Warm May evening gently enveloped the city, as if wrapping it in a thin blanket. Ksenia settled on the balcony of their new country house, watching Artem fuss with the barbecue in the yard. Four-year-old Lera, doing everything she could to help her dad, handed him all sorts of little things, while six-year-old Maxim tirelessly chased a ball around the plot.
“Ksyusha, come down!” Artem’s voice reached her. “In a couple of minutes, everything will be ready!”
Ksenia smiled as she watched her family. Life seemed full of meaning and bright prospects. Recently, Artem had launched his own firm producing building materials, and business was steadily on the rise. Ksenia had always supported her husband, helping with paperwork and accounting in the early days. Although she had to interrupt her university studies, she continued to hope that someday she would become a lawyer.
“Mommy, look how I’m helping!” Lera said proudly, raising a plastic plate to show her mother.
“Well done, dear!” replied Ksenia as she went down to the yard and adjusted her light summer dress.
Artem embraced his wife, giving her a kiss on the cheek: “Without you, I would never have achieved anything. You know that better than anyone.”
“I know,” Ksenia whispered, pressing close to him. “We’re a team.”
Five years flew by unnoticed. The small firm had grown into a large company occupying an entire floor in a business center. However, Artem began to be home less and less, his time increasingly devoured by meetings and business engagements.
“Dad, will you come to my birthday?” Maxim asked, looking at his father with tender hope. “I’ll be turning eleven!”
“Of course, son!” Artem replied absentmindedly while still absorbed in his phone. “I’ll definitely be there.”
Ksenia, setting the table, simply shook her head. She had long since stopped believing his promises. Over the past year, Artem had missed many family celebrations and school events. Even the planned vacation went on without him.
When the children went to bed, Ksenia sat down next to her husband.
“Artem, we need to talk seriously.”
“Tomorrow, dear,” he waved her off without looking up from his laptop. “I have important negotiations to prepare for.”
“You say that every day. The kids miss you. And so do I.”
Finally, Artem tore his eyes away from the screen:
“Ksyusha, you understand: business requires time. I’m working for us, for our family.”
“For which family, Artem? The one you see once a week?”
“What do you want from me? For me to abandon the work I’ve dedicated my life to?”
“Just remember us, dear. Maxim was waiting for you at his school concert. And you didn’t even bother to call and let us know.”
“I had an important meeting with investors! Do you think it’s easy for me? I provide you with a luxurious life, and you criticize me over such trivial matters!”
“Trivial matters?” Ksenia stood up, her voice trembling. “It was our son’s first solo performance. He spent a month preparing to show you how he learned to play the guitar. It meant so much to him. Very much.”
But Artem had already immersed himself in his work on the laptop once more, clearly indicating that the conversation was over.
A month later, a young, determined woman named Vika appeared at the office, whom he had appointed as his personal assistant. Ksenia immediately noticed changes in her husband: he started staying late at work more often, there was a new perfume, expensive accessories.
“Mom, why doesn’t Dad spend the night at home?” Lera asked one day, looking up at her mother with big eyes.
“Dad has so much to do, sweetheart,” Ksenia replied, trying to keep calm even though everything inside was falling apart.
“And why doesn’t he answer the phone when I call?”
“Probably he’s busy with important meetings,” she said, hugging her daughter while stifling the tears welling up inside her.
That same evening, Artem returned home earlier than usual, which was unusual. His face looked tense and distant.
“We need to talk,” he announced, entering the living room without even taking off his coat.
“What happened?” Ksenia’s heart tightened with foreboding.
“I filed for divorce,” he said curtly.
Those words hit like a bolt out of the blue. Ksenia slowly sank into an armchair, feeling the world around her begin to blur.
“What? Why?” her voice trembled.
“This is for the best for everyone. I’ve met someone who truly understands me, who shares my interests and ambitions.”
“Vika?” Ksenia asked quietly.
Artem nodded: “I need to move on. Family has become a burden to me. I’m tired of being the person everyone expects me to be.”
“Burden?” her voice was barely audible. “Fifteen years of our life together means nothing to you but a burden?”
“What do you want from me? For me to give up the only thing I’ve ever done?”
“Just remember us, dear. Maxim was waiting for you at his school concert. And you didn’t even call to let us know.”
Before Ksenia could respond, sleepy Maxim appeared at the door: “Mom, what’s happening?”
Artem abruptly turned, slammed the door, and left the room. Ksenia hugged her son, realizing that their lives would never be the same. How could she explain to a child that the world they knew no longer existed?
Soon, Ksenia and the children settled into a modest apartment on the outskirts of the city. Artem had left them practically without any means to live.
Lera often cried, unable to understand why they could no longer live in their cozy home. Maxim withdrew into himself, distancing from friends and even beginning to skip his music school classes.
Ksenia looked at her sleeping children and whispered: “I need to find a job. I must be strong for them.”
The first weeks in the new life were the hardest. Ksenia searched everywhere for work, but everywhere she encountered the same requirement—experience, which she didn’t have. For the past fifteen years, she had devoted herself entirely to her family, and now that was showing.
Finally, her luck changed: a small café owner, Nina Petrovna, agreed to hire her as a waitress, despite her lack of experience. In the evenings, after the children had fallen asleep, Ksenia would study from textbooks—she had re-enrolled in the law faculty, choosing a part-time form of study.
Years passed by. One day, Ksenia accidentally learned of serious problems in her ex-husband’s company. Rumor had it that Artem was on the verge of bankruptcy.
“Can you imagine, Vika spent nearly all his money,” a former colleague of Artem, who had come into the café, confided. “She invested in elite real estate and opened boutiques, but it all went bust.”
Ksenia silently wiped the tables, yet every word was deeply etched in her memory. That evening, upon returning home, she began rummaging through old documents, searching for papers related to the creation of Artem’s first company.
“Mom, what are you looking for?” Maxim asked, peeking into the room.
“Just some old documents, son, nothing special.”
“I saw Dad today,” the boy suddenly added. “He was buying products on sale at the supermarket.”
Ksenia pondered. If the rumors were true, then Artem’s situation was indeed dire. After all, if business were going well, he wouldn’t even bother with such offers. Yet the house and cars were still registered in his name. Perhaps he was clinging to the assets to maintain the appearance of prosperity while covering up his mounting debts.
The next day, Igor, an old family friend who worked at a major bank, entered the café.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a long time,” he began after the shift ended. “Do you know what’s happening with Artem?”
“Only rumors,” Ksenia replied.
“In reality, it’s much worse. He was involved in tax evasion, hiding his true income. I have documents that prove it.”
Ksenia listened intently, and a plan began to form in her mind.
A week later, she filed for a revision of the divorce terms. The evidence she had gathered was undeniable—Artem had been underreporting his income for years to pay minimal alimony.
“You were entitled to significantly greater compensation,” explained the lawyer. “Considering your contribution to the business’s growth and your role in raising the children, which allowed him to focus on his career.”
The trial lasted several months. Ksenia attended every session, methodically proving her case. Artem looked haggard—his suit hung on him like a coat hanger, and deep shadows lay under his eyes.
When the judge read the decision, a heavy silence fell over the courtroom. Artem was required to transfer a significant portion of his assets to Ksenia and the children.
“Are you happy now?” Artem exclaimed as he caught up with his ex-wife outside the courthouse. “You know, I’m nearly ruined!”
“And did you ever feel happy when you kicked us out of our home?” Ksenia replied calmly. “When our children asked why they could no longer live in their own room?”
“Let’s talk about a compromise,” Artem suggested in a lowered voice. “Maybe we can find some common ground?”
“The time for compromises is over,” Ksenia stated firmly. “This decision cannot be changed.”
“Are you taking revenge on me for leaving for another?” Artem’s voice began to break with hysterical notes. “But it’s just business! I can fix everything, get it back…”
Ksenia stopped and looked at him intently:
“No, Artem. This isn’t revenge. It’s justice. And it isn’t about another woman. It’s about how you treated us, your family. You betrayed not only me—you betrayed your children.”
“They’re still my children!” he protested, his voice growing hysterical. “You can’t…”
“I can,” Ksenia interrupted him. “And I will. Because someone has to care for their future.”
Artem grabbed her hand:
“Listen, I have a proposal. We can start over. Vika… she turned out not to be the person I thought. And you’ve always been there, supporting me…”
Ksenia gently, yet resolutely, freed her hand:
“I’m sorry, Artem, but that moment has passed. I have my own life, my own career. I’m no longer the girl who believed every word you said.”
A month later, the city buzzed with news of the collapse of Artem’s empire. Vika had vanished, having managed to transfer a large sum to her accounts. The luxurious mansion and other assets had to be sold for next to nothing to settle his debts. Artem tried until the very end to preserve his reputation, but it was in vain.
Ksenia observed it all without malice. The successful lawsuits allowed her to buy a spacious apartment in a good neighborhood. The children finally got their own rooms, and Maxim even set up a small music studio.
Over the years, life began to improve for the entire family.
“Mom, look!” Lera burst into the room, waving an envelope. “I got accepted with a scholarship!”
Ksenia hugged her daughter, tears of joy welling in her eyes. A prestigious economic university had become a reality for Lera.
One spring day, Artem appeared at Ksenia’s office. Changed, clad in worn-out clothes, he seemed like a completely different person.
“I have learned so much, Ksyusha,” he said quietly, lowering his gaze. “Money and power blinded me. I thought I could buy happiness.”
“What do you want here?”
“I want to fix everything. To bring the family back. I miss you, I miss the children…”
Ksenia shook her head:
“The children have grown up without you, Artem. That path was your choice.”
At that moment, Maxim arrived at the office in a brand-new car. He had become a confident young man, owner of a successful IT company. Music had become just a hobby.
“Mom, are you ready?” he addressed her, deliberately ignoring his father. “In an hour, we have a meeting with investors.”
“Yes, son,” Ksenia replied, grabbing her bag. “I’m sorry, Artem, but it’s time for us.”
At a charity event, their paths crossed once again. Artem, now working as a mid-level manager, tried to speak to his ex-wife.
“Ksenia Vladimirovna, may I have a word?” he called out loudly, catching up with her in the hall.
Ksenia turned, surrounded by colleagues and partners:
“Yes, Artem?”
“I wanted to publicly acknowledge my mistakes…” he began.
“Not necessary,” Ksenia softly interrupted him. “All of that is in the past. I’ve long since let go of my grievances and wish you only the best.”
That evening, sitting in her favorite armchair with a cup of tea, Ksenia looked through old family photos: there was Lera at her high school graduation, and Maxim at the opening of his first office.
The phone vibrated—Maxim had sent a photo: he and his sister were celebrating Lera’s first closed exam session.
“Mom, come to us!” her son wrote. “We’re celebrating Lera’s success.”
Ksenia smiled. Life had taught her a hard lesson, but she had prevailed. No one would ever again be able to destroy the world she had built on love for her children and belief in herself.
In the mirror, she saw a confident, beautiful woman. Ksenia fixed her hair and grabbed her car keys. The children were waiting for her at a restaurant—and that meant far more than all the past grievances and disappointments.
Stepping out of the house, she paused for a moment, inhaling the fresh evening air. Life went on, and it held so many beautiful things: the love of her children, the respect of her colleagues, a dignified job. The most important thing was the freedom to be oneself, without looking back at the past and without fearing the future.
