— I arranged an appointment for tomorrow, — Daniil said with a cold tone, avoiding her gaze.
Sophia’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest.
— What appointment?
Without hesitation, he replied:
— At the clinic. We agreed that it was the best option.
“No!” she wanted to scream. “We never agreed to anything. You decided this!”
But she already understood the reason. For the past weeks, his behavior had grown cold and silent. He stopped kissing her goodbye in the mornings, ceased asking about her cravings and nausea. Her six-month pregnant belly, which had once been kissed every evening, was now completely ignored. Then came the whispers: Daniil and Veronica. His new “business partner.” Younger, merciless, wealthy, and childless.
— I won’t do it, — Sophia said in a trembling voice.
— You have no choice, — his tone hardened. — If you want to stay in my house, you’ll do it.
Tears filled her eyes.
— You mean, if I want to stay with you?
He didn’t answer. He just left, slamming the door behind him.
That night, Sophia packed a small suitcase. Only the essentials. No farewell letters, no tears. She took only what mattered: her unborn children and her determination.
At dawn, she walked away. Five years later, the engine of a luxurious car purred as it entered the city from which Sophia had once fled.
On the back seat, two little boys dressed in matching dark-blue outfits looked out the window with quiet curiosity and strength—much like their mother. Their soft hands tightly held hers.
— Ready, boys? — she asked, glancing at them through the rearview mirror.
Both nodded.
— We’re going to meet your father.
Her heart pounded loudly. She wasn’t back for drama, pity, or revenge.
She returned for truth. For justice.
Daniil Voronov looked almost unchanged on the outside. The same expensive suit, the same smug grin as he stepped out of his silver sports car in front of a law firm’s building. Now a partner; the glass door bore the inscription: “Voronov, Zhuravlyov, and Morozov.”
However, when his eyes landed on Sophia standing on the sidewalk, his jaw dropped.
His face turned pale as his gaze caught sight of the two children beside her.
— Sophia? — he stammered.
— Hello, Daniil, — she responded with a calm yet strong voice. — It’s been a while.
He looked around nervously.
— What are you doing here?
— I’ve come back, — she said. — And they want to meet their father.
His eyes widened again, shifting between the twins and her face.
— This… can’t be.
— Oh, it’s quite possible, — Sophia said with a cold smile. — You didn’t get what you wanted, Daniil. I didn’t do as you demanded.
— You lied to me?
— I protected them. From you.
Daniil sighed deeply.
— We need to talk. But not here.
Sophia nodded.
— Fine. At my place. I don’t want them in your house. Not yet.
In a modest rented home, where she had settled before returning, Daniil sat opposite her while the twins, Lyova and Ilya, played in the living room.
— You know I can sue you for taking them away, — he barked.
— I know you might try, — she answered calmly. — But before that, you’ll have to explain to the court how you forced your pregnant wife to schedule an abortion under threat of homelessness.
His expression darkened.
— That never happened.
— I have messages. A recording where you clearly say, “Get rid of him if you want to stay.”
Daniil went silent.
— I left, — she continued. — I hid, worked hard, and built a new life for us. I never wanted to see you again.
— Then why now? — he spat. — To shame me? For money?
Sophia squinted.
— No. To make you stop lying.
She placed a folder on the table. Inside were photos, message copies, testimonies from her doctor and a friend who helped her escape. But that wasn’t all.
She also uncovered Veronica’s past.
- Fraudulent schemes
- Multiple false identities
- Currently, Daniil’s name linked to her offshore financial scam
— Had I spoken years ago, you would’ve lost everything, — Sophia added. — But I didn’t. I want my children to grow up free of hatred.
Daniil was stunned. For the first time, he lost his words.
— You will sign a joint custody agreement. You’ll support them legally but won’t control them. Ever.
— What if I refuse? — he challenged.
Sophia leaned forward.
— Then I’ll share this information with the media, courts, and your partners.
For the first time, Daniil Voronov appeared truly frightened.
That evening, after he left, one of the twins, Lyova, jumped onto the sofa beside her.
— Mom, who is that man?
She smiled gently, brushing his hair.
— Someone from my past, dear.
— Will he take us away?
— No, my love, — she whispered. — No one will take you from me anymore.
This time—definitely not.
She kissed both boys and, standing by the window, watched the stars light up the sky. The battle ahead remained, but the hardest part was won.
She had returned to grow stronger.
And tomorrow?
Tomorrow, she would make sure every truth Daniil tried to hide would come to light.
That night, Daniil couldn’t sleep. His past, once carefully buried, seemed to have come back to town dressed in small suits, calling him “sir.” Closing his eyes, he saw Sophia’s fierce, burning gaze and the twins remarkably like him.
Worst of all? He couldn’t tell what scared him more: exposure or the thought that maybe, deep down, he wanted to know these children.
Meanwhile, Sophia sat at her computer, finishing a letter to an influential journalist titled: “Law Firm Partner Involved in Financial Crimes with His Friend?”
Her finger hovered over the “Send” button.
She did not seek revenge. She desired insurance.
The next day, Daniil appeared unannounced at her door. She opened without fear but did not let him in.
— I want to see them, — he said.
— They are at school, — she replied.
He hesitated.
— Listen, I’ve thought a lot since yesterday. I’m not proud of what I did. Or tried to do.
— You mean trying to force me to abort so you could be with Veronica? — she clarified. — Don’t beat around the bush, Daniil.
He lowered his eyes.
— By the way, she left. Disappeared last month, taking a couple hundred thousand with her.
Sophia crossed her arms.
— You knew who she was. You just didn’t care.
He fixed her with an intense look.
— And now you care? Why did you come back? To rub my failure in my face?
— I returned because they started asking questions, — she said softly. — About their father. Where they come from. And I won’t lie to them.
Daniil’s expression shifted, the arrogance giving way to a hint of shame.
— Let me see them. Once more. Please. I’ll try.
Sophia was silent for a long time.
— Only under one condition.
— What is it?
— You tell them the truth yourself.
That weekend, they met in a park. The warm, windy weather provided a perfect distraction for anxious hearts.
Daniil approached Lyova and Ilya, who were swinging.
— Hi, boys, — he said softly.
They looked at him.
— Mom says you’re our dad, — Lyova asked directly. — Is it true?
Daniil nodded.
— Yes, it’s true. I wasn’t there when I should have been. That’s my fault.
Ilya stared at him.
— Did you know about us?
He hesitated.
— I knew about you before you were born. But back then… I didn’t want to be a father. I made many bad choices. Some I will regret forever.
The boys said nothing but didn’t walk away.
It was a beginning.
That evening, Sophia sat them down.
— There’s something you should know, — she said. — When I was pregnant, your father decided he didn’t want us. He wanted a different life. So we left.
— Why did we come back? — Lyova asked.
— Because you deserve to know your story, — she replied, — and decide how it ends.
Two weeks passed. Daniil tried. He picked them up from school, gave small gifts, asked about their favorite books and cartoons. But Sophia remained cautious. Her goal was not to let him back in; it was to protect their future.
Then one day, returning from the store, a neighbor called out.
— Sophia! That man who came… in a BMW? He was here earlier. Left something at your doorstep.
Her heart pounding, she approached the door.
An envelope was taped to it. Inside, a signed custody agreement granting her full legal and physical custody. No conditions. No court battles.
A handwritten note read:
“I haven’t earned their respect yet. But I won’t interfere with you. I hope one day they can forgive me. Daniil.”
She stood there, tears welling in her eyes.
This wasn’t redemption.
But it was a step toward responsibility.
Three months later, at the kindergarten graduation, Sophia sat with the twins, holding their hands, pride radiating from her like sunlight. Daniil, uninvited, sat silently in the back row, watching from afar.
After the ceremony, Lyova ran up to him.
— Dad! Did you see me?
Daniil knelt down.
— Yes. You were amazing.
Sophia observed the scene.
Perhaps, just perhaps, instead of denying the truth, they could build something new.
Conclusion:
An article appeared in the news about Daniil’s ex-girlfriend Veronica, excluding Sophia’s name. That was enough to spark an investigation that eventually caused Daniil to leave the firm. He accepted the consequences without dragging Sophia down with him.
Sophia never pressed “Send” on the full file.
She didn’t need to.
She had already won.
Her plan was never about revenge; it was about reclaiming her voice, her children’s rights, and restoring the story Daniil tried to destroy.
Ultimately, she returned not just with the twins.
She came back armed with truth.
And with the power to choose her own destiny.