Vera slowly returned to reality, as if emerging from an endless abyss. She understood that she was somehow coming back from somewhere, but couldn’t comprehend exactly where. Muffled conversations filled the air. Voices and suffering. Suffering that grew with each passing second, filling her entire being. A clear thought flashed through her mind: she was already dead, her time had run out. With such injuries, it was impossible to stay alive. She recognized her husband’s voice, Pavel. He was talking about something… Is someone leaving life? The sounds faded into the emptiness.
Her husband seemed to disappear, but instead, Vera heard a soft woman’s whisper:
— Hang in there, dear, just a little longer, I’ll give you some painkillers now.
The torment gradually began to subside. Vera struggled to open her eyes. Everything around her seemed blurry, as if she were looking through a fogged window.
— Where am I? — she barely whispered.
Her vision cleared slightly, and she saw the face of a nurse in front of her.
— You’re in a clinic, dear. Don’t strain yourself, you need to rest.
— What happened?
— You were in a car accident, a very severe one.
— Will I survive?
— Don’t overthink it, everything will be fine.
And at that moment, Vera clearly realized that the end was near. She understood this by the tremor in the woman’s voice, by the way she quickly looked away. Darkness began to pull her mind back in. How much time had passed, Vera couldn’t tell. Maybe minutes, maybe a whole day. Suddenly, she caught a soft whisper:
— Hello! You’re in pain, right? Aren’t you sleeping?
She barely opened her eyelids and slowly turned her head. A tiny girl was standing by the bed. So small, maybe five years old, or even younger.
— You woke up! — the little girl said with such sincere joy that Vera felt a desire to smile. But it didn’t work — her face seemed frozen beneath an invisible veil.
The girl climbed up onto her bed.
— Do you want me to tell you a story?
— Yes, — Vera whispered faintly…
Vera and Pavel didn’t have children, not due to their husband’s opposition but due to their five-year relationship. Vera appreciated Pavel’s support, especially after her father’s death. He had d:ied in a car accident on the day they were supposed to meet in the evening.
“Dad, what did you want to tell me?” — that question wouldn’t leave her. Vera blamed herself for not meeting with him right away. Pavel had urged her to stay home until evening, saying he missed her, while he suddenly left — an urgent call. As a result, she didn’t spend time with her husband, nor did she talk to her father.
— Once upon a time, there was a grandfather and a grandmother… — the little girl began.
Vera struggles to smile, wanting to hear the story’s end but darkness swallows her. When consciousness returns, she finds endless transitions and faces. A white coat man studying papers smiles when she regains consciousness.
— Hello, what’s your name?
— Vera.
His smile widened.
— That’s good. Can you hear me clearly?
— Yes.
— Dad, I told you Auntie was listening to my story!
The man glanced anxiously at Vera, then turned away and said sternly:
— Lizonka, I told you to be quiet. If you don’t understand, you’ll be staying at Aunt Masha’s while I’m on shift.
Vera caught the girl’s offended sigh and quickly whispered:
— Don’t scold her, please.
The doctor looked seriously at the patient.
— Vera, you were in a terrible car accident. The injuries are very serious, especially to your head. I’ll be honest: it’s a very grave situation. We’ve already performed two surgeries, and another one might be needed. You need to help us.
— How?
— You need to fight for your life. Do you understand?
Vera thought for a moment, then asked:
— Tell me, was my husband here? He spoke about me as if I were already dead.
The man lowered his eyes for a moment, then looked at her firmly:
— It’s just that your husband doesn’t deserve you.
Vera closed her eyes. Darkness seemed like salvation. She felt herself being moved somewhere — probably for surgery. But she didn’t want to return to reality. In the dark, the pain wasn’t as unbearable.
— Are you sleeping? — again, that child’s voice.
Vera woke up to a new, unfamiliar ceiling and beeping equipment nearby. She felt slightly better, but her pain was muffled and less sharp.
— Is it really you? — Vera tried to stretch her lips into a smile. It came out crooked, but the mobility in her face was returning — definitely better than yesterday.
— Dad will be mad again. No one is allowed here. But I knew you were all alone, and no one comes to you.
— Why do you come here? — Vera asked, assuming the child wouldn’t catch the meaning of the question, but the girl turned out to be unusually clever for her age.
— Because mom left us. I don’t want to sit at Auntie’s from the neighboring apartment, she always grumbles. My dad and I are waiting for grandma to come. She’s almost done with her work and will move in with us.
Vera quickly thought that a woman who had abandoned her family couldn’t be called a mother, and at that moment, her consciousness darkened again.
— Open your eyes! — she heard and slowly lifted her eyelids.
The doctor’s face showed satisfaction.
— Vera Sergeevna, you’ve shown true courage. Honestly, I’m pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the surgery. Now we can confidently say that the chances of a full recovery are high. We should inform your husband that your condition has stabilized.
— Don’t, — she firmly objected.
— Don’t. Let him continue thinking that there’s no change. And don’t let him come to me.
He hesitated for a moment but then nodded.
— By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. Maxim Andreevich.
— Transfer me to a regular ward so that Liza can visit me.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
— Did she sneak into the ICU?
A faint smile flickered on Vera’s lips.
— Please, don’t be mad at her. She’s wonderful.
By the end of the day, Vera was moved to a new room. As soon as she was settled, Liza appeared.
— Dad allowed me to come in, but not for long, because you’re still weak, and I have to go to bed soon, — the girl said as she stepped over the threshold.
Vera smiled. Liza chatted non-stop about kindergarten, her friends, and Vera just listened, feeling a strange sense of calm.
As Maxim Andreevich took Liza to bed, Vera closed her eyes. Sleep didn’t come. The events of that fateful day flashed before her inner eyes.
Vera returns home early and finds her husband’s car parked near the entrance. She plans to stay in the city to meet a friend, but her mother’s blood pressure spikes. She enters a living room, where Pavel is sitting in an armchair with a young lady with red hair, causing Vera to froze.
— Pavel?
He jumped up so quickly that the unfamiliar woman slid off his lap and crashed loudly onto the parquet floor. She quickly got up, slapped Pavel across the face, and rushed toward the exit.
— This isn’t what you think! — her husband blurted.
— I can explain everything.
Vera slowly sat down in the armchair and with a smirk said:
— Well, go ahead, explain. You’re probably completely innocent, and it’s all her fault, right?
Pavel hesitated, then gritted his teeth:
— Are you mocking me? Do you think you can do whatever you want?
— Isn’t it true? You brought some girl into our house, which, by the way, you haven’t contributed a single ruble to. And here’s something I’ve been wondering: Pavel, you seem to have a job. Why am I the one paying all the bills?
— Well… you have plenty of money anyway.
— Funny position, — Vera said in an icy tone. — Fine, I’ll go rest, and in the evening I’ll leave. I’ll be back in a couple of days and really hope that by then you won’t be here.
Pavel’s eyes widened.
— Vera, what are you talking about? This is all nonsense, I don’t even remember her. I love only you.
— I’m being completely serious.
She closed the bedroom door and cried. Her father had always said: “If you need to cry, cry, but do it in a way that no one sees your weakness.”
Her husband had left. At that moment, Vera still didn’t understand — was this the end of their marriage, or just another crisis?
She began packing her things, deciding to head to the country house. That place held many warm memories — they often spent time there with her father. Pavel, however, preferred the city comforts and rarely joined them. So, Vera and her father had special moments — long, heartfelt conversations, watching their favorite films together.
After her father’s death, Vera avoided the house and channeled her love for speed into driving a powerful car. One day, she lost control when the brakes failed, leading to an accident she couldn’t remember. Puzzled—since the car had been recently serviced—she began to suspect foul play. While recovering, she discovered through her phone that her husband Pavel had quickly started spending her money on luxuries and a getaway with another woman, assuming she wouldn’t survive. Realizing all the money was still in her account and he had nothing of his own, Vera calmly called her bank manager, now fully aware of his betrayal.
Liza carefully peeked into the room. Vera greeted her with a friendly smile:
— Come in, I’m not sleeping.
The girl jumped with joy.
— You’re not so scary today!
— Well, thank you for the flattering assessment, — Vera laughed.
The little one thought for a moment, then admitted:
— I said something wrong again. Dad always says, “You need to think first.” But I do the opposite — I speak first and think later.
The door creaked open, and Maxim Andreevich entered the room.
— Good evening. Is Liza bothering you again?
— No, not at all. She’s a real gem. By the way, has grandma arrived yet? — Vera asked.
The doctor laughed.
— I see, your daughter has already shared our family affairs with you.
— A little, yes.
— No, we’re still waiting. She says we need to wait a week — she has some issues with her apartment. How are you feeling?
— Fine. Better than before.
— That’s wonderful. Just wonderful!
— Maxim Andreevich, I really need your help.
— If it’s in my power, of course, I’ll help.
After listening to her, the doctor couldn’t help but whistle.
— But if this is true, it seems he wanted to kill you.
— Looks like it. I only inherited my father’s estate a month ago. And it’s a significant sum.
— You know, I think I can help you. My late wife’s brother deals with such crimes.
— You keep in touch with your wife’s brother? — Vera was surprised.
— Well, she…
Maxim Andreevich looked at her sadly.
— Did Liza tell you that she left us? — he sighed deeply. — I tried to explain to her… Her mom died two years ago, but Liza refuses to accept it.
He left the room.
For a whole week, Maxim Andreevich’s relative visited Vera. He reopened the case of her father’s death in the accident. Numerous violations and manipulations were discovered. Both cases were combined, and now another department was handling them.
When everything was ready, it was just a matter of questioning Pavel. Sergey — that’s the doctor’s relative — asked:
— Are you ready?
— For what?
— To learn the whole truth.
— Actually, it’s already clear. Catching and imprisoning my husband is just a technicality now.
— I think I already know everything. Your father died because of Pavel?
— Yes.
— I thought so, — Vera said quietly. — Pavel has been trying to buy plane tickets all day. I can unblock the card. Will you catch him at the airport?
— Yes, we’ll wait.
Vera spent six weeks in the hospital, where Liza and her grandmother began visiting regularly, bringing comfort and warmth to her recovery. She also grew closer to Dr. Maxim Andreevich, whose visits shifted from formal to friendly. Dreading a return to a lonely home life with just a caregiver, Vera felt uncertain about the future. Pavel, now in custody, was no longer a part of her life. But as she was being discharged, she was surprised and touched to find Liza, her grandmother, and Maxim waiting for her with flowers, offering hope and companionship.
— We thought, why should you sit home alone? With my supervision, you’ll recover faster, — he smiled.
Vera couldn’t hide her tears. It was hard to admit even to herself that it seemed like she had found a real family. Not a fake one, but real, close people.
And six months later, she was dancing at her own wedding with the person most dear to her.
