Helping her up, Sima took her to the hut, gave her tea made from herbs, and introduced herself as Serafima, a former language teacher.
The woman, Maria Filippovna, slowly pieced together what had happened — her son-in-law had tried to get rid of her to seize her inheritance.
Despite her trauma, Maria’s commanding personality resurfaced.
Sima escorted her to the road the next day, but Maria quickly realized how difficult it would be to get help.
She returned to the hut, shivering and in pain. Sima gave her food and comfort, though Maria still grumbled about the hardships.
Then the man — Maria’s son-in-law — returned, searching for her. Sima hid Maria in the cellar, answered the door innocently, and convinced him she’d seen nothing.
When he left, Maria climbed out, furious but grateful to Sima for saving her.
Maria explained everything: she once ran a successful extraction business with her husband. Her greedy son-in-law wanted it all. After her daughter’s death, he sought to eliminate Maria to claim her assets.
But she had willed everything to her grandson, Oleg.
Sima offered to help reach Oleg.
Maria gave her a note, and they swapped clothes — Sima dressed as Maria to gain entry to Oleg’s estate. On the road, a kind stranger, Azis, gave her a ride.
When they reached Oleg’s home, Sima explained everything. Horrified, Oleg rushed to the dump.
They arrived to find the hut in flames.
Fearing the worst, they cried — until a voice called out from a hidden tunnel. Maria had survived by escaping through a secret passage.
Relieved, Oleg took them home. Maria, ever the matriarch, made immediate plans to help Sima.
By the next morning, she had arranged a consular appointment for document recovery.
That night, they transformed Sima’s appearance — new clothes, a fresh haircut, a clean start.
What began as a chance encounter at a landfill ended with hope, rebirth, and unexpected kinship. Sima had saved Maria, and Maria, in return, vowed to lift her from despair.
