Marina carefully folded the last shirt and placed it in Alexey’s suitcase. After many years together, packing for his trips had become a quiet, meaningful ritual she took pride in.
“Don’t forget your laptop charger,” she reminded him as she zipped the bag closed.
Alexey glanced nervously at his watch.
“Thanks, love. The taxi’s waiting—I need to go.”
He kissed her cheek quickly, grabbed his suitcase, and hurried to the door.
“Call me when you arrive!” Marina called after him.
“I will!” he replied as the door clicked shut.
Marina moved to the window and watched the car drive away. His hurried goodbye felt unusual—normally their farewells were longer and warmer. She dismissed the feeling, assuming he was just nervous about the meeting.
The apartment suddenly felt cold and empty. To distract herself, Marina decided to visit the Meridian shopping mall to pick up some things she’d been meaning to buy.
A couple of hours later, arms full of shopping bags, she walked through the mall. She planned to eat at her favorite café on the third floor, but a call from a coworker invited her to try the new menu at Almond restaurant on the second floor.
Marina agreed since the restaurant was nearby and she liked the ambiance, even though she rarely went there.
As she reached the second floor, she spotted Alexey through the large windows, sitting at a table near the window.
Across from him was a young woman Marina didn’t know. They leaned in, chatting animatedly. The woman laughed and lightly touched his hand, and in Alexey’s eyes Marina saw a look she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Time seemed to stop. Her heart froze and vision blurred. The man who was supposed to be on a flight to Novosibirsk was having lunch with another woman.
Her first urge was to storm in and demand answers, but pride and fear held her back. She took a deep breath and quietly walked away.
With trembling hands, she canceled her meeting and called her best friend.
“Lena, can you meet me? Right now,” her voice shook.
“What’s wrong?” Lena asked, alarmed.
“I just saw Alexey with a woman at a restaurant. He was supposed to be on a plane.”
“Where are you?”
“At Meridian.”
“Wait for me at the Aquarelle café on the first floor. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Marina sat in a corner, absentmindedly stirring her tea. Questions swirled in her mind: Who was that woman? How long had this been going on? Had Alexey ever really traveled for work? The late-night calls, overtime, the changed phone password…
“Marina!” Lena’s voice snapped her back. She sat opposite Marina, squeezing her hands.
“Tell me everything.”
Marina recounted the scene, trying to keep steady.
“I don’t know what to do, Lena. Part of me doesn’t want to know the truth.”
“What if it’s not what it seems? Maybe there’s an explanation.”
Marina gave a bitter smile.
“What explanation fits a man who lies about a business trip and lunches with another woman?”
“I don’t know,” Lena admitted. “But maybe find out more before making a decision.”
“How? Just ask him?”
Lena paused.
“What if we follow them and see where they go?”
Though spying felt humiliating, the uncertainty hurt more. Marina agreed.
They took cover in the bookstore across from the restaurant, pretending to browse. About 40 minutes later, Alexey and the woman, an elegant brunette in her thirties, emerged.
“They’re leaving,” Lena whispered.
They followed at a distance. Outside, the woman got into a taxi, Alexey helped her in, they exchanged a brief handshake, and the taxi drove away. Alexey stayed, made a phone call, then took a cab himself.
“Let’s follow him,” Marina said.
Their taxi trailed Alexey’s to the Aquamarine business center where his company’s office was. Inside, he spoke tensely with the receptionist before disappearing into his boss’s office.
“Maybe the trip got canceled last minute,” Lena suggested.
“Then who was the woman? And why didn’t he call?”
They waited. Thirty minutes later Alexey left with a folder and headed downstairs. Marina and Lena slipped behind a column and quickly took a taxi.
“Home,” Marina told the driver. She guessed correctly when Alexey’s cab pulled up to their building. Marina let Lena go and went inside alone.
Alexey was in the kitchen, staring at his laptop.
“Marina! You’re home?” He looked genuinely surprised.
“As you can see,” she replied coolly. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane?”
He tensed.
“The trip was canceled last minute. I was going to call but everything got hectic.”
“So hectic you couldn’t send a text?”
“I’m sorry.” He looked down. Marina sat across from him.
“Who is she, Alexey?”
“Who?” he frowned.
“The woman you had lunch with at Almond.”
He turned pale.
“You were following me?”
“No. I just saw you by chance.”
Silence stretched before he said,
“It’s not what you think.”
“What am I supposed to think? You said you were flying out, yet you were with another woman.”
“Her name is Anna Viktorovna. She’s a representative of German investors.”
“And that’s why you lied?”
“I didn’t lie. The trip was canceled after I was already at the airport. My boss called—an investor was only in town briefly. I had to meet her.”
“Why not tell me?”
He hesitated.
“Because… it wasn’t just a regular meeting.”
Marina’s heart clenched.
“I knew it.”
“No, not like that! My boss said if I secured a deal on special terms, I’d get promoted to commercial director.”
“And you couldn’t even text me?”
“I wanted to surprise you if it worked out. If it didn’t, I didn’t want to upset you.”
“Did it work?” Marina asked.
Alexey smiled.
“Yes. She signed a preliminary agreement. The main delegation arrives next month.”
Still doubtful, he opened a folder showing the signed agreement by Anna Viktoria Müller. Then he pulled out a velvet box with a sapphire necklace Marina had admired.
“I bought this last week, planning to give it to you tonight—with the good news.”
Her anger softened but one question remained:
“Why did you look so happy with her?”
“She accepted our terms—it was relief, nothing else.”
He squeezed her hand.
“You’re the only woman in my life. My trips are real.”
She wanted to believe him.
“Can I ask a few questions?”
“Of course.”
“What did you eat?”
“She ordered house salad and steak with truffle sauce. I had the fish platter.”
“What else did you talk about?”
“Russian culture—she loves ballet.”
His answers were confident, and the tension eased. They ordered pizza, opened wine, and the evening felt normal again.
While Alexey showered, Marina checked his phone—the password was still their wedding date. Nothing suspicious. The early-morning call from his boss was there.
Hearing Alexey hum their favorite song, she realized the real issue was routine; they’d stopped surprising each other.
The next morning, she woke early, made breakfast, and kissed him awake.
“I have a surprise. I took today off—and you should too.”
“For what?” he mumbled.
“A little ‘business trip’—just us, no phones.” She handed him two train tickets to the country resort where they’d spent their first anniversary.
He smiled brightly.
“I love you, you know.”
“I love you too—and I’m done checking your phone.”
“So you did spy on me!” he laughed. She tossed a pillow at him, laughing too.
Sometimes, she thought, trust is necessary—and sometimes, you need to take the first step to reignite the spark.
A week later, Marina found a postcard from Cologne in the mailbox:
“Dear Marina,
Your husband spoke warmly of you during our meeting. The chocolate he chose for you is a specialty of our family factory. I hope you enjoy it.
Sincerely,
Anna Müller.”
Along with it was a box of fine chocolates. Marina smiled, set it aside until Alexey came home—she had a suitcase to pack for a real trip tomorrow, and she’d be the one helping him again.
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