“How can you not understand? What we have is real love, while for you—it’s just habit! He told me himself you’re more of a friend than a wife to him.” The stranger took a tiny handkerchief from her little purse and dabbed at a tear that had appeared.
“Sweetheart, am I against your ‘real feelings’? Are you in a hurry? Let me quickly pack Mitya’s things for you and write up a list of recommendations on how to take care of him properly!” Larisa jumped up and disappeared into the next room before the young lady could even ask what type of recommendations she meant.
Lara was tossing her husband’s clothes into a suitcase, overcome with joy. She didn’t care if a crease got ruined on his pants or a collar got wrinkled. She was afraid to spook this enthusiastic little doll who’d shown up just half an hour ago to ask Larisa to let Mitya go to her.
“Oh my goodness, so horoscopes really aren’t lying! I didn’t believe I’d get so lucky today. What a joy! I never hoped I could shake off this burden!” she muttered, sitting down at the table to write the “homewrecker” a list of Mitya’s main requirements. She didn’t want the girl to realize her mistake too quickly and bring Mitya back. Larisa wanted to have at least a couple of weeks to go on vacation all alone.
Continued in the comments.
Larisa had lived with Mitya for ten years. Ten years of constant stress, redoing things that were supposedly already finished, trying to please her husband, and constantly dreaming of escaping this man. Before meeting her husband, Lara didn’t believe in horoscopes, but now, just the words “September Virgo” made her break out in tremors. Her friends always sympathetically told her to leave him, but Lara knew that trick wouldn’t work with Mitya. He would come around, whine, guilt-trip her, and in the end worm his way back in with the same old promises that ‘everything would change soon.’
Lara had honestly tried several times to leave, but at some point realized she didn’t even want to anymore. She’d gotten used to everything. And then, like lightning out of a clear sky, this lovely creature arrived, declaring she loved Mitya and that their feelings were mutual. The instant Lara heard, “We want to be together, but you’re standing in the way of our happiness,” she dug her nails into her palm to keep from jumping for joy.
She’d never considered this option before. Mitya could have left on his own! Gone and found another patient woman and freed Lara from this nightmare called marriage. Settling her guest into an armchair and making tea, Lara attentively listened to the love story of this doll-like girl and Mitya, who also happened to be her boss and was nearly fifteen years older.
“You see, I feel awkward telling you this, but he just can’t say all this himself. In the end, everyone suffers: you, me, Mitya. But we could all be happy. Mitya and I together, and you in a new relationship. You deserve someone who truly loves you!” the girl said passionately. It was clear she’d done her homework and read plenty of stories like this online.
“Oh right, I really do deserve a good man by my side. You deserve one too, and honestly, I even feel a bit sorry for you. But not as much as I do for myself! So—he’s all yours!” — That’s what Lara almost said, but thankfully she stopped herself in time and replied instead:
“It’ll be hard for me, but I’m letting him go. I wish you two happiness. Here are his things, and here’s a list of guidelines you’ll need to follow.” Larisa handed the list to the bewildered new girlfriend, who glanced over the neat column and naively asked:
“Why does he need all this? Porridge for breakfast, mopping the floor every day, ironing clothes and arranging them by color in the closet… What is all this?”
“Those are the living rules Mitya is used to. You’ll get used to them, too, in time. I don’t mean to be rude, but if that’s all, I’d appreciate it if you left—I have lots of important things to do. Will you call Mitya yourself?” Larisa gently took the girl by the elbow and started guiding her toward the door, grabbing her husband’s suitcase on the way.
“But we haven’t even talked! I want you not to be mad at me, to forgive me. I really believe you can’t build happiness on someone else’s grief…” The girl was clearly expecting a different reaction.
“I forgive you! Truly, I have no hard feelings, and I sincerely wish you happiness. It’s time for you to go—goodbye and be happy!” After closing the door behind her guest, Lara threw her house slippers to opposite corners of the room and headed off to choose her next holiday destination.
For two whole weeks, Lara enjoyed her vacation. She turned off her phone and only checked it in the evenings, just in case something happened to her apartment. She saw countless missed calls and messages from Mitya, which she quickly deleted without even opening. For the first time in ten years, she was able to fully enjoy her time off without restrictions, nitpicking, or nagging, so she let herself savor every moment.
When she returned home, she found several envelopes in her mailbox, with no postal stamps—they had simply been dropped in. Lara recognized the handwriting immediately and knew who they were from. The letters went straight into the trash without even entering her apartment. Lara had hoped for at least a month of peace, but just a few days after coming back, she found her ex-husband on her doorstep.
“Lara, what did you do? Where have you been? I’ve tried calling every phone! How can you be so irresponsible?”
“Hi to you too. Mitya, I already filed for divorce, so don’t worry if that’s what you came for!” Larisa sincerely hoped her ex’s visit was just about signing paperwork.
“What divorce? What are you talking about? I’m not planning to divorce you! What is this circus you’ve created? I never meant to live with that Marusya. She made up all sorts of things, and you believed her? Lara, you’re a grown woman!” For the first time in all their years of marriage, Larisa listened to her husband and was absolutely sure that no matter what he said, she would never take him back. She had played her strongest card: taking off on vacation, to prove to herself how wonderful life could be alone.
“Mitya, I’m not going to live with you. That’s it. Enough. I was planning to ask you to leave anyway. And then this convenient situation just happened to come up.”
Her words seemed to offend her husband. He turned around and left, mumbling something about how Lara would end up spending her old age alone with forty cats.
A couple more days passed, just before Larisa’s vacation was about to end, when that girl showed up at her door again. Lara couldn’t even recall the name of this little doll. After three weeks of ‘bliss’ with Mitya, the girl looked completely changed. Her hair was tied up carelessly, her makeup messy, and there were dark circles under her eyes.
Looks like she was up all night ironing shirts or scrubbing the floors, Larisa thought to herself as she looked at her ‘rival’.
“Larisa, I’m here again. May I come in?”
“Come in. Tea or coffee?”
“Coffee, double shot. I haven’t slept in days. Mitya is a terrible man. How did I not see that before? He’s a real tyrant. My hands are raw from cleaning the house over and over again. He loves cleanliness, but only if someone else creates it. He loves a cozy home, but does nothing himself! I’ve never been so exhausted in my life! Thank you for your advice—it kept me from losing my mind on day one.”
Lara listened in silence, seeing her younger self in this girl. She waited patiently for the real reason behind her visit.
“Larisa, please, take him back! I’ve already quit working at his company, but I can’t get him out of the house—he just won’t leave. I’m sorry, I was wrong to think we could be happy together.”
Larisa felt like comforting her, but she decided it was time to choose herself instead. After escorting the girl out, she blocked both her husband’s and this Marusya’s numbers to keep her past from getting in the way of her bright, truly happy future.
The locks in her apartment had long since been changed, and for the first time, Larisa realized her neighbors had been right to insist on a concierge and security for the building. Her once-beloved husband wasn’t just banned from the apartment—he couldn’t even get close to the building. The security post didn’t let him through. That’s the world we live in now… And what a marvelous world it is!