— “Hold on, Katya! Someone’s at the door. I’ll call you back after I see who it is and what they want,” Lyudmila said reluctantly, interrupting her conversation with her longtime friend. Katya had been vividly recounting her mother-in-law’s birthday party from the day before, her humor making Lyudmila laugh as if she were watching a stand-up comedy show on TV.
As she approached the door, Lyudmila glanced through the peephole and was immediately taken aback. She had expected to see a neighbor, since strangers couldn’t usually get into the building without access. Instead, a young woman she had never seen before stood in the hallway, looking both nervous and determined.
Lyudmila hesitated. She had always lived by the rule of not engaging with strangers—there were too many scammers and con artists around these days, all looking to take advantage of unsuspecting people.
She wasn’t easily fooled, and she certainly wasn’t going to entertain some suspicious stranger at her door. Dismissing the matter, she turned away, ready to resume her conversation with Katya.
But the doorbell rang again. And again. The visitor seemed certain that someone was inside and was determined not to leave without an answer.
At that moment, Lyudmila was home alone. Her husband, Viktor, had gone to a friend’s country house to help with a fence that Saturday. She sighed, turned back to the door, and took another look through the peephole.
The woman outside had a strange, almost pitiful look about her. She didn’t seem dangerous, but there was something unsettling about her presence.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Lyudmila thought. “I’ll just open the door, tell her she’s got the wrong apartment, and send her on her way. That should be enough to get rid of her.”
Without overthinking it, she unlatched the door and swung it open.
The woman straightened up immediately, as if she had been rehearsing this moment. She even ran a hand through her hair, as if trying to regain composure before speaking.
“Hello! Are you Lyudmila?” she asked, fidgeting with her scarf. “Actually, why am I even asking? Of course, you are.”
“Look at this,” Lyudmila thought. “Scammers these days come prepared. She even knows my name.”
“Who are you, and what do you want?” Lyudmila demanded, arms crossed. “You’ve been ringing for five minutes. I didn’t invite you in. So say what you need to say and get lost.”
“Is Viktor home?” The woman’s question took Lyudmila by surprise.
“What the hell?” she thought. “She even knows my husband’s name. Definitely a scam artist, but a well-prepared one.”
“Did you come here for Viktor?” Lyudmila asked, though she had a much sharper remark in mind.
“No, I came to see you. But if Viktor is home, it’ll be harder for me to talk to you,” the woman replied calmly.
Lyudmila narrowed her eyes. “Vitya? Since when does she call him Vitya?”
“No, my husband isn’t here,” she said slowly. “I’m listening.”
“Maybe we could talk inside? This isn’t really a hallway conversation,” the woman suggested.
Lyudmila scoffed. “Oh, the audacity! I don’t even know you, and you expect me to invite you in? Not a chance. Speak here, and make it quick.”
The woman hesitated, then smirked. “Alright, if you insist. But do you really want me to start talking about my relationship with Viktor out here? For all the neighbors to hear?”
“Excuse me? What relationship?” Lyudmila’s voice shot up in disbelief.
Just then, the elevator dinged, and Lyudmila’s elderly neighbor, Lidia Ivanovna, stepped out. She immediately noticed the tension between the two women.
“Everything alright, Lyuda?” she asked, eyeing the stranger suspiciously.
“Yes, Lidochka, everything’s fine,” Lyudmila said quickly, hoping to avoid a scene. “How’s the weather?”
“Looks like rain,” Lidia answered, but she lingered in the hallway, clearly curious about what was going on.
Lyudmila sighed and stepped aside. “Fine, come in,” she said to the stranger.
The woman entered and immediately began glancing around the apartment with interest.
“You have five minutes,” Lyudmila said firmly, blocking the entrance to the living room. “This isn’t a museum.”
The woman took off her scarf and coat. “My name is Olesya,” she said smoothly. “And Viktor and I are in love.”
Lyudmila rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on! Couldn’t you come up with something a little more original?”
“What’s unoriginal about it? It happens. We fell in love. You’re not the first wife to be left behind,” Olesya replied, trying to push past her.
“Are you sure? That he’s fallen out of love with me and in love with you?” Lyudmila asked with an amused smile.
“Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here!” Olesya said defiantly.
“That’s funny,” Lyudmila chuckled. “You see, my husband doesn’t love anyone. He’s not capable of it. So I think you might be mistaken, dear.”
“No mistake,” Olesya insisted. “We work together. Ever since I started in his department, he’s had eyes only for me. He even confessed his love.”
“Really? That’s not like him at all,” Lyudmila said, raising an eyebrow. “And what exactly do you want from me, Alice?”
“Olesya,” she corrected. “And I want you to divorce him. Let him go. Stop standing in the way of his happiness.”
Lyudmila burst out laughing. “Wait, let me get this straight. You want me to give you my husband because you believe he loves you? And what, pray tell, will I get out of this deal?”
“Well, you’ll have to find another place to live, of course. Viktor and I will be living here,” Olesya said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Lyudmila laughed even harder. “Oh, sweetie, that’s adorable! Did Viktor tell you this place was his?”
“I don’t need him to tell me,” Olesya smirked. “I checked. His name is on the documents.”
Lyudmila tilted her head. “Oh? Did your ‘research’ also tell you that Viktor once left me and came crawling back? That he realized no one else would put up with him the way I do?”
Just then, the front door opened, and Viktor stepped inside. His eyes widened when he saw Olesya standing in his hallway.
“Olesya? What are you doing here?”
Olesya turned pale. “I—I was just leaving,” she stammered, grabbing her coat.
Lyudmila smirked. “But why? You came for Viktor, didn’t you? I’m practically handing him over!”
Olesya hurriedly backed toward the door, avoiding Viktor’s confused stare.
“Lyuda, what the hell is going on?” Viktor asked.
“Good question, Vitya,” Lyudmila said with a grin. “Maybe you should answer it.”
Leave a Reply