Mum, you absolutely must find a new husband as soon as possible! Very, very urgently!
Helen nearly dropped the cup of coffee, which even spilled a little onto the tablecloth. She placed it on the table, cleared her throat, and looked closely at her daughter.
“Explain what’s going on,” she requested, trying to speak evenly. “What’s with this demand?”
The girl shifted from one foot to the other, lowered her eyes, and began to examine the pattern on the carpet. Emily felt awkward, but she was firmly convinced of the correctness of her action.
“You see… Today I told dad that you have a man,” she sighed heavily. “He just pestered me with questions! He keeps asking if you’ve found someone! All this time I answered ‘no’ and after that he would start talking at length about what a big mistake you made by leaving him. That you don’t understand anything in life since you allowed yourself to lose such a wonderful man!”
She raised her gaze to her mother. Her eyes showed annoyance, confusion, and even anger at her father.
“And also… he keeps repeating that you’ll soon understand how wrong you were and come back. Like, you’ll definitely not find anyone better. So I lost my temper. I declared that you met someone.”
Helen ran her hand through her hair. In her memory, the familiar intonations of her ex-husband immediately surfaced that feigned confidence, that manner of turning any conversation into a monologue about his own rightness.
“I can imagine the colourful epithets he accompanies it with,” she said with light irony. “He still can’t come to terms with the fact that I left him, such a perfect one. Sometimes it seems to me that David insists on your weekend visits only for his own monologues. It’s important for him not to chat with you, but to find out the latest gossip. He heals his self-esteem that way.”
Emily sighed heavily and flopped onto the sofa, habitually tucking her legs under herself. Leaning on the pillow, she absently ran her hand over the soft fabric of the upholstery, trying to collect her thoughts.
“Yes, I think so too,” she said, looking somewhere to the side. “I have to listen for an hour and a half about how amazing he is. The rest of the time I’m completely free he doesn’t even ask how I’m doing. He doesn’t even ask how I’m studying and if I need anything…”
The girl spoke about it so matter-of-factly, as if describing the usual daily routine: getting up, breakfast, school, homework. For Emily, this had indeed long become ordinary to such an extent that it no longer caused emotions.
She leaned back on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling, mentally replaying the recent conversation with her father. As always, everything started with his next achievement this time he detailed how cleverly he conducted negotiations with partners. Then he moved on to his plans for the future, to the difficulties he faces at work, to how everyone around underestimates his contribution. An hour and a half monologue Emily even noted the time mentally so as not to forget to mention it in the conversation with her mum.
And when she tried to talk about her school olympiad in mathematics, her father only nodded absentmindedly and immediately switched the topic to his affairs. “Well done, of course, but you know, at my age I already…” and then again a series of stories about his successes.
The girl slightly shrugged her shoulders, driving away the memories. She had long been accustomed to such a state of affairs. As long as Emily could remember, dad had always been absorbed only in his own person. The other family members seemed to exist somewhere on the periphery of his attention important, but not enough to distract from the main thing from himself.
Any conversations he inevitably reduced to himself and his problems. If mum complained about fatigue, he immediately began to talk about how hard it is for him at work. If Emily shared experiences about friends, father found a way to turn the topic to his school years of course, much brighter and more eventful. He seemed not to notice others’ worries or considered them insignificant.
Emily still couldn’t figure out how mum had endured fifteen years next to such a person. He was literally fixated on his radiant persona! Perhaps mum held on only for her sake, not wanting the daughter to grow up without a father. In childhood, Emily sincerely believed that one day dad would change, start noticing them, taking an interest in their lives… But years passed, and nothing changed. And only after the divorce did the girl discover with surprise that living without him was much calmer! No one pulls all the attention to themselves, considering others’ trifles as nothing.
“And why am I obliged to urgently look for a life companion?” Helen’s voice sounded a bit sharper than she probably wanted. “So you said it and said it what’s the big deal?”
“You see, when dad heard this, he completely changed!” Emily involuntarily winced, pressing one of the pillows scattered on the sofa to her chest. “First he turned pale, then red and started yelling so that even the neighbour came running! Honestly, I even got a bit scared.”
She fell silent for a moment, remembering that scene. Father’s voice, unusually high and breaking, his hands clenched into fists, darting gaze. It seemed he was about to burst from the emotions overwhelming him.
“He demanded that I name the name of that man and describe him in all details,” Emily continued, fingering the edge of the pillow. “I refused, said that you asked not to say anything, especially to him… I wouldn’t be surprised if he soon starts calling you and pestering you.”
Helen slowly turned, leaned on the windowsill and looked closely at her daughter. An interesting day awaits her, however… She can easily imagine the level of David’s hysteria… You did a good job, daughter, nothing to say…
Helen sat down on the sofa next to Emily and sighed heavily, hugging her daughter. Well, now nothing can be done. The words were spoken, and they can’t be taken back…
“Why did you make this up?” she asked quietly, slightly rocking Emily in her arms. “We were living peacefully! Now we’ll have to listen to his hysterics and whining again. I even wanted to turn off the phone.”
Emily gently wriggled out of the embrace, sat up straight and looked seriously at her mother. Her eyes shone with genuine conviction.
“Because you’re wonderful!” she said confidently. “You’re beautiful, smart, you have many friends, and men find you popular! Do you think I don’t see? And dad keeps saying nasty things about you! I’m tired of it!”
The woman gently stroked her daughter’s hair, carefully running her fingers through the soft strands. Her gaze showed tenderness and slight confusion.
“I understand, sunshine, I understand,” she said softly. “Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t want me to start serious relationships. After all, only six months have passed since the divorce from your father.”
These words were not easy for her. Somewhere deep in her soul she feared that the daughter might perceive a new romance as betrayal or an attempt to replace the father. Helen carefully looked into Emily’s face, trying to catch the slightest signs of discontent.
“Nonsense!” Emily snorted, and in her voice there sounded such sincere determination that Helen couldn’t help but smile. “The main thing is that you are happy!”
The girl crossed her arms on her chest, smiling at her mother. At that moment she looked surprisingly adult wise beyond her years and ready to stand up for her opinion.
Helen continued to look at her daughter, and the anxiety in her heart gradually melted. Emily spoke so confidently that doubts began to recede. Maybe she really thinks too much about the past and is afraid of the future?
“You’re my clever girl,” Helen said quietly, again pulling her daughter to her. “Thank you for caring so much about mum.”
Emily pressed against her, comfortably settling under her side. At that moment both felt how it became even warmer and calmer between them as if their small family, despite everything, was only strengthening with each passing day…
Helen sat at her desk, trying to concentrate on the report. The lines blurred before her eyes, and a dull pain pulsed in her temples, which in the morning had only slightly hinted at its presence, but by lunchtime had grown to unbearable sizes. The woman wearily massaged her temples, hoping to ease the condition at least a little. The movements were slow, almost mechanical she had already performed them dozens of times during the day.
After thinking for a couple of minutes, Helen nevertheless decided and asked a colleague to go to the pharmacy it was located literally two minutes’ walk from the office. Returning with the tablets, she washed them down with water from the pitcher and again tried to read the documents. In vain. Her head felt as if it had been filled with lead, and every sound the tapping of the keyboard, the hum of the air conditioner, distant conversations in the corridor echoed in her with a sharp wave.
At that moment, the security guard looked into the office. His face was polite, but his eyes showed some wariness.
“Helen, someone has come to see you,” he said, slightly opening the door. “Your ex-husband insists on a meeting. Will you come down or shall we help him leave?”
Helen froze. Inside, a wave of irritation mixed with fatigue rose. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain external calm.
“I’ll come down now, sorry for the inconvenience,” she replied, rising from the desk.
Mentally she swore. How untimely! Everything was turning out worse than ever. The working day was already difficult, her head was splitting, and now David decided to appear without warning. Why didn’t he call? Why did he come right to work, where there are plenty of outsiders? Did he really decide to stage a scene right in the office?
She slowly headed to the exit, trying not to hurry sharp movements only intensified the headache. The corridor was lively: employees hurried about their business, someone laughed at the coffee machine, someone discussed a project at the notice board. Helen walked past them, feeling how tension tightened her shoulders.
Helen came out into the hall and immediately saw David. He was pacing from side to side, now approaching the reception desk, now stepping back a couple of steps. His movements were sharp, impetuous he was emotionally waving his hands, proving something to the security guards, periodically raising his voice. On the faces of the security employees, restrained discontent was read: they tried to remain polite, but were clearly ready to move to more decisive actions if the situation got out of control.
“What do you need?” Helen asked without preliminaries, approaching closer. Her voice sounded even, although irritation was growing inside. “What kind of performance have you arranged here? Do you want to get better acquainted with the police? I can arrange that.”
David sharply turned at the sound of her voice. His face was red, his eyes burning with an incomprehensible fire either from anger or from excitement. He jumped up to his ex-wife, accusingly pointing a finger at her, as if he had caught her in some crime.
“You!” he exclaimed. “You! Emily told me everything! Only six months have passed since the divorce, and you’ve already found yourself a new man?”
In his voice mixed disbelief, resentment and obvious jealousy. It seemed he had hoped until the last that the daughter was mistaken or simply trying to trick him. But now, looking at Helen’s calm face, he understood that this was no joke.
Helen surprisedly raised her eyebrows, slightly tilting her head to one side. Her pose remained relaxed, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
“Am I supposed to keep fidelity to you forever?” she asked in an even tone. “Even after the divorce? You’re asking for too much, dear. Especially considering that even in marriage you didn’t consider fidelity an obligatory virtue.”
David froze for a moment, as if not knowing how to react. His hand, still extended in her direction, slowly lowered. Something resembling confusion flashed in his eyes he clearly did not expect such a calm, confident rebuff.
Around them, people continued to walk: employees, visitors, couriers… Someone cast curious glances in their direction, someone tried not to pay attention. But for David and Helen, the whole world narrowed for a moment to this small space between them a space filled with old grievances, unspoken reproaches and a new reality that he found difficult to accept.
“You… you just…” he finally squeezed out, but Helen didn’t let him finish.
“Let’s not make scenes, David,” her voice became a bit softer, but no less firm. “If you need to discuss something, we can talk calmly. But not here and not like this.”
“Scenes? I’ll show you a scene!”
David was almost shouting, and his voice echoed through the spacious office hall. His face was covered with crimson spots, veins stood out on his neck, and his fists clenched and unclenched involuntarily, betraying extreme nervous tension. He took a step forward, then stepped back, as if he couldn’t decide how best to convey his threat.
“I won’t allow my daughter to live under one roof with an unknown person!” he shouted, not noticing that he was attracting the attention of passing employees. “I’ll take Emily away from you! You’ll never see her again! You…”
His words sounded sharp, almost hysterical, but Helen only slightly raised an eyebrow, maintaining an expression of calm indifference on her face. Take the daughter? Well, yes, she’d like to see that! Any court would side with her!
“All said? Quite the performer,” she said in an even, slightly mocking tone. And clarified: “From the circus.”
“What’s going on here?”
David froze mid-sentence and sharply turned to the unfamiliar voice. In the doorway leading to the hall stood a man in an elegant dark blue suit. His posture was nonchalantly confident, and his gaze calm and attentive. The security guards, who had previously tried to delicately restrain David, instantly straightened up obviously, this was a person who held a significant position in the company.
“Don’t interfere!” David hissed, throwing an irritated look at the stranger. His face was still burning with anger, and undisguised hostility sounded in his voice. “This is a personal matter, it doesn’t concern you.”
The man did not hurry to answer. He slowly walked forward, stopping a little to the side, so as to see both interlocutors. He smirked, which irritated David even more.
“A personal matter is when you talk to your wife alone,” he finally said. “But when you stage a scandal in a public place, it ceases to be personal and becomes public.”
Helen silently observed this scene, feeling how the tension in the air was becoming almost tangible. She did not expect Edward’s appearance, but his intervention, though unexpected, seemed appropriate to her at least, it knocked David off his usual track of threats and shouts.
David took a step towards the man, clearly intending to respond sharply, but the latter didn’t even flinch. His gaze remained calm, almost impassive, as if he was used to dealing with much more emotional opponents.
“Who are you to tell me what to do?” David hissed through his teeth, trying to preserve the remnants of self-control. “Poking your nose into someone else’s business!”
Edward took several confident steps forward. He approached Helen, who was still standing in slight bewilderment, not fully understanding what was happening, and gently put his arm around her waist. Demonstratively, leaving no room for imagination.
“Who am I?” he said in an even, almost everyday tone, but there was such cold determination in his voice that even David involuntarily stepped back. “I’m the one who makes Helen happy. You allow yourself to shout at my woman, and I don’t forgive that. You won’t get away with a trip to the police this time, I’ll make sure you have more problems than you can handle. And if you dare to make the daughter a bargaining chip… I think you’ve understood me, haven’t you?”
David froze. His face, recently blazing with anger, gradually lost its crimson shade, replaced by paleness. He shifted his gaze from Edward to Helen, as if trying to realize that the situation had gotten out of his control. Something resembling confusion flashed in his eyes he clearly did not expect to meet such a confident and cool-headed opponent.
For several minutes he stood silently, clenching and unclenching his fists, as if struggling with the desire to say something sharp. But the words didn’t come either because of the overwhelming confidence with which Edward spoke, or because of the realization that his usual methods wouldn’t work here.
Finally, he grimaced, muttered something unintelligible, barely distinguishable, and sharply turned around. His gait, recently assertive and aggressive, now looked constrained, as if he was trying with all his might to preserve the remnants of dignity. Before leaving the hall, he turned and threw over his shoulder:
“You can forget about the child support!”
“I don’t need it anyway,” Helen snorted as soon as he disappeared behind the door. Her voice sounded light, almost mockingly, but there was genuine relief in it. “But now Emily won’t have to go to her father anymore!”
A moment later, Helen suddenly realized that the warm, confident hand of the managing director was still lying on her waist. This touch, so simple and at the same time significant, made her slightly embarrassed. She involuntarily lowered her gaze, feeling a light blush spreading across her cheeks, and carefully stepped away, trying to do it as naturally as possible.
With a light, slightly confused smile, she turned to her unexpected savior:
“Thank you very much, Edward. You can’t even imagine how much you helped!”
Her voice sounded sincere, without a trace of affectation. At that moment she really felt immense gratitude not only for intervening in the unpleasant scene, but also for how confidently and calmly he did it.
The man smiled slightly, his eyes warming for a moment.
“Shall we discuss this over lunch?” he suggested, extending his hand in an inviting gesture.
Helen froze for a second, considering the proposal. The usual doubts flashed through her head isn’t it too soon, won’t it look frivolous? But she immediately dismissed these thoughts. Edward was behaving correctly, respectfully, and she really wanted to talk to him without fuss and outsiders.
Besides, curiosity was smoldering inside: who he really was, why he decided to intervene, what was hidden behind this calm confidence?
“Of course,” she replied, placing her palm in his hand.
The touch turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant firm, reliable, but without imposition. Helen felt how the tension that had gripped her since David’s appearance gradually left, leaving room for light excitement and even anticipation.
Later, at a cozy table in a small restaurant near the office, the conversation flowed more freely. The soft light of the lamps, unobtrusive music and the aroma of fresh pastries created a welcoming atmosphere.
Gradually, in the course of a casual conversation, she learned that her savior had long had tender feelings for her. He told about it simply, without pathos and beautiful phrases rather as something natural that had long matured inside, but found no outlet.
“I hesitated for a long time to approach,” he admitted, stirring his coffee with a spoon. “You always seemed so focused, serious… I understood that you were going through a difficult period after the divorce, and I didn’t want to pressure or seem intrusive.”
Helen listened without interrupting. In his words there was no trace of arrogance or self-satisfaction only sincerity and respect for her personal space.
“And today, when I saw how that man was shouting at you…” Edward frowned disapprovingly. “I just couldn’t stay aside!”
The woman couldn’t hold back a soft smile. So that’s how it was, it turns out! She had noticed the boss’s glances before, but had misinterpreted them! Edward was quite likable to her, but because of the difference in position she would never have dared to make the first step herself…
Three months after that tense scene in the office, Helen and Edward officially became husband and wife. The wedding turned out to be magnificent, the man embodied literally all of Helen’s dreams, fulfilled any wish.
Emily sincerely rejoiced for her mum. On the wedding day, she helped Helen get ready, carefully ensuring that everything was perfect from the hairstyle to the last button on the dress. When the newlyweds exchanged rings, the girl smiled and hugged both tightly.
“I’m so happy for you!” she whispered, and her eyes shone with genuine joy.
At the same time, Emily immediately honestly warned that she was not yet ready to call Edward dad.
“I like you, Edward,” she said in one of the first evenings, when they were left alone together. “And I’m glad that mum is not alone. But dad… No matter what he is, but I already have a dad.”
Edward nodded without a shadow of offense:
“I understand. And that’s right, Emily. The main thing is that we are together.”
David also received an invitation to the wedding rather in mockery than seriously. Helen hesitated whether to send him the envelope, but in the end decided let him know that her life continues, and without him. She sent the invitation by post, without an accompanying letter just a card with the date, time and address.
Naturally, David did not appear at the wedding. He didn’t even seriously think about coming the very thought of it caused a mixture of irritation and bitter resentment in him. Instead, he found another way to vent the accumulated discontent: he began to call mutual acquaintances.
The first call he made the very next day after receiving the invitation. His voice sounded deliberately calm, but tension clearly showed in the intonations.
“Can you imagine, she invited me to her wedding!” he blurted out, without waiting for the interlocutor to finish the greeting. “After everything that happened!”
The interlocutor (a longtime university friend) politely inquired what exactly seemed so outrageous to David. But he just brushed it off:
“How could she? Humiliate me like that!”
In the following several days this scene repeated again and again. David dialed one number after another, and each conversation started the same way with this phrase about the invitation, spoken with barely restrained indignation. He seemed to be trying to find confirmation of his rightness in others’ words, waiting for someone to say: “Yes, that really is disgusting.”
But the interlocutors reacted restrainedly. Someone nodded sympathetically, someone got off with general phrases like “Well, everyone has their own life”, and someone just remained silent, not knowing what to answer. And the more often David repeated his monologue, the more clearly he understood that his arguments sounded unconvincing.
Then he began to assert that Helen was rushing with the new marriage:
“Only six months have passed! Can one find true love in such a term? It’s just an attempt to escape from reality. She’s just trying to forget me, you understand?”
Then he suddenly switched to another:
“She didn’t even give me a chance to fix everything! If we had talked, I could have…”
He himself didn’t finish what he could have get her back, change something in himself, start everything anew.
And sometimes his claims took a completely strange turn:
“I did so much for her, and she… Didn’t even say thank you. Just took and left. And took the daughter with her!”
These accusations of “ingratitude” sounded especially unconvincing. The interlocutors exchanged glances, shrugged their shoulders, and someone cautiously remarked:
“Why should she thank you? You were married, it’s only natural!”
David fell silent, feeling resentment growing inside. He understood that his words were not producing the effect he had hoped for. No one shared his indignation, no one called Helen “indecent” or “frivolous”. On the contrary, everyone seemed to think that she had the right to live on and this angered him even more.
In the end, tired of fruitless conversations, David stopped calling. He sat in his apartment, looked at the small things left from Helen a forgotten hairpin on the shelf, an old photo album in the cupboard, a couple of dresses that had become too small and understood no matter how you look at it, life goes on. Only he had not yet managed to find his place in this new life.
In the end, tired of fruitless conversations, David fell silent. And the life of Helen, Edward and Emily went on as usual calm, measured, filled with small joys: joint dinners, walks on weekends, funny disputes about which film to watch in the evening. This taught them a valuable lesson: that moving forward from unhealthy relationships can open doors to true happiness and support, reminding us that we should never let others diminish our worth and that embracing change with courage leads to a more peaceful and fulfilling existence.Mum, you absolutely must find a new husband as soon as possible! Very, very urgently!
Helen nearly dropped the cup of coffee, which even spilled a little onto the tablecloth. She placed it on the table, cleared her throat, and looked closely at her daughter.
“Explain what’s going on,” she requested, trying to speak evenly. “What’s with this demand?”
The girl shifted from one foot to the other, lowered her eyes, and began to examine the pattern on the carpet. Emily felt awkward, but she was firmly convinced of the correctness of her action.
“You see… Today I told dad that you have a man,” she sighed heavily. “He just pestered me with questions! He keeps asking if you’ve found someone! All this time I answered ‘no’ and after that he would start talking at length about what a big mistake you made by leaving him. That you don’t understand anything in life since you allowed yourself to lose such a wonderful man!”
She raised her gaze to her mother. Her eyes showed annoyance, confusion, and even anger at her father.
“And also… he keeps repeating that you’ll soon understand how wrong you were and come back. Like, you’ll definitely not find anyone better. So I lost my temper. I declared that you met someone.”
Helen ran her hand through her hair. In her memory, the familiar intonations of her ex-husband immediately surfaced that feigned confidence, that manner of turning any conversation into a monologue about his own rightness.
“I can imagine the colourful epithets he accompanies it with,” she said with light irony. “He still can’t come to terms with the fact that I left him, such a perfect one. Sometimes it seems to me that David insists on your weekend visits only for his own monologues. It’s important for him not to chat with you, but to find out the latest gossip. He heals his self-esteem that way.”
Emily sighed heavily and flopped onto the sofa, habitually tucking her legs under herself. Leaning on the pillow, she absently ran her hand over the soft fabric of the upholstery, trying to collect her thoughts.
“Yes, I think so too,” she said, looking somewhere to the side. “I have to listen for an hour and a half about how amazing he is. The rest of the time I’m completely free he doesn’t even ask how I’m doing. He doesn’t even ask how I’m studying and if I need anything…”
The girl spoke about it so matter-of-factly, as if describing the usual daily routine: getting up, breakfast, school, homework. For Emily, this had indeed long become ordinary to such an extent that it no longer caused emotions.
She leaned back on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling, mentally replaying the recent conversation with her father. As always, everything started with his next achievement this time he detailed how cleverly he conducted negotiations with partners. Then he moved on to his plans for the future, to the difficulties he faces at work, to how everyone around underestimates his contribution. An hour and a half monologue Emily even noted the time mentally so as not to forget to mention it in the conversation with her mum.
And when she tried to talk about her school olympiad in mathematics, her father only nodded absentmindedly and immediately switched the topic to his affairs. “Well done, of course, but you know, at my age I already…” and then again a series of stories about his successes.
The girl slightly shrugged her shoulders, driving away the memories. She had long been accustomed to such a state of affairs. As long as Emily could remember, dad had always been absorbed only in his own person. The other family members seemed to exist somewhere on the periphery of his attention important, but not enough to distract from the main thing from himself.
Any conversations he inevitably reduced to himself and his problems. If mum complained about fatigue, he immediately began to talk about how hard it is for him at work. If Emily shared experiences about friends, father found a way to turn the topic to his school years of course, much brighter and more eventful. He seemed not to notice others’ worries or considered them insignificant.
Emily still couldn’t figure out how mum had endured fifteen years next to such a person. He was literally fixated on his radiant persona! Perhaps mum held on only for her sake, not wanting the daughter to grow up without a father. In childhood, Emily sincerely believed that one day dad would change, start noticing them, taking an interest in their lives… But years passed, and nothing changed. And only after the divorce did the girl discover with surprise that living without him was much calmer! No one pulls all the attention to themselves, considering others’ trifles as nothing.
“And why am I obliged to urgently look for a life companion?” Helen’s voice sounded a bit sharper than she probably wanted. “So you said it and said it what’s the big deal?”
“You see, when dad heard this, he completely changed!” Emily involuntarily winced, pressing one of the pillows scattered on the sofa to her chest. “First he turned pale, then red and started yelling so that even the neighbour came running! Honestly, I even got a bit scared.”
She fell silent for a moment, remembering that scene. Father’s voice, unusually high and breaking, his hands clenched into fists, darting gaze. It seemed he was about to burst from the emotions overwhelming him.
“He demanded that I name the name of that man and describe him in all details,” Emily continued, fingering the edge of the pillow. “I refused, said that you asked not to say anything, especially to him… I wouldn’t be surprised if he soon starts calling you and pestering you.”
Helen slowly turned, leaned on the windowsill and looked closely at her daughter. An interesting day awaits her, however… She can easily imagine the level of David’s hysteria… You did a good job, daughter, nothing to say…
Helen sat down on the sofa next to Emily and sighed heavily, hugging her daughter. Well, now nothing can be done. The words were spoken, and they can’t be taken back…
“Why did you make this up?” she asked quietly, slightly rocking Emily in her arms. “We were living peacefully! Now we’ll have to listen to his hysterics and whining again. I even wanted to turn off the phone.”
Emily gently wriggled out of the embrace, sat up straight and looked seriously at her mother. Her eyes shone with genuine conviction.
“Because you’re wonderful!” she said confidently. “You’re beautiful, smart, you have many friends, and men find you popular! Do you think I don’t see? And dad keeps saying nasty things about you! I’m tired of it!”
The woman gently stroked her daughter’s hair, carefully running her fingers through the soft strands. Her gaze showed tenderness and slight confusion.
“I understand, sunshine, I understand,” she said softly. “Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t want me to start serious relationships. After all, only six months have passed since the divorce from your father.”
These words were not easy for her. Somewhere deep in her soul she feared that the daughter might perceive a new romance as betrayal or an attempt to replace the father. Helen carefully looked into Emily’s face, trying to catch the slightest signs of discontent.
“Nonsense!” Emily snorted, and in her voice there sounded such sincere determination that Helen couldn’t help but smile. “The main thing is that you are happy!”
The girl crossed her arms on her chest, smiling at her mother. At that moment she looked surprisingly adult wise beyond her years and ready to stand up for her opinion.
Helen continued to look at her daughter, and the anxiety in her heart gradually melted. Emily spoke so confidently that doubts began to recede. Maybe she really thinks too much about the past and is afraid of the future?
“You’re my clever girl,” Helen said quietly, again pulling her daughter to her. “Thank you for caring so much about mum.”
Emily pressed against her, comfortably settling under her side. At that moment both felt how it became even warmer and calmer between them as if their small family, despite everything, was only strengthening with each passing day…
Helen sat at her desk, trying to concentrate on the report. The lines blurred before her eyes, and a dull pain pulsed in her temples, which in the morning had only slightly hinted at its presence, but by lunchtime had grown to unbearable sizes. The woman wearily massaged her temples, hoping to ease the condition at least a little. The movements were slow, almost mechanical she had already performed them dozens of times during the day.
After thinking for a couple of minutes, Helen nevertheless decided and asked a colleague to go to the pharmacy it was located literally two minutes’ walk from the office. Returning with the tablets, she washed them down with water from the pitcher and again tried to read the documents. In vain. Her head felt as if it had been filled with lead, and every sound the tapping of the keyboard, the hum of the air conditioner, distant conversations in the corridor echoed in her with a sharp wave.
At that moment, the security guard looked into the office. His face was polite, but his eyes showed some wariness.
“Helen, someone has come to see you,” he said, slightly opening the door. “Your ex-husband insists on a meeting. Will you come down or shall we help him leave?”
Helen froze. Inside, a wave of irritation mixed with fatigue rose. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain external calm.
“I’ll come down now, sorry for the inconvenience,” she replied, rising from the desk.
Mentally she swore. How untimely! Everything was turning out worse than ever. The working day was already difficult, her head was splitting, and now David decided to appear without warning. Why didn’t he call? Why did he come right to work, where there are plenty of outsiders? Did he really decide to stage a scene right in the office?
She slowly headed to the exit, trying not to hurry sharp movements only intensified the headache. The corridor was lively: employees hurried about their business, someone laughed at the coffee machine, someone discussed a project at the notice board. Helen walked past them, feeling how tension tightened her shoulders.
Helen came out into the hall and immediately saw David. He was pacing from side to side, now approaching the reception desk, now stepping back a couple of steps. His movements were sharp, impetuous he was emotionally waving his hands, proving something to the security guards, periodically raising his voice. On the faces of the security employees, restrained discontent was read: they tried to remain polite, but were clearly ready to move to more decisive actions if the situation got out of control.
“What do you need?” Helen asked without preliminaries, approaching closer. Her voice sounded even, although irritation was growing inside. “What kind of performance have you arranged here? Do you want to get better acquainted with the police? I can arrange that.”
David sharply turned at the sound of her voice. His face was red, his eyes burning with an incomprehensible fire either from anger or from excitement. He jumped up to his ex-wife, accusingly pointing a finger at her, as if he had caught her in some crime.
“You!” he exclaimed. “You! Emily told me everything! Only six months have passed since the divorce, and you’ve already found yourself a new man?”
In his voice mixed disbelief, resentment and obvious jealousy. It seemed he had hoped until the last that the daughter was mistaken or simply trying to trick him. But now, looking at Helen’s calm face, he understood that this was no joke.
Helen surprisedly raised her eyebrows, slightly tilting her head to one side. Her pose remained relaxed, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
“Am I supposed to keep fidelity to you forever?” she asked in an even tone. “Even after the divorce? You’re asking for too much, dear. Especially considering that even in marriage you didn’t consider fidelity an obligatory virtue.”
David froze for a moment, as if not knowing how to react. His hand, still extended in her direction, slowly lowered. Something resembling confusion flashed in his eyes he clearly did not expect such a calm, confident rebuff.
Around them, people continued to walk: employees, visitors, couriers… Someone cast curious glances in their direction, someone tried not to pay attention. But for David and Helen, the whole world narrowed for a moment to this small space between them a space filled with old grievances, unspoken reproaches and a new reality that he found difficult to accept.
“You… you just…” he finally squeezed out, but Helen didn’t let him finish.
“Let’s not make scenes, David,” her voice became a bit softer, but no less firm. “If you need to discuss something, we can talk calmly. But not here and not like this.”
“Scenes? I’ll show you a scene!”
David was almost shouting, and his voice echoed through the spacious office hall. His face was covered with crimson spots, veins stood out on his neck, and his fists clenched and unclenched involuntarily, betraying extreme nervous tension. He took a step forward, then stepped back, as if he couldn’t decide how best to convey his threat.
“I won’t allow my daughter to live under one roof with an unknown person!” he shouted, not noticing that he was attracting the attention of passing employees. “I’ll take Emily away from you! You’ll never see her again! You…”
His words sounded sharp, almost hysterical, but Helen only slightly raised an eyebrow, maintaining an expression of calm indifference on her face. Take the daughter? Well, yes, she’d like to see that! Any court would side with her!
“All said? Quite the performer,” she said in an even, slightly mocking tone. And clarified: “From the circus.”
“What’s going on here?”
David froze mid-sentence and sharply turned to the unfamiliar voice. In the doorway leading to the hall stood a man in an elegant dark blue suit. His posture was nonchalantly confident, and his gaze calm and attentive. The security guards, who had previously tried to delicately restrain David, instantly straightened up obviously, this was a person who held a significant position in the company.
“Don’t interfere!” David hissed, throwing an irritated look at the stranger. His face was still burning with anger, and undisguised hostility sounded in his voice. “This is a personal matter, it doesn’t concern you.”
The man did not hurry to answer. He slowly walked forward, stopping a little to the side, so as to see both interlocutors. He smirked, which irritated David even more.
“A personal matter is when you talk to your wife alone,” he finally said. “But when you stage a scandal in a public place, it ceases to be personal and becomes public.”
Helen silently observed this scene, feeling how the tension in the air was becoming almost tangible. She did not expect Edward’s appearance, but his intervention, though unexpected, seemed appropriate to her at least, it knocked David off his usual track of threats and shouts.
David took a step towards the man, clearly intending to respond sharply, but the latter didn’t even flinch. His gaze remained calm, almost impassive, as if he was used to dealing with much more emotional opponents.
“Who are you to tell me what to do?” David hissed through his teeth, trying to preserve the remnants of self-control. “Poking your nose into someone else’s business!”
Edward took several confident steps forward. He approached Helen, who was still standing in slight bewilderment, not fully understanding what was happening, and gently put his arm around her waist. Demonstratively, leaving no room for imagination.
“Who am I?” he said in an even, almost everyday tone, but there was such cold determination in his voice that even David involuntarily stepped back. “I’m the one who makes Helen happy. You allow yourself to shout at my woman, and I don’t forgive that. You won’t get away with a trip to the police this time, I’ll make sure you have more problems than you can handle. And if you dare to make the daughter a bargaining chip… I think you’ve understood me, haven’t you?”
David froze. His face, recently blazing with anger, gradually lost its crimson shade, replaced by paleness. He shifted his gaze from Edward to Helen, as if trying to realize that the situation had gotten out of his control. Something resembling confusion flashed in his eyes he clearly did not expect to meet such a confident and cool-headed opponent.
For several minutes he stood silently, clenching and unclenching his fists, as if struggling with the desire to say something sharp. But the words didn’t come either because of the overwhelming confidence with which Edward spoke, or because of the realization that his usual methods wouldn’t work here.
Finally, he grimaced, muttered something unintelligible, barely distinguishable, and sharply turned around. His gait, recently assertive and aggressive, now looked constrained, as if he was trying with all his might to preserve the remnants of dignity. Before leaving the hall, he turned and threw over his shoulder:
“You can forget about the child support!”
“I don’t need it anyway,” Helen snorted as soon as he disappeared behind the door. Her voice sounded light, almost mockingly, but there was genuine relief in it. “But now Emily won’t have to go to her father anymore!”
A moment later, Helen suddenly realized that the warm, confident hand of the managing director was still lying on her waist. This touch, so simple and at the same time significant, made her slightly embarrassed. She involuntarily lowered her gaze, feeling a light blush spreading across her cheeks, and carefully stepped away, trying to do it as naturally as possible.
With a light, slightly confused smile, she turned to her unexpected savior:
“Thank you very much, Edward. You can’t even imagine how much you helped!”
Her voice sounded sincere, without a trace of affectation. At that moment she really felt immense gratitude not only for intervening in the unpleasant scene, but also for how confidently and calmly he did it.
The man smiled slightly, his eyes warming for a moment.
“Shall we discuss this over lunch?” he suggested, extending his hand in an inviting gesture.
Helen froze for a second, considering the proposal. The usual doubts flashed through her head isn’t it too soon, won’t it look frivolous? But she immediately dismissed these thoughts. Edward was behaving correctly, respectfully, and she really wanted to talk to him without fuss and outsiders.
Besides, curiosity was smoldering inside: who he really was, why he decided to intervene, what was hidden behind this calm confidence?
“Of course,” she replied, placing her palm in his hand.
The touch turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant firm, reliable, but without imposition. Helen felt how the tension that had gripped her since David’s appearance gradually left, leaving room for light excitement and even anticipation.
Later, at a cozy table in a small restaurant near the office, the conversation flowed more freely. The soft light of the lamps, unobtrusive music and the aroma of fresh pastries created a welcoming atmosphere.
Gradually, in the course of a casual conversation, she learned that her savior had long had tender feelings for her. He told about it simply, without pathos and beautiful phrases rather as something natural that had long matured inside, but found no outlet.
“I hesitated for a long time to approach,” he admitted, stirring his coffee with a spoon. “You always seemed so focused, serious… I understood that you were going through a difficult period after the divorce, and I didn’t want to pressure or seem intrusive.”
Helen listened without interrupting. In his words there was no trace of arrogance or self-satisfaction only sincerity and respect for her personal space.
“And today, when I saw how that man was shouting at you…” Edward frowned disapprovingly. “I just couldn’t stay aside!”
The woman couldn’t hold back a soft smile. So that’s how it was, it turns out! She had noticed the boss’s glances before, but had misinterpreted them! Edward was quite likable to her, but because of the difference in position she would never have dared to make the first step herself…
Three months after that tense scene in the office, Helen and Edward officially became husband and wife. The wedding turned out to be magnificent, the man embodied literally all of Helen’s dreams, fulfilled any wish.
Emily sincerely rejoiced for her mum. On the wedding day, she helped Helen get ready, carefully ensuring that everything was perfect from the hairstyle to the last button on the dress. When the newlyweds exchanged rings, the girl smiled and hugged both tightly.
“I’m so happy for you!” she whispered, and her eyes shone with genuine joy.
At the same time, Emily immediately honestly warned that she was not yet ready to call Edward dad.
“I like you, Edward,” she said in one of the first evenings, when they were left alone together. “And I’m glad that mum is not alone. But dad… No matter what he is, but I already have a dad.”
Edward nodded without a shadow of offense:
“I understand. And that’s right, Emily. The main thing is that we are together.”
David also received an invitation to the wedding rather in mockery than seriously. Helen hesitated whether to send him the envelope, but in the end decided let him know that her life continues, and without him. She sent the invitation by post, without an accompanying letter just a card with the date, time and address.
Naturally, David did not appear at the wedding. He didn’t even seriously think about coming the very thought of it caused a mixture of irritation and bitter resentment in him. Instead, he found another way to vent the accumulated discontent: he began to call mutual acquaintances.
The first call he made the very next day after receiving the invitation. His voice sounded deliberately calm, but tension clearly showed in the intonations.
“Can you imagine, she invited me to her wedding!” he blurted out, without waiting for the interlocutor to finish the greeting. “After everything that happened!”
The interlocutor (a longtime university friend) politely inquired what exactly seemed so outrageous to David. But he just brushed it off:
“How could she? Humiliate me like that!”
In the following several days this scene repeated again and again. David dialed one number after another, and each conversation started the same way with this phrase about the invitation, spoken with barely restrained indignation. He seemed to be trying to find confirmation of his rightness in others’ words, waiting for someone to say: “Yes, that really is disgusting.”
But the interlocutors reacted restrainedly. Someone nodded sympathetically, someone got off with general phrases like “Well, everyone has their own life”, and someone just remained silent, not knowing what to answer. And the more often David repeated his monologue, the more clearly he understood that his arguments sounded unconvincing.
Then he began to assert that Helen was rushing with the new marriage:
“Only six months have passed! Can one find true love in such a term? It’s just an attempt to escape from reality. She’s just trying to forget me, you understand?”
Then he suddenly switched to another:
“She didn’t even give me a chance to fix everything! If we had talked, I could have…”
He himself didn’t finish what he could have get her back, change something in himself, start everything anew.
And sometimes his claims took a completely strange turn:
“I did so much for her, and she… Didn’t even say thank you. Just took and left. And took the daughter with her!”
These accusations of “ingratitude” sounded especially unconvincing. The interlocutors exchanged glances, shrugged their shoulders, and someone cautiously remarked:
“Why should she thank you? You were married, it’s only natural!”
David fell silent, feeling resentment growing inside. He understood that his words were not producing the effect he had hoped for. No one shared his indignation, no one called Helen “indecent” or “frivolous”. On the contrary, everyone seemed to think that she had the right to live on and this angered him even more.
In the end, tired of fruitless conversations, David stopped calling. He sat in his apartment, looked at the small things left from Helen a forgotten hairpin on the shelf, an old photo album in the cupboard, a couple of dresses that had become too small and understood no matter how you look at it, life goes on. Only he had not yet managed to find his place in this new life.
In the end, tired of fruitless conversations, David fell silent. And the life of Helen, Edward and Emily went on as usual calm, measured, filled with small joys: joint dinners, walks on weekends, funny disputes about which film to watch in the evening. This taught them a valuable lesson: that moving forward from unhealthy relationships can open doors to true happiness and support, reminding us that we should never let others diminish our worth and that embracing change with courage leads to a more peaceful and fulfilling existence.