Elena carefully leafed through the timeworn leather album she had preserved throughout the years. Her fingertips lingered on each photograph, especially those capturing Olga—her adopted daughter—genuinely smiling during school events, graduation, the first day at university, and birthday celebrations. Two decades of motherhood had seemingly slipped by in an instant, leaving an everlasting imprint on her heart. Every tear traced on the girl’s cheeks, every moment of happiness, each accomplishment remained vividly etched in her memory. Olga had become dearer to her than any biological bond could have, especially after her birth mother vanished without a trace, as though evaporated into nothingness.
Nearby, crutches rested beside the sofa—a stark reminder of a tragic fall on slick stairs that led to a complex knee operation. Elena’s leg was now embedded with metal pins—an unsettling sight. Though doctors assured her of full mobility restoration, her progress was agonizingly slow. During the period when she relied entirely on help even to rise from the sofa, her husband Grigory—her companion in over twenty years of marriage—suddenly ceased spending nights at home.
Initially, she reasoned his absences as work-related, but soon the painful reality dawned—he had found another woman: young, vigorous, and able to offer what Elena could no longer provide.
The shrill ring of the phone shattered the apartment’s silence. Olga’s name appeared on the screen.
“Mom, how’s your leg?” her daughter’s voice brimmed with sincere concern.
“It’s fine, my love, truly. Don’t worry about me. Tell me about the wedding instead. Has Igor reserved the restaurant? How’s everything coming along?”
“Everything is set; the menu is finalized. Mom, do you know where Dad is? I haven’t managed to contact him for days. His phone rings busy or goes unanswered.”
Elena paused, unwilling to shatter her daughter’s remaining illusions on the brink of her most significant day.
“He’s… swamped with work these days,” she lied, loathing herself for the deception. “You know how demanding the end of a quarter can be.”
“Understood. Mom, remember—registry office at eleven on Wednesday. I’m counting on you to be there. Promise me you’ll come! I’m nervous and need you beside me.”
“Naturally, my sunshine. Nothing will keep me from supporting you on such a special day.”
After the call, Elena reclined slowly against the cushions, still uncertain how to reveal that her father now lived with Kristina—a young colleague in her mid-twenties.
The door’s sudden unlocking startled her. Grigory entered without greeting, quietly heading to the bedroom.
“Grigory, can we just calmly discuss this?” she begged.
“There’s nothing to discuss,” he interrupted coldly, facing away. “Everything’s settled; no use prolonging this.”
Summoning her strength, Elena grabbed her crutches and painfully rose.
“Our daughter keeps asking about you. The wedding is just three days away. She waits for her father.”
“She’s my daughter, not yours,” he retorted with harsh certainty, “and I know exactly what I will tell her.”
“What will that be?”
Turning slowly, his eyes devoid of past tenderness, he declared, “After the wedding, I’ll be honest—our marriage is over. I’m filing for divorce. And mark my words, you never meant much to Olga—you were never a true mother, only a temporary caretaker. Soon, you’ll be irrelevant.”
Elena, fully aware that Olga wasn’t her biological child, had embraced her wholeheartedly. Years before, unable to conceive, she had welcomed Olga as her own after her birth mother disappeared.
“Don’t speak such cruel lies!” Elena said firmly. “I raised your daughter as mine. I’m her mother.”
“You’re not,” Grigory shouted malevolently. “You’re merely my wife—a woman who failed to give me a child in twenty years. Now, crippled on crutches, who needs you?”
This echoed Elena’s deepest fear: permanent disability.
“I loved both of you more than my life,” she whispered.
“Love?” he sneered bitterly. “Your love was endless chores and cleaning. Olga will understand my decision. I’ll have my own child now; I’m not old. But you…”
He stormed out, leaving Elena drained and resigned.
“For several heavy days before the wedding, silence overwhelmed the household, broken only by the support of Elena’s steadfast friend, Galina.”
Galina provided essential help—shopping, cooking, cleaning—while Grigory appeared sporadically, eating in silence before leaving again, ostensibly for work but really to meet his mistress.
On the eve of the wedding, Grigory harshly forbade Elena’s attendance:
“You won’t be at the wedding. I won’t allow your crippled presence to spoil my daughter’s celebration. Imagine how pitiful you’ll appear in photos—like a ghost from the past.”
“We’ll see who’s truly pitiful,” Elena replied calmly.
“Don’t even think of coming. I’ll personally eject you. Understand?”
Grigory sneered, ignoring her response.
That night, Elena sat alone in the now cavernous apartment, her heart pounding as she dialed Olga.
“Mom, are you ready? Tomorrow…”
“Olechka, my darling, I have terrible news. I can’t attend your wedding.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“My leg… complications. The doctor forbids long trips,” she lied with a heavy heart.
Olga’s voice softened, sensing sadness:
“Mom, are you crying?”
“No, honey, just upset to miss your happiest day.”
Grigory’s muffled but stern tone seeped from the next room:
“Good. Stay put and don’t ruin the celebration. Your time’s up. Pack your things, find somewhere else to live. I’ll help move your stuff. Don’t delay.”
Elena wanted to sob—two decades with this man reduced to such dismissal. She quietly ended the call, words failing her.
- Wedding day arrived with radiant spring sunshine and cheerful birdsong.
- Grigory dressed in his finest suit but reminded Elena she was unwelcome.
- Elena sat by the window, flipping through photos that embodied decades of memories.
- A knock interrupted her. At the doorway stood Igor, holding white roses.
- He urged Elena to come, conveying Olga’s insistence that she be by her side.
Elena rose, leaning on her crutches, moved by the groom’s sincerity.
At the registry office, a small gathering welcomed the union beneath a warm June sky. Elena steadied herself against the wall, noticing Grigory with Kristina—dressed provocatively—who glared upon her arrival.
“She wasn’t supposed to be here,” Grigory spat at Kristina.
“Who is she?” Kristina responded indifferently.
Olga appeared, radiant in a lace-sleeved white gown. Her joyous smile brightened the crowd.
She ran to Elena, embracing her tightly and whispering, “I knew you’d come!”
“I might mar the photos, but you glow with happiness,” Elena said, tears welling.
“Nothing matters more than you being here,” Olga affirmed.
When Grigory approached Elena with fury, threatening eviction and mocking her frailty, Olga defended her fiercely:
“Get away! Don’t speak to Mom like that! You’re a disgrace—a coward who failed us both!”
“I’m your father!” Grigory insisted, grasping for connection.
“I have only one mother. You were absent. Mom did everything alone. Now leave, with your woman. Never return!” Olga declared.
Stunned and flushed, Grigory fled with Kristina.
Igor comforted Olga warmly, and the celebration continued, free of bitterness.
Later, Olga handed Elena a key.
“It’s for your home. The locks have been changed. Aunt Valya packed Dad’s things and will help you anytime.”
Elena hugged her daughter, overcome with gratitude.
“Thank you for being my true mother all these years,” Olga said, “for loving me and teaching me strength.”
Elena smiled, knowing her devotion had been worthwhile.
Later that night, loud knocking disrupted Elena’s rest. It was Grigory demanding entry, furious and threatening.
Elena responded firmly, reminding him the apartment belonged to her, bought and registered in her name. His belongings, she explained, were with the neighbor.
Outside, Aunt Valya and her husband systematically removed Grigory’s possessions, while he raged helplessly.
Justice had finally been served, and Elena felt a bittersweet relief.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Olga, expressing love and gratitude for the unforgettable day, promising to visit with stories and cake.
Elena returned to her sofa, viewing the wedding photos on her phone. Each image reflected her daughter’s radiant happiness—the fruition of years of love and resilience.
Key Insight: Despite hardships and betrayal, unwavering maternal love and inner strength can overcome even the harshest circumstances, leading to new beginnings filled with hope and joy.
Reflecting on time’s swift passage, Elena recognized that although her daughter had grown from a frightened child into a strong, beautiful woman, the years she had devoted to raising Olga were meaningful and full of purpose.
A tender smile spread across Elena’s face. Illness and suffering aside, she was content. She possessed a loving daughter, a secure home, and unshakable peace that no one could take away.