“This can’t be happening,” Nadya whispered as her hands trembled, clutching the computer mouse. On the screen before her was an image of a young, radiant woman, heavily pregnant, with her arms draped affectionately around Arkadiy’s neck. She sat boldly on his lap, grinning as though she didn’t have a care in the world. Nadya’s heart clenched painfully. Could this be the end of twenty-five years of marriage? She had only logged into the social network to update information for her workplace group, but now her entire world was spiraling.
Her temples throbbed as thoughts swirled. She forced herself to stand and fetch a tranquilizer. Could Arkadiy truly betray her like this? The girl had captioned the photo “Daddy,” a term Nadya knew could imply far more than an innocent father-daughter relationship. Was this why Arkadiy had been so stressed about money lately? He’d mentioned canceled bonuses and tighter budgets, but now everything seemed to fall into place—was he draining their savings to support a mistress?
She had trusted him implicitly, never questioning the recent withdrawals from their joint account. After all, Arkadiy had always been a responsible man. But this… this was a betrayal she had never seen coming.
Returning to the desk, Nadya stared at the screen again. She couldn’t bear to look for long and quickly closed the tab. Despite her turmoil, she forced herself to complete the task for her colleague, feeling the weight of obligation pressing on her. Once the work was done, she sent off the message and powered down the computer. She retreated to the kitchen, her safe haven, hoping that preparing dinner might calm her racing mind.
The sound of the front door opening startled her. Nadya peeked into the hallway to see Maxim, their adopted son, arriving home. The boy—no, man now—was their pride and joy. Taken in as a young child, Maxim had always known the truth of his adoption, and he cherished his parents deeply, grateful for the love and stability they’d given him.
“You’re back early,” Nadya greeted him, her voice steady despite her inner turmoil.
“I just came to grab some stuff, Mom,” Maxim replied with a grin. “The guys and I are heading to the chess club for some practice before the competition. Don’t wait up for me; we’ll probably grab pizza later.”
Noticing her strained expression, Maxim frowned. “Mom, are you okay? You look… off.”
“It’s nothing, darling,” she replied, waving him off. “Just a little tired from the heat today. You go enjoy your evening. Good luck with the practice.”
Maxim lingered, clearly unconvinced, but eventually left after changing his clothes. Alone once more, Nadya sat at the kitchen table, staring at the flowers Arkadiy had brought home the previous week. She had loved him so deeply for so long. How could he do this to her? Could she even bear to confront him? A confrontation seemed inevitable, yet she felt paralyzed by the weight of it all.
When the front door opened again, Nadya’s heart raced. Arkadiy entered, holding a bouquet of lilies—her favorite flowers. He smiled warmly, the same way he always had, and kissed her cheek. “I’ve missed you, Nadyushka. Dinner smells amazing, as always. Let me freshen up, and I’ll join you.”
Nadya placed the lilies in a vase, her emotions swirling. Could she hold her composure? Could she confront him without letting her anger and hurt boil over? For the sake of their years together, she resolved to keep calm. After all, twenty-five years of love and partnership couldn’t simply vanish overnight.
As they sat at the dinner table, Arkadiy noticed her silence. “You’ve been so quiet today, Nadya. Is everything alright?”
Fixing him with a steely gaze, Nadya finally spoke. “I know everything, Arkash.”
Her words hung in the air like a heavy storm cloud. Arkadiy froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. “What… do you mean?”
“I saw the photo. The girl sitting on your lap, smiling like she’s won the lottery. She’s pregnant, and she called you ‘Daddy.’ What am I supposed to think?”
Arkadiy sighed deeply, setting down his fork. “I was afraid you’d see that. But Nadya, I promise you, this isn’t what you think.”
“Then explain it to me,” she demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain. “Who is she? Why was she sitting on your lap?”
“She’s… she’s someone who claims to be my daughter,” Arkadiy admitted, his tone tinged with frustration. “Her mother, Lena, was a woman I dated briefly in college. She showed up out of nowhere, insisting I fathered this girl. I told her it wasn’t possible—I can’t have children, Nadya. You know that. But she refused to listen. She even dragged Svetlana, her daughter, to my office to guilt me into supporting them. I met them once at a café to make things clear. Svetlana begged for a photo, and before I knew it, she was acting all chummy. I never imagined she’d post it online and tag me.”
Nadya’s heart wavered. “And the money? The withdrawals from our savings?”
Arkadiy reached for her hands, his expression softening. “That’s what I’ve been meaning to tell you. I’ve been using the money to set up my own business. I didn’t say anything earlier because I wasn’t sure it would work out, but everything’s in place now. We’re already seeing clients. Nadya, this business will give us the security we’ve always dreamed of. We’ll be able to buy an apartment for Maxim, travel, and do everything we’ve talked about for years.”
A wave of relief washed over Nadya, but she still felt the sting of doubt. “And Svetlana? What will you do about her?”
“I’ve already told her that without a DNA test, I won’t entertain her claims. But honestly, I think her mother is behind all of this. Lena wants to rekindle something that ended decades ago. She’s using her daughter to try to manipulate me.”
Nadya’s lips trembled as tears welled in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner, Arkash?”
“I didn’t want to burden you,” he said, pulling her into an embrace. “But I see now that I should’ve trusted you with the truth from the start. You’ve been my rock, Nadya. I would never risk what we have—not for anyone.”
As Nadya rested her head against her husband’s chest, she felt the weight lifting from her heart. She knew their bond had been tested, but it remained unbroken. Together, they would face whatever challenges came their way.
Somehow, she felt certain that their best years were still ahead of them.