“Lena, hello!” Angelina spotted a familiar face and waved her hand.
“Hello there,” Lena replied with a big smile. “It’s been a while since we last saw you here.”
“Work has been overwhelming, no time for a vacation. Plus, my daughter is in 9th grade.”
“Oh… if I remember right, you usually take your vacations at the end of June? Isn’t that when you celebrate—your birthday?” Elena, the travel agent, tried to recall exactly, but got it wrong. Angelina Sergeeva had been her loyal client for years.
“No, my birthday is actually in the winter,” Angelina laughed. “At the end of June, my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. We usually plan our vacation around that date so we can get away together. I’d love to go this year, too… but I’m not sure if we can. I simply don’t have the time to take care of all the planning.”
“I can help you find a good trip. That’s what I’m here for,” Lena smiled. The women chatted a bit more and agreed to reach out over messenger before heading their separate ways.
That evening, Angelina told her husband about the encounter.
“Yeah, it happens,” he muttered.
“Looks like we’re not going anywhere this year. Our daughter has exams, and I’m swamped,” Angelina sighed.
“You know what… I think I can take on the vacation planning this time.”
“Really? After 15 years of marriage, this is your first time actually volunteering to handle anything,” Angelina laughed.
“Oh, come on!” he waved his hand. “Don’t downplay my contributions to our family life.”
“Well, your biggest contribution is impossible to overlook. There she is, studying English,” Angelina said, glancing at their daughter.
“Yeah. But besides our daughter, there’s plenty more… Just trust me on this one.”
Angelina fell silent, trying to figure out where this sudden initiative was coming from. Ivan had never taken the lead in fifteen years of marriage—not even for shopping, which he always did using a list she made.
“Alright,” she exhaled. “Go for it. Surprise me. I need to go work, I am buried in tasks.”
‘I will surprise you… oh, I really will,’ Ivan thought, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Angelina really was busy. Work deadlines were looming, her daughter at home was anxiously prepping for final exams. Everything rested on her shoulders: the monitoring, support, meals, cleaning, finances. Ivan had always just been in the background—neutral, not interfering, but also not helping.
But this time was supposed to be different. Her husband eagerly dove into hotel research. Honestly, Angelina was a little flattered; she was exhausted… and now, finally, she was receiving some attention. At last! Better late than never…
Her mother-in-law couldn’t believe it when she heard that her son-in-law was organizing their vacation.
“Can you imagine, he volunteered himself. Says he wants it to be a surprise. I just hope it’s not Antarctica.”
“Or the Bermuda Triangle,” her mother snorted. “You know, surprises from men can be risky. Keep an eye on him.”
“Oh, come on, Mom! We spend so much time controlling them, and then we’re surprised they become so helpless in daily life.”
Angelina had plenty to say to her mother, but just in case, she made sure to sneak her husband a ‘random’ business card from travel agent Elena.
Ivan, not being the most attentive guy, decided that one of his colleagues from work had given him the card. Probably Anna Petrova, who was also planning a vacation and had been browsing amazing hotels by the azure sea with him.
On the chosen day, Ivan called Elena and said he wanted to book a vacation for two.
“I was just gathering options for other clients for those dates. I can send you some choices right now,” replied Elena. And just five minutes later, Ivan had the tour options along with prices in his hands.
“My wife won’t go for this hotel… I don’t like that one, they only offer breakfast… but this one… this one seems alright. Yep.”
“Elena, I’ll take the third option.”
“Did you notice it’s a city hotel? It’s not close to the sea. Is that okay with you?”
“No problem, it’s a romantic getaway for us,” he laughed. “The main thing is to have a comfortable bed.”
Elena chuckled. Clients like Ivan were her favorite—so much easier than families with wives scrolling through hotel reviews for months, or economists complaining about every price. The perfect client wasn’t a newlywed or a family man, but a man in love.
“Shall we book it?”
“Yes… I’ll come by tomorrow and bring the payment.”
“You can transfer the money to my number if you prefer.”
“No, I’d rather bring it in. I just don’t really trust those transfers…”
“Whatever you prefer,” Elena clicked her tongue. She had worked in the travel business for over 20 years and had seen it all…
That evening, Ivan told his wife he’d found a perfect option.
“Good meals, clean room.”
“What about the sea?”
“Well… it’s about a 10-minute walk.”
“I thought it would be beachfront.”
“Do you know what beachfront costs?” her husband protested. “If you’re ready to pay twice as much, I’m all for it! By the way, we’ll need the money tomorrow—I want to lock in the tour.”
“Well then, go ahead and do it,” Angelina looked at her husband, a bit surprised.
“I need the money,” Ivan replied more calmly, emotions gone.
“But isn’t it you who’s handling the whole vacation this year?” Angelina teased him.
“I found everything! I planned it all! But you know my salary… So, are you giving me cash, or should I give you my card info?” Ivan looked at his wife impatiently.
“I don’t have that much right now. Payday’s in a week.”
“But what if there aren’t any spots left?!”
“We could reserve it with a partial payment. I’ll figure out what’s best. Show me the hotel again, I want to check the reviews.”
Ivan rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. If he argued, there was a chance his wife would take over the vacation planning—and that wasn’t part of his plan.
But even if Angelina wanted to take over, she didn’t have time—their daughter came home from tutoring and insisted on dinner.
Waving it off, Angelina decided to rely on her husband’s choice for once. But she forgot about the money—got caught up in things. The next day, Ivan went to the travel agency to sort out the paperwork and called his wife right from there.
continued in the comments
“Hey, Gelya… You promised you’d transfer the money. I’m sitting at the travel agency right now…”
“Which agency is it?”
“What’s your office called?” he asked Elena, not realizing that his wife personally knew the travel agent.
“Spherical Earth.”
“Oh… you went there? Okay, good. I’ll transfer the money straight to their account. Send me the bank details.”
“Uh…”
“That’s always how I pay.”
“Alright,” Ivan sighed, then turned to Elena. “The money will be transferred soon. Do you need anything else from me?”
“Passport details for all travelers. Have you ever booked with us before?”
“No… This is actually my very first time booking a tour myself!” Ivan said proudly, handing over his passport.
Elena checked the passport info and saw that Ivan Sergeev was already listed in the agency’s client database.
“Are you traveling with your wife?”
Ivan flinched when his wife was mentioned.
“Why do you think that?”
“I see that you traveled with our company last year. Angelina Sergeeva, that’s your wife?” Elena smiled.
“Ah… No!” Ivan replied very quickly, blushing. “We’re divorced. Yes, we separated. I’m not going with her. Here’s my passport.” He handed over a different document. “Do you have Anna Petrova in your system?”
“Um…” Elena stared at Ivan, unsure what to do. Just a week ago, she’d talked to Angelina—and Angelina had told her that she and her husband were celebrating 15 years of marriage. And now… divorced?!
“Is she in your system?” Ivan repeated.
“No, but I’ll enter all the necessary information into the form.” Elena replied. “She’s your… um…”
“She’s my friend.”
“Right, I understand. Okay.” Elena didn’t let her feelings show, but inside, she was boiling. Just a year ago, her own husband had left her for a woman just like this “Anna Petrova”—with duck-like lips and twenty years younger than Elena. Now, from the way Ivan was acting, it seemed he too had decided to secretly vacation with a young lover behind his wife’s back.
“How will you be paying for the trip?”
“By transfer to the account.”
“Payment can only be made to a personal card. You don’t need to write anything in the payment details,” Elena said confidently. She already knew she’d tell Angelina about her husband’s escapades and show her the travel vouchers. She’d even give a discount to that hotel if Angelina decided to catch her husband red-handed. What Elena couldn’t have guessed was that Ivan would turn out to be not just a cheater, but a greedy scoundrel. She learned this when the payment arrived from Angelina S.
That’s exactly how Angelina Sergeeva, Ivan’s wife, had paid for their previous trips. Which meant only one thing: Ivan was planning to vacation with his lover—using his wife’s money.
“Did you get the money? The advance payment?”
“Yes, I’ve sent a request to the hotel and I’m waiting for confirmation. Once it’s confirmed, I’ll send you the details,” Elena said, without looking at Ivan. He quickly picked up the passports and left.
“Everything’s good, sweetie! We’re flying to the sea,” Ivan messaged. But not to his wife—to Anna Petrova.
To Angelina, he called and told her the booking was still pending.
“Alright, fine. Thank you,” she replied. “I have another call on the other line. I’ll call you back.”
Angelina saw that Elena had called. But she never imagined what the travel agent would tell her.
“Hello?”
“Hello, this is Elena. From the ‘Spherical Earth’ agency.”
“Good afternoon, Elena. Is something wrong? The hotel didn’t confirm? Or did my husband mix something up?” Angelina laughed.
“I’m not sure how to say this. Your husband was indeed here today. He asked me to book a trip for two. For specific dates.”
“Well… yes, I know. What’s the issue? I’ve already sent you the money.”
“The thing is… He asked me to book it not for you. But for himself and a certain Anna Petrova. Normally, I’d have already sold the trip… But I looked at the booking history. The payment came from your card. We just met a few days ago. I thought maybe it was a mistake and decided to call you. I’m sorry if I’m stepping out of line.”
“What?” Angelina gasped. “Wait. Who is Anna?!”
“His… friend, that’s what he said. He also said you were divorced.”
15 years! And suddenly he decides to plan a vacation himself! I actually thought… he was just being thoughtful! Suddenly, Angelina burst into tears. “I’m sorry…”
“I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have called you, but I’ve experienced betrayal myself. I think it’s better to find out now where your money is really going. Rather than learn later.”
“Yes! Of course, you’re right!” Angelina quickly wiped away her tears. “Thank you for calling, Elena. Can I cancel the tour?”
“I never booked it. The money is still on my card. Don’t worry. Your husband won’t be flying anywhere.”
“Perfect.”
“Just don’t ask me to make a fake voucher and give your husband ‘tickets’,” Elena hinted at a possible revenge plot.
“I’ll do it myself. I’ll send it to him from an unknown email address. Thank you, Lena. And actually, you don’t need to refund me the money. I’m going on vacation—with my daughter. Let’s just adjust the dates.”
“Yes, of course,” Elena exhaled in relief. Crisis averted.
It took everything for Angelina to pretend everything was fine, putting up with her husband… She endured for her daughter—wanting her to finish 9th grade peacefully, without extra stress.
In the end, with just three days left before the trip, and her daughter having finished her exams and heading out with friends, Ivan couldn’t hold it any longer and confessed.
“Honey, I have a special anniversary gift for you. I’m leaving.”
“Go ahead,” Angelina replied, already expecting this outcome, without even looking up from her work spreadsheets.
“What? I don’t mean the store! I mean I’m leaving for good.”
“Good luck.”
“And I’m not going on vacation with you. Let’s call this my gift for 15 years of humiliation! For all the time I couldn’t be a real man by your side! But now I will! You’ll see!”
“Vanya, don’t disturb me while I work. Leave if you’re leaving. After 15 years, you do know where the door is, right?”
“That’s it? You’re not even upset about the money spent on my trip?! I won’t be alone—I’m flying with my beloved woman!”
“Fly, eagle… fly,” Angelina smirked. “Just don’t fly too high—so the fall won’t hurt so much.”
Ivan tried to say something, waving his arms around, but Gelya put on headphones and focused on her work. She felt hurt, disgusted, upset. But thankfully, Elena had spared her worse pain by preparing her for her husband’s betrayal.
Otherwise… Angelina would have been in shock.
But not anymore.
Ivan left. He went straight to Anna, and three days later, they were in line at the check-in desk with their suitcases and fake vouchers. Angelina wanted to go see their faces, but work kept her busy. Still, she could imagine Anna’s shrill screech when a polite agent calmly told them their names weren’t on the flight list, and their documents were fakes.
Ivan’s show would go so far that he’d be taken aside for questioning. So much for the lovers’ getaway.
Ivan would keep waving his arms and blaming his wife for tricking him for a long time.
In response, he’d get a court summons. And a warning from Angelina that she’d file a police report for fraud against him.
“I have a witness, Elena. She’ll confirm you tried to steal my money,” Angelina would write to Ivan. Only then would Ivan finally give up. Continued in the comments.
They got divorced. There was nothing to divide—everything belonged to Angelina and her daughter. Ivan was left with nothing but the house and Anya, who got so upset that she kicked him out when she realized she’d only be able to take a bus trip instead of a vacation at his expense.
Angelina and her daughter had a wonderful time by the sea. From that day on, Angelina became friends with Elena. She was deeply grateful to the honest woman who chose a clear conscience and peace of mind for the abandoned Angelina over any personal gain. Sometimes life turns out that way.