My life always seemed stable and independent to me, and my daughter Marina was an important part of it. But one evening she came home with Grigory, a man older than me who had his own secrets. That moment turned my whole world upside down. I couldn’t imagine how much it would change everything for both of us.
I spent years building my life: a successful career, a cosy house by the sea, raising my daughter Marina — I did it all myself. But sometimes, in quiet moments, I felt like something was missing — perhaps a partner who would be a reliable support in difficult times.
That evening, I planned a warm dinner with Marina. I carefully set the table, lit the candles, and waited for her eagerly.
‘Mum, this is Grigory,’ Marina said a few hours later, hugging the arm of a man who looked older than me.
He was tall, dressed in an elegant suit, with a confident smile.
‘Erika, nice to meet you,’ he said, extending his hand.
‘Likewise, Grigory. Marina didn’t mention that we would have a guest,’ I replied, trying to be polite.
Marina laughed nervously: ‘I wanted to surprise you.’
Grigory looked around the room as if assessing it.
‘So, Grigory,’ I began the conversation, ‘what do you do?’
‘Finance. Investments,’ he replied calmly, without looking me in the eye.
‘Finance, I see,’ I muttered, turning to my daughter. ‘How are things at university, Marina?’
‘Mum, maybe university isn’t the answer to everything.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ I asked, trying to remain calm. ‘We worked so hard to get you into that school, remember?’
‘I feel free with Grigory. He understands me like no one else does,’ she replied, avoiding my gaze.
‘And how long has this been going on?’ I asked, trying to hide my irritation.
Grigory stood up, adjusting his cufflinks, and smiled with slight disdain: ‘Excuse me, I need to step out for a moment.’
As soon as he left, I turned to Marina, struggling to contain my emotions.
‘Marina, what are you doing? He’s…’
‘Older?’ she interrupted me with a stubborn expression. ‘Maybe that’s exactly what I need.’
‘But, Marina… he’s not just older. He’s from a different world. You hardly know him!’
‘I know enough. With him, I don’t have to think about grades or career plans. I can just… breathe.’
‘But we’ve done so much for your future. You’re almost done with university, Marina. Don’t throw it all away for someone else’s dreams,’ I tried to convince her.
She rolled her eyes: “Exactly, Mum. Maybe your idea of the future doesn’t match mine. Grigory understands that. He’s lived life, seen the world, knows how to enjoy the moment, not make plans for the future.
“Enjoy life? Marina, you have to build your own path. And if you drop out of school, don’t count on my financial support. You’ll be on your own,” I said firmly.
‘Fine! I have Grigory’s money, I don’t need yours,’ she snapped.
‘Let’s see how long this lasts,’ I said, hoping she would realise her mistakes. ‘You have to leave in the morning.’
Marina flushed with anger and left without saying a word.
Later that evening, the tension was palpable. Despite everything that had happened, Marina clearly hoped that I would soften my stance towards Grigory. But suddenly there was a loud knock at the door.
Marina opened it, and there stood a young woman with a tear-stained face and red eyes.
‘Raya?’ whispered Grigory, her gaze fixed on him.
‘You!’ she cried, her voice trembling with rage. ‘You promised me! You said I was the only one!’
Grigory’s face turned pale. ‘Raya, please… not here. This is not the right time…’
‘Not the right time?’ she interrupted, her voice growing louder. ‘I had to follow your car to find you because you weren’t answering your phone anymore!’
Marina looked at him with an expression of shock and pain. ‘Is that true? Did you lie to me?’ I will continue translating the rest of the text into Russian, preserving the style and rendering the names in Russian.
Grigory stumbled and walked out the door. For Marina, he was now a blank slate.
I stood frozen, watching him slowly walk down the driveway. At that moment, the bright headlights of a car emerged from around the corner, its tyres screeching in a desperate attempt to stop.
A terrible crash tore through the night, and Grigory collapsed onto the asphalt, motionless. In a panic, I covered my mouth with my hands, feeling a wave of horror wash over me.
The doctor at the hospital said that Grigory would hardly be able to travel anytime soon. Normally, I would have suggested staying at a hotel, but the only hotel in our town was closed for renovations.
I couldn’t bring myself to send him out onto the street with no other options. So, despite everything that had happened, I offered him a place to stay with us.
To be honest, I even began to feel sympathy for him. In his eyes, I saw sadness, a deep loneliness that made him not as terrible as he seemed at first. There was someone in him who looked truly unhappy and perhaps even a little lost.