I overheard my mother-in-law talking to my husband and couldn\u2019t believe my ears.<\/p>\n
Everything I had lived for during my marriage turned out to be a deception. I trusted him so much, and yet he and his mother chose to act so despicably.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s decided. They will regret their actions!<\/p>\n
Something strange is happening Just a month ago, I couldn\u2019t have imagined that my life would change so abruptly. I was sitting in my cozy apartment, which I bought after several years of hard work, flipping through a magazine. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the kitchen. Maxim was on duty and was due back in a week.<\/p>\n
I reached for my favorite cup in the cupboard, but it wasn\u2019t there. Strange, I clearly remembered putting it here. Maybe I put it in the dishwasher? No, it wasn\u2019t there either.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What\u2019s going on?<\/p>\n
I began methodically searching the kitchen.<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t the first disappearance. First, my favorite sapphire earrings disappeared\u2014a gift from my parents for my twenty-fifth birthday. Then, a silk scarf that I brought back from a trip to Italy disappeared. And now, the cup.<\/p>\n
I took out my phone and called my husband.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Honey, have you seen my white cup with the gold rim?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Lerochka, did you lose something again? \u2014 he asked with a smile. \u2014 You probably moved it somewhere and forgot. You\u2019re so scatterbrained.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I\u2019m not scatterbrained! \u2014 I protested. \u2014 And besides, a lot of things have been disappearing lately.<\/p>\n
\u2014 By the way, I\u2019ve been thinking about that business proposal. Remember, I told you? My friend is opening a chain of coffee shops and needs investors. If we mortgage the apartment\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Max, we\u2019ve already discussed this, \u2014 I interrupted him. \u2014 I don\u2019t want to risk the apartment.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Lera, it\u2019s a great opportunity! How long can I disappear on duties? We invest, and we\u2019ll receive passive income. We\u2019ll live like kings!<\/p>\n
Maxim had been talking about this for the third month. The idea was tempting\u2014a loan secured by the apartment, investing in a promising business. But something held me back.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Let\u2019s not right now, okay? My vacation starts in three days, and I\u2019m going to the sea. When I return \u2014 we\u2019ll discuss it.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Are you going alone?<\/p>\n
\u2014 With whom else? You\u2019re only coming back next week.<\/p>\n
We talked a bit more and said goodbye.<\/p>\n
To be sure I looked at the empty space in the cupboard where the cup should have been and resolutely headed to the bedroom.<\/p>\n
I took a box out of my bag. These disappearances couldn\u2019t be coincidental, so I bought a few small cameras before my vacation. Maybe I\u2019m paranoid, but I want to know where my things are going.<\/p>\n
I remembered how I met Maxim. It was like a fairy tale\u2014a chance meeting in a caf\u00e9, his charming smile, the compliments.<\/p>\n
He seemed perfect\u2014attentive, caring, with a good job. Three months later, he proposed, and I, like a lovesick girl, agreed. Mom was surprised at the haste, but I was sure of my choice.<\/p>\n
Having installed cameras in various corners of the apartment, I sat down to check the broadcast on my phone. Everything worked perfectly\u2014good coverage, clear picture. Now I could go on vacation with peace of mind.<\/p>\n
That evening, I couldn\u2019t fall asleep for a long time. For some reason, our first conversation about finances came to mind when Maxim suggested selling my old car.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Why do you need that clunker? \u2014 he said. \u2014 Let\u2019s buy a new, modern one.<\/p>\n
I agreed, although the car was in excellent condition. I just wanted to please my husband.<\/p>\n
In the morning, I woke up with a bad feeling. I chalked it up to pre-vacation jitters and started packing my suitcase. Ahead of me were the sea, the sun, and two weeks of complete relaxation.<\/p>\n
I had no idea that this vacation would change my entire life.<\/p>\n
Before leaving, I checked the cameras and their connection to the server again. Everything worked perfectly. I could see what was happening in the apartment even from thousands of miles away.<\/p>\n
On the beach I was lying on a sun lounger, enjoying the warm breeze and the sound of the surf. The atmosphere of carefree relaxation prevailed\u2014children\u2019s laughter, music from beach caf\u00e9s, the cries of seagulls.<\/p>\n
I took out my phone and opened the camera viewing app.<\/p>\n
On the first recording, nothing interesting\u2014a empty apartment. But then on Tuesday\u2026 I saw the front door open, and Valentina Petrovna entered the apartment.<\/p>\n
Nothing surprising, my mother-in-law has a spare set of keys. But following her\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Maxim? \u2014 I nearly dropped my phone.<\/p>\n
He was supposed to be on duty. I turned on the sound.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Well, son, when will you finally convince your wife about the loan? \u2014 Valentina Petrovna settled into the chair, crossing her legs.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I\u2019m working on it, Mom. She\u2019s almost agreed.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Almost? \u2014 my mother-in-law snorted. \u2014 You didn\u2019t take this long with the last wife.<\/p>\n
I gasped for air. The last wife?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Mom, it\u2019s different. Lera owns an apartment, a car. Everything needs to be done neatly.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Neatly he will do it! \u2014 a female voice sounded, and a young brunette appeared in the frame. \u2014 You\u2019ve been fussing with her too long, Maxik. Haven\u2019t fallen in love, have you?<\/p>\n
I watched the stranger as if spellbound. Slender, bright, confident in herself.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alina, don\u2019t start, \u2014 Maxim grimaced. \u2014 I\u2019m doing everything as we agreed.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Dad! \u2014 two children, about five or six years old, burst into the room.<\/p>\n
Maxim scooped them up in his arms, kissing them. I couldn\u2019t believe my eyes. My husband had been deceiving me all this time.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Max, we need money, \u2014 Alina continued. \u2014 The kids will be going to school soon, and you keep dragging this out with this simpleton.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Indeed, \u2014 my mother-in-law agreed, \u2014 finding such a fool took some effort. Clearly a provincial. No style, no taste.<\/p>\n
\u2014 But with an apartment and a car, \u2014 Maxim chuckled.<\/p>\n
Alina approached my wardrobe, began rummaging through my clothes.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh, nice blouse. Can I take it? It won\u2019t be of use to her anymore.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Take whatever you want, \u2014 Maxim waved his hand. \u2014 Soon all this will be irrelevant.<\/p>\n
I turned off the recording. Everything fell into place\u2014the missing items, my husband\u2019s sudden business trips, his persistent persuasions to take out a loan.<\/p>\n
I remembered our honeymoon. Maxim then said: \u00abI can\u2019t believe I met such a wonderful girl. It\u2019s fate!\u00bb And I, foolishly, melted at his words.<\/p>\n
Now I understood\u2014he was a professional conman. He finds lonely girls with property, charms them, marries them, and then\u2026 What happened to that first wife? Left with nothing?<\/p>\n
I got up from the sun lounger and walked along the shore. I needed to clear my head, gather my thoughts, and make a decision. Inside, everything boiled with anger and hurt. Half a year of pretense, lies, manipulations.<\/p>\n
In the evening, there was a party on the beach.<\/p>\n
I sat at the bar when a handsome man sat down next to me.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Can I buy you a cocktail?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Why not, \u2014 I smiled. \u2014 Today is a special day.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Really? What\u2019s so special about it?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Today I start a new life, \u2014 I saluted with my glass. \u2014 You know, sometimes you need to lose everything to realize how strong you are.<\/p>\n
\u2014 You speak philosophically, \u2014 the stranger noted.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh no, I\u2019m very practically minded, \u2014 my laugh sounded unexpectedly harsh. \u2014 I just realized one simple truth: if you\u2019re betrayed, revenge must be\u2026 elegant.<\/p>\n
The man raised an eyebrow in confusion, but I was already getting ready to leave.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Thanks for the cocktail. I\u2019m going to prepare to return home.<\/p>\n
Back in my room, I opened my laptop and started making a plan. No, I wasn\u2019t going to throw a tantrum or cause a scandal. I had a better idea.<\/p>\n
First, I called my lawyer friend.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Hello, Pash. I need a consultation. Just let\u2019s skip the unnecessary questions\u2026<\/p>\n
Then I sent a message to all my friends and acquaintances that I was urgently selling my apartment. Unexpectedly, my classmate responded. I hadn\u2019t seen him since school.<\/p>\n
The last days of the month flew by like one day. I acted precisely according to plan, like an actress in a well-directed play.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Mommy, I\u2019ve decided to move to another city, \u2014 I said during a phone call.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Lerochka, but why? \u2014 I could hear worry in my mom\u2019s voice. \u2014 What does Maxim say?<\/p>\n
\u2014 You could say it\u2019s his idea, \u2014 I smiled ruefully. \u2014 Don\u2019t worry, everything will be fine.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Honey, you\u2019ve been acting strange lately. What happened?<\/p>\n
\u2014 No, Mom. Just\u2026 sometimes life throws surprises. And you need to respond in kind.<\/p>\n
Meeting Semyon went exactly as I expected.<\/p>\n
He had changed little since school\u2014still the same bully with a heavy gaze. I remember how in tenth grade he put two seniors in their place who were bothering the girls. After that, the whole school feared him.<\/p>\n
\u2014 So, you\u2019re selling the apartment? \u2014 he rumbled, surveying the rooms.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Yes, I\u2019m moving. Though, there\u2019s one nuance\u2014I need a month to move my stuff out.<\/p>\n
\u2014 No problem, \u2014 Semyon shrugged. \u2014 Mainly, the price is right.<\/p>\n
When all the documents were signed, I called Maxim.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Honey, I need to go to a friend\u2019s for a couple of days, \u2014 I purred into the phone. \u2014 But I left you a surprise.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Really? \u2014 genuine curiosity sounded in his voice. \u2014 What kind?<\/p>\n
\u2014 You\u2019ll find out, \u2014 I answered mysteriously. \u2014 By the way, I\u2019ve missed you so much. Can\u2019t wait for you to come back.<\/p>\n
\u2014 I\u2019ve missed you too, babe. You know, I still can\u2019t believe fate gave me such a wonderful wife.<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes, clenched my fists so hard that my nails dug into my palms. It was disgusting to hear those false confessions.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Yes, fate is quite the joker, \u2014 I gritted through my teeth, but then quickly recovered and added in a honeyed voice: \u2014 Love you, bye!<\/p>\n
The last call was to my mother-in-law.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Valentina Petrovna, I washed your clothes. You can pick them up.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh, Lerochka, thank you! You\u2019re such a caring daughter-in-law.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Oh, it\u2019s just little things, \u2014 I smiled, imagining her hypocritical smile. \u2014 The main thing is family.<\/p>\n
D-Day I knew Maxim would return in the evening\u2014he always came home at the same time. I left his favorite roast on the stove, a note on the table: \u00abDear, love you! There\u2019s a new shampoo in the bathroom, you\u2019ll like it. But that\u2019s not all the surprise. Get ready!\u00bb<\/p>\n
I myself sat on a train going to another city. The compartment was stuffy, but I felt wonderful. I could just imagine how events were unfolding in the apartment.<\/p>\n
Maxim returned home at the usual time. Catching the aroma of the roast, he smiled contentedly and pulled out his phone.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Alin, everything is going according to plan. The naive one is preparing surprises for me, can you believe it?<\/p>\n
\u2014 And what kind of surprises? \u2014 Alina chuckled.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Who cares! Soon everything will be resolved. I\u2019ll divorce her, take the money for the apartment, and even claim the car during the property division.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Are you sure about the car?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Why not? Bought during marriage\u2014means jointly acquired property.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Just don\u2019t mess up!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Everything will be fine, \u2014 Maxim assured. \u2014 I\u2019m going to take a shower, try the new shampoo she left. Then I\u2019ll call you back.<\/p>\n
He went to the bathroom, turned on the water, and started lathering his hair, humming some song. At that moment, the front door opened.<\/p>\n
\u2014 What the\u2014? \u2014 Semyon growled.<\/p>\n
The door flung open. Maxim jolted, frantically trying to cover himself with the curtain.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Who are you? \u2014 Semyon roared. \u2014 What are you doing in my apartment?<\/p>\n
\u2014 This is my apartment!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Get out of here! \u2014 Semyon grabbed him by the shoulder. \u2014 Fast!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Wait, there\u2019s some mistake\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 The only mistake is that you\u2019re still here! \u2014 Semyon pushed Maxim into the hallway.<\/p>\n
At that moment, Valentina Petrovna was coming up the stairs.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Son, what\u2019s happening? \u2014 she froze with her mouth open. \u2014 God, what\u2019s with your hair?<\/p>\n
Maxim began touching his hair, not understanding the problem.<\/p>\n
\u2014 You\u2019re redheaded\u2026 \u2014 Valentina Petrovna said in astonishment. \u2014 Why are my clothes lying in the trash? \u2014 she exclaimed indignantly. \u2014 I just came from there! Can you imagine, some bum was trying on my favorite dress!<\/p>\n
\u2014 What clothes? What does this have to do with clothes? \u2014 Maxim grabbed his head, causing the towel to nearly fall. \u2014 She sold the apartment!<\/p>\n
\u2014 What do you mean sold? \u2014 Valentina Petrovna\u2019s eyes widened in horror.<\/p>\n
\u2014 That means, \u2014 Semyon rumbled, coming out of the apartment. \u2014 I bought it. By all the rules, with documents. And you\u2019re here illegally. So I advise you to clear out quickly before I call the police.<\/p>\n
Lera smiled and ordered coffee in the dining car. She took a sip from her cup and, for the first time in a long time, laughed heartily.<\/p>\n
She took out her phone, opened the chat with her mom.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Mom, I\u2019ll come to you as soon as I settle down. No, Maxim won\u2019t come. I\u2019ll explain everything later.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I overheard my mother-in-law talking to my husband and couldn\u2019t believe my ears. Everything I had lived for during my marriage turned out to be a deception. I trusted him so much, and yet he and his mother chose to act so despicably. It\u2019s decided. They will regret their actions! Something strange is happening Just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-random-stuff"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5385"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5386,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5385\/revisions\/5386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}