Inna stood by the window, watching the raindrops spread across the glass, forming whimsical patterns. Seventeen years, is it a lot or a few? She remembered every day of her marriage, every anniversary, every gift. And now everything is collapsing.
“We need to talk,” Alexey said. With Natasha.

Silence. Only the ticking of the old wall clock, which his mother had given him, broke the calm of the room.” The student in your faculty?” His voice sounded surprisingly calm.

Yes. Understand, my feelings have changed. I want new emotions, new impressions. You’re an intelligent woman, you should understand.

Inna smiled.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Sure,” Alexey said. I’ve already packed my things. Then he went to the closet and retrieved that special bottle that had been saved for a special occasion.

“Well, I guess this is a very special moment,” he began to open the bottle. You know? I propose a farewell dinner. Invite your friends, your family. After all, seventeen years is no joke.

Alexey surprisingly said,
“Do you want to… Do you want to have a party for our divorce?”” Why not?” smiled Inna. “We say goodbye to our life together in style. After all, I’m a smart woman, remember?”
He began sending messages to family and friends. Tomorrow at seven in the evening. I’ll make your favorite dishes. Consider it my parting gift.

Alexey stood there, not knowing what to say. I had foreseen tears, nervousness, reproaches; anything but this quiet acceptance.

And yes, tell Natasha that she’s invited too. I want to meet the girl who accomplished what I couldn’t do all these years: ignite a new spark in you.

The next day started terribly early for Inna.

He called the banks carefully, met with a lawyer, and prepared the paperwork. Everything was ready.

At dusk, his spacious apartment was filled with the aroma of exquisite dishes. Inna set the table, arranging the most exquisite tableware: a wedding gift from her mother-in-law.

“Everything must be perfect,” he murmured.

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Her mother, Vera Pavlovna, clumsily grabbed her daughter-in-law:

“Innochka, maybe there’s still a chance to change everything?”

“No, Mom. Sometimes you have to make the right decision and let yourself go.

Little by little, his friends began to arrive.

“Come in, take a seat,” Inna told them at the head of the table. Tonight, you are the protagonists of the evening.

Once everyone was seated, Inna stood up, holding a glass:

Dear friends! Today is a special day. We gather here to celebrate the end of one story and the beginning of another.

He turned to Alexey:

Lesha, I want to thank you for the seventeen years we spent together. For all the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows we share. You taught me many things. For example, that love can be very different.

An awkward whisper ran through the room. Natasha fiddled with a napkin, avoiding eye contact.

“And you also taught me to be attentive to detail,” Inna continued. Especially the financial ones.

She began to arrange the documents:

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Here is the loan for your car, contracted in our joint account. Here are your company’s back taxes. And this – and this is particularly interesting – is the revenue of restaurants and jewellers in the last year. I guess you were trying to impress Natasha.

Alexey paled. Natasha raised her head sharply.

“But the most important thing,” Inna said as she retrieved the final document, “is our prenuptial agreement. Do you remember that you signed it without reading it? There is an interesting clause on the division of assets in case of infidelity.

The silence in the room became rumbling.

“The house is in my name,” Inna continued. I’ve already blocked the accounts. And last night the divorce lawsuit was filed.

He turned to Natasha:

“My dear, are you sure you’re ready to join your life to that of someone who has neither a home nor savings, but has considerable debts?”

“Excuse me, I have to go,” Natasha said softly.

Vera Pavlovna refused:

“Lesha, how could you?” We raise you differently.

“Mom, you don’t understand…” Alexey began, but his father interrupted him:

“No, son, you don’t understand. Seventeen years is no joke. And why did you ruin everything? For an affair with a student?

The friends at the table remained silent, avoiding looking at each other. Only Mikhail, Alexey’s best friend since school, said quietly:

“Lesha, you really screwed up.”

Inna continued to stand, holding her glass.

Do you know what’s most interesting? All these years I believed that our love was unique. That we were like those old couples with beautiful stories who stayed together until the end. I ignored your work delays, your weird calls, your ties and new shirts.

She took a sip:

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And then I started looking at the receipts. Jewellery, ‘White Swan’ restaurant, spa salon… How curious, isn’t it? You took her to the same places you once took me.

Natasha returned, but did not sit down at the table. She stood at the door, clutching her purse.

“Alexey Nikolaevich, I think we need to talk. Alone.

“Sure, my dear,” he rose, but Inna stopped him with a gesture.

Hold on. I’m not done yet. Do you remember our first apartment? The one in a room on the outskirts? We were so happy there. You said we didn’t need anything but each other.

She smiled:

And now look at yourself. Expensive suits, a luxury car, a young lover… But here’s the kicker: Everything was built on lies and debt.

Natasha’s voice trembled: “You said we were divorced. That we lived apart. That you were going to buy us an apartment.”

“Natashenka, I’ll explain everything to you.”

A resounding silence invaded the room.

Without saying a word, Natasha turned around and ran out of the apartment.

“Inna,” Alexey said, clutching his head. Why are you doing this?

“Why?” he laughed. “How did you expect it to be? That he would cry and beg you to stay? That I should roll at your feet?”

She examined the room:

You know what’s funny? I really loved him. Every wrinkle, every gray hair. Even his nocturnal snoring seemed endearing to me. I was ready to grow old with him, to raise grandchildren.

“My dear,” whispered Vera Pavlovna, “perhaps it is not worth it.

“No, Mom, yes,” Inna raised her voice for the first time that night. Let everyone know it. Let them know how your child borrowed to give gifts to their lovers. How he used our common money. How he lied to me, how he lied to you, how he lied to everyone.

He published another document:

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purposes only And this is especially interesting. Do you remember, Lesha, that three months ago you asked me to sign some papers? Did you say they were for the Treasury? It turned out to be collateral for a loan. You mortgaged my car, can you believe it?

“Son,” Alexey’s father said heavily as he got up, “we’ll probably go too.” Call me when… when you regain your sanity.

Vera Pavlovna grabbed Inna:

“Forgive me, my dear. We never thought that he…

“Don’t apologize, Mom. You have nothing to do with this.

Alexey was sitting there. His expensive costume now looked like a ridiculous masquerade costume.

“You know? I could have done it a month ago when I found out about everything. I could have bought you your car, ripped your suits, had a crisis at work,” Inna said.

“But I decided to do it another way,” he said.

Flight tomorrow. The Maldives, can you imagine? I’ve always dreamed of visiting them, but you always said it was a waste of money.

She put the keys on the table:

The apartment must be purchased by the end of the week. I sell it. And yes, don’t even think about trying to take money out of the accounts.

Alexey looked at her with a sad expression:

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“What am I supposed to do now?”

“That’s not my problem anymore,” he said.

You know what’s funny? I am very grateful to you. You made me wake up, dust me off. I suddenly realized that life doesn’t end with you.

She walked to the door and turned around one last time:

Goodbye, Lesha. I hope it was worth it.

The door closed silently. Alexey was left alone in the empty apartment. Inna embarked on a new journey that marked the first step of her new life.