The wedding procession raced through the busy city streets, honking loudly with upbeat music blasting from the speakers. Inside the car, Sveta, the bride, anxiously adjusted her veil and gently rearranged her bouquet. Her heart fluttered wildly at the thought that soon she’d become the wife of Alexey—the man she loved more than anything. She didn’t care that his wealthy parents opposed their marriage or that rumors flew about her intentions. People whispered that she’d seduced him for money or city status, but she ignored the gossip. To her, their love was undeniable, pure, and sincere.
Sveta’s happiness faded into confusion when the cars sped past the registry office without slowing down, leaving the city limits behind. Panicking, she addressed the driver sharply:
“Excuse me, where exactly are we going? The ceremony starts at twelve; Alexey’s waiting! Turn around right now—this isn’t funny!”
But the driver just smiled strangely and answered vaguely, “Relax, it’s a surprise. We still have some distance to go. Enjoy the music!”
Sveta desperately tried opening the locked doors, begging and screaming for him to stop, but the driver ignored her, speeding onward and avoiding eye contact in the mirror. He hated doing this, but he had no choice.
An hour later, the car finally stopped in a remote, swampy area at the edge of an abandoned village. The driver shut off the music and coldly announced, “Get out. We’re here.”
Sveta looked around in shock. All she saw was a shabby hut surrounded by mud and overgrown grass, with crows cawing ominously in the trees. Terrified, she pleaded again:
“Are you insane? Why am I here? I’ll call Alexey right now—he’ll punish you severely for ruining our wedding! Take me back immediately!”
Unable to bear it anymore, the driver snapped:
“Stop yelling! It’s your dear mother-in-law Galina Vasilievna who arranged this! She instructed me clearly to leave you here. And your beloved Alexey knew about it too. He just nodded and agreed silently.”
Sveta stared at him, tears streaming down her face. “That’s impossible! Alexey loves me! I’ll call him now.”
Frantically, she tried dialing Alexey’s number, but it was blocked. Her mother-in-law’s number was also unreachable. At that moment, the driver’s phone beeped. He read the message, then handed it silently to Sveta.
The screen displayed a cruel message: “Did you drop off that little swamp frog yet? Hurry back, we have other things to do.”
Finally, the painful reality sank in—this was no joke, but a calculated act of cruelty. Her fiancé and his mother had deliberately humiliated her, sending a clear message: she wasn’t worthy of their family, and she should return to the village where she belonged.
The driver softened his voice slightly. “Stay here. I’ll come back for you after reporting to Galina Vasilievna. Here, take my jacket. I’m truly sorry.”
As the car drove away, Sveta tore off her veil, collapsed onto a nearby stump, and cried uncontrollably. How could Alexey betray her so callously? She had planned to share joyful news at their wedding—that she was pregnant. She imagined his happiness, how he’d embrace her, how they’d celebrate their future together. Now, abandoned in the wilderness, those dreams were shattered. How would she ever raise a child alone?
Sitting there, she reflected bitterly on her life, trying to pinpoint exactly when Alexey had changed. Her upbringing in the village had been harsh, dominated by her stern father, Boris, whose strictness bordered on cruelty. Her mother, Evdokia, quietly endured, rarely contradicting him. Boris had already chosen a husband for Sveta, a local boy named Kolya, whom she disliked intensely. He dismissed her dreams of education and city life as foolishness.
Determined to escape that fate, Sveta bravely ran away to the city, enrolling at a vocational school to become a seamstress. Life was tough, but she found friends who became her support system. Her father had cut off communication completely, stubbornly refusing to forgive her for disobeying him.
Sveta met Alexey purely by chance at a supermarket, when she returned his lost wallet. Charmed by her honesty, he quickly invited her out, and their relationship blossomed. Alexey opened a whole new world to her, filling her life with cultural experiences and affection. Yet his mother, Galina Vasilievna, despised Sveta from the start, openly humiliating her and trying to sabotage their relationship. Despite this, Sveta clung desperately to Alexey’s promises of love and marriage.
Now, abandoned and betrayed, she sat devastated. When the driver returned, he found her feverish and delirious, collapsing into unconsciousness as he took her home.
Sveta woke later in her small apartment, attended by her close friend Lilya, who explained what had happened. Initially devastated, Sveta soon felt an unexpected anger rising inside her, making her resolute. Lilya urged her to have an abortion, but Sveta refused firmly. She would keep her baby no matter how difficult life would be.
She faced countless struggles—financial hardship, health problems, threats of eviction—yet persisted. When her son Sergey was born, Sveta immediately adored him. At the hospital, hearing that a young mother had died during childbirth, leaving twins who couldn’t tolerate formula, Sveta generously offered to feed them. The twins’ father, Alexander Kruglov, wealthy but grieving deeply, asked Sveta to move in as a nanny and wet nurse. Desperate herself, Sveta accepted without hesitation.
Initially, Alexander’s family was skeptical, especially his younger sister Angela, who mistrusted and openly disrespected Sveta. Angela even tried framing Sveta for theft, but Alexander quickly defended her. Eventually, Angela realized her mistake when Sveta courageously saved her from drowning in their pool. From that moment, they became genuine friends, and Angela finally accepted Sveta into their family.
Time passed quickly. Sveta adored all three children equally, feeling genuinely happy for the first time. Meanwhile, Lilya, jealous of Sveta’s life and determined to secure Alexander for herself, manipulated her way into his affections. Lilya soon revealed her true colors, mistreating Sveta and plotting to remove her from the household.
One evening, a party at the Kruglov mansion turned chaotic when Angela introduced her new fiancé—Sveta’s former fiancé, Alexey. Sveta confronted Alexey publicly, exposing his earlier betrayal. Realizing Alexey’s true nature, Angela broke off the engagement immediately. Furious, Alexey and his mother left humiliated.
Determined to seek revenge, Galina Vasilievna teamed up secretly with Lilya, scheming to remove Sveta permanently. Shortly afterward, Stepa, one of the twins, mysteriously disappeared while Sveta was watching him at the playground. Chaos erupted. Everyone blamed Sveta except Angela, who quickly suspected Lilya’s involvement. Alexander dismissed his sister’s suspicions, refusing to believe Lilya capable of such cruelty.
Across town, Stepa was at the Sapunovs’ home, abducted by Galina Vasilievna to punish Sveta. Her husband, Grigory, panicked, but Galina calmly insisted she knew exactly what she was doing. She believed this would finally destroy Sveta, forcing her to leave the city in disgrace, teaching her once and for all that she couldn’t cross their powerful family without consequence.