Marina unlocked her apartment door with her key, entered, and switched on the light in the hallway.The first thing that caught her eye was a pair of red women’s shoes standing in the hallway. She recognized them immediately—they were the shoes…

That morning at work, Marina had felt unwell. A sudden wave of nausea and dizziness hit her.

For the past couple of days, she’d been experiencing mild discomfort, but had tried to ignore it. Now, however, she was truly feeling sick.

— What happened? — asked her coworker, Anya, turning to Marina with concern.

— I suddenly felt nauseous, and my head started spinning, — Marina replied as she unfastened the collar of her blouse and wiped her sweaty forehead with her hand.

— Aren’t you pregnant by any chance? — Anya asked with a sly smile.

— Oh, come on, that’s ridiculous! — Marina waved it off. — Most likely, I ate something spoiled.

— What could you have possibly eaten that was spoiled, if you’re such a staunch advocate of healthy eating? — Anya giggled.

Marina paused to think. What if she really was pregnant? No, that couldn’t be. Or could it…

— Listen, Anya, I do want to get checked, just in case. I’m going to the pharmacy.

Marina got up from her chair, left the office, and walked briskly toward the exit…

Ten minutes later, she found herself standing in the office restroom, unable to take her eyes off the two lines on the test.

She was pregnant!

Marina didn’t know whether to be happy or upset. She and her husband Andrey weren’t ready for children yet. But since it had happened… Could it be fate?

Her thoughts were a jumble. Marina realized she wouldn’t be able to work normally today and went to her boss, Irina Ivanovna, to ask for permission to go home.

Upon learning what had happened, her boss smiled gently:

— Of course, Marisha, go home. Rest, recover, and I expect you back at work tomorrow.

Marina didn’t just walk home—she practically flew. She couldn’t wait to share the news with her husband. He had the day off. What a surprise it would be when she unexpectedly appeared at the door with such news!

Marina unlocked her apartment door with her key, entered, and switched on the light in the hallway.

The first thing that caught her eye was a pair of red women’s shoes standing in the hallway. She recognized them immediately—they were her friend Alla’s shoes.

— What is Alla doing in our home, and at this hour? — Marina wondered in surprise as she stepped into the living room.

There was no one in the living room, but voices were coming from the bedroom.

Growing suspicious, Marina quickly followed the sounds, swung open the door, and froze in the doorway…

Andrey and Alla were deeply engaged in conversation about something.

Marina gasped in shock, and the pair turned their heads fearfully toward her.

— Marina? — stuttered Andrey. — Why are you here so early?

Alla said nothing, merely wrapped herself in a blanket and blinked at her friend in fear.

What happened next, Marina could barely recall.

It seemed that she screamed, hurled objects, chased her husband and her friend out of the apartment, then collapsed onto the bed and sobbed uncontrollably for a long time.

Afterwards, she sat on the floor, staring blankly into space.

When she finally came to herself, it was already dark outside. The apartment was silent.

Five days later, Marina was on her way to a private clinic to schedule an abortion. During those days, she had reached a firm decision…

Andrey had come home only once—and that was solely to collect his belongings and inform Marina that they were getting a divorce.

It turned out that he and Alla had been seeing each other for six months, and they were in love.

Marina chose not to tell Andrey about her pregnancy. She had already understood that her husband was serious about the divorce and did not want to be tied to someone who no longer loved her with a child.

She deliberated long and hard about whether to continue the pregnancy, and decided that she didn’t want anything binding her to a traitor—not even a child.

Moreover, she realized she couldn’t raise a baby on her own. There was no one to help; her parents lived in another city, and her salary wouldn’t cover the cost of a nanny.

Recalling all the events of the past week, Marina arrived at the clinic. She sat in a chair outside the doctor’s office, waiting for her turn.

A few minutes later, a patient exited, and a doctor’s voice came from behind the door:

— Come in!

Marina entered. The doctor tore his eyes away from his paperwork and looked at her.

— Anton?! — she exclaimed in surprise. — Is that really you?!

Anton was her classmate and first love. In the eleventh grade, Marina had been secretly in love with him, though she had never mustered the courage to confess her feelings.

At graduation, he had invited her to dance, and at the end of the evening, he had timidly kissed her on the cheek.

Her heart had soared with happiness, but she was so embarrassed that she hadn’t even allowed him to see her off home—a mistake she later regretted for a long time.

After graduation, Anton had moved to another city to study medicine, and they never saw each other again, although Marina often thought of him.

And now he was sitting before her—an adult, matured, yet still as handsome as ever.

— Marisha! What a surprise!

Anton was clearly delighted to see her.

He rose from behind his desk, approached, and hugged her.

This unexpected encounter surprised Marina so much that, for a moment, she forgot all her troubles.

For about ten minutes, the former classmates chatted animatedly.

Suddenly, Anton snapped back:

— Oh, what are we chatting about! You’re here for your appointment! Tell me, what brings you in today?

That remark brought Marina back to reality, and her face fell once again. She sighed deeply and recounted everything to her former classmate: her husband’s infidelity, her friend’s betrayal, and her unexpected pregnancy.

— And you decided to get rid of the baby? — Anton looked at her intently.

— Yes! — she replied firmly.

After the examination, Anton suggested to his former classmate:

— Marina, why don’t we go to a café this evening, sit down, and talk. After all, an abortion is a serious decision—you can’t take it lightly. What do you think?

— Alright.

She longed to talk with Anton, to learn more about his life.

That evening, Marina and Anton sat in a small café, talking about everything under the sun. They reminisced about their school days, joked, and laughed.

For the first time in the past week, Marina felt good. She enjoyed talking with Anton and didn’t want the conversation to end.

Suddenly, Anton broached the subject of Marina’s pregnancy. He began persuading her to keep the baby, insisting that she would regret it since the child was not to blame for her husband’s betrayal.

— Do you have children of your own? — Marina interrupted him. — Are you even married?

— I was… But I can’t have children. My wife left me when she found out, — Anton said quietly, lowering his eyes.

A pause ensued. Anton wiped his eyes aside. When he looked at Marina again, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

— You know, — Marina whispered, — deep down I do want this child, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle it.

— Oh, come on! Of course you will! And if it gets tough, I’ll always be here for you, — her friend reassured her with a smile, gently patting her hand.

Their conversation ended with Anton offering to become her personal doctor and oversee the pregnancy…

For the first time in days, Marina slept peacefully. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her soul.

— Oh, if only I had been braver, maybe Anton and I would be together since graduation… — she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

The next evening, a phone call rang in Marina’s apartment. She opened the door and froze in surprise. Standing on the doorstep was Anton, carrying a bag of fresh fruit.

— I’ve come to visit my patient! — he said, slightly embarrassed yet smiling. — May I come in?

— And how did you know my address? — Marina asked, bewildered.

— It’s in your medical records! — he laughed.

— Well then, come on in! — she smiled.

Marina and Anton sat in the kitchen, drinking tea and talking.

— You know, Marisha, — Anton suddenly said, — I was in love with you back in school. But I was too afraid to confess. At graduation, when we danced, I thought I had a chance. But you ran away from me.

— Oh, if only you knew how I later scolded myself for that! — Marina replied passionately. — I was also in love with you, but I was so shy. I often thought of you afterwards, regretting that you moved to another city.

Anton fell silent for a few minutes, lost in thought. Then he looked directly into Marina’s eyes and said seriously:

— Marisha, maybe not all is lost? Perhaps fate is giving us a second chance?

— But I’m pregnant… with another man’s child, — Marina said, confused. — Why would you want someone else’s child?

— So what? I’ll never have my own children anyway, and I do want to be a father, — Anton said warmly with a smile.

— I agree, — Marina replied shyly, and once again she felt like a high school girl in love.

Anton moved closer, hugged, and kissed her. Marina clung to him tightly. Tears streamed down her cheeks—but this time, they were tears of happiness.