“Maxim, you know I don’t need you hanging around here, right?” he told his wife, Tamara. “I suggest you move to the village.”

“What village? What are you talking about?” Tamara was tired. Betrayed by the person closest to her, she had lost her patience. They had started their life from scratch together—selling their apartment and investing everything in their business. Maxim sold a room in a shared apartment, and Tamara used her sharp mind to make sure they got ahead. They lived frugally, moving from one rented place to another, but they succeeded.

However, Maxim began to act like a king. Over time, he transferred everything into his name so that if they divorced, Tamara would have nothing. Once he had done this, he filed for divorce.

“Maxim, do you think this is decent?” Tamara asked.

He sneered at her. “Don’t start. You haven’t been contributing for a long time. I handle everything while you just sit around.”

“You were the one who told me I should rest and take time for myself.”

Maxim groaned. “I’m tired of these pointless arguments. There’s this house or farm my former boss left me in his will. You remember Ivanovich, right? He left me this nonsense when he passed away. It’s perfect for you. If you don’t like it, you’ll get nothing.”

Tamara bitterly smiled. She knew what he was doing. She had lived with a stranger for twelve years.

“Fine, but there’s one condition: you officially transfer the farm to me.”

“Sure, no problem. It saves me on taxes,” Maxim said.

Tamara didn’t say another word. She packed her things and went to stay in a hotel. She had decided to start over, no matter what awaited her—a ruined farm or an empty piece of land. She would figure it out when she got there. If it wasn’t worth it, she would return to the city and rebuild her life.

Tamara packed her car to the brim, leaving everything else with Maxim and his new mistress. If he thought her intelligence and experience would be his saving grace, he would be disappointed. The mistress, whom Tamara had seen only a few times, didn’t seem to have much going for her, apart from her arrogance.

Maxim handed her the papers, and Tamara calmly took them.

“Good luck to you,” she said.

Maxim laughed. “And to you. Send me a picture with the cows.”

Tamara didn’t respond. She just closed the car door and drove off. Once she was out of the city, the tears began to fall. She didn’t know how long she cried, but she snapped out of it when someone gently tapped on her window.

“Are you alright, dear? We saw you crying. My husband and I were waiting at the bus stop, and you’ve been at it for a while.”

Tamara looked at the elderly woman, confused by her sudden appearance. She noticed the bus stop in the rearview mirror and smiled.

“I’m fine, just overwhelmed,” Tamara replied.

She got out of the car. The old woman started speaking again.

“We were visiting a neighbor in the hospital. She’s all alone, no one to visit her. We’re heading back home now. Are you going to Mikhalki?”

Tamara raised her eyebrows. “Is this the Mikhalki where the farm is?”

“Yes, that’s the one. But now it’s just a name. The previous owner passed away, and no one’s taken over. People still work out of habit and because they feel sorry for the animals.”

Tamara smiled. “I’m actually going to that village. Let me make some room for you.”

The grandmother sat next to her, and her husband was settled in the back. After a short while, the grandmother turned to Tamara.

“What’s your name, dear?”

“Tamara.”

“Nice to meet you, Tamara. I’m Valentina Yegorovna, and this is my husband, Mikhail Stepanovich.”

“Pleasure’s mine.”

“So, are you here on business? We haven’t seen you around.”

Tamara smiled cheerfully. “I’m the new owner of the farm. I didn’t know much about it at first, but I’m learning. Maybe you could tell me what’s been going on there?”

By the time they arrived, Tamara had learned a lot. She heard about who was stealing from the farm and who still cared for it.

The farm, once supplying milk to many stores, was now barely operational. Only about twenty cows remained.

“How many cows?” Tamara asked in surprise, thinking there were only a few.

“There used to be more. They sold most of them off. Ivanovich used to plant the fields, and the cows were well-fed. People made good money back then. So, Tamara, what are you going to do? Sell it or try to revive it?”

“I’ll see when I get there. By the way, is there a house on the property?”

“Yes, there’s one house. It’s modern—nothing to worry about.”

Tamara breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid it might be a shack.

A year later, Tamara looked proudly at the eighty cows grazing. She had turned things around. At first, when she had arrived, she wanted to leave right away. There was no feed, and the fields were barren. But she didn’t shy away from the challenge. She fought, hustled, and used every last bit of her savings to buy feed. Even selling her jewelry to keep the farm going.

Today, the business was thriving. Sales were growing, and calls were coming from neighboring regions. People were eager for her products, even things she hadn’t started producing yet, like cheese. She was already considering buying refrigerated trucks to deliver year-round.

One day, Sveta, a young girl from a troubled family, ran up to her.

“I found it!” Sveta said, handing Tamara a newspaper with an ad circled for two refrigerated trucks. The price was tempting because the sale was urgent.

Tamara studied the ad, but something caught her eye—the phone number belonged to her ex-husband’s office. She smirked. It seemed things weren’t going well for him, or perhaps he was expanding.

“Call them, Sveta,” Tamara said. “Tell them we’ll offer 5% more if they don’t show the trucks to anyone else before us. I’ll arrange for an inspection.”

With money in her account and the trucks needed for her business, Tamara wasn’t worried about seeing Maxim—it was just business. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Life in the village had made her healthier, stronger, and more confident.

When she arrived to inspect the trucks, she was accompanied by Ivan, a mechanic. He couldn’t help but stare at her in surprise.

“Something wrong?” Tamara asked.

“Just didn’t expect someone like you to be here. Most farm women are… well, different.”

“I’ve got boots and scarves for work,” Tamara replied with a smile. “But I’m heading to the city; why would I need them there?”

Tamara’s past had come back in an unexpected way when she saw Maxim again. He was shocked to see her looking so strong and successful.

“So, you’re buying these trucks?” Maxim asked.

“Yes,” Tamara said, “for work. The farm you gave me turned out to be quite the venture. We’re expanding.”

Maxim was speechless. He had assumed she would fail, but instead, she had succeeded.

Soon, Tamara and Ivan were married, and a year later, they celebrated the christening of their daughter, Sonya. Meanwhile, Maxim sat in his office, regretting his decisions as he watched his business fall apart.