At the age of 75, Roman caught sight of his former wife, Valentina, walking arm in arm with a man roughly twenty years her junior. Surprised and upset, he assumed they were romantically involved and erupted in anger. To his astonishment, Valentina revealed that the younger man was actually their son—someone Roman had never known existed. Yet this was only one of the many concealed truths Valentina had kept hidden.
Returning from the grocery store, Roman froze upon witnessing a disheartening scene: Valentina was beside a noticeably younger man. His fury ignited as he followed them into a café, where he saw the couple holding hands and sharing smiles by a window table.
Unable to bear the sight of Valentina moving on so swiftly after their split, Roman stormed up to their table.
“What on earth, Valentina?” he slammed his hand on the table, startling both her and the man sitting with her. “My 72-year-old ex-wife already found a new companion just weeks after leaving me? Incredible! How long have you two been seeing each other?”
Embarrassed and pleading for calm, Valentina tried to stop Roman. The man, Semyon, then rose and asked, “Mom… is this my father?”
Roman was taken aback. “What did you say?” he uttered, bewildered.
At that moment, Valentina realized she could no longer conceal the truth from either her ex-husband or Semyon. She urged Roman to sit and began recounting their past as her voice trembled.
“Do you remember when we first met, 54 years ago, in that bar?”
It was a crisp September evening in 1968. Seventeen-year-old Valentina and her girlfriends had sneaked out to savor a night of fun in a pub.
“Are you sure your father didn’t see you slip away? I don’t want this party turning into a sermon,” teased one friend as they entered the lively venue.
Valentina’s strict father, Anatoly, served as a church pastor, which meant her upbringing was quite rigid. After sunset, outings with friends were forbidden. Sunday school attendance was mandatory, and anything involving alcohol, late-night parties, or indulgence was strictly off-limits.
Valentina loved her father but detested the restrictions. Yearning for a life full of excitement like her peers, she summoned courage that night to sneak out after her parents had gone to bed and join her friends.
Amid the booming rock ‘n’ roll, the teenagers found an empty table and immersed themselves in the glitz of nightlife. Soon, Valentina and her friend Clara approached the bar to order drinks.
“By the way, I heard Denis will be here tonight with his friends,” Clara mentioned.
“Denis and I are done, end of story. I don’t even want to think about him,” Valentina snapped, still upset over their recent breakup.
Seated at the bar with a martini, Valentina was trying a strong drink for the first time. Suddenly, a charming stranger, a 21-year-old named Roman, leaned in and greeted her:
“Hey, beautiful, I’m Roman. Can I buy you a drink?”
The sensation hit her like stars exploding inside her head. She found him delightful and couldn’t resist his charm.
“I’d love that,” Valentina said with a smile, locking eyes with him seductively. It was love at first sight.
The pair spoke as if reunited after years apart, dancing to the jazz tunes playing softly in the background.
“I’m new in town,” Roman confessed while pulling her closer. “Here on business. Hey, want to go for a drive and show me around?”
“I’d love to… but it’s late,” Valentina glanced at the clock, hesitant.
Yet her resolve faltered when she saw Roman’s disappointment. Unable to deny him, she agreed to go.
That evening felt magical. Riding through vibrant streets, laughing and chatting, sharing passionate kisses, Valentina experienced her first intimate encounter with Roman. It seemed a fairy tale come true.
Dressed again, they shared another kiss before Roman drove her home. Every fiber of her being wished she could stay with him as she slipped quietly into her room, watching from the window as he waved goodbye and vanished into the night.
Valentina attempted to forget that enchanted night, but three weeks later, nausea overwhelmed her.
“Valentina, what’s wrong?” her stepmother Regina knocked urgently on the bathroom door. “I heard everything. Please come out and explain why you’re crying.”
A moment later, the distressed Valentina emerged, clutching her stomach and wiping tears. “I’m sick… terrible headache,” she mumbled.
Regina’s sharp voice froze her. “Why hold your stomach if you have a headache? Who are you trying to fool?”
Regina’s suspicion was confirmed when she witnessed Valentina vomiting in the toilet.
“Tell me the truth. Have you been with someone? Are you pregnant?” Regina demanded, fixing the girl with a stern gaze.
Tears streaming, Valentina confessed her secret. Regina’s shock shifted swiftly to anger upon learning her pregnancy resulted from a single night with a stranger, not from her boyfriend.
- Shock and betrayal engulfed Regina.
- She feared the family’s reputation would be ruined.
- Regina insisted on drastic measures to avoid scandal.
“God… you slept with a stranger?” Regina seized Valentina’s shoulders. “Your father will be ashamed. How long can you hide this? The child won’t grow up without a father… do you understand?”
“Tomorrow night, I’ll take your father to a restaurant. Meanwhile, you’ll tell Denis you want to get back with him. Bring him home and spend the night with him—this is the only way to dodge the scandal. An abortion is out of the question.”
Valentina nodded, regretting her impulsive escape to the bar and meeting Roman. Every wonderful moment from that night became a haunting memory. Deceiving Denis wasn’t right, yet she couldn’t reveal the truth to her father.
Sleepless and troubled, she pondered her next move all night. Finally, she approached Denis at the park and invited him for dinner. When he arrived, she implemented her plan.
“Please forgive me, dear,” Valentina said, placing her hand on his knee. “I made a terrible mistake… being alone made me realize you’re the one. I was wrong to break up with you. I love you… forever.”
Denis cupped her face and gazed into her eyes, ecstatic at her confession.
They embraced, and the evening concluded as intended, with Denis escorting Valentina upstairs where they shared an intimate night together.
Two weeks later, Denis dined with Valentina’s family. Afterward, the couple shocked her father by announcing her pregnancy.
Anatoly was furious yet softened by the thought of becoming a grandfather. Denis appeared suitable and well-off, so Anatoly managed to mask his stern demeanor with a smile.
Months later, when Valentina went into labor at eighteen, Denis wept with happiness, cradling their newborn son and introducing him to family gathered in the hospital room.
Two days after, as they prepared to leave, a doctor urgently requested to speak with Denis privately. Puzzled, Denis followed and soon burst back into the room.
“YOU LIAR!” Denis stormed in, accusing Valentina. “This baby isn’t mine!”
The room fell silent as Denis revealed the doctor’s words. A strange wave washed over Valentina, realizing many explanations were needed.
“How could you do this to me?