Vlad turned off the shower and wiped his face with a towel. He listened to the sounds coming from the bedroom—Masha was still asleep. Water droplets ran down his shoulders, leaving wet streaks on the freshly cleaned floor. Glancing briefly in the mirror, Vlad was pleased with his reflection. At thirty-seven, he looked good. Regular workouts and a healthy lifestyle were paying off. Women noticed him, and that flattered his ego.
The past few weeks felt like the happiest he’d had in a long time. His divorce from Irina hadn’t been finalized yet, but the very fact of separation gave Vlad the freedom he’d longed for. Meeting Masha had turned his world upside down. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt such an emotional rush.
“Are you already up?” Masha’s sleepy voice drifted from the bedroom.
“Yeah, I’ll make coffee now,” he said, pulling on his sweatpants and stepping out of the bathroom.
Masha lay half-reclined on the bed. Her loose hair was spread across the pillow. At twenty-eight, she was full of energy and a special kind of vitality. Vlad approached, kissed her on the forehead, and headed to the kitchen.
“Coffee in bed again?” Masha stretched with a smile. “Just like in the early days!”
“Why not?” Vlad smirked as he took out the coffee machine Irina had brought from Italy three years ago.
The apartment still bore traces of the past. Masha had moved some of her things in, but much reminded him of Irina. Vlad had put framed photos in a drawer, but the books on the shelves, the dishes in the cabinets, even the furniture arrangement—all revealed the presence of another woman.
“You know, we need to renovate,” Masha said, entering the kitchen wearing his T-shirt. “I want this apartment to really be ours.”
“Of course, once the divorce paperwork is settled,” Vlad said, placing cups on the table.
“When will that be?” Masha sat down, folding her leg beneath her. “You said it’d only take a few weeks.”
“Well, you know… bureaucracy,” Vlad waved vaguely, stirring sugar into his coffee. “But that doesn’t matter now. Irina and I have agreed on everything, just waiting for the official stamp.”
Masha sipped her coffee, studying Vlad over the rim of her cup. Their relationship had moved quickly—three months from meeting at the office to her moving in. Normally, Masha wouldn’t make such hasty decisions, but Vlad was persistent and confident. His assurance that the past was behind him somehow infected her too.
Vlad was about to share his weekend plans when the doorbell rang. He frowned.
“Who would visit on a Saturday morning?”
Opening the door, Vlad froze. There stood Irina. The woman he’d lived with for six years looked very different from their last meeting. Then, she had seemed worn down by endless fights and stress. Now, she was composed and confident, standing tall with clear eyes. Her light blonde hair was tied back, emphasizing her features. She wore a sharp, sand-colored pantsuit Vlad hadn’t seen before.
“Hello,” Irina’s voice was different too—gone was the exhaustion and anxiety. “I came for my things.”
Vlad quickly regained his composure, smirked, and crossed his arms. He had imagined this moment many times—the moment his ex would see his new happiness. He expected tears, reproaches, maybe even a breakdown. But Irina stood calmly, which somehow irritated him even more.
“You came back for your junk? Well, come in then and see who’s the lady of the house now!”
He wanted to see pain in her eyes, but she only raised an eyebrow slightly and walked into the apartment without waiting for an invitation.
“Who’s there, Vlad?” Masha came out of the kitchen, still in his T-shirt and holding a cup of coffee.
“That’s Irina, my ex,” Vlad deliberately emphasized the last word.
Masha froze, awkwardly tugging down the T-shirt barely covering her hips. She sized Irina up, trying to look confident, but a faint blush betrayed her embarrassment.
“Nice to meet you,” Irina said, and it was impossible to tell if she truly meant it or was just being polite. “I won’t stay long, just here to get my things and won’t bother you.”
“Of course, make yourself at home,” Masha straightened, asserting her new status.
Irina went to the bedroom, Vlad following, leaving Masha in the kitchen. The ex-wife opened the wardrobe and began taking out clothes.
“Isn’t it a bit rude to just show up without warning?” Vlad asked, trying to add sarcasm to his tone.
“I called you three times last week,” Irina answered calmly, folding a blouse carefully. “You didn’t answer.”
“I was busy,” Vlad leaned against the doorframe, watching her movements.
Irina continued packing silently, and that calmness irritated Vlad. Not the reaction he expected. He wanted tears, accusations, maybe begging to come back.
“Looks like you found a replacement for me quickly,” Irina finally broke the silence, closing the suitcase.
“Yes, we’re very happy,” Vlad didn’t miss the chance to underline his victory. “Masha is exactly who I need.”
“I’m happy for you,” Irina looked him straight in the eye. “Truly happy. Everyone deserves happiness.”
That sincerity strangely unsettled Vlad. He didn’t understand such calm acceptance of the situation. He had expected hurt, jealousy, but not this.
“Won’t you even ask how long we’ve been together?” he made one last attempt to sting her.
“That’s none of my business,” Irina shrugged. “We’re divorcing. You’re free to date whoever you want.”
Irritation grew inside him. Things were not going according to his script.
“By the way, about the divorce,” Irina stopped in the bedroom doorway. “When will you pay me for my share of the apartment? Only then can you talk about the new lady of the house. Officially, half the apartment is still mine.”
Vlad froze. The blood drained from his face. This topic had been touched on briefly when they decided to divorce. The apartment was bought during their marriage and registered as joint property.
“What do you mean, ‘your share’?” Masha appeared in the hallway, clearly listening in.
“Oh, he didn’t tell you?” Irina continued with a slight smirk. “The apartment was joint property, and since we’re divorcing, my share stays with me. Hope you don’t mind living in someone else’s house?”
Masha glanced at Vlad.
“What do you mean—half?”
Vlad saw confidence leave Masha’s face. She frowned and crossed her arms.
“It’s just a formality,” Vlad tried to explain. “We’ll divide the property when we divorce anyway.”
“Which, by the way, isn’t finalized yet,” Irina added, heading toward the exit with her suitcase.
“Wait,” Vlad blocked her way. “Let’s settle this now. I demand you renounce your share!”
“On what grounds?” Irina asked calmly.
“You left first!” Vlad blurted out.
“I left because you cheated on me with a colleague,” Irina said without bitterness, simply stating a fact. “That doesn’t give you rights to my share of the apartment.”
Masha stepped back, eyes wide.
“You said you parted on mutual agreement.”
“This is more complicated than it seems,” Vlad tried to wiggle out.
“No, Vlad, it’s quite simple,” Irina took her phone from her bag. “I want my share in cash or to sell the apartment and split the proceeds. Your choice.”
“What if I refuse?” Vlad challenged.
“Then we’ll have to live as three,” Irina smiled, and in that smile Vlad saw something fierce. “Or I can rent out my share. I’m sure there’ll be takers.”
Vlad paled. He realized his mistake. He had rushed into a new life without thinking through the consequences. The apartment was the only valuable asset, and he simply assumed Irina would give up her share.
“You can’t do this,” he said, feeling the ground fall beneath him.
“I can,” Irina answered calmly. “And it’s my legal right.”
“Vlad, you said everything was settled!” Masha looked at him accusingly.
Irina dialed a number on her phone:
“Hello, Svetlana Andreevna? Good morning, this is Irina. Could you please prepare the documents for property division?”
Vlad stood frozen, staring at his ex-wife. His face slowly lost color, as if all the paint had been washed away. Irina nodded into the phone, noted something, and finished the call.
“The lawyer can prepare the papers by Wednesday,” Irina said, looking at her ex. “I think the fairest option is to sell the apartment and split the money evenly. Or you can buy out my share.”
Masha looked between Vlad and Irina, clearly uncomfortable, shifting her weight nervously. The T-shirt suddenly seemed too short and awkward.
“Maybe I should get dressed?” she muttered, and without waiting for a reply disappeared into the bedroom.
Vlad stood stunned for a moment. Minutes ago, life had seemed perfect, but now it was collapsing like a house of cards.
“You can’t just come and claim your rights,” Vlad finally said. “We had an agreement.”
“No, Vlad,” Irina shook her head. “There was no agreement. You just wanted me gone, so I wouldn’t interfere with your new life. But we bought the apartment together, and my rights to it didn’t vanish.”
Masha came out of the bedroom, dressed now in jeans and a sweater. Her hair was tied up, and she wore shoes instead of slippers. The girl looked transformed, as if she’d put on armor.
“Wait a minute… You told me the apartment was yours! Now it turns out half belongs to your ex?” Masha crossed her arms, looking at Vlad.
Vlad tried to mumble something, but the words tangled in his mouth. Meanwhile, Irina took a folder with documents from her bag.
“I’m not here to cause a scene,” she said calmly, spreading the papers on the coffee table. “Either you buy my share, or we sell the apartment and split the money.”
Vlad felt the floor open beneath him. He didn’t have money to buy her out—his last savings had gone to new bedroom furniture that Masha had enthusiastically picked out. Selling the apartment meant his plans would completely collapse.
“How much time do I have?” Vlad asked, trying to buy some time.
“For what?” Irina raised an eyebrow.
“To gather money or…” Vlad stumbled. “What if I just… well, continue living here?”
Irina smiled, and in that smile Vlad saw something new—a woman confident in her rights.
“Then I’ll sell my share to someone else or rent it out. After all, I have half, right?” Irina’s voice was almost cheerful.
Masha abruptly stood up from the couch where she had been sitting. Her patience had clearly run out.
“I’m not going to live in an apartment where the owner is the ex-wife! Vlad, you decide, but I’m leaving,” Masha headed to the bedroom and began packing.
Vlad rushed after her, leaving Irina in the living room.
“Mash, wait, let’s talk,” Vlad whispered, closing the door behind him. “This is just a misunderstanding. I’ll fix everything.”
“A misunderstanding?” Masha tossed clothes into her bag. “You lied to me! Said the apartment was yours, the divorce was almost done, and you separated by mutual consent. But it turns out you cheated on your wife! And now that woman has rights to half the apartment where I was already planning renovations like a fool!”
“But I didn’t know she’d act like this,” Vlad tried to justify himself. “I thought we’d work it out.”
“You just decided she’d give up,” Masha zipped her bag. “But you know what, Vlad? I’d have done the same if I were her. And really, how could you so casually bring me into an apartment that half belongs to your ex? It’s… disgusting.”
Vlad tried to hold Masha back, pleading and promising to fix things, but she was resolute. Gathering her things, Masha passed through the living room to the exit.
“Sorry for the scene,” she said to Irina. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Irina nodded.
Vlad watched helplessly as Masha opened the front door. He ran after her, but she was already going down the stairs without looking back.
“Masha! Wait!” Vlad shouted from the doorway, but all he heard was the sound of the door shutting behind her.
Returning to the apartment, Vlad found Irina already in the hallway. The ex-wife adjusted her jacket collar and looked completely calm, as if nothing had happened.
“I think we’ve settled everything,” Irina said, fastening her bag. “I’ll come back for a few things later, but I’ll warn you in advance.”
“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Vlad muttered. “Came knowing I wouldn’t be alone. Wanted to destroy everything.”
“I came for my things, Vlad,” Irina looked at him with mild surprise. “And I would have warned you if you’d answered your phone even once this week. As for everything falling apart—it wasn’t me who cheated or lied.”
Vlad clenched his fists. He wanted to hit something, scream, but a lump of helplessness rose in his throat. Irina headed to the exit, glancing back over her shoulder.
“You have two days to settle the notary issue. If you don’t want to cooperate, we’ll handle it in court.”
The door closed behind Irina, and Vlad was left standing in the hallway. Minutes passed before he moved. Vlad went back to the living room, collapsed on the couch, and buried his face in his hands.
Suddenly the apartment felt too big and empty. Two cups with unfinished coffee—his and Masha’s—remained on the coffee table. The morning that had started so well had turned into a nightmare. Vlad reached for his phone—maybe Masha would answer, maybe he could explain everything? But what exactly was there to explain?
He dialed her number and heard only short beeps. Masha had blocked him. Vlad leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. The realization hit him: in a moment, he’d lost everything—his girl, his comfortable life, and his confidence in the future. Only an empty apartment remained, half of which was no longer his.
Meanwhile, as Irina left the building, she finally felt relief. The sun gently warmed her face, and she tilted it toward the light, closing her eyes. It was a strange feeling—a mix of sadness and freedom. She hadn’t just left the apartment; she had left a past where she wasn’t valued. Six months ago, when she discovered messages on her husband’s phone, she thought her world had collapsed. Now she understood—the world was only just beginning.
Irina opened her phone and sent a message: “Done everything as agreed. Picked up my things and documents. You were right—it already feels easier.”
A minute later came the reply: “Well done. Shall we celebrate your freedom with dinner tonight?”
Irina smiled and typed back: “Seven o’clock good?” The answer came immediately: “Looking forward to it.”
Her phone slipped into her bag as Irina headed to her car. The life that had seemed shattered six months ago was now slowly being rebuilt, brick by brick. And in this new life, there was no room for someone who couldn’t appreciate what he had.