– I’m so sick of you! I never loved you! Understand? I’ve always loved Victor! He’s so much better than you! Look at his shoulders and his abs! He goes to the gym every day! Not like you, lying in front of the TV every day drinking beer! He’s got a big belly! And he earns better money. He just bought a new car.
– So why did you marry me? Remember what you were like! You had a wide choice of suitors…
– My parents were friends with your parents… Remember, they always said when we were kids that we’d make a great couple. And then, somehow, it all came to a head. My parents decided for me.
– Well, you can’t force yourself. So it wasn’t love. Good for you for being honest. Our parents are dead. You’re free. I’m sure you’ll still be happy.
– Of course I will! Men are still interested in me!
– That’s good! You’ll get on with your love life. And Victor is lonely. You know he got divorced a couple of years ago. Our son will understand, he’s not a little boy, he’s getting married soon himself. I don’t think we have anything more to talk about.
– So you’re leaving me?
– No, I’m giving you your freedom. We’ll get a divorce and you’ll live happily ever after. After all, your parents were the only ones who kept you married to me.
– So you want to divorce me so you can have all the property?
– No. Why? You get everything. I’ll only take my parents’ house in the village. And the dog too, of course.
– But that house needs repairing, you know. It’s old and we haven’t been there for years. You don’t know what condition it’s in now.
– That’s all right, I’ll fix it up. Remember when I renovated our first apartment? How I smoothed the walls, how I tiled the bathroom? Everyone thought it was a team of professionals.
– And I’m not giving you the dog!
– Okay, fine. You want to keep it? Keep it. But let me remind you to take her out for a morning and evening run. And Victor is unlikely to be happy to have a huge sheepdog in his fancy apartment that can chew through expensive furniture.
He quietly made his way to the bedroom, took out his suitcase and began to carefully stack his shirts and pants in it. Fortunately, there weren’t many things – they all fit into two large suitcases and a gym bag. Wow, so many years of living together, so many things in the closet – and take almost nothing with you, all belonging to his wife.
When he heard the clinking of glasses, he turned around. His wife was standing in the doorway with two glasses in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other.
– Shall we have a drink and talk?
– There’s nothing to talk about. And I’ve already called a cab, it’ll be here in fifteen minutes.
– Where are you going now? That house has to be cleaned first and we don’t know what condition it’s in. It may not be livable now.
– It’s all right, there’s a house for rent in the village next door. I saw an ad on the internet. I’ll go and talk to the neighbors, I won’t stay on the street.
– So you prepared all this in advance? You wanted a divorce? You must have found a new wife already?
– No, I haven’t. I wasn’t even looking for one. I loved you. But as painful as it is, you don’t have feelings for me. You’re not happy with me. I have to let you go.
– What kind of love are you talking about when you’re getting divorced because of another petty quarrel?
– I’m not divorcing you because of an argument. I’m divorcing you because you need your freedom. And because you need another man.
– I don’t need another man! You said too much on emotion! Just calm down and let’s put your things back where they belong!
– No. I heard your truth. It’s bitter, but it’s the truth. I don’t want to torture you anymore.
– Go away, then! You’ll live in your village with your dogs and cats, old and useless!
– That’s good. Maybe I’ll live with dogs and cats, or maybe I’ll find a woman in my village who’ll love me. Time will tell.
The phone rang – the cab came. He took the suitcases and began to descend the stairs. She ran after him in her home robe and barefoot, asking him to come back. But he did not stop, did not turn around. The end had been reached and it was time to start a new life.
He is almost fifty and his life is just beginning! And it doesn’t matter if his life will be lonely or companionable, sad or fun – it will be real, without falsity and lies.
Would you dare to start your life from scratch at fifty?
