“Irina, we’re getting a divorce. Please make sure you leave this apartment by tomorrow,” Anton declared in a haughty calm tone, leaving his wife stunned as their love story approached its abrupt conclusion.
“What? Anton, did I hear you right? We’re divorcing?” she questioned in disbelief.
“Yes,” he confirmed.
“And why should I have to leave my own home?” she demanded.
“Your home? That’s a mistaken notion, my dear. Here are the papers. As you can see, I am the sole owner,” Anton said, displaying the documents.
As Irina’s eyes blurred with disbelief, she recalled how she had taken an early leave from work intending to surprise her husband on their wedding anniversary. She had prepared everything and placed the orders. Guests would arrive within the hour, but instead, she was given a shock she hadn’t anticipated.
“Wait, this must be some kind of joke,” she said, confusion evident.
“There is no joke here. I’ve made my decision,” Anton said coldly, looking at her with disdain and certainty in his superiority.
“What decision?” Irina asked, utterly lost.
“I’ll repeat myself: pack your things. You won’t be here by tomorrow morning. We’ll meet at the registry office on Monday at noon. I hope you won’t make a scene,” he ordered.
In her hands, Irina gripped an electric mixer; she had just whipped cream for dessert. Her last sparks of excitement and eagerly awaiting their friends now dissolved, like cotton candy melting in water.
“Anton, what is this divorce nonsense? Is this some kind of joke? We’re celebrating our anniversary today! The guests are coming soon!”
“Guests?” Anton frowned, then softened and said, “Perfect! Let’s show them we separate amicably!” But the divorce decree remained unchanged. “Remember, you must be gone by tomorrow morning.”
An hour later, the apartment where they had shared nearly ten joyful years echoed with their friends’ voices. Warm words, bouquets, and presents welcomed Irina as she graciously accepted them, while Anton requested that congratulations be saved for dinner. Finally seated, he raised his glass for the first toast:
“I want to thank my wife, Ira, for ten wonderful years of marriage. You all know the highs and lows we’ve faced; we’ve always supported each other,” he said amid applause. “Today marks our last anniversary; we’ve decided to divorce. I thank Ira for her unwavering support and promise to keep all my affection for her.”
A heavy silence spread through the room. All eyes turned to Irina. Holding back tears, she forced a polite smile and replied,
“And you, Anton, thank you for being my husband. I hope everything goes well for you.”
The guests were speechless; they had always seen Anton and Irina as a perfect couple, so this revelation struck them as profoundly as it had struck Irina earlier.
Soon, Irina excused herself, citing a headache, and retreated to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. What should she pack first? Clothes of course, then photographs, her computer, and the cat’s basket. Should she take the dishes, furniture, and blankets? No, that would be petty – cutting a comforter in half or sawing the wardrobe and TV was out of the question!
From the entrance, Denis, a friend of the couple, boldly remarked,
“Wow, what a celebration! This is the first anti-wedding party I’ve ever attended! The congratulations were genuine though!”
“She’s wonderful, my wife!” Anton replied with proud certainty.
“I know, I was the one who introduced you two; sometimes I regret it,” Denis joked with a wink. “I’d love to have a wife like her! You’re divorced now, after all, and she’s practically available.”
Laughter filled the room – Denis’s humor held a tinge of envy, while Anton’s laughter expressed pride in his maneuver.
Irina’s belongings were quickly packed. The guests barely noticed as she slipped away, suitcase and basket in hand. Outside, a taxi waited for her.
Half an hour later, Irina cried in her mother Valentina Ivanovna’s home.
“Ira, dear, what on earth has happened?” her mother asked, shaken to see her daughter as miserable as she had been 25 years ago after losing her father.
“Mom, this is all a mistake. He wants a divorce and claims the apartment is his. He told me to leave.”
“Anton?” Valentina Ivanovna exclaimed, horrified at the thought that her beloved son-in-law could behave this way.
“Yes. I don’t understand why.”
“And what did you do?”
“I packed and left.”
“My daughter…” her mother sighed.
Irina settled into her favorite armchair. Disturbed from its sleep, her cat crawled onto her lap and nestled nearby. Stroking the soft fur, she reflected on pivotal moments of her life:
- In high school, Irina began working: handing out flyers, conducting surveys, weeding flower beds.
- Her mother secretly saved part of her earnings to help her buy an apartment later.
- “Mom! I’ve been awarded a scholarship!”
- “In which program?”
- “Economics, to make money grow!”
- “What luck! I’m so happy for you!”
She eventually attended the main university far from home, living with roommates. Each time one married, Irina found a new one. Among her friends, it was said she brought luck to lonely hearts: everyone moved in only to leave soon after with the love of their life.
“Ira, you’re my best friend!” Denis once said, dragging his suitcases. “If not for you, I’d never have met my other half.”
“Go, Romeo, to your Juliet!” Irina teased.
Then she met Anton: a neighbor three years older, ambitious and hardworking at a large company. Their relationship evolved from formal ‘you’ to familiar ‘you,’ and love blossomed.
One evening, Anton confessed, “I think I’m in love.” Irina nearly wept with joy; it was her first time feeling such emotion.
The memory was abruptly interrupted by a call:
“Irina! Where are you?” Anton shouted.
“At mom’s,” she answered calmly.
“How could you leave the guests? Don’t you realize how much you’re making me look bad?”
“You told me to leave this morning.”
“Not in the middle of dinner! Now everyone thinks poorly of me…”
“And what exactly are they saying?” she responded sarcastically.
“They think I kicked you out!”
“Exactly. You kicked me out of MY apartment.”
“Anton,” she spoke fiercely, “you know well I paid 70% of the initial deposit and kept paying all the monthly installments.”
“You’re blaming me for my professional failures?” Anton was indignant.
The argument ended abruptly as Irina hung up. They had lost their only daughter in an accident, and Anton claimed they were not ready for another child. Each time she mentioned her desire to fill the house with children’s laughter again, he pushed her away.
Enraged, she resolved to fight for herself. She acquired a damning testimony from Anton’s former boss, Vassili Borisovich, revealing repeated wrongdoing, and found additional witnesses. The evidence was so solid it could trigger a criminal investigation.
A few days before the property division hearing, Anton tried to meet her at the café where he had once proposed.
- “Ira, don’t be foolish: no court will give you the apartment. At best, you’ll get pity and some compensation.”
- “If I lose, I will let you marry your new wife in ‘MY house.’”
- “My house?” he sneered, then offered, “You can have the appliances or furniture if you want.”
- “No, thank you.”
- “I’m generous: I’ll give you 200,000 rubles as compensation.”
- “200,000? Such generosity!” Irina laughed until tears fell.
The judgment clearly proved she alone had funded the purchase, initial deposit, renovations, and furnishing. Everyone testified in her favor.
After the hearing, Anton’s vulgar and domineering fiancée chastised him:
“So, you have nothing? Where will we live?”
“I suggest renting,” he replied, pale and incredulous.
“Yeah, you’ll rent! I’ll stay home. In six months, bailiffs will arrive.”
Anton yelled in fury, “We aren’t even married yet!”
“First, a DNA test will prove the child is yours, then ten witnesses heard your marriage and parenthood plans!”
In the distance, he noticed Irina walking arm in arm with Denis, her former friend turned new partner—a betrayal Anton couldn’t accept.
“How dare you?” he shouted.
“How dare you violate our trust and evict your wife?” she replied.
“You left on your own!” he argued.
“Only after you told me, ‘Don’t let me see your face at dawn!’”
“I admit I was unfair,” he murmured, almost remorseful.
“No, you did right!”
Irina entered a taxi without waiting for an explanation. Anton remained alone on the street.
That night, Irina returned to her former apartment. The hallway light had been left on for safety. Her cat, startled awake, fixed her with a look—it had surely woken to welcome her. While feeding the pet and preparing dinner, a warm voice called:
“You’re already home, my love?”
“Yes, dear! Change quickly. Dinner is warmed up.”
“What a joy to have you! You’re a true treasure!”
“Then take good care of it: soon, we’ll have a new treasure…”
Denis held her gently, placing his hand on her slightly rounded belly.
“The baby is moving!”
“Of course! It knows we’re waiting and loving it already…”
Happiness lies in trusting your loved one and knowing they will never abandon you.
This story highlights the painful yet empowering journey of Irina, who faced sudden betrayal but found new hope and love, proving resilience in the face of adversity.