— Marina, I can’t. You have to understand, I simply cannot be with someone who is disabled.
Artyom’s words barely broke the silence, his gaze fixed not on her, but on the wheelchair standing quietly nearby — a foreign object, hated and unforgiving. He regarded it as if it were a beast that had shattered their shared future.
Marina remained mute as the sterile white walls of the hospital room blurred through her tears. The deafening echo of the crash still thundered in her mind, but it was overshadowed by the suffocating silence that hung heavily between them.
Only a month earlier, they had finalized their wedding rings together. They argued playfully over wallpaper choices for the nursery, laughed, and dreamed of their future life. Artyom would spin her around the small apartment in his arms, promising that life would always be this way.
Then the accident happened. A speeding car barreled into the oncoming lane. The violent collision was followed by darkness filled with the acrid scent of gasoline and blood.
The prognosis came — not from cold-faced doctors, but from the very person he cherished most, whose eyes had turned icy and distant.
— Artyom… we love each other… — she murmured, her voice shaking as pain clenched her heart. Seeking any sign of their former love, she met his gaze.
— We loved, — he interrupted sharply. — I loved a woman I could explore the world with, conquer mountains, and build a dream with. But you… you no longer belong in my life. I have ambitions, a career, aspirations. I’m sorry, but the truth is harsh and unavoidable.
His eyes showed no sympathy, only cold calculation and fear for his own future, which he believed was now destroyed.
Desperately, she clung to him like someone drowning gripping the last lifeline, hoping to find the Artyom she once knew.
— I can get better! There’s a chance! Just stand by me, Tyoma… please…
This plea shattered him. His patience snapped; his face contorted.
— What chance? Didn’t you hear the doctors? There is none! We tried everything — spent all the money — and it’s pointless! I’m exhausted. Exhausted from hoping for a miracle that won’t come. I can’t keep living like this!
His heavy breathing filled the room as he quieted, releasing his anger. Marina sat broken by his harsh words, tears still falling as she whispered,
— I don’t need a miracle… only you. Just stay close. With you, I can endure… Please…
This faith-filled hope pushed him beyond his breaking point. Her dependence disgusted him. Not only did he leave — he aimed to destroy her completely.
— Support? — he scoffed, his grimace darker than any scream. — You mean escorting you to clinics and changing your catheter? You’re a useless burden now. Understand? A burden I refuse to carry forever.
“Useless burden.”
The words struck deeper than the metal crash that had changed everything. They tore her heart apart; breath caught, and the world shrank to the cruelty of his utterance.
He placed his apartment keys on the bedside table — the dry, final sound marking an end.
— I have moved out. Took my things. Don’t look for me. Goodbye.
Without glancing back, he walked away. His footsteps echoed down the hospital corridor and within her hollow soul. Marina stared at the closed door, crying silently like a wounded creature.
For weeks, she drifted through darkness. She avoided looking at the ward’s ceiling, the nurses’ sympathetic faces, and her mother’s grief in the hallway. Most of all, she dreaded the cursed chair that had become her prison.
Yet, in the depths of despair, when even breathing seemed exhausting, a new feeling began to kindle inside her — a cold, sharp fury.
One day, she glimpsed a magazine photo of Artyom laughing beside a glamorous woman at a social event. Something inside her shattered and then ignited. Tears gave way to fierce determination.
- Rejected as a burden, Marina vowed to prove her worth.
- Upon hospital discharge, she sold the engagement ring Artyom never claimed.
- With the proceeds, she purchased a powerful computer to channel her energy into creation.
Before her accident, Marina had been a gifted IT analyst working for others. Now, armed with time, a sharp intellect, and burning rage, she dedicated herself to relentless work.
Her days stretched to eighteen hours, often forgoing meals and rest. Her universe contracted to the glow of the screen, intricate code, and analytical graphs.
Eventually, she developed an innovative software — a financial analytics tool capable of forecasting market shifts with extraordinary precision.
Preferring anonymity, she adopted a pseudonym.
Thus emerged the mystique of “Lady Venus” in the business realm: a financial genius who never appeared publicly, communicating solely via video from a shadowy, high-backed chair.
A year elapsed. Meanwhile, Artyom’s life spiraled downward. His promising relationship with the influential official’s daughter crumbled when it became obvious he lacked the future status she expected.
The company he had created post-breakup teetered on collapse. Partners fled, investors demanded refunds, creditors threatened legal action. Desperation pushed him toward breakdown.
One evening in a dimly lit bar, a drunken acquaintance mocked him:
“Heard about Lady Venus? They say she can revive even sinking ships. But you, Sokolov, are as distant from her as the moon — not even close to her league. You’ve hit rock bottom.”
The insult stung worse than bankruptcy. It was the final blow. For an entire week, he humiliated himself, pleading with former contacts, offering shares and flattery, desperately seeking an audience with this enigmatic figure.
After many referrals, he secured a meeting at the city’s most prestigious business center. He polished his finest suit and rehearsed a pitiful plea in front of the mirror, ready to beg for mercy.
He imagined meeting a strict, seasoned businesswoman who admired strength and resolve.
Envisioning a luxurious office atop a skyscraper, framed by panoramic windows showcasing the city’s skyline, he pictured a woman seated with her back to the entrance, overseeing it all with supreme confidence.
When he entered, heart pounding loudly enough to drown his thoughts, he gathered courage and began:
— Lady Venus, hello. I’m Artyom Sokolov. You’re my last hope. My business is failing. I’m on the brink of financial ruin. But I believe you can fix everything. Your reputation is legendary. Please, help me…
His voice grew frantic as he detailed woes, blamed partners, cursed fate, and implored her assistance. The woman listened without moving, a sign of attention that emboldened him to speak with increasing desperation.
When he finished, his voice trembled, cheeks flushed with shame and fear. The chair slowly rotated without a sound.
Artyom froze. Before him sat Marina — the same woman, yet transformed. Cold, composed, and radiating victorious confidence.
But she sat not in a regular office chair but a sleek, modern wheelchair trimmed with leather and metal. It was no symbol of defeat, but a queen’s throne from which she ruled her domain.
His breath caught as memories surfaced—the hospital, her tears, his merciless words…
— Ma… Marina? Is it really you? How..? — he whispered faintly.
She slowly appraised him, from his worn suit to his sunken cheeks, eyes shining with a mix of pain and hope.
— Help? — she responded coldly, tinged with disdain. — Why would I waste my time on someone who cannot bring profit?
She pressed a button on her chair’s armrest. The door silently slid open, and two imposing security guards entered.
— Escort Mr. Sokolov out. His appointment is over.
Artyom stood petrified. As the guards gripped his arms, Marina’s voice followed without looking away:
— To my company, he is a useless burden.
Within a month, Artyom’s company officially declared bankruptcy. He lost everything — business, influence, dignity. Local whispers say he returned to his rural family home and now manages a small appliance store.
Meanwhile, Marina, known worldwide as “Lady Venus,” rose to become a leading force in finance.
She dedicated a portion of her wealth to founding a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center for people living with disabilities. Fueled not by revenge but by compassion, she sought to help others.
Key Insight: Marina’s story illustrates that true strength lies not in physical ability but in an indomitable spirit that refuses to be broken by pain or betrayal.
Her journey powerfully proves that with faith and inner fire, no challenge—no matter how devastating—can extinguish the human will to rise again.