The bedroom door flew open, and out stepped Dasha, wrapped in a bed sheet.
“Dasha?” Svetlana gasped. “You?! That awful perfume… I knew I recognized it!” she laughed, a little unhinged.
“You snake! Of all people, you?”
“Svetlana?” Dasha stammered, stunned. “I thought you were out of town!”
“You’ve got this all wrong, Svetochka,” Dasha tried to reason, clearly rattled.
“Please calm down.”
“Step aside! I want to look that cheating bastard in the eyes!” Svetlana shouted. “Out of my way, Dasha — he’s not getting away with this!”
“No, wait — it’s not Kostya in there,” Dasha blurted out.
“Then who is it?” Svetlana yelled, her patience gone.
“It’s Roman,” Dasha admitted quietly.
Sure enough, there sat Roman — her brother-in-law — fully dressed, avoiding eye contact and staring out the window, guilt all over his face.
“You remember Dasha from Kostya’s birthday last year?
We all went on that trip together,” Roman began explaining. “Then I bumped into her later. Marina and I fought — she said I wasn’t ambitious, that I’d never be enough.
It really got to me. When I saw Dasha again, I… gave in.”
“And why did you bring her here?” Svetlana snapped. “There are hotels!
Why drag her into my home, my bed?”
“It’s a small town,” Roman replied sheepishly. “Everyone knows me — I work at the city office. We didn’t want rumors.
This was the only place we thought was safe. But I swear, it’s never happened here before. Only a few times, ever.”
Svetlana vowed to make sure her husband never again gave anyone, not even family, a key to their apartment.
Kostya rushed home, panicked after getting a call from Svetlana.
When he arrived, he was surprised to see her smiling and calm.
“So… everything’s okay?” he asked cautiously.
“Kostya,” she said firmly, “your brother sends his regards. But let’s get one thing straight — never again. If it happens again, you can go live with him — or whoever else.
And I’d hate that, because I love my foolish, clueless husband.
But this apartment? It’s our sanctuary. Sacred.
Clear?”
