right moment — Marina shrugged. — And then you announced your “conference” with Vika.
Andrey turned pale.
— You knew?
— Of course — said Marina, looking straight into his eyes. — But I wanted to give a chance. A chance to all of us.
She placed her hand on her belly, and that simple gesture made the situation tangible. They were going to have a child. Their child.
— Marino, I… — he was at a loss for words.
— Don’t say anything — she gently stopped him. — Just answer one question: do you love her?
Andrei opened and closed his mouth. He thought he loved her. He had been sure of it all week. But now, standing here, looking at his wife, their renovated home, and knowing about the child…
— I don’t know — he answered honestly. — I’m confused.
Marina nodded, as if she had expected this.
— Alright — she said, taking his untouched glass and placing it next to her own. — I’ll give you a week. Pack your things and stay with friends, parents, or in a hotel — wherever you want. Think everything through: us, the child, and your feelings. Come back in a week and tell me what you decided.
— And if I decide to leave? — Andrei asked quietly.
Marina closed her eyes for a moment; it was clear how hard it was for her.
— Then I will let you go. And I will be grateful for your honesty.
This story is about the difficulty of choice, about love and responsibility. Andrei faces an important decision — whether to keep his family or start a new life. Each of us has moments of doubt, but a person’s strength lies in finding a path and making the right choice.
