Inna stood by the window, watching as raindrops distributed the glass, forming whimsical patterns. Seventeen years – is that a lot or a little? She remembered every day of their marriage, every anniversary, every gifts. And now everything becomes collapsed.

“We need to talk,” Alexey said.

“I’m leaving, Inna. To Natasha.”

Silence. Only the ticking of the old wall clock, once gifted by his mother, broke the calmness of the room.

“To the student from your faculty?” Her voice sounded surprisingly calm.

“Yes. Understand, my feelings have changed. I want new emotions, fresh impressions. You’re a smart woman, you should understand.”

Inna smiled.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” Alexey said. “I’ve already packed my things.”

Then she approached the cupboard and recovered that special bottle they had kept for a special occasion.

“Well, I suppose this is a rather special moment,” she began to open the bottle. “You know, I propose we have a farewell dinner. Invite your friends, your relatives. After all, seventeen years is no joke.”

Alexey surprisingly said:

“You… you want to throw a party for our divorce?”

“Why not?” Inna smiled. “Let’s send our life together off in style. After all, I really am a smart woman, remember?”

She began to send messages to relatives and friends.

“Tomorrow at seven in the evening. I’ll prepare your favorite dishes. Consider it my farewell gift.”

Alexey stood there, not knowing what to say. He had predicted tears, nervousness, reproaches – anything but this calm acceptance.

“And yes, tell Natasha that she’s invited too. I want to meet the girl who managed to do what I couldn’t all these years – ignite a new spark in you.”

The next day began awfully early for Inna.

She carefully called banks, met with a lawyer, and prepared documents. Every action was prapared.

By the evening, their spacious apartment was full of the aromas of exquisite dishes. Inna set the table, organizing the finest dinnerware – a wedding gift from her mother-in-law.

“Everything must be perfect,” she muttered.

His mother, Vera Pavlovna, awkwardly grasped her daughter-in-law:

“Innochka, maybe there’s still a chance to change everything?”

“No, Mama. Sometimes you have to make the right choice and let go.”

Gradually, their friends started arriving.

“Come in, have a seat,” Inna directed them to the head of the table. “Tonight, you are the main characters of the evening.”

Once everyone was seated, Inna stood up, holding a glass:

“Dear friends! Today is a special day. We are gathered here to celebrate the end of one story and the beginning of another.”

She turned to Alexey:

“Lesha, I want to thank you for seventeen years together. For all the ups and downs, for the joys and sorrows we shared. You taught me many things. For example, that love can be very different.”

An awkwardwhisper ran through the room. Natasha played with a napkin, avoiding eye contact.

“And you also taught me to be attentive to details,” Inna continued. “Especially financial ones.”

She began laying out documents:

“Here’s the loan for your car, taken out on our joint account. Here are the tax arrears for your company. And this – particularly interesting – are the receipts from restaurants and jewelry stores over the past year. I suppose you were trying to impress Natasha?”

Alexey became pallid. Natasha abruptly lifted her head.

“But the most important thing,” Inna said as she retrieved the final document, “is our prenuptial agreement. Remember, you signed it without reading? There’s an interesting clause about dividing property in case of infidelity.”

The silence in the room became booming. 

“The house is in my name,” Inna continued. “I’ve already blocked the accounts. And the divorce petition was filed last night.”

She turned to Natasha:

“Dear, are you sure you’re ready to tie your life to someone who has neither a home nor savings, but instead has considerable debts?”

“Excuse me, I need to leave,” Natasha said softly.

Vera Pavlovna refused:

“Lesha, how could you? We raised you differently.”

“Mama, you don’t understand…” Alexey began, but was disturbed by his father:

“No, son, you don’t understand. Seventeen years is no joke. And what did you destr0y it all for? For an af:fair with a student?”

The friends at the table remained soundless, avoiding each other’s gaze. Only Mikhail, Alexey’s best friend since school, quietly said loud:

“Lesha, you really screwed up.”

Inna continued standing, holding her glass.

“You know what’s the most interesting? All these years I believed that our love was unique. That we were like those old couples from beautiful stories who stayed together until the end. I turned a blind eye to your work delays, your strange phone calls, your new ties and shirts.”

She took a sip:

“And then I started spotting the receipts. Jewelry store, restaurant ‘White Swan’, spa salon… Funny, isn’t it? You were taking her to the same places where you once took me.”

Natasha returned but did not sit at the table. She stood in the doorway, clutching her purse:

“Alexey Nikolaevich, I think we need to talk. Alone.”

“Of course, dear,” he got up, but Inna stopped him with a gesture:

“Wait. I’m not finished yet. Remember our first apartment? That one-bedroom on the outskirts? We were so happy there. You said we needed nothing but each other.”

She smiled:

“And now look at you. Expensive suits, a fancy car, a young mistress… Only, here’s the catch – all of it was built on lies and debts.”

Natasha’s voice trembled, “you said we were divorced. That we lived separately. That you were going to buy us an apartment.”

“Natashenka, I’ll explain everything.”

A ringing silence tumbled the room.

Without saying a word, Natasha turned and ran out of the apartment. T

“Inna,” Alexey clutched his head, “why are you doing this?”

“Why?” she laughed.“How did you expect it to be? For me to cry, beg you to stay? To roll around at your feet?”

She scanned the room:

“You know what’s the most amusing? I truly loved him. Every wrinkle, every gray hair. Even his snoring at night seemed endearing to me. I was ready to grow old with him, to raise grandchildren.”

“Dear,” Vera Pavlovna whispered, “maybe it’s not worth it.”

“No, Mama, it is,” Inna raised her voice for the first time that evening. “Let everyone know. Let them know how your son took out loans for gifts for his mistresses. How he used our shared money. How he lied to me, to you, to everyone!”

She published another document:

“And this is especially interesting. Remember, Lesha, three months ago you asked me to sign some papers? You said it was for the tax office? It turned out to be a guarantee for a loan. You mortgaged my car, can you believe it?”

“Son,” Alexey’s father said heavily as he rose, “we’ll probably leave too. Call when… when you come to your senses.”

Vera Pavlovna grasped Inna:

“Forgive us, dear. We never thought he…”

“Don’t apologize, Mama. You have nothing to do with this.”

Alexey sat there. His expensive suit now seemed like a silly masquerade costume.

“You know, I could have done a month ago when I found out everything. I could have bought your car, torn up your suits, had a meltdown at your workplace.” Inna said.

“But I decided to do it differently,” she said.

“I’m flying out tomorrow. The Maldives, can you imagine? I’ve always dreamed of visiting there, but you always said it was a waste of money.”

She put the keys on the table:

“The apartment must be bought by the end of the week. I’m selling it. And yes, don’t even try to withdraw money from the accounts.”

Alexey looked at her with a sad expression:

“What am I supposed to do now?”

“That’s no longer my problem,” she said

“You know what’s the funniest part? I’m truly grateful to you. You made me wake up, shake off the dust. I suddenly realized that life doesn’t end with you.”

She walked to the door and turned around one last time:

“Goodbye, Lesha. I hope it was worth it.”

The door closed quietly. Alexey was left alone in the hollow apartment. Inna began a new trip which marked a first step of her new life.