Pasha intertwined her little fingers with those of her father.
As she walked towards the car, Yura murmured,
« Forgive me, my son. I didn’t even know I had such a wonderful boy as you… »
Pasha looked at him confidently:
« I always knew that Vlad wasn’t my real father. Mother was talking about another man. I knew that one day I would meet you. »
Yura lifted him up in her arms and hugged him tightly, as if to make up for every lost year.
« Now I’m here, » he said, his voice breaking. « And I’ll never leave again. »
My name is Marina, I’m 29 years old.
I’m Anya’s older sister — the one everyone always looked up to when we were little. Until the day my little sister was born — bright, loud, irresistible — I simply ceased to exist in the eyes of others.
Anya always knew how to be the center of attention. Her presence seemed to stop the world. And me… I was just there. A silent, invisible shadow. Convenient. Too docile to say “no”.
When I received the invitation to her wedding, my heart sank. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to see her in a white dress, hear her familiar laugh, or find myself once again in the role of the one who gets walked all over. But Mom insisted:
— You have to come, Marina. After all, you’re part of the family.
The word « family » hurt me. More than I would have thought possible.
The wedding took place in a luxurious hall. Everything was as Anya had always dreamed: sumptuous flowers, crystal chandeliers, champagne glasses.
She entered on the arm of Alexey, her future husband. Tall, self-assured, with those same eyes that, in the past, only looked at me.
Yes, you understood correctly. He and I were together. We truly loved each other. Then, one day, he disappeared without a trace. And shortly after, he reappeared alongside my sister.
« Look at me, not her » — that’s what I read in every one of her looks.
— Oh, you came, — Anya said coldly when she saw me shortly before the ceremony. — But don’t try to wear white.
I remained silent. I was wearing a very simple grey dress — exactly the kind of outfit that doesn’t draw attention. So as not to steal his light, his air, his gaze.
— Sit where no one will see you, — she added, pointing to a secluded corner.
I gritted my teeth. This feeling of humiliation had become almost familiar, like an old house you always return to. But I hadn’t imagined the pain would be so intense—there, in front of hundreds of people.
The ceremony went off without a hitch: the vows, the kiss, the applause. All evening, I kept catching Alexey’s eye. He seemed to want to tell me something, but always looked away.
Then came the time for speeches. Anya took the microphone, radiant with happiness:
— Thank you all for coming. Our friends, our family… and even my sister, who found the strength to be here despite our… old differences. After all, you were the one who dreamed of marrying Alexey, weren’t you? But he chose me.
The room froze. Some stifled a laugh. Others lowered their eyes. I felt my face burning. I wanted to disappear.
But then, something that no one expected happened.
Alexey stood up. He walked towards the microphone. And, taking it from Anya’s hands, he said:
— Excuse me, Anya. But I can no longer remain silent.
Everyone froze. Anya turned pale. Mom jumped up. Dad gripped his glass so tightly he almost split the stem.
« I was with Marina, » Alexey stated firmly. « We were together for two years. We were making plans for the future. I was even ready to ask her to marry me. »
He looked at me. In his eyes, there was a pain impossible to hide.
— Then, one day, Anya came to my house. She told me she was pregnant. That the child was mine.
The room stirred. Someone let out a sigh. Anya groaned.
— I didn’t want to believe it. I tried to resist. But she cried, screamed, demanded that I make the « right choice. » And I… I left Marina. I believed her. I sacrificed myself.
— Lesha, shut up! — Anya yelled, but he didn’t stop.
— I recently discovered the truth. Anya was never pregnant. It was a lie. A cold calculation. She destroyed my love, my life. And today, at this wedding, she’s still trying to humiliate Marina—the woman I’ve never stopped loving all this time.
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