Svetlana had always believed she and her husband were destined to be together.
Their decade-long happy marriage only reinforced that belief.
Today, she was returning from a two-day business trip. After decades of frequent travel, she longed for a quieter, more predictable pace of life.
While away, she made a last-minute decision to come back a day early. The idea of having a quiet day to herself at home sounded like the perfect treat. Her husband would still be at work, and their 10-year-old son, Dima, would be at school. She’d have the house to herself — peace, calm, and solitude.
She hadn’t mentioned the change in plans to her husband — maybe she forgot, or maybe she didn’t want to. Either way, she imagined the joy of surprising him: a warm welcome, dinner ready, Dima’s homework done — the perfect domestic moment.
But the moment she stepped inside, something felt off.
She turned on the hallway light and spotted unfamiliar women’s boots. Then she noticed a pale fur coat hanging in the closet, reeking of an overpowering, sweet perfume that turned her stomach.
Trying to stay composed, she reminded herself not to fall apart. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her hurt — whoever this woman was, invading her home and her marriage.
With her temper simmering, she headed toward the bedroom, where the door was firmly shut. On the way, she accidentally tripped over a floor lamp cord, sending it crashing to the ground. The noise echoed through the apartment, loud enough to alert whoever was inside.
The bedroom door flew open, and out stepped Dasha, wrapped in a bed sheet.
“Dasha?” Svetlana gasped. “You?! That awful perfume… I knew I recognized it!” she laughed, a little unhinged. “You snake! Of all people, you?”
“Svetlana?” Dasha stammered, stunned. “I thought you were out of town!”
“You’ve got this all wrong, Svetochka,” Dasha tried to reason, clearly rattled. “Please calm down.”
“Step aside! I want to look that cheating bastard in the eyes!” Svetlana shouted. “Out of my way, Dasha — he’s not getting away with this!”
“No, wait — it’s not Kostya in there,” Dasha blurted out.
“Then who is it?” Svetlana yelled, her patience gone.
“It’s Roman,” Dasha admitted quietly.
Sure enough, there sat Roman — her brother-in-law — fully dressed, avoiding eye contact and staring out the window, guilt all over his face.
“You remember Dasha from Kostya’s birthday last year? We all went on that trip together,” Roman began explaining. “Then I bumped into her later. Marina and I fought — she said I wasn’t ambitious, that I’d never be enough. It really got to me. When I saw Dasha again, I… gave in.”
“And why did you bring her here?” Svetlana snapped. “There are hotels! Why drag her into my home, my bed?”
“It’s a small town,” Roman replied sheepishly. “Everyone knows me — I work at the city office. We didn’t want rumors. This was the only place we thought was safe. But I swear, it’s never happened here before. Only a few times, ever.”
Svetlana vowed to make sure her husband never again gave anyone, not even family, a key to their apartment.
Kostya rushed home, panicked after getting a call from Svetlana. When he arrived, he was surprised to see her smiling and calm.
“So… everything’s okay?” he asked cautiously.
“Kostya,” she said firmly, “your brother sends his regards. But let’s get one thing straight — never again. If it happens again, you can go live with him — or whoever else. And I’d hate that, because I love my foolish, clueless husband. But this apartment? It’s our sanctuary. Sacred. Clear?”
