— Alena! What kind of circus is this? Why did Kirill come back to me with a suitcase? Did you send him away?
— First of all, there was no suitcase. I gave him garbage bags. Secondly — yes, I asked him to leave, — Alena replied calmly. — I don’t tolerate dishonesty. From anyone.
— But all men make mistakes sometimes! — Anna Leonidovna objected. — The important thing is he came back!
Alena met Kirill at a café where she worked part-time. He visited often, always cheerful, always kind. One day, he brought her flowers “just to see her smile.”
What Alena didn’t know was that Kirill had just ended a previous relationship. To him, Alena felt like a fresh start — soft-spoken, optimistic, caring. And when he learned that her grandmother owned a beautiful downtown apartment, he proposed only six months later.
— This feels so sudden… — Alena said, looking at the ring.
— I just know you’re the one, — he said warmly.
They married and rented a small flat. For a few months, life felt perfect. But then…
— Can I borrow some money until payday? — Kirill asked.
— But you earn more than me. Where’s it going?
— It’s for a surprise. Trust me.
The explanations shifted month after month. Finally, Alena asked him to consider a better-paying job. That’s when he mentioned something unexpected.
— Lizka needed help paying off a loan for her bag. I helped.
— A bag? That’s where our money went?
— She’s my sister. You wouldn’t understand.
Alena clenched her jaw. She had no sister — but she had her grandmother, Svetlana Viktorovna.
When she told her, Grandma scoffed:
— A real man cares for his home, not other people’s wardrobes. If your grandfather had done that, I’d have packed his bags myself.
Alena smiled weakly. Her real family was small: her grandmother, and a brother — Anton — who had left home ten years ago and never returned. No calls. No letters.
— I still wonder about Anton, — Grandma often said.
— Maybe he’s got his own family now, — Alena replied softly.
One weekend, Alena walked through town and froze — ahead was Kirill. Laughing. With a tall woman. Not his sister. Then she saw him kiss her.
She stood frozen — until a voice behind her broke the moment.
— Forgot how to walk?
She turned. Anton. Ten years older, but still her brother.
— You? How—?
— I came to introduce you to someone. But first—what’s that guy doing?
When Alena explained, Anton didn’t hesitate. He approached Kirill and, with quiet authority, told him:
— That’s my sister you lied to. And that’s the last time you’ll see her.
He didn’t shout. He didn’t get physical. Just stood firm. Kirill looked stunned — then backed away.
Back at home, Alena vented.
— One year. That’s all it took for him to drain my energy, my confidence, even my savings.
— You walked away. That’s strength, — Anton said.
— I just wanted love. But I see now — it has to come with respect.
— You’re worth far more than promises and flowers.
Alena packed the last of Kirill’s things. In garbage bags — not out of spite, but to remind herself that she was cleaning out her life.
Anton stayed the weekend. He had built a life — a business, an apartment, a fiancée. But he missed his family. Missed her.
— Come with me to Moscow, — he offered.
— I can’t leave Grandma, — Alena said. — She’s my heart.
— Then we’ll visit more often, — Anton smiled.
That evening, Kirill came to the door. But Alena didn’t answer. Anton did.
— She’s done. Here’s your stuff. Goodbye.
— She’ll take me back, — Kirill muttered.
— No, she won’t. This door stays closed.
Kirill left. And with him, so did the weight on Alena’s shoulders.
Later, the three of them — Alena, Anton, and his fiancée — visited Grandma. When she opened the door and saw her grandson, her eyes filled.
— Antosha… is it really you?
— I’m here now. For good.
That evening, they ate, laughed, and made new memories.
As Anton flew back to Moscow, Alena promised:
— No more ten-year silences.
— And no more settling for less than you deserve, — Anton said, hugging her.
Alena moved back in with Grandma. They cleaned, cooked, laughed, and healed.
One night, as she tied her hair back, Grandma said:
— You’re wise, beautiful, and kind. One day, someone will truly see that.
Alena looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.
— And if not, I still have everything I need.
And for the first time, she really believed it.
