Marina stood silently at the doorway, greeting her parents with the usual warm smile, but the vivid bruise beneath her eye betrayed what she desperately wanted to keep hidden.
“Mom, it’s nothing, don’t pay any attention,” she rushed to say, noticing her mother’s concerned gaze.
Elena Igorevna sighed deeply.
“It’s your choice, daughter. It’s your life…”
Her father, however, refused even to acknowledge his son-in-law. Without a word, he moved to the window and stared blankly outside, seemingly deaf to Marina’s faint attempts to explain, “I just… accidentally hit the wardrobe last night. Mom, really, Egor and I, we’re fine!”
Fine? Marina clearly remembered the events of the night before. Egor, always on edge, hadn’t just yelled at her. When she dared express how exhausted she felt with everything, he grabbed her bathrobe collar so tightly it tore.
“Don’t you remember who you owe your life to?” he shouted, shaking her violently. “Forgot how I used to bring you home from dive bars when you ran away from me to that Denis? Who loved you, fool? I carried you in my arms!”
Then came a sharp, manly blow. Stars flickered in her eyes, followed by rising pain, as Egor continued cursing loudly.
“Yes, dear, the wardrobe and the darkness,” murmured her mother, fully aware of the truth but feeling guilty. She believed she had pushed Marina into marrying Egor and had driven Denis away, convinced he was a bad influence.
“Seems like your wardrobe packs a punch, daughter,” Elena Igorevna remarked meaningfully, casting a glance at Egor.
Ivan Mikhailovich never turned from the window. Instead, he stepped out to the balcony for a smoke. Unlike his wife, he never supported Egor, whom he found slippery and self-important despite his wealthy background, fancy car, and connections. Now that rot had surfaced — visible in Marina’s bruised eye.
Though Ivan Mikhailovich could have confronted Egor physically, he refrained, fearing scandal. Instead, he chose another path, discussed over a long phone call from that balcony.
Meanwhile, Marina served coffee to her mother as they chatted lightly. Half an hour later, her parents left.
Egor, expecting confrontation and scolding, relaxed, plopped on the couch, cracked open a beer, and smirked. To him, his in-laws’ silence meant acceptance — bruises were trivial, and as long as no one challenged him, all was well.
“See, Marina, I told you everything will sort itself out!” he boasted. “Your parents are sensible, unlike you. You yelled at me last night! So what if I drank and partied?” He took a sip and reached for chips.
His joy was short-lived.
Within thirty minutes, a firm knock at the door shattered the quiet. It was no ring, but confident pounding that made Egor tense and put down his beer.
Peering through the peephole, his face drained of color.
Denis stood there — Marina’s former lover and rival. Tall, handsome, self-assured, wearing an expensive coat and bearing an expression that melted women’s hearts and provoked men’s envy.
“What do you want?” Egor grunted, opening the door just enough to reveal irritation but not invite him in.
“Step aside,” Denis said calmly, pushing Egor’s shoulder. Egor staggered back as if thrown.
Marina rose, eyes wide.
“Denis…” she whispered.
“Come on, pack up,” Denis said shortly. “We can go to my place or your parents’. But why stay with a failure?”
“Who did you call a failure, scumbag?” Egor exploded yet remained cornered as if stuck.
He had reasons to fear Denis.
“You, Egor,” Denis smirked calmly. “I stayed out of your life until Marina’s father — a decent man — called me to say you hit her. So I took over your club.”
“You’re crazy! What are you talking about?” Egor choked out.
“Not exactly took it,” Denis smiled again. “The venue you rent for your club belongs to a close friend of mine. You’ll get a notice of lease termination — it’s already on your office desk.”
Egor collapsed into a chair, stunned.
- Denis clarified they recalculated the overdue rent for half a year.
- A reminder that the rent was set to increase once the club turned profitable — and it did, six months ago.
- Notices were long ignored by Egor while Denis and his friend silently awaited accumulating debts.
- Penalties and interest have piled up, resulting in a hefty official debt.
Leaning closer, Denis added, “And I know you have no money to clear it. Maybe you shouldn’t have been drinking and partying with those women.”
Egor slumped, drained.
“This is a setup!” he muttered, eyes wide. “You planted those papers!”
“Believe what you will,” Denis shrugged. “You can even take it to court. Though, your lawyer seems to have quit. Or did you fire him? Who’s left to defend you — your pierced barback?”
Words failed Egor.
“Marina, let’s go. Don’t bother with your things. I’ll buy you everything you need. And those rags here? You don’t deserve them.”
“Wait, Denis,” Marina stammered, overwhelmed. “This is all so sudden… I don’t understand…”
“Sudden is when someone hits you and you still defend them. Everything else moves too slow.” Denis extended his hand, and she took it.
“Are you nuts?!” Egor roared. “This is my home! My wife!”
“Wife?” Denis repeated incredulously. “You’re her husband who beats her then hides behind a beer can and the TV? You’re not even a man, Egor. Just a loud, empty blast. You can’t even look me in the face.”
“But I…” Egor stammered.
“But what?” Denis squinted. “Maybe try court? Tell them about your bruise ‘against the wardrobe,’ or how your club failed because you preferred drinking over working, relying on Daddy’s connections?”
Without looking back, Marina followed Denis. At the door, she paused momentarily.
“Sorry, Egor. Goodbye.”
“Get lost!” he shouted. “Yeah, just get lost…”
They left.
Two days later, Egor sat alone in his empty apartment. The club was shut. The lease termination papers lay on the table alongside debt notices.
Denis was not only a former boyfriend but one with grit and resources, waiting for the right moment to strike — and he did so decisively and mercilessly.
Meanwhile, silence filled Marina’s parents’ house. Her mother was cooking while her father flipped through a newspaper.
Suddenly, Marina entered.
“Hi,” she said softly.
“Where have you been, daughter? Egor was looking for you,” her father asked sternly.
“I was with Denis.”
“So you left Egor?”
“Yes. I left.”
Her mother threw up her hands, but her father only nodded approvingly.
“Good decision, daughter. And you know what? If he messes with you again, I’ll break every bone in his body.”
“Dad… Did you call Denis?” Marina asked.
“Yes, I did. Who else would?” he winked. “He’s a decent guy and a businessman — unlike the other one.”
“It’s great that you left that jerk!” her mother concluded. “And forgive me for almost ruining your life. Thank God you don’t have any children with Egor.”
“Oh, mom, you sure have a sharp tongue!” her father chuckled. “But the important thing is she understood where she was wrong.”
At that moment, Denis leaned against his sleek black SUV by the gate, smiling knowingly. He was confident that Marina would never face violence again — only love and pleasant surprises. But that, of course, is a different story.
Key Insight: This story highlights the profound impact of standing up to abuse and how taking decisive action can pave the way for new beginnings and healing.
In the end, Marina’s journey reflects resilience and the importance of support from loved ones when escaping toxic relationships. Meanwhile, the destructive path chosen by Egor shows how actions have consequences that reshape lives irrevocably.