Ana, how much longer are you going to whine?» Marina said, placing her latte cup irritably on the glass table and pushing the plate of almond cookies towards her friend. «All husbands go on business trips, and your Sergey is no exception. You’re acting like a spoiled teenager!»

Anna slowly stirred her silver spoon in the Earl Grey tea, avoiding eye contact. Outside the window, the October rain turned the cityscape into a blurred watercolor smear of gray hues.

«This is the third trip in a month, Marina,» Anna finally lifted her eyes. «And it’s always the same: rare calls, endless meetings… And here I am, feeling like the last fool.» Her voice quivered. «Seven years of marriage, and it’s never been like this before…»

Marina quickly looked away, grabbing her phone.

«Oh, look at the French manicure I got!» she showed her smartphone. «I told you Lena has golden hands!»

Anna glanced at the photo, nodded, and returned to staring at her cup. This conversation had already happened for the third time in the past eight weeks. At first, the business trips were once every quarter. Then — once a month. Now Sergey was leaving almost every week, always taking his leather briefcase and kissing her goodbye on the cheek. And she stayed alone in her grandmother’s apartment, endlessly replaying the same thoughts.

«Listen,» Marina placed her hand on Anna’s shoulder, «Do you want me to talk to Sergey? Explain how you’re feeling?»

Anna thought it was a strange offer. Why would her friend discuss her relationship with her husband?

«No, thanks,» Anna stood up and walked to the window. «I’ll figure it out myself.»

A familiar figure appeared below, carrying a briefcase. Sergey hurried toward the car, glancing at his watch. There were three hours left until his train — he always left early, hating to rush. Anna involuntarily smiled, remembering their first meeting. Marina had brought her to the café where their school group was gathering.

«This is Sergey,» Marina had introduced him, pushing Anna toward the tall young man with a warm smile. «We studied together. He’s a marketer.»

At that moment, she thought it was fate. Her best friend had introduced her to the perfect man — caring, promising. A wedding a year later, plans for children, cozy evenings… Everything was perfect. Until these endless business trips.

«Okay, enough of this moping,» Marina stood up decisively. «I have a client in an hour, and you’ve got your shift. Pull yourself together, girlfriend.»

Anna saw Marina to the door, hugging her goodbye. Eighteen years of friendship — quite a long time. They had shared everything since first grade.

«Thank you, Marina. You’re the best friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you.»

Marina awkwardly shrugged, hastily returned the hug, and almost ran to the elevator.

A month passed. Sergey’s business trips had increased, and Anna buried herself in work. There was always plenty to do in trauma care, where she worked as a nurse. Today, after finishing her late shift, she wearily walked home, mentally making a list of appointments for tomorrow.

Her phone beeped. Instagram suggested new photos to look at. Marina had posted a picture from a restaurant: a glass of rosé wine against the backdrop of an elegant setting. The caption: «Little pleasures for myself.»

Anna was about to close the app when something caught her attention. Enlarging the photo, she saw a man’s face reflected in the glass. A face she knew too well.

Sergey.

Her heart pounded furiously. He should have been in Moscow at a presentation! Yesterday, he had called, complaining about his busy schedule, saying he missed her…

But here he was. In a restaurant. With Marina.

Anna couldn’t remember how she got home. In her head, the thought kept pounding: «Check. I need to check.» She opened Marina’s social media, began browsing her photos. Restaurants, manicures, the gym… Everywhere there were familiar details: a man’s hand with a watch just like Sergey’s, the edge of his jacket.

How could I have been so blind?

The phone rang. «Sergey.»

«Hi, sweetheart,» his voice sounded usual. «Can you believe it? These idiots postponed the presentation again! I’m sitting in my room, missing you…»

«What room?» she interrupted him.

«In the ‘Cosmos,’ as always. It’s raining like crazy outside.» A lighter flicked.

Anna remembered the sunny reflections in Marina’s photo. A lump formed in her throat.

«I miss you too,» she lied, hanging up.

Her thoughts tangled. Could she have been wrong? No, the photo was recent, taken two hours ago. And those reflections… The picture was becoming crystal clear.

Anna opened the closet, took out a bottle of Amarone — a gift from colleagues. And the 2015 Bordeaux, which Sergey had brought from his «business trip.» She placed them on the table and thought for a moment.

In the medicine cabinet, she found sleeping pills from sleepless shifts and laxatives. With deft movements, she added sleeping pills to the red wine, laxatives to the white, sealed them, and put them in her bag.

She knew Marina’s address by heart — so many evenings spent together.

The taxi sped through familiar streets. They had celebrated her promotion here, the three of them. There, Marina had playfully adjusted Sergey’s scarf…

«Miss, are you sure this is the place?» the taxi driver stopped in front of a new, upscale building.

«Yes,» she said, paying.

The elevator ascended slowly. In the mirror, Anna saw her reflection — a pale face, tight lips. In her pocket, she felt the syringe with the tranquilizer — just in case.

«Ana?!» Marina opened the door in Sergey’s T-shirt. There was movement behind her.

«Surprise,» Anna forced a smile, showing the bottles. «I brought some wine. Won’t you let me in?»

She squeezed past her and froze in the doorway. Sergey, in home shorts, was flipping through a magazine, his feet resting on the crystal table — their wedding gift.

«Sweetheart, I can explain…» he paled.

«I brought you some wine,» she placed the bottles next to the Murano vase — another «souvenir» from his trips. «Red for courage, white for tenderness.»

Marina grabbed her hand.

«You misunderstood everything…»

«Over there,» Anna pointed to her phone, «your reflection in the glass. Your hand on his chair. Your selfie together in the elevator. Seven years, you were my shadow! Seven years I shared everything with you!»

«Stop!» Sergey jumped up. «I’ll explain everything!»

«Explain that to him,» she shoved the bottles toward them. She ran out into the pouring rain, feeling an odd lightness.

The phone exploded with messages. Marina: «It’s a misunderstanding!» Sergey: «I’ll break up with her!» An unknown number: «What did you do to us?!»

«Good morning,» Anna smiled in the empty apartment, making tea. On the laptop, a message blinked: «Vacation request.» In the «Accompanying» field, she firmly typed: «None.»

There was a knock on the door. Sergey was banging his fists:

«Open up! She’s lying!»

«Yesterday in the ‘Mont Blanc,’ it was sunny,» Anna said to the door. «Strange for Moscow, right?»

Silence. Then the sound of retreating footsteps.

Anna turned on the music he hated and began to dance among the boxes with his belongings. For the first time in a long time, she felt free.

The phone rang from an unknown number. She hung up and blocked it. Let them deal with their lies themselves. She now had her own path.