{"id":11008,"date":"2026-02-06T22:35:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T17:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pni.net.pk\/us\/?p=11008"},"modified":"2026-02-07T00:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T19:11:27","slug":"her-canceled-flight-led-her-home-and-to-a-truth-that-shattered-her-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pni.net.pk\/us\/her-canceled-flight-led-her-home-and-to-a-truth-that-shattered-her-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Her Canceled Flight Led Her Home \u2014 and to a Truth That Shattered Her Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"
PART ONE<\/strong><\/div>\n
Returning home because her flight was canceled, Katya stood stunned on the doorstep: “Anything but this!”<\/div>\n
\u2014 This can\u2019t be… \u2014 Katya whispered, horrified, looking at the slightly open bedroom door. She didn\u2019t see her husband, but those unfamiliar eyes mockingly staring right at her \u2014 she would never forget them.<\/div>\n
Shock.<\/div>\n
Stupor.<\/div>\n
Complete confusion about what to do, and refusal to accept the reality of what had just happened.<\/div>\n
She stood like a statue in the middle of the room, unable to move, continuing to stare at that cursed gap between the door and the frame, as if death itself was hiding behind it.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Oh… hi? \u2014 her husband finally noticed her and lightly jumped off the bed. \u2014 What are you doing here? Aren\u2019t you already on the plane?<\/div>\n
He came up to her, speaking so calmly as if nothing unusual had happened. As if she really had flown away and now just returned earlier than planned.<\/div>\n
There was no trace of confusion or guilt in his voice. It was ordinary, as if they were discussing the weather or the dinner menu.<\/div>\n
Katya saw irritation flash in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and shrugged:<\/div>\n
\u2014 I\u2019ll just see the girl off and be right back…<\/div>\n
He went into the bedroom and quietly added before closing the door:<\/div>\n
\u2014 Get dressed, sunshine…<\/div>\n
That \u201csunshine\u201d hit her like a slap in the face. It was exactly what snapped Katya out of her numbness.<\/div>\n
\u2014 So that’s how it is… So those words are in your vocabulary, Edik, \u2014 she thought bitterly. \u2014 Just not for me. How naive I was… I searched everywhere for reasons why he drifted away, read psychologists\u2019 advice, tried to fix everything. And all that time it was for nothing. Everything was simple… and at the same time incredibly disgusting.<\/div>\n
Katya mechanically dialed her mother\u2019s number.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Hi, haven\u2019t you left for the park with Marusya yet? No? At the exit? It\u2019s okay, I\u2019m coming over now. Wait half an hour, I don\u2019t have keys. Okay?<\/div>\n
She was only sixteen when she first saw Edik \u2014 the friend of her older brother\u2019s girlfriend Alyonka.<\/div>\n
She saw him and fell hopelessly in love. He seemed like a god to her, Apollo, the ideal man impossible not to fall for.<\/div>\n
That night they were celebrating the birthday of that brother at a caf\u00e9. At first, Katya didn\u2019t even want to go \u2014 too many strangers, too noisy. But Alyonka insisted.<\/div>\n
That night was a turning point in Katya\u2019s fate. She chose one path out of a thousand possibilities \u2014 and walked down it.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Baby, you\u2019re still too young, \u2014 Edik smirked when Katya, blushing, offered to dance with him. \u2014 You\u2019re cute, like a doll. But a kid. And I don\u2019t hang out with minors.<\/div>\n
\u2014 I\u2019m sixteen! And I already have a passport!<\/div>\n
\u2014 Ah… well, if you have a passport, then I guess it\u2019s okay, \u2014 he smiled.<\/div>\n
That smile was more beautiful than anything Katya had ever seen in her life. And then she understood: he was the love of her life.<\/div>\n
Edik escorted her back to the table, thanked her for the dance, and didn\u2019t look her way once more that whole evening. His attention was fully captured by a tall blonde who didn\u2019t let him out of her arms.<\/div>\n
\u2014 But she\u2019s old! \u2014 Katya protested, nearly crying. \u2014 She\u2019s clearly over twenty-five! Which means she\u2019s older than him!<\/div>\n
Before the evening ended, Katya called a taxi and went home, citing a call from her parents and their strict order to return.<\/div>\n
After that, she became a frequent visitor at Alyonka\u2019s, hoping to meet Edik there.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Let\u2019s go for a walk, \u2014 her friend urged. \u2014 Summer, sun… why are we sitting at home?<\/div>\n
But Katya found a thousand reasons to stay home. At first, Alyonka was puzzled, then understood.<\/div>\n
\u2014 You\u2019re waiting for Edik? You\u2019re such a fool! Okay, I\u2019ll warn you when he comes over with Pashka.<\/div>\n
Since then, it went like this: as soon as Edik entered the apartment, an hour later Katya showed up.<\/div>\n
But he didn\u2019t even notice her.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Why?! I\u2019m pretty, everyone tells me so. Maybe he has someone serious? That same blonde? \u2014 she asked her friend.<\/div>\n
\u2014 No, he doesn\u2019t have anyone, \u2014 Alyonka reassured her. \u2014 I asked Pasha.<\/div>\n
Those words made Katya\u2019s heart soar.<\/div>\n
She knew: she would be with him. She definitely would. He was just afraid she wasn\u2019t eighteen yet. But in a year and a half \u2014 she would be. And then…<\/div>\n
Then everything would change.<\/div>\n
Katya began counting down the days until she turned eighteen. All that time, she never lost hope \u2014 Edik had to notice her as a woman. She watched him, waited, caught every moment their paths crossed.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Everything good, baby? \u2014 he would absentmindedly say when they met.<\/div>\n
The word \u201cbaby\u201d grated on her ears. Katya was angry: she was not a child! Why couldn\u2019t he see that in front of him was already an adult woman, just very young?<\/div>\n
She knew he had girlfriends \u2014 blondes, friends of friends, just acquaintances. And every time Katya silently wished: let this one be temporary. Let him wait. Wait for her.<\/div>\n
Katya herself also dated boys. Not seriously. At first, she didn\u2019t even allow kissing \u2014 saving herself for her beloved.<\/div>\n
But once a bold athlete kissed her first. And… she liked it. Unexpectedly, sharply, almost painfully \u2014 but pleasantly.<\/div>\n
She didn\u2019t even resist when the hands of a handsome volleyball player \u2014 her peer \u2014 wrapped around her, first cautiously, then more confidently.<\/div>\n
\u2014 The main thing is not to allow too much, \u2014 she comforted her conscience after the date. \u2014 Only Edik will be the first for real.<\/div>\n
She still loved him. Believed that as soon as she turned eighteen, everything would change. That then he would realize: she was made for him.<\/div>\n
Nevertheless, Katya continued to go on dates, allowing young men more and more attention and closeness.<\/div>\n
The only taboo was real intimacy. But she considered other forms of closeness acceptable \u2014 for example, the experience taught to her by a handsome barista at a caf\u00e9.<\/div>\n
Moreover, she often practiced such relationships, considering herself a pure girl \u201csaving herself\u201d for the one.<\/div>\n
On her eighteenth birthday, Katya insisted on a big party. To her surprise, her parents agreed. Friends, relatives… and of course Alyonka with her brother and his friend \u2014 Edik \u2014 were invited to the banquet.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Just try not to convince Pashka to bring Edik, \u2014 she begged her friend almost in tears.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Calm down, they\u2019ll come. They promised.<\/div>\n
Katya knew: today everything would be decided. Today she would show him that she had become an adult, desirable, loving. That she was exactly the one he needed.<\/div>\n
She had rich experience in seduction, and was sure: Edik wouldn\u2019t resist. And when he realized she had saved herself only for him… Oh yes! That would be the best gift for her eighteenth birthday.<\/div>\n
\u2014 Wow! You\u2019re like… Miss Universe! The most beautiful girl on the planet! \u2014 Edik mockingly looked over the birthday girl.<\/div>\n
Katya blushed \u2014 there was no respect in his voice, only condescending irony. He still saw her as a kid.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
PART TWO<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

\u201cThis can\u2019t be\u2026\u201d Katya whispered, horrified as she looked at the slightly open bedroom door. She didn\u2019t see her husband, but those unfamiliar eyes mockingly staring right at her \u2014 she would never forget them.<\/p>\n

Shock.
\nStupor.
\nComplete confusion about what to do and refusal to accept the reality of what had just happened.<\/p>\n

She stood like a statue in the middle of the room, unable to move, still staring at that cursed gap between the door and the frame, as if death itself was hiding behind it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026 hi?\u201d her husband finally noticed her and easily jumped off the bed. \u201cWhat are you doing here? Aren\u2019t you already on the plane?\u201d<\/p>\n

He approached her, speaking so calmly as if nothing unusual had happened. As if she really had left and now had just come back early.<\/p>\n

There was no trace of confusion or guilt in his voice. It was ordinary, like they were discussing the weather or dinner menu.<\/p>\n

Katya saw a flash of irritation in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and shrugged:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see the girl out and come back\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He went into the bedroom and quietly added before closing the door:<\/p>\n

\u201cGet dressed, sunshine\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

That \u201csunshine\u201d felt like a slap in the face. It was what snapped Katya out of her stupor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s how it is\u2026 So those words are in your vocabulary, Edik,\u201d she thought bitterly. \u201cJust not for me. How naive I was\u2026 I looked everywhere for reasons why he drifted away, read psychologists\u2019 advice, tried to fix everything. And all this time it was for nothing. It was simple\u2026 and at the same time incredibly disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katya automatically dialed her mother\u2019s number.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, you\u2019re not out in the park with Marusya yet? No? At the exit? It\u2019s okay, I\u2019m coming over now. Wait half an hour, I don\u2019t have the keys. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

She was only sixteen when she first saw Edik \u2014 a friend of her older friend Alyonka\u2019s brother.<\/p>\n

She saw him and hopelessly fell in love. He seemed like a god, Apollo, the ideal man impossible not to fall for.<\/p>\n

That day they were celebrating that very brother\u2019s birthday at a cafe. At first, Katya didn\u2019t want to go \u2014 too many strangers, too noisy. But Alyonka insisted.<\/p>\n

That evening changed Katya\u2019s fate. She chose one path out of thousands \u2014 and followed it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBaby, you\u2019re still too young,\u201d Edik smirked when Katya, blushing, asked him to dance. \u201cYou\u2019re pretty, like a doll. But a kid. I don\u2019t hang out with minors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sixteen! And I already have an ID!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026 well, if you have an ID, then it\u2019s okay,\u201d he smiled.<\/p>\n

That smile was the most beautiful thing Katya had ever seen in her life. Then she understood: he was the love of her life.<\/p>\n

Edik walked her back to the table, thanked her for the dance, and never looked her way again all evening. His attention was fully taken by a tall blonde who never let him go.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut she\u2019s old!\u201d Katya protested, nearly crying. \u201cShe\u2019s clearly over twenty-five! That means she\u2019s older than him!\u201d<\/p>\n

Unable to wait for the end of the evening, Katya called a taxi and left for home, citing a call from her parents and their strict orders to return.<\/p>\n

After that, she became a frequent visitor at Alyonka\u2019s, hoping to meet Edik there.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s take a walk,\u201d her friend persuaded her. \u201cSummer, sun\u2026 Why stay at home?\u201d<\/p>\n

But Katya found a thousand reasons to stay home. At first, Alyonka was puzzled, then she understood.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re waiting for Edik? You\u2019re such a silly girl! Okay, I\u2019ll warn you when he comes over with Pashka.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, that was how it went: as soon as Edik entered the apartment, Katya would show up within an hour.<\/p>\n

But he never even noticed her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?! I\u2019m pretty, everyone says so. Maybe he has someone serious? That blonde?\u201d she asked her friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he has no one,\u201d Alyonka reassured. \u201cI asked Pasha.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those words made Katya\u2019s heart soar.<\/p>\n

She knew: she would be with him. She absolutely would. He was just afraid she wasn\u2019t eighteen yet. But in a year and a half \u2014 she would be. And then\u2026<\/p>\n

Then everything would change.<\/p>\n

Katya started counting down the days to her adulthood. All the while, she kept hope \u2014 Edik would notice her as a woman. She watched him, waited, caught every moment when their paths crossed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll good, baby?\u201d he casually said during one meeting.<\/p>\n

The word \u201cbaby\u201d grated on her ears. Katya was angry: she wasn\u2019t a child! Why couldn\u2019t he see that in front of him was already an adult woman, just very young?<\/p>\n

She knew he had girlfriends \u2014 blondes, friends of friends, acquaintances. Each time Katya mentally wished: let this one be temporary. Let him wait. Wait for her.<\/p>\n

Katya also dated guys. Not seriously. At first, she didn\u2019t even allow kissing \u2014 saving herself for her beloved.<\/p>\n

But once a bold athlete kissed her first. And\u2026 she liked it. Unexpectedly, sharply, almost painfully \u2014 but pleasantly.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t resist when the hands of a handsome volleyball player her age wrapped around her, first gently, then more confidently.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main thing is not to allow too much,\u201d she comforted her conscience after the date. \u201cOnly Edik will be the first for real.\u201d<\/p>\n

She still loved him. Believed that once she turned eighteen, everything would change. That then he would understand: she was made for him.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Katya continued to go on dates, allowing young men more attention and intimacy.<\/p>\n

The only taboo was real intimacy. But she considered other forms of closeness acceptable \u2014 for example, what a charming barista at a cafe had taught her.<\/p>\n

More than that, she often practiced such relationships, considering herself a pure girl who \u201csaved herself\u201d for the one.<\/p>\n

On her eighteenth birthday, Katya insisted on a big party. To her parents\u2019 surprise, they agreed. Friends and family were invited\u2026 and, of course, Alyonka with her brother and his friend \u2014 Edik.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust don\u2019t you dare convince Pashka to bring Edik,\u201d she almost tearfully begged her friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalm down, they\u2019ll come. They promised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katya knew: today everything would be decided. Today she would show him she had grown up, was desirable, loving. That she was exactly the one he needed.<\/p>\n

She had rich experience in seduction and was sure Edik wouldn\u2019t resist. And when he realized she had saved herself only for him\u2026 Oh yes! That would be the best gift for her eighteenth birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow! You\u2019re like\u2026 Miss Universe! The most beautiful girl on the planet!\u201d Edik mockingly looked her over.<\/p>\n

Katya flushed \u2014 there was no respect in his voice, only condescending irony. He still saw her as a kid.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m an adult from today,\u201d she replied playfully, sticking out her tongue. \u201cJust remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She thought to herself: \u201cWait, darling\u2026 You\u2019ll see what I am now. I\u2019ll show you so much you\u2019ll be trailing after me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katya was sure no one could remain indifferent next to her \u2014 so young, beautiful, passionate. Her father\u2019s favorite song spun in her head (even if it was sung by a man), but that didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be a night, and you\u2019ll get to know me\u2026\u201d she whispered in Edik\u2019s ear, extending her hand. \u201cLet\u2019s dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

No, she was no longer that shy sixteen-year-old girl. Today she was the mistress of her fate. And no one, no blonde, no redhead beauty \u2014 no one would cling to Edik. Never again.<\/p>\n

Edik was hers. Her conquered, hard-won victory. Her birthday gift.<\/p>\n

So imagine her disappointment when she saw him heading for the exit, already in his outerwear.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d she screamed inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, Edik, that\u2019s not fair!\u201d she whispered after him, her voice trembling. \u201cAt least stay for an hour. You\u2019re going to miss the main thing. A surprise for you. Come\u2026 Now\u2026 I\u2019ll show you everything\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She pulled him after herself, trying to be insistent, feeling everything would be decided now.<\/p>\n

She had already chosen the place \u2014 a quiet room in the utility area where no one would find them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn! Why didn\u2019t you warn me?!\u201d Edik said almost hurt when it was over.<\/p>\n

Katya expected very different words. She had tried. Used all her arsenal, was tender, passionate, convincing. She was sure he liked it. Besides, he had to understand: he was her first.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Why are you angry?\u201d she asked, feeling cold inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did you do this? Wanted to tie me down?\u201d Edik roughly pushed her hands away, adjusted his clothes, and quickly left the room.<\/p>\n

Katya returned to the guests with an empty gaze and pale face.<\/p>\n

After that, Edik began avoiding her. Perhaps unintentionally. She just started feeling indifferent. And she decided to \u201cgive up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katya threw herself into studying. Stopped showing up at parties. Avoided guys \u2014 their attention irritated her. She was rude, snapped, sent away even those who just wanted to compliment her.<\/p>\n

And two months later, she found out she was pregnant.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is he?! Who is this scoundrel?!\u201d her father was beside himself.<\/p>\n

Katya was silent, staring at the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cKatya\u2026 maybe it\u2019s not too late?..\u201d her mother quietly asked. \u201cMaybe you should still get rid of it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! I won\u2019t do that. I love him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho?!\u201d her parents exclaimed in unison.<\/p>\n

Then she confessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour son seduced our girl!\u201d her father angrily declared at a meeting with Edik\u2019s parents. \u201cHe\u2019s an adult \u2014 twenty-six, and she just turned eighteen! They have to get married!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut how do you force a person into marriage against their will? And what\u2019s the use? There\u2019s no happiness in such unions\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want your guy to be in prison? Because I\u2019ll prove that Katya was underage at the moment of conception! She was born exactly at midnight. And it all happened in the evening. So decide for yourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo as you see fit,\u201d her mother-in-law sighed. \u201cBut who would voluntarily marry for a child?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll make him,\u201d her father firmly answered. \u201cOr he\u2019ll answer by law. Happiness in marriage is optional. He\u2019ll have an apartment, a good job. Katya\u2019s smart, beautiful. What else do you need?\u201d<\/p>\n

At the wedding, Edik barely looked at the bride. When they shouted \u201cbitter\u201d (the Russian tradition to shout \u201c\u0433\u043e\u0440\u044c\u043a\u043e\u201d meaning \u201ckiss the bride\u201d), he barely touched her lips \u2014 cold, indifferent.<\/p>\n

However, after the honeymoon organized by Katya\u2019s parents in hope of reconciliation, life seemed to settle into a familiar routine.<\/p>\n

But even then Katya began to understand: it was all a mistake. Her youthful, almost mad passion for Edik turned out not to be love but obsession. How she wished she could take it all back\u2026 But it was too late \u2014 now Marusya was there, whose first funny cry reminded Katya that all this was reality. Reality where she and Edik grew further apart every day.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrange girl you have,\u201d her mother-in-law once remarked. \u201cShe\u2019s unlike anyone. Neither you nor Katerina.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edik, previously indifferent to the child, looked intently at his daughter, snorted, but said nothing. He knew exactly that Katya had been pure before him. But from that day on, he began to get irritated more often, pick fights about everything, shout. Sometimes he even raised his hand. Once he hit her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fell myself,\u201d Katya told her parents, hiding tears and bitterness.<\/p>\n

From that moment on, her husband stopped hiding his cruelty. And Katya made a decision.<\/p>\n

Alena had long urged her to come to St. Petersburg, where she moved after marriage. And learning what was happening in Katya\u2019s family, she insisted:<\/p>\n

\u201cRun from him. Come to me with Marusya. Live here, calm down. File for divorce. Then, if you want, sell the apartment and stay here forever. But for now \u2014 leave. Right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to visit Alena,\u201d Katya told her husband while packing.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor long?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy so many things?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026 because I\u2019m leaving. Forever. I can\u2019t do this anymore. You never loved me. I loved you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now? Don\u2019t love me?\u201d Edik\u2019s voice trembled.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And then he hugged her for the first time in a long while.<\/p>\n

\u201cForgive me\u2026 I really behaved like a jerk. Didn\u2019t appreciate you\u2026 And we do have Marusya\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Katya\u2019s heart raced faster, like when she was sixteen.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome back\u2026 please\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026 I\u2019m not ready yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the days before her departure, Edik acted differently. Tender, attentive. Played with their daughter, spoke kind words to his wife. Katya felt warmth inside again. And almost gave in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll come back,\u201d she whispered before entering the departure hall with Marusya. \u201cSee you soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll wait,\u201d Edik shouted. \u201cPlease come back!\u201d<\/p>\n

Katya turned around, her heart aching at the thought of the upcoming separation. She fought herself not to turn back and stay. She got on the plane, sat Marusya by the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it, too late now. No way back,\u201d she tried to convince herself as the engine powered up and the plane slowly began to move.<\/p>\n

But about thirty minutes later the announcement interrupted the plans:<\/p>\n

\u201cFlight canceled for technical reasons. Passengers please proceed to the terminal for rebooking on the next flight, leaving in an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having collected her luggage, Katya checked her suitcase into storage\u2026 and changed her ticket to tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Her heart longed to return. She couldn\u2019t get Edik\u2019s sad look out of her head as she left. Maybe he really had changed? Maybe he felt something?<\/p>\n

She took Marusya to her mother; her father was staying at the dacha. She went home herself. Wanted to see his eyes when he realized she was back. Wanted to feel that moment.<\/p>\n

If only he was home\u2026<\/p>\n

Katya opened the door and realized \u2014 Edik was home.
\nOnly the light spilled out of the bedroom, soft saxophone music floated through the room.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t take off her shoes. Her heart pounded. Jealousy again. Pain again.<\/p>\n

Entering the bedroom, she was ready for anything. But not this.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can\u2019t be\u2026\u201d she whispered, frozen on the threshold.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t see her husband. But the eyes of a stranger man mockingly looking at her from the bed \u2014 she would remember forever.<\/p>\n

It was him \u2014 the very person Edik called \u201csunshine.\u201d Not a woman. Not a mistress. A man.<\/p>\n

And Katya suddenly understood: he never loved her. Never could. And she\u2026 had clung too long to an illusion that finally and irrevocably collapsed.<\/p>\n

The next day Katya flew to St. Petersburg. Without looking back. Without regrets.<\/p>\n

There she began a new life. Soon only Marusya reminded her of the past. Of how many years she had madly loved a man who could never love her back.<\/p>\n

Sometimes she wondered: how could she have been so wrong? How could she have given so many years of her life to a man who was alien to her in essence?<\/p>\n

There was no answer. Only the realization: sometimes love is just self-deception. And the way out of it is to start over.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PART ONE Returning home because her flight was canceled, Katya stood stunned on the doorstep: “Anything but this!” \u2014 This can\u2019t be… \u2014 Katya whispered, horrified, looking at the slightly open bedroom door. She didn\u2019t see her husband, but those unfamiliar eyes mockingly staring right at her \u2014 she would never forget them. Shock. Stupor. 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