Now I see you with different eyes. Do you know what I realized? Not once did you defend me.
Not once did you stop your mother when she accused me. You always took her side.”
“I just wanted to avoid conflicts…” he muttered.
“Avoid conflicts?” Liliya laughed without joy. “And I didn’t want to live in a lie.
I didn’t want to experience humiliation every day. If you couldn’t protect me from your own mother, what kind of husband were you?”
“The saddest thing is that I really loved you. I hid my position because I wanted you to love me for myself, not my money.”
She approached the cabinet and took out an envelope.
“Look.
These were tickets to the sea—my gift for our anniversary. I planned to surprise you. But your mother ruined everything.
And you let her do it.”
Alla Sergeyevna jumped up from the chair:
“Lilechka, let’s forget everything! I will apologize, make amends! How can you kick us out onto the street?!”
“No, Alla Sergeyevna,” Liliya coldly replied.
“You are given a month to find new housing. That’s a generous period, considering the circumstances.”
“Igor!” Alla Sergeyevna shrieked. “Make her see reason!
You can’t allow her to treat your mother like this!”
But Igor kept silent, staring at the floor. Liliya took out another envelope:
“Here are the divorce papers. I’ve already prepared everything.
Sign them—and you can take your mother and leave.”
“Lily, please,” finally
“Let’s start over. I’ll change, I promise!”
“No, Igor. It’s too late.
My love for you disappeared the moment you chose her, without even trying to hear me. Now I understand: with her around, you’ll never become a real man.”
A month later, Liliya sat in her office, placing the final signature on the divorce documents.
“You know,” she said to her lawyer, closing the folder with the documents, “now I am free. No one can humil.iate me or tell me how to live anymore.”
Looking back, Liliya realized: everything that happened was for the best.
She lost a husband but found herself. And these trials were worth it.
