“Son,” Alexey’s father said heavily as he rose, “we’ll probably leave too. Call when… when you come to your senses.”
Vera Pavlovna grasped Inna:
“Forgive us, dear. We never thought he…”
“Don’t apologize, Mama.
You have nothing to do with this.”
Alexey sat there. His expensive suit now seemed like a silly masquerade costume.
“You know, I could have done a month ago when I found out everything. I could have bought your car, torn up your suits, had a meltdown at your workplace.” Inna said.
“But I decided to do it differently,” she said.
“I’m flying out tomorrow.
The Maldives, can you imagine? I’ve always dreamed of visiting there, but you always said it was a waste of money.”
She put the keys on the table:
“The apartment must be bought by the end of the week. I’m selling it.
And yes, don’t even try to withdraw money from the accounts.”
Alexey looked at her with a sad expression:
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“That’s no longer my problem,” she said
“You know what’s the funniest part? I’m truly grateful to you. You made me wake up, shake off the dust.
I suddenly realized that life doesn’t end with you.”
She walked to the door and turned around one last time:
“Goodbye, Lesha. I hope it was worth it.”
The door closed quietly. Alexey was left alone in the hollow apartment.
Inna began a new trip which marked a first step of her new life.
