Chapter 2 — Chapter 2

My first step was to call my employers and take a few days off using my vacation time.

Next, I decided to call my friend from high school who is now a magistrate judge.

"Marina, hi. I have a favor to ask," I began our conversation.

"Hi! Ania, I hope you're divorcing that jerk of yours?" she responded immediately, being a stern and straightforward woman.

"You know about it, huh?" I was slightly surprised.

"Everyone knew, but they were afraid to say anything because of your heart," she sighed.

"I need to get this resolved quickly. I don't want him to get the apartment, and we need to settle the child support issue... You know that most of the cost of our home came from my sold apartment, and the rest I paid off with my salary."

"I'll do my best. I'll ask some of the lawyer girls, I have a couple of them who owe me favors. Just don't worry, please. It would be good if you could get away for a while."

"Where would I go? We sold the country house a long time ago. I have no family, you should remember that."

"Then just take some time to relax. I'll call you when you need to come and sign the documents," my friend decided.

"Thanks, Marina!" I thanked her.

"No problem!" she replied and hung up.

The next morning, I saw my son off to his last exam, then started wandering aimlessly around the apartment. My husband hadn't come home and hadn't even called, so everything was literally falling out of my hands. At some point, I gathered myself and sat down in the kitchen, trying to rethink my entire life.

I was forty-two years old, and I managed to juggle two jobs while also doing some freelance work online. My greatest life achievement was my son, who was finishing ninth grade and planning to study programming. I had a history of cancer, which I managed to beat, and a heart condition that had significantly worsened after numerous medications and surgeries. "Now there's also the divorce," I thought gloomily when someone rang the doorbell persistently.

"Yes?" I asked, opening the door and seeing a陌生的男人.

"Are you Anna Yuryevna Zakharova?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I'm a notary. I'm here regarding the will of your grandfather, Pyotr Alexeyevich Veda."

"You must be mistaken, I have no grandfather... Never have!"

"Was your grandmother named Kateryna Arkadyevna Voren?" the visitor clarified.

"Yes," I nodded automatically, slightly confused.

"Then everything is correct. May I come in?"

"Of course," I replied, leading him into the apartment and inviting him to sit at the dining table.

"First, read his letter," the visitor suggested, pushing a paper envelope toward me that hadn't been sold at post offices for a long time.

Opening it, I took out a folded notebook page and unfolded it, reading the unfamiliar handwriting.

"Hello, Anechka! We've never met, but it turns out you're my granddaughter. Your grandmother couldn't forgive the words I said in the heat of youth, and I was foolish and couldn't keep her. Later it was too late, as Kateryna found a worthy husband, and I only occasionally heard about your mother or you. I'm very sorry they're gone. Now it's my time, and since I never started a family, you're my only living relative. Please accept the inheritance and don't refuse it. With love and respect, your grandfather — Pyotr Alexeyevich Veda," the lines I read stated.

"As mercenary as it may sound, is there any property left? I've filed for divorce, so I'd like to get away for a while. My husband will surely try to take the apartment, and my heart is weak after the surgeries. I'd take even a room in a dormitory, but the main thing is that he doesn't know where we're hiding," I said, reading the letter again and addressing my visitor.

"If you want, I can be your lawyer. You have a house in the countryside, but it's far from modest, with four rooms, made of brick, and warm. It comes with a large plot of land with a garden and a sauna. The house is located near a forest, with neighbors far away," the man explained.

"I don't have the money to pay you," I shrugged. "Where is it located?"

"Tula Oblast, fifty kilometers from the city. It's a clean area, with good roads. You don't need to pay, as I have a debt to Pyotr."

"I'll call my friend and see what she says. She's a judge, so she promised to help," I explained, picking up my phone, and my companion watched with surprise.

"I have no money for a new one... My husband spends everything on his mistress, and I need to raise our son. This one still works, that's good enough," I explained, correctly interpreting his look, and then started talking to Marina, who answered my call.

"Hi, it's me again. Listen, I've got a lawyer. He came from my grandfather and promised to help. I didn't even know I had one... Well, that I had one, since he's passed away, it seems. Yes? Okay, I'll pass it to him. She wants to talk to you," I said, turning to the guest and handing him my mobile.

"Good afternoon! Viktor Stepanovich Zinov'ev from Tula. Yes, that's right," he responded, starting a conversation with my friend.

While she spoke, the man listened attentively, and I heard Marina switch from a strict and official tone to a sweet chatter.

"I understand and fully support it. See you soon," he finally said goodbye to her and handed me the phone.

"Yes, Marina?"

"Anechka, this is our carte blanche! We'll give your jerk a run for his money! Don't sign the inheritance documents yet, so he can't claim a share. Just pack up and go, and give the apartment keys to the lawyer so he can pass them to me. Rest assured, I'll change the locks today, so go and don't worry about anything."

"Okay, I'll do that," I replied and hung up, then looked at Viktor and asked in bewilderment,

"What should I do next?"

He was about to say something when the door slammed in the hallway, interrupting him.

"Mom, I'm home! I passed everything! Oh, hello..." announced Stas, bursting into the kitchen and stopping at the doorway.

"Son, this is our lawyer. He'll help with the divorce. As it turns out, we have a house near Tula that we inherited," I explained to him.

"Cool! Is it far from Tula? How will I go to school?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"It's not far. The bus runs six times a day, and there's an elementary school, a kindergarten, a few stores, and a clinic in the village. Get ready, I'll take you there," suggested the man who had joined our conversation.

"Mom, that's great! I won't have to live in a dorm! I'll always be with you," my son exclaimed happily, sitting next to me, taking my hands in his and looking into my eyes.

We lived in a small town on the border of Kaluga Oblast, but Stas wanted to study in Tula, and I agreed. "A big city means more opportunities," I thought to myself, even though our house was over two hundred kilometers from that city. "Now we'll be much closer," I thought, and a slight smile crossed my face.

"Do I need to quit my job now?" I asked aloud, staying put and unsure of what to do next. It was too much for me to handle in such a short time, and I felt a bit overwhelmed.

"Give me permission to handle everything on your behalf. I'll take care of it all, and you can pack up, take what you need, and move to your new home. If you forget anything, I'll bring it, don't worry. Everything will be fine now!" Victor reassured me.

"Mom, shall we start packing?" my son asked, excited and pulling out some bags from somewhere.

"Let's do it," I echoed, first grabbing a box to pack all the food from the fridge and kitchen cabinets. We didn't have much in reserve since we couldn't afford it, but I didn't want to leave what we had behind.

"Mom, don't forget the cat food," Stas reminded me, and our cat, hearing the magic word, emerged from under the couch where he had been hiding from the guest, jumping onto the table and meowing.

"No, dear, you'll eat in our new home!" I replied, stroking my furry friend's back. I had found him last year when he was no bigger than half a palm, and now he had grown into six kilograms of black joy.

Our beloved pet purred and stayed to watch as we gathered his things into a separate bag: bowls, food, litter box, and his favorite blanket with toys.

After finishing with the kitchen, I moved to the living room, packed my laptop, and took out all the documents. After a careful look around, I went to the bedroom. I didn't have many things, so I quickly put on jeans and a t-shirt and stuffed everything I saw into a bag, except for winter clothes. Taking a sweater, I went to the bathroom and packed all the cleaning supplies, my minimal makeup, my shoes, and my son's, as well as our slippers, and that was it.

Looking at what we had packed, Stas remarked, "Hmm..."

We ended up with two bags, a box of food, a couple of bags, and the cat sitting on the luggage, purring as if he was happy about the move.

"I think that's everything," I said, gazing lost at the apartment.

My son walked through the rooms again and then brought our favorite mugs, my coffee pot, and a jewelry box, which he put in a bag, then declared, "Now it's definitely everything!"

"Perfect," the lawyer said, picking up the box and a bag, and left the apartment.

Taking a final look around, I grabbed my bag with the laptop and documents, a backpack, and the cat, while Stas took the rest, locked the door, and hurried after us.