Touch it again, and I’ll break your fingers! Never, you hear me, never dare touch my phone!” Vadim furiously snatched the phone from his wife’s hands.
“My love, forgive me, I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to look at our photos from yesterday…” Katya recoiled fearfully to the other end of the sofa.
“Ask me, and I’ll unlock it and show you. But don’t ever take my phone without asking!” Vadim shook his head angrily and walked into the kitchen.
“Good Lord, what’s so special about it?” Katya’s heart raced with fear. It was the first time she had seen her husband so angry in their six months of marriage.
“And I didn’t even do anything wrong… I just wanted to look at the photos.” Ekaterina curled up in the corner of the sofa.
“He probably read those men’s blogs about personal space. That’s why he showed his teeth.” Katya stared at a decorative candle, looking for reasonable excuses.
“My darling, here’s some cherries. I picked out the biggest ones for you.” Vadim, as if nothing had happened, smiled amiably and placed a tray of berries on the table.
“What are your plans for tomorrow? My friends invited us over. You always say I don’t introduce you to anyone… It’s time.” Vadim took Katya’s hand. “Shall we go?”
“Yes, my love, I’d love to.” Katya smiled and decided to move past the unpleasant moment with the phone.
Before Vadim threatened to break Katya’s fingers if she touched his phone again, everything had been like a fairy tale. And Ekaterina sincerely wished it would stay that way. If only she knew what awaited her next.
The following day, Vadim and Katya visited friends.
“I’m Ilya, and this is my wife Dasha… Please come in, dinner is almost ready. We’re glad to see you!” The friendly couple cheerfully opened the door.
Vadim handed over a bottle of wine and entered the cozy living room with Katya.
“Katya, what do you do? Vadim hasn’t told us much…” Dasha asked casually.
“I work in the film industry. I organize shoots.” Ekaterina sipped some wine and took a piece of blue cheese.
“Film… That’s so interesting… Not like your job at the salon…” Ilya looked slyly at his friend. “How many cars did you sell this month?”
“Twelve. I’m on track for a solid bonus!” Vadim proudly declared and proposed a toast. “To the lovely ladies and my charming wife Ekaterina.”
“When I first saw her in a cafe… She was the only one sitting with a book. A woman with a book nowadays… It’s a rare sight. I fell for her right away.” Vadim enthusiastically recounted the story of meeting Katya.
“And why didn’t you have a wedding? Why just a civil ceremony? What about a celebration?” Dasha served the salad to the guests, then looked at Vadim and then at Ekaterina.
“My mother is currently recovering from surgery, we’ll celebrate later. Maybe on our anniversary. You’ll be the first we invite.” Vadim took Katya’s hand and smiled.
“Your friends are so nice.” In the car, Katya affectionately looked at her husband. “What a great evening.”
“Really, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen this apartment somewhere before…” Katya thought, then stared out the window absentmindedly.
“Deja vu! I sometimes get that feeling too.” Vadim chuckled and asked the taxi driver to turn on some music.
A month passed. Fresh and warm May arrived. Katya and Vadim’s relationship was on the rise. After that harsh episode with the phone, Vadim behaved, in Katya’s eyes, perfectly. Their relationship blossomed along with the lilacs, cherries, and roses.
But unexpectedly, Katya discovered something that changed everything…
“Ekaterina, I found more apartments for shooting. I have three locations that fit. Approve one of the properties.” Katya’s sweet assistant Vika entered the office.
“Yes, I’ll look soon, send it to my email.” Without taking her eyes off the computer, Katya responded.
“It’s already in your email.” Vika left the office.
“No way?” Exclaimed Katya. “This is the apartment where I was with Vadim when we visited his friends Ilya and Dasha.”
“I knew I had seen it somewhere. So, it’s in our film database.” The girl looked at the property in amazement.
“Maybe they rent it out… Renting an apartment for shoots is always profitable…” Katya thought. “Very curious… I’ll choose this apartment.”
“Ekaterina, hello, please come in…” Elena Pavlovna greeted her warmly as she opened the apartment door where Katya had once been.
“Elena Pavlovna, you won’t believe it, but I was here a month ago… And how are you related to Ilya and Darya?” Katya excitedly asked as she looked around the living room.
“I don’t know anyone like that. Probably one of the tenants. This is one of my apartments that I rent out short-term… Would you like some tea?” The hostess offered politely.
“Yes, please…” Katya decided to stay.
“Elena Pavlovna, I’m planning to approve your apartment for a month of shooting… But please help me understand… This is an important issue for me.” After sipping tea, Ekaterina cautiously started the conversation.
“A month ago, I was here with my husband. The people here introduced themselves as the owners… Their photos were in the living room…” Ekaterina described Darya and Ilya in detail.
“I wouldn’t want to rent an apartment only for something unpleasant to surface during the shoots…”
“Ekaterina, here are the documents for the apartment, I’ve been the sole and lawful owner for ten years.” Elena Pavlovna pulled out documents from her bag.
“A month ago, you say… There were shootings here all winter, you definitely couldn’t have gotten in… Everything was full of equipment… And then an elderly couple lived here for three weeks. They definitely don’t match your description…” Elena Pavlovna shook her head.
“But wait… I remember now. A man rented the apartment for a day… Vadim, I think his name is. Tall, with a pleasant appearance.” Elena Pavlovna described the man in detail.
A piercing anxiety gripped Ekaterina’s chest. She had just heard a detailed description of her husband…
Ekaterina lied to the hostess that she didn’t remember Vadim and skillfully changed the subject. Before leaving, she confirmed the rental of the apartment and reserved it for shooting. Confused, Katya exited the building.
“Why would my husband rent an apartment and pass it off as his friends’ place…” Katya sat in a taxi, overwhelmed with feelings.
“And most importantly, the friends… His friends said it was their apartment. They even put their photos up…” Katya nervously tapped on the armrest.
“What don’t I know about my husband? What else don’t I know? What do I know at all…” Katya twirled her phone in her hands and remembered how her husband sternly forbade her from touching his mobile.
“My love, let’s meet up with Dasha and Ilya. We haven’t seen them in a long time… They are such a nice couple.” Katya suggested after dinner.
“It won’t work, Katyusha, they’ve gone to the sea until autumn… Once they return, right away.” Without taking his eyes off the TV, the man responded calmly.
“Okay, kitty, I’m going to sleep… I’m tired.” Tightening her lips, Ekaterina went to the bedroom.
Katya slept poorly all night. She couldn’t understand what exactly her husband was hiding from her… But a woman’s intuition definitely told her that Vadim was hiding something. And the next morning, Katya was faced with a new shocking discovery.
On a clear Saturday morning, Vadim and Katya went shopping at the mall. Vadim wholeheartedly bought Katya two new bright dresses and beautiful pink shoes.
Arm in arm, the couple moved towards a landmark Moscow restaurant that welcomed guests with its coziness on the top floor of the complex.
“Sergey, is that you?” A loud inquiring voice sounded from behind.
Katya turned around, and Vadim unexpectedly quickened his pace.
“Definitely you! I recognized you right away. Just long hair and a different nose…” An unfamiliar man walked around Vadim and looked him in the eyes. “But you’re supposed to be dead…”
“Sir, you’ve mistaken me for someone else!” Vadim responded dryly without slowing down.
“Sergey, what? It’s me, Misha. Misha Gorodetsky… Don’t you recognize me?” The unfamiliar man tensed up. It was clear he was trying to understand whether Vadim recognized him or not.
“Sir, I tell you again, I’m seeing you for the first time… I am not Sergey. You’ve mistaken me for someone else… Go your own way.” Vadim abruptly pulled Katya forward and headed for the restaurant entrance.
“I was at your funeral! You’re not dead… You’re not dead! Alive… Sergey… More alive than anyone… Well, that’s something!” The man yelled and froze in the distance.
“Love, what was that just now?” Katya looked at her husband questioningly.
“No idea, Katyusha. Someone mistook me for someone else. It happens…” Vadim looked unperturbedly at the menu and placed an order.
“I don’t believe it… Our relationship is good, but I don’t believe you!” At that moment, Katya felt a strong sense of anxiety.
“I absolutely must look at what’s in his phone… I feel that’s where I’ll find the answers.” At that moment, all dishes became completely tasteless to Katya. More than anything, she wanted to know the truth.
In the evening, Katya suggested Vadim drink some wine. She only pretended to drink and had no more than a glass… When Vadim was soundly asleep after nearly a whole bottle, Katya carefully pressed his finger to the phone and unlocked the screen.
Ekaterina quietly snuck into the bathroom. What Katya saw on her husband’s phone shocked her.
First, Katya opened her husband’s chats in one of the messengers. Almost all conversations were work-related, except for one.
In one chat, Katya learned that her husband had hired Ilya and Darya, or rather, Gleb and Ksenia, to portray his friends. They were actors Vadim had paid twenty thousand each to play their roles.
The conversation detailed topics for discussion and questions. An entire script was laid out. Anxious, Katya sat down in a cold empty bathtub and covered her mouth with her hand. But the most interesting part began when the woman opened the photo album.
Flipping through photos from several years ago, Katya was horrified. They depicted a completely different person… The very Sergey whom the stranger had called out in the mall.
The man had short hair and a different nose… There were few photos, but Katya saw enough.
“My God, so Vadim lied to me everywhere. He’s not from the city he told me. And on the cake, it says ‘Sergey’… So, he is indeed Sergey… Or was Sergey… But his passport name is Vadim…” Ekaterina didn’t know what to think.
That fresh May night, sitting in the bathtub, Katya knew for sure that Vadim was not who he claimed to be. The woman remembered the threats about not touching her husband’s phone and became even more frightened.
The next day, Katya decided to have a serious conversation with her husband and suggested meeting after work in a crowded café. Just in case, Katya took all her money and documents with her.
“You never know what might happen next… If he threatens me, I won’t go back to him…” Approaching the café, Katya tightly gripped her purse.
Nothing foretold trouble… Katya drank juice and read a book.
“Quiet. Don’t draw attention.” Vadim heavily sat down next to Katya and clutched his side.
“Give me your thumb.” Vadim abruptly grabbed Katya’s thumb and pressed it against his phone.
“Now this phone is yours. Guard it as the apple of your eye…” Vadim placed his phone in Katya’s hands. The man blinked twice and nervously licked his dry lips.
“Vadim, what do you mean… What’s happening?” Katya looked at her husband fearfully, forgetting her plan to bombard him with a dozen uncomfortable questions.
“No time to explain,” blurted Vadim. “That man yesterday… In the mall… He recognized me. And yesterday on social media, he wrote that I’m alive…” Vadim summoned the waiter and asked for a glass of water.
“What do you mean ‘you’re alive’? Were you not alive?” Katya didn’t understand anything.
“Yes, Mikhail was right. My real name is Sergey, and a year ago I staged my own death. Or rather, I was helped.” The man greedily drank water.
“What do you mean your name is Sergey? And you staged your own death?” Katya struggled to find the words.
“I was working undercover in a major criminal group… So much evil… You can’t even imagine… A huge syndicate of darkness… Like in your TV shows.” Vadim looked around sharply.
“I was exposed, and I had to change my appearance, passport… I entered a witness protection program. I moved to Moscow. Until yesterday, the criminals thought I was dead… My death and funeral were very convincing. Except for my parents… No one knew I was alive.
“Now about the phone… Before I was exposed, I stole a billion rubles from them. In cryptocurrency, money in a special account… Right here… You have access…” Vadim showed a special app on the phone.
“We were supposed to fly to the other end of the world in a month and live there long and happily… But it looks like you’ll have to fly right now, and without me…” Vadim smiled.
“Vadik, I’m pregnant… I won’t fly anywhere without you…” Tears welled up in Katya’s eyes.
“What?” Vadim turned pale.
“I just found out this morning.” Katya grabbed her husband’s hand with both hands. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“It will be yours…” Vadim whispered weakly and let go of his side.
“Vadik, you’re bleeding…” Katya looked horrified at the blood-stained shirt. Are you injured? Why didn’t you say right away…
“These people have connections everywhere… They caught me this morning when I was approaching work. I managed to escape, but they wounded me… I can’t go to the hospital… It’s the end for me. But you live. You and the child live. For me.”
“These money… They should not fall into the hands of such evil people.” Vadim clenched his teeth from pain and lost consciousness.
“You won’t die in my arms, even don’t think about it!” Katya opened her purse, found a tampon, and shoved it into the bullet hole.
Then the girl called her father. For the first time in five years.
“Dad, it’s a long story. But right now, you need to save the life of me and my husband. And your future grandchild.”
“So what, you’re retired, in your profession there are no former ones!”
“Yes, I remember we argued because I chose cinema and not to follow in your footsteps… But now that’s the least of what I want to argue about again.
“Let’s talk to each other again for one day, and then you can continue not talking to me…”
“No, I’m okay… But there’s some high-level criminal syndicate… They found my husband, who was in a witness protection program. They wounded him, but he miraculously escaped.
“What? Immediately throw away the phones and come to the place where I loved to play with you the most in my childhood?
“Dad, I can’t throw away his phone, there’s a secret proposal and a lot of money in it…”
“Understood… Throw my phone to hell, break the phone case on my husband’s phone, remove the battery and SIM card.
“Yes, I closed the wound as you taught, but he’s very bad…”
“Understood, I’ll catch a car. Old school. By sticking out my hand. And not under the cameras…
“We’re moving out…”
Olga and Nikolai sat by the sea and admired the beautiful, quiet landscape.
“Mom, Dad, look how big a fortress I built…” A child’s ringing voice interrupted the quiet seaside idyll.
“The fortress of all fortresses. And the biggest fortress… It’s our family.” Nikolai cheerfully embraced the boy.
“My love, here’s a strawberry.” Olga handed the child a large red berry.
“And even if the whole world is against us, I will never stop adoring you!” Nikolai tenderly looked at his wife.
“And I, you! The hero of my best novel.” Olga kissed her husband tightly.
“But for that time you wanted to break my fingers if I touched your phone… I will never forgive you.” Olga playfully nudged Nikolai in the side, toppled him onto the hot sand, and tenderly pressed against his heart.
“It beats…”
“Thanks to you…”
The sun broke free from the cloud trap and brightly illuminated the faces of two new people and one very cute boy. The sun that shines equally on both the good and the bad.