Margarita, standing by the window in the hospital corridor, couldn’t look away.
Downstairs, near the hospital entrance, her husband Igor was flirting again with a nurse named Marina.
This had been happening for several days in a row. Every look, every touch to another woman stabbed Rita’s soul like a knife.
She felt everything inside her tighten with pain and resentment, but gathering her last strength, she turned away so as not to see the scene.
At home, another argument awaited — as predictable as the dawn.
Igor didn’t even look at her; he sat on his phone scrolling social media or messaging someone more interesting to him. When she spoke, he disdainfully said:
— The apartment is mine. If you don’t like it here — go to your relatives in the village. Don’t like it — get out.
— Don’t you have any shame at all? — Margarita asked, feeling her voice tremble with restrained emotions.
— Everyone at the hospital sees how you’re having an affair with Marina.
Igor snorted without looking away from his screen:
— What did you expect marrying a doctor? Isn’t that funny to you?
Those words hit like a blow. He had never spoken to her so directly and harshly before.
Before, he just withdrew into silence and allowed himself coldness, but now he wasn’t ashamed to mock her.
His mother had hinted before the wedding that her son could be bitter sometimes but would calm down.
For two and a half years Margarita had believed this, hoping that sooner or later everything would change.
But the worse it got, the further it got.
— I expected love, children…
I thought we’d support each other, she whispered, feeling the last barrier inside her collapse, protecting her from destructive loneliness.
— You made it up yourself, you got offended yourself, — Igor said contemptuously and, without looking back, left for work.
At that moment, Rita realized: whatever happened, it was already over.
She had long doubted, endured, pretended everything was fine.
But now she knew — Igor could really be in love with this woman.
So she decided: she needed to talk to Marina.
Maybe only a face-to-face meeting could help untangle this knot of feelings and lies.
But here was a strange coincidence — Marina’s husband worked at the same hospital, holding a high position — head of the department.
He was Igor’s boss. Could he really know everything and stay silent?
When her husband left, Margarita went to the hospital.
Seeing her in the corridor, Marina was slightly surprised:
— Why did you come? Isn’t it your shift?
— I wanted to talk. Honestly.
— About what?
— Tell me, is it serious between you and Igor?
— Of course not! — Marina said boldly. — My husband is the department head.
He earns more than you, has better prospects, no bad habits.
— Then why do you need Igor?
— Don’t tell me you’re suffering!
Your husband is a regular womanizer. If not with me, then with another.
Margarita wanted to reply, but then Marina’s husband Roman appeared in the corridor.
His face was paler than chalk.
— Marina, is it true? Are you cheating on me?
— No, of course not! — Marina hurried to him.
—I was just joking with Rita. Someone spread rumors…
— You know, I’ve heard enough.
I wish you and Igor happiness.
And, of course, I’m firing you both. Don’t come home.
Roman slammed the door loudly and left.
Marina, beside herself with rage, grabbed Rita’s hair:
— Look what you’ve done! Now I’m without an apartment and without a job!
She ran to Igor to tell him what happened:
— Your woman set us up! Romka is firing us!
— Wait, — Igor was surprised.
— You said your husband knows about your affairs and doesn’t mind.
— I thought so… But now he’s divorcing me!
— Listen, I love you! Live with me, and I’ll throw Rita out.
Marina wanted to laugh — live in a tiny Khrushchyovka on a doctor’s salary?
But then she realized: it was better than going back to her mother.
— You know, you’re right. How long can you live a lie!
Igor smiled happily, caught up with Rita, and said maliciously:
— Don’t come home.
I already called my mother — she’s changing the locks.
And I asked the chief doctor to fire you.
— How? I have things there…
— You’ll write later where to send them.
If you find a place to live, — he laughed.
Rita wandered the street in complete despair. She only had her passport.
She wanted to withdraw money from the card but forgot — their account was joint.
Igor had already emptied it.
She didn’t even have money for the bus.
She was about to turn back to the hospital to borrow some from Zina when she noticed a poorly dressed young man.
Two burly men with unfriendly faces were chasing him.
— Auntie, please! — his breathless voice.
— Pretend you’re my mother, or I’m done for!
The pursuers stopped hesitating.
— Where have you been? Your father is at work, and you’re 20 minutes late!
Because of you, I pay for parking every time!
— Mom, forgive me! But doesn’t dad, as a policeman, get free parking?
The young man realized they probably wouldn’t want to mess with a cop’s son.
— He does, but only in strictly designated places!
The men hesitated a little longer, then one said:
— He’s not a street kid. Maybe just looks like one. Okay, let’s go back and look elsewhere.
When they left, the young man started thanking Rita.
— My name is really Konstantin. How did you guess?
— I don’t know myself. It’s been a hard day — my third eye opened, — Margarita joked darkly.
— Listen, are you hungry?
— Yeah…
— Then come with me. I’ll borrow some money from a friend and feed you.
— Do you have troubles too?
— My husband kicked me out, and I was fired.
— I sympathize. What did I do? I saw those two trying to plant something in a rich man’s car.
Warned him. The car exploded, but without me.
That’s why they’re mad.
— You’re a good guy. Glad I could help.
— Maybe. Only good ones don’t live long.
At the hospital, Zina fed them and gave them money. Then Roman came in.
— Rita, I’m sorry. I found out your husband asked to fire you.
So, I’m to blame. What can I do?
— I was going to complain about your wife myself.
She got what she deserved.
— Roman, she has nowhere to live! And she took in this boy — hiding from criminals.
They wanted to blow up a rich man’s car; he stopped them, — Zina intervened.
— Wait, what car did they want to blow up?
Konstantin described what happened.
— Looks like you saved my brother. I owe you.
Half an hour later, a whole cavalcade of expensive cars pulled up at the hospital.
Roman never said his brother was a famous businessman.
— So this is who I owe my life to! — Ignat said, seeing Konstantin.
—I recorded those two on my phone.
— Don’t worry, we’ll deal with it. But while we search for them, you may be in danger.
You’ll stay at my cottage.
— What about loans? — Zina asked.
Ignat was surprised, listened to Rita’s story, and told the security guard to go to the ATM.
The guard returned with a hefty stack of bills.
Konstantin and Rita barely had time to blink before they found themselves in a luxurious cottage with a housekeeper.
— We’re not exactly rich. We eat what we get, — Konstantin winked at Rita.
So they lived for a week.
The Bugaevs were caught, and it turned out Marina knew about her husband’s wealthy relative and dreamed of getting the inheritance.
She had hired those people.
Rita was offered a job at the cottage and a substantial reward.
— What about Kostya? You can’t just abandon him, — she told Ignat.
— Maybe adopt him? That’s the only way to make the boy’s life safe.
— But I don’t have a husband or an apartment…
— You could marry me. Fictitiously, of course.
Then you wouldn’t have to work — my wife should rest.
Ignat immediately liked Rita and decided a fictitious marriage was a good reason to get to know her.
— Agree, — Konstantin asked.
—I’m very independent; I won’t cause any problems.
The boy was tired. For once, fate was turning towards him.
He could be friends with Rita, and Ignat was reliable.
For the first time in his life, there were people he could count on.
A year later, the whole hospital buzzed with gossip:
— Look how cleverly Rita arranged everything!
She parted with her husband in time, apparently knew about the rich man in advance.
She lied that the marriage was fake, but her belly is growing!
— Calm down! — Zina tried to soothe everyone.
— Rita found happiness — she deserved it!
But people were outraged. Some simple village girl cunningly caught a rich man, and they were no worse!
Igor completely fell apart. He came to surgery drunk, just when the commission arrived.
He was fired. Luckily, Roman at least took him as an orderly.
And Marina had time to spend the savings.
His mother, finding out her son was involved with a fraud, kicked him out.
Now he lived with friends and turned to the bottle.
— Envy and cruelty lead to the abyss, — Zina explained.
But did Igor listen?
And Margarita blossomed — unrecognizable. She was expecting a girl; the birth was imminent.
Her husband looked at her like a treasure.
Sometimes, women’s happiness does happen. Sometimes it comes unexpectedly, through trials and losses.
But if the heart remains kind, if a person does not lose faith in the best — happiness will surely find its way.
