Marina lowered her head, fully aware of the futility of her visit. Even if her mother-in-law had left something for her grandson, her ex-husband would inevitably take it for himself.

Now he had another woman who occupied all his thoughts and time. Anton had not only forgotten about the existence of his son, but he also burdened Marina with enormous mortgage debts.

The situation with the apartment was rather mysterious. The home they had bought together was now a refuge for Anton and his new lover, while Marina was left with the obligation to pay the mortgage.

Of course, she could refuse to move out, even involving the police to protect her rights, but Anton and his lover threatened to make her life a real nightmare. And if she valued her child even a little, they said, she should pack her things and disappear.

Marina had no illusions about her ex-husband. Two years of marriage had taught her a lot. Her mother-in-law, Elena Pavlovna, had always sympathized with her.

“Darling, why did you tie your life to him? You’ve only ruined your fate,” she often said.

Elena Pavlovna supported her as much as she could, but secretly from her son. Anton had long taken control of the family business, pushing his mother aside. However, in one thing Elena Pavlovna remained adamant—she refused to transfer the business to her son, no matter how much he tried to convince her.

One day, Marina accidentally overheard their conversation.

“Mom, I don’t understand why you’re still dealing with taxes and paperwork. I’ve been managing everything myself for a long time.”

“Anton, I asked you not to bring this up. You can consider it my insurance against a pauper’s old age.”

“Is that what you think of me?”

“Exactly that. And deep down, you know I’m right. When I’m gone, you can do whatever you want.”

However, calling their affair a “business” was somewhat of an exaggeration. Elena Pavlovna had a workshop for making and restoring carpets. With the right approach, the business could thrive—there was no other similar workshop in their town, and nothing like it existed in neighboring towns either.

But Anton was more interested in short-term gain. He even contributed only part of the necessary sum for the mortgage, while Marina and her mother-in-law made up the rest.

“All the property, all the deposits, and the workshop itself go to Anton,” the notary read aloud.

Marina flinched. Her husband burst into triumphant laughter.

“Well, that’s quite logical. How, Marina, do you plan to pay off the mortgage? Anya and I have a lot of plans for this money. Though, why am I asking? — The loan is in your name. So, figure it out!”

Now they both laughed together. The notary gave Marina a sympathetic glance.

“Your mother-in-law left you a letter.”

A new burst of laughter rang out in the office.

“Now Marina is going to read it! Oh, hold on! And cry!”

“You and my mother were just perfect for each other,” Anton hissed. “By the evening, remove all your things from the apartment.”

Marina raised her eyes to her soon-to-be ex-husband.

“I’ve already taken everything. You can live in peace.”

Anton’s face froze, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

“You’ve become too cheeky.”

The notary stood up.

“Anton Grigoryevich, please leave the office.”

“Yeah, we’re leaving. We’ve got nothing else to do here,” he sneered.

Marina left a minute later. Sitting down in the reception area, she unfolded her mother-in-law’s letter.

“My dear, don’t think about despair. I’ve taken care of you and the grandson. I had to act secretly, so my son wouldn’t find out anything. Read my instructions carefully. At this very notary, you will receive an envelope with documents confirming full payment of the mortgage. At the divorce proceedings, present them to the judge, so the apartment will be awarded to you.

The notary knows and will help arrange everything properly. In court, say that you intend to sell the property—it’s truly not worth living there. In the town where I was born, my first love lives. We’ve never lost contact, and he’s always supported me from afar.

Right after the divorce, go there. Find him—he’ll show you your new apartment and a small workshop similar to the one here. It’s already up and running.

Further success depends entirely on you. You’ll also find money in the envelope. It will be enough for you and the little one for a couple of years, and after that—you’ll manage on your own. I couldn’t take out more unnoticed. And please, if you ever decide to remarry, choose a worthy man. I believe everything will turn out well for you. As for Anton—he’s a carbon copy of his father. You can’t fool genetics.

I’m sure you’ll manage. Leave here for sure. Once you’re on your feet, people like my son will no longer pose a threat to you. Anton, like his father, can only hurt those weaker than him.”

Marina wiped away her tears, sat for another minute, and then returned to the notary’s office. The elderly man smiled warmly.

“You’ve completely transformed! I hope it stays that way.”

Leaving the building, Marina immediately got into the taxi she had ordered in advance, not wanting to disturb her son—he was already tired enough. The car stopped near a neat little house.

“We’ve arrived,” said the young driver. “Please be careful not to wake the baby, and I’ll help with the luggage.”

Marina smiled gratefully.

“Thank you so much.”

A man with a cane was hurrying toward the car—judging by his age, he was Elena Pavlovna’s first love. The driver handed Marina a business card.

“Call me anytime, I’ll come right away.”

“Thank you very much,” she replied.

The car drove off, and Marina turned to meet the man.

“Hello, Marina. Please, come in. You must be tired.”

“Yes, a little.”

“Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself! My name is Pavel Pavlovich. That’s how my parents joked with their son.”

The man turned out to be quite pleasant and polite.

“I’ll feed you now, and you can rest today. Tomorrow Vera, my sister, will come. She’s an amazing woman, she worked in a kindergarten all her life. She still misses the little ones. She’ll sit with your son, and we’ll take care of some urgent matters.”

Vera Pavlovna really turned out to be a wonderful person. Something in her reminded Marina of Elena Pavlovna—kind-hearted, calm, but with a strong inner core. She instantly became fond of Kirill.

“Oh, what a miracle!” she marveled. “We’ll be friends, won’t we?”

The three-month-old baby smiled toothlessly, causing the new nanny to gush with affection.

“Marina, just take care of your things calmly. Everything will be fine: I’ll feed him, we’ll go for a walk, and I’ll organize everything else.”

Marina just smiled in response, feeling completely confused. Completely unfamiliar people surrounded her with care and attention, something she had never known in her life.

Pavel Pavlovich explained in detail what she should do so that during the divorce, she wouldn’t have to share what Elena Pavlovna had left her. Things went smoothly. Sergey, the taxi driver, waited for her at the gates every morning, drove her to work, brought her back, and categorically refused to take money.

Marina felt very awkward. Pavel Pavlovich teased her.

“Eh, Marina, you’ve broken our local taxi driver’s heart!”

Marina embarrassedly waved him off.

“By the way, he recently started working in a taxi. Their factory closed, and he used to work there as an engineer.”

“Wow, what details! How does he feel about you?”

Marina frowned.

“Right now, I’m worried about other things. Besides, there’s the divorce ahead, and a meeting with Anton…”

Marina hadn’t moved into the apartment Elena Pavlovna had bought for her, so no one would find out about it too early. She dove headfirst into the business matters at the workshop, which had only just begun.

Part of the money her mother-in-law had left her, Marina invested in the business’s development. They expanded their product range, bought more materials, and ordered advertising.

The turnover grew. People were amazed at the quality of the work and told their friends how inexpensive and high-quality the carpets were. Marina felt they lacked staff and space, but in a month, the divorce proceedings were scheduled. They had been denied divorce the first time due to the minor child, but Marina no longer wanted to carry Anton’s surname.

She felt free, strong, and capable of doing a lot. Finally, the court date was set. Marina was about to return to her hometown. Vera Pavlovna gave her some advice:

“Marina, keep your head high. Show him who’s boss, so he never dares to hurt women again.”

“I’m going too,” said Pavel Pavlovich. “Who else will support you? After all, I have education and experience.”

“Then it’s decided,” smiled Sergey, who often dropped by for tea. “I’ll drive everyone, and of course, I’ll support you however I can.”

Marina looked at them, confused, and then burst into tears.

“My dear ones, thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for your support.”

Sergey looked at Marina with concern and confusion. He was completely flustered, not knowing how to react, but the sight of her tears definitely bothered him.

Vera Pavlovna sniffed as well, holding little Kirill to her chest. Pavel Pavlovich stood up.

“Well, that’s enough. You women are strange. Everything’s going well, and yet you’re crying?”

Anton was beside himself with rage. The regular siphoning of money from the workshop led to the inevitable result—now there was nothing to pay the employees. People were quitting, openly expressing their dissatisfaction. And then his ex-wife showed up. He definitely hadn’t expected that.

He had been told to wait a year for the divorce, and he carelessly dismissed it: “We’ll wait, let’s wait!” But this crazy woman had filed for divorce herself. He thought she’d be crying somewhere in an alley, but she was heading for divorce!

Interesting. Maybe she’s hoping to get something? Nonsense, what could she get? The apartment? He had already clearly explained what would happen to her if she tried. No, there was something else. She probably just wanted to remind him of herself, maybe hoping to return. But he had no time for that.

Anton didn’t remember the last time he had a good night’s sleep. He spent the days in the workshop and the evenings with Anya, who seemed to never tire of wasting money. And soon there would be no more of that money.

He thought about all this while sitting in the courtroom, waiting for Marina. Of course, Anya was there. Always watching, making sure nothing happened without her.

“Anton, look, she’s coming,” Anya whispered.

He looked up. Marina was entering the room. Something subtle had changed in her—her posture, her gaze. She had gotten a new haircut and changed her hair color. Her clothes also looked unusual for her. If he had met her on the street, he might not have recognized her. Although he would have definitely noticed—how did she manage to transform like that?

Marina wasn’t alone. She had come with an elderly man who, as it turned out, represented her interests. So, she had managed to find money for a lawyer. And another companion, younger, made Anton feel uneasy. Could it be that Marina had already started an affair? That seemed impossible—she wasn’t like that, she couldn’t be capable of something like that.

Anya leaned in to Anton’s ear:

“Look, your ex is really something. How long has it been? Only four months?”

“Shut up!” he hissed.

Anya turned away offended, and Anton sighed with longing, realizing he would now have to beg for forgiveness. He noticed how the elderly man passed some papers to the judge. The judge studied them, nodded, and tapped his gavel.

Throughout the proceedings, Anton had the feeling that the whole thing was unreal.

“What nonsense are you spouting?!” he finally couldn’t hold back. “This is my apartment! I’m not giving it to anyone. Hey, you!”

He rushed toward Marina, but her young companion immediately stepped between them, and within a second, Anton was escorted out of the room.

The trial was over, and Anton realized he was homeless. What was happening? What a ridiculous situation! Now Marina was putting the apartment up for sale.

“Well, what now?” Anya was standing next to him.

“I think I’ll go back to my mom’s house while you sort out your problems.”

“To your mom’s? I thought we were together, facing difficulties as a team.”

“Me? What are you talking about? I have enough of my own problems. Why would I want yours too?”

Anton watched as Anya left. He was left with one option—to give Marina the money for the apartment. He couldn’t afford to be on the street. He remembered seeing information online about a workshop similar to his own, but it was successfully operating in another city.

His business was practically bankrupt. He had to go and offer them his business for sale. They should agree, so he could get rid of a competitor.

Anton hurried home to search for contacts. He had only two weeks left.

“Please, come in, they’re waiting for you,” the secretary smiled warmly.

Anton thought, “What do they do here that makes this workshop so successful?” He noticed that there was active construction in the yard—they were obviously expanding production.

Three days ago, he had sent his proposal, and today they invited him for negotiations and possibly to strike a deal. Rumor had it that the director was a very young woman. “Oh, how I’d love to have a fling with her,” Anton thought.

He entered the office and froze. Marina was sitting at the table.

“Well, why are you frozen? Come in,” she said calmly.

“You?!” Anton could barely speak.

Marina shrugged.

“Is it strange to see me here? If you have a business proposal, sit down. If not, sorry, I have a lot of work.”

He sat down and noticed that same young man, who was leisurely sipping coffee in the corner of the room. Anton finally realized that he wouldn’t be able to negotiate anything here. Obviously, Marina was well aware of all the problems with his workshop.

“Well, to hell with all of you!” he jumped up and stormed out of the office.

Marina looked in surprise at the door that had slammed shut. Sergey approached her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll go and talk to him. I’m sure we can come to an agreement. He’s really in a hopeless situation. So we’ll even manage to revive your mother-in-law’s workshop before our wedding.”

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