The city was draped in the warmth of a tranquil May evening, wrapping everything in a golden glow. Sitting on the balcony of their new countryside home, Ksenia watched as Artem busied himself with the garden grill. Six-year-old Maxim darted around the yard, tirelessly chasing a ball, while four-year-old Lera eagerly handed small items to her father, determined to be of help.
“Ksyusha, come down!” Artem called out with a grin. “Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes!”
Ksenia smiled as she took in the scene before her. Life felt full of promise, woven with dreams and hard-earned progress. Artem had recently launched his own construction materials business, and it was steadily gaining momentum. Since the beginning, Ksenia had stood by his side, managing the bookkeeping and documentation, ensuring everything ran smoothly.
Though she had put her university education on hold, she still held onto the hope of finishing her law degree someday.
“Look, Mommy! I’m helping!” Lera beamed, holding up a plastic plate proudly.
“Great job, sweetheart!” Ksenia praised, stepping down into the garden, smoothing out the flowing fabric of her summer dress.
Artem pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
Ksenia leaned into him, whispering, “We’re a team.”
Time passed unnoticed, and five years slipped away in the blink of an eye. What had once been a small business grew into a thriving company, taking up an entire floor of a bustling business center. However, success came at a cost. Artem became consumed by meetings, negotiations, and endless work commitments. He was home less and less, and even when he was, his attention remained on his phone or laptop.
“Dad, will you be there for my birthday?” Maxim asked one evening, his bright eyes full of hope. “I’ll be turning eleven!”
“Of course, son,” Artem replied absentmindedly, his gaze never leaving his phone. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
Ksenia simply shook her head as she set the dinner table. She had long stopped believing in his promises. Over the past year, Artem had missed school events, family trips, and countless moments that mattered. Even their long-awaited vacation had gone ahead without him.
Later that night, after the children were asleep, Ksenia sat beside her husband. “Artem, we need to talk.”
“Not now,” he dismissed her, barely glancing up from his laptop. “I have an important meeting tomorrow.”
“You say that every day,” she said softly. “The children miss you. I miss you.”
Finally, he looked at her, irritation flashing in his eyes. “You know I’m doing all of this for us, for our future.”
Ksenia let out a weary sigh. “Which future, Artem? The one where we barely see each other?”
Frustration edged his voice. “What do you want from me? To throw away everything I’ve built?”
“No,” she said, her voice laced with sorrow. “I just want you to remember the family you’re building it for.”
Artem had no response. He simply returned his attention to his laptop, signaling that the conversation was over.
A month later, he hired a young, ambitious assistant named Vika. Ksenia noticed the changes immediately—he started staying at the office even later, a different cologne lingered on his clothes, and new, expensive accessories appeared.
“Why doesn’t Dad come home at night anymore?” Lera asked one evening, her large eyes searching her mother’s face.
“Daddy is very busy, sweetheart,” Ksenia said, forcing a reassuring smile, though inside, her world was crumbling. “He has important meetings.”
“Then why doesn’t he answer my calls?”
Ksenia hugged her daughter tightly, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Maybe he’s just too busy at the moment, love.”
That night, Artem returned home unexpectedly early. His face was unreadable as he stood in the living room, his coat still on.
“We need to talk,” he announced.
A sudden chill ran down Ksenia’s spine. “What’s wrong?” she asked hesitantly.
He exhaled sharply, his tone detached. “I’ve filed for divorce.”
The words struck like a bolt of lightning.
“What? Why?” Her voice wavered.
“This is for the best,” he said simply. “I’ve met someone who understands me. We have the same goals, the same ambitions.”
“Vika?” Ksenia asked, already knowing the answer.
Artem nodded. “I need to move on. Family life… it’s become a burden.”
“A burden?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “You see fifteen years of marriage as nothing but an inconvenience?”
“By the end of the week, I need you to move out,” he added coldly. “Everything—our house, our assets—it’s all in my name.”
Ksenia’s mind spun, unable to comprehend how the man she once loved could have become a stranger.
At that moment, Maxim appeared in the doorway, rubbing his sleepy eyes. “Mom, what’s going on?”
Artem didn’t answer. He simply turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
With no choice, Ksenia moved with the children into a small apartment on the outskirts of the city. Artem provided minimal support, barely enough to get by. Lera cried often, confused about why they no longer lived in their beautiful home, while Maxim withdrew into himself, skipping music school and avoiding friends.
“I have to find a job,” Ksenia whispered to herself one night as she watched her sleeping children. “I need to be strong for them.”
The following weeks were the hardest of her life. Every job application ended with the same rejection—she lacked work experience. She had spent years dedicated to her family, and now she had nothing to show for it. But fate intervened when Nina Petrovna, the kind owner of a small café, took a chance and hired her as a waitress.
At night, after the children were asleep, Ksenia picked up her textbooks, determined to complete her law degree through correspondence courses.
Years passed, and one day, a former colleague of Artem’s visited the café, gossiping about how his business was on the brink of collapse. Rumors swirled that Vika had drained his finances, spending lavishly and making reckless investments.
Later, a trusted friend from the banking sector confirmed what Ksenia suspected—Artem had been hiding assets and underreporting his income for years.
She took action, reopening the terms of their divorce. With relentless determination, she fought for what was rightfully hers and her children’s. After months in court, the verdict was final—Artem was forced to relinquish a significant portion of his wealth to Ksenia.
Years later, their paths crossed again. Artem, now a shadow of his former self, approached her at a charity event, remorseful and broken.
“I see everything clearly now,” he murmured. “I lost the only people who truly mattered.”
Ksenia simply smiled. “I wish you well, Artem. But that chapter of my life is closed.”
That night, she received a message from Maxim. “Come celebrate with us, Mom!”
As she grabbed her keys and stepped outside, she breathed in the crisp evening air. She had built a life on resilience, love, and self-respect. And that was something no one could ever take away from her.