– You know, Lena, I always dreamed of more. Of a luxurious life, of power.
– Andrey, we started from scratch together. Remember how happy we were about our first apartment?
– It was a long time ago. Now I am a different person. With different needs.
– So what now? Are you going to throw me away like an old thing?
“You’re too poor for me now, my dear, ” the husband grinned, throwing the divorce papers on the table.
Elena froze, not believing her ears. Ten years of marriage, ten years spent side by side, overcoming difficulties and rejoicing in victories – and just like that, it all ends?
She remembered how she met Andrey. Back then, he was a simple guy from the provinces who had come to conquer the capital. Elena worked as a waitress in a cafe where Andrey often went for lunch. He always left her generous tips, although he himself was barely making ends meet.
– Andrey, come to your senses! – Elena exclaimed. – We are a family! Have all these years really meant nothing to you?
The husband winced as if he had a toothache:
– Lena, understand, I have grown out of this sentimental nonsense. Now I am a successful businessman, I have a different social circle. And you… you are still the same provincial girl.
Elena felt herself boiling with anger and resentment:
– Oh, really? Who supported you when you started your business? Who stayed up all night helping you with the paperwork? Who tolerated your breakdowns and failures?
Andrey waved his hand casually:
– That’s all in the past. Now I can afford a whole staff of assistants. I need a wife who will match my new status.
“And who is this lucky lady?” Elena asked sarcastically. “Could it really be that long-legged secretary who has been hanging around you for the last six months?”
Andrey chuckled:
– And you are observant. Yes, Vika is exactly the woman I need. Young, ambitious, from a good family.
Elena felt a lump in her throat. She remembered how she had noticed a change in her husband’s behavior a few months ago. He had started staying late at work, became distant, and stopped sharing his plans and thoughts with her. At the time, she had written it off as stress and fatigue. How naive she had been!
“How long have you been planning this?” she asked quietly.
Andrey shrugged:
– What difference does it make? The main thing is that I made a decision. I hope you won’t make a scene and sign the papers without any problems.
————————————
Elena felt something break inside. She remembered how she and Andrey dreamed about the future, sitting on the roof of their first rented apartment. How they made plans, how they supported each other in difficult times.
“You know, Andrey,” she said slowly, “I always thought that we were a team. That our love was stronger than any trials. How wrong I was…”
The husband tapped his fingers impatiently on the table:
– Lena, let’s not have this melodrama. Just sign the papers and we’ll part ways on good terms.
Elena looked at the documents in front of her. Ten years of life invested in this man, in their common future – and this is how it all ended.
“You know what, Andrey,” she suddenly said, straightening up, “I won’t sign these papers.”
The husband raised an eyebrow in surprise:
– What do you mean “you won’t”? You have no choice.
“There is always a choice,” Elena answered firmly. “And I choose to fight for what is rightfully mine.”
Andrey laughed:
– So what are you going to do? Make a scene? Tell everyone what a scoundrel I am?
Elena shook her head:
– No, I won’t stoop to that. But you forgot one important thing, dear. Half of your business is mine. And I intend to get my share.
Andrey’s face distorted with anger:
– How dare you! This is my business, I created it!
“We created it together,” Elena retorted calmly. “And I can prove my involvement. Every document, every decision – my trace is everywhere. So either we part ways on my terms, or I will arrange such a war for you that there will be no trace left of your reputation as a successful businessman.
Andrey turned pale. He clearly did not expect such a turn of events.
– You… you’re lying, you won’t do it. You’re stupid for all this – he said uncertainly.
Elena smiled, and there was not a drop of warmth in this smile:
– Check. You always underestimated me, Andrey. You thought I was a quiet housewife who would meekly put up with all your antics. But I am no longer that naive girl from the provinces. I have learned a lot over the years. Including how to protect my interests.
Andrey sat, looking at his wife in amazement. For the first time in a long time, he saw before him not the comfortable and familiar Lena, but a strong, self-confident woman.
“What do you want?” he finally asked.
“Justice,” Elena replied. “Half of everything we’ve made together. And don’t try to fool me – I know about every bill, every deal.
Andrey felt a chill run down his spine. He had really underestimated his wife. And now it could cost him dearly.
“Okay,” he said slowly. “Let’s discuss the terms.”
Elena nodded:
– Now you’re talking businesslike. But remember, Andrey, this is only the beginning. You wanted war – you’ll get it.
She stood up and headed towards the exit. She stopped at the door and turned around:
– And you know what? Tell your Vika not to relax. Because as soon as you achieve even greater success, someone younger and more ambitious will appear. History has a way of repeating itself.
With these words, Elena left, leaving a stunned Andrey alone with his thoughts and broken plans for a “new life.”
Three months passed. Elena sat in her lawyer’s office, reviewing the final version of the divorce agreement. She had gotten everything she wanted – half of the business, the property, the accounts. Andrey had resisted to the last, but she was adamant.
“Well, Ms. Sokolova,” said the lawyer, “I congratulate you. It was a tough battle, but you came out on top.”
Elena smiled weakly:
– Thank you, Mikhail Sergeevich. I couldn’t have done it without you.
The lawyer shook his head:
– Don’t be modest. Your knowledge of your husband’s affairs and your iron will played a decisive role. Frankly, I haven’t met such goal-oriented clients for a long time.
Elena sighed:
– You know, I didn’t want any of this. I just wanted to save the family, to be happy. But Andrey… he ruined everything.
“Life is unpredictable,” the lawyer noted philosophically. “But you have proven yourself to be a strong personality. I am sure that everything will be fine with you.”
Elena nodded and stood up, getting ready to leave. Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and looked at the screen in surprise – Andrey was calling.
“Yes?” she answered warily.
– Lena, – the ex-husband’s voice sounded unusually confused, – can you come? We need to talk.
Elena frowned:
– About what? We’ve already discussed everything, Andrey.
“Please,” he said, his voice desperate. “It’s important.”
Something in Andrey’s tone made Elena agree. Half an hour later, she was entering their former shared home. Andrey met her in the living room. He looked haggard and older.
“Thank you for coming,” he said, gesturing for her to sit down.
Elena remained standing:
– I’m listening.
Andrey sighed deeply:
– Lena, I… I made a terrible mistake. I realized it too late, but… I still love you.
Elena felt her insides tighten. She had imagined this moment so many times, dreamed of hearing these words. But now they brought only bitterness.
“So what now?” she asked coldly. “Do you think I’ll give up everything and come back to you?”
Andrey shook his head:
– No, I… I just wanted you to know. Vika left me. She said that I was too stuck in the past, that I couldn’t give her what she wanted.
Elena chuckled:
– I told you that history has a tendency to repeat itself.
Andrey winced:
– You were right. Right about everything. I was blind, an idiot. Please, Lena, let’s try everything from the beginning. I have changed, I…
– No, Andrey, – Elena interrupted him. – You haven’t changed. You’re still the same egoist who thinks only of himself. It’s just that now you feel bad and lonely, so you remembered your faithful Lena.
She came closer to him:
– You know, I’m grateful to you. You made me wake up, made me fight. I finally realized what I’m really worth. And it’s definitely not the pathetic lifestyle you’re offering me.
Andrey looked at her with despair:
– Lena, please give me a chance…
Elena shook her head:
– No, Andrey. You’ve already used your chance. Now it’s my turn to live the way I want. Without you.
She headed towards the exit. She stopped at the door and turned around:
– You know, I really loved you. With all my heart. But you killed that love. And now… now you’re just an ex-husband and a business partner to me. Nothing more.
With these words, Elena left, leaving Andrey alone in the empty house, filled with ghosts of the past and the bitter realization of an irreparable mistake.
A year passed. Elena was sitting in her new office, looking over reports. Her part of the business was thriving – she was a talented manager. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” she said, without taking her eyes off the papers.
“Hello, Lena,” a familiar voice rang out.
She looked up. Andrey was standing in front of her, but he was no longer the self-assured businessman she remembered. He looked older and worn out.
“What do I owe you?” Elena asked coldly.
Andrey swallowed nervously:
— I… I came to ask you for help.
Elena raised an eyebrow in surprise:
– About help? You?
He nodded, looking down:
– Yes. I’m… I’m on the verge of bankruptcy. Everything went wrong after our divorce. I made some risky deals, and now…
Elena leaned back in her chair, looking closely at her ex-husband:
– And what do you want from me?
“Investments,” Andrey exhaled. “Your part of the business is thriving. If you invested in my company, we could…”
– Stop, – Elena interrupted him. – “We”? There is no “we”, Andrey. You decided this yourself a year ago, remember?
He winced:
– Lena, I know I made a mistake. But this isn’t about us. This is a good offer. You could get control of the entire business.
Elena chuckled:
– Ah, so that’s it. You’re not just asking for money. You want me to buy your share of the company.
Andrey nodded:
– Yes. This… this is the only way out.
Elena stood up and walked to the window. She looked at the city below and thought about how her life had changed over the past year. She had become stronger, more confident. She had learned to value herself and her achievements.
“You know, Andrey,” she finally said, turning to her ex-husband, “a year ago I would have agreed without thinking. I would have rushed to your aid, forgetting all the grievances.
She saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes and shook her head.
– But now… now I see the situation differently. You haven’t changed, Andrey. You still use people. First, you used me as a convenient housewife. Then – as a stepping stone to a “better life.” Now you’re trying to use me as a life preserver.
Andrey turned pale:
– Lena, that’s not true! I really realized my mistakes. I…
“No, Andrey,” Elena said firmly. “You didn’t realize your mistakes. You realized that you can’t do anything without me. And that’s not the same thing.
She returned to her desk and sat down:
– I will not invest in your company. And I will not buy it. You started this mess yourself, so you have to clean it up yourself.
Andrey looked at her with despair:
– Lena, please think about it. This is part of our common cause. Are you really going to let it fall apart?
Elena shook her head:
– This is no longer our business, Andrey. You decided that yourself when you threw the divorce papers at me. Remember what you said then? “You’re too poor for me now, my dear.” Well, the roles have changed now.
She saw Andrey’s face distorted with pain and shame. But she didn’t feel a drop of sympathy.
“I don’t think we have anything more to say,” she said, turning back to her papers. “Goodbye, Andrei. And good luck to you. You’ll need it.”
Andrey stood there for a few more seconds, as if hoping that Elena would change her mind. But she didn’t look at him anymore. Finally, he sighed heavily and left the office.
Elena waited until the door closed behind him before she allowed herself to exhale. She felt a strange mixture of emotions: satisfaction from being able to stand up for herself, sadness from the final break with the past, and… relief.
Elena returned to the table and picked up the phone. She dialed her deputy’s number:
– Mark? This is Elena. Gather a team. I have an idea for a new project.
Life went on. And now it was her life, her rules. And no one would dare call her “too poor” anymore.
