Seventeen years—was that a long time or not? Inna remembered every moment they had shared, every anniversary. And now, everything was falling apart like a fragile stack of cards.

“We need to talk. I’m leaving you, Inna. I’m going to be with Natasha.” Alexey said, his voice flat.

Silence filled the room, except for the ticking of the old wall clock his mother once gave them.

“The student from your department?” she asked, surprisingly calm.

“Yes. My feelings for you are gone. I need something new, something exciting. I’ve already packed my things.”

Inna simply nodded. “Well, let’s have a farewell dinner. Oh, and tell Natasha she’s invited too. I’d love to meet the girl who lit a fire in you that I couldn’t.”

Alexey stood there, speechless. He expected tears, yelling, maybe anger—but not this calm reaction.

The next morning, Inna calmly called the banks, met with a lawyer, and gathered important papers.

By evening, the apartment smelled of delicious food. Once everyone was seated, Inna stood up with a glass in her hand.

“Dear friends, today is special. Alexey, thank you for the 17 years we spent together. You taught me a lot… And you also taught me to pay close attention to details. Especially when it comes to money”

She began laying out documents on the table.

“This is the car loan you took out under our joint account. These are unpaid taxes for your company. And these… are receipts from fancy restaurants and jewelry stores. I assume those were for Natasha?”

Alexey’s face went pale. Natasha quickly looked up, shocked.

“But the most important thing is our prenup. It includes a very interesting section about cheating. The house is legally mine. And I filed for divorce last night.”

Then she turned to Natasha. “Sweetheart, are you sure you want to build a life with someone who has no home, no money, and a pile of debt?”

Natasha sat still, completely stunned. “Excuse me, I need to go,” Natasha said quietly.

Inna still remained calm as ever. “You know what’s funny? I truly believed our love was something special. I ignored the late nights at work, the weird calls, the new clothes. Then I started noticing the receipts. Jewelry stores. The restaurant. Spas.”

Just then, Natasha came back but didn’t sit down. “You told me you were divorced. That you lived separately. That you were buying us an apartment.”

“Natasha, I can explain—” Alexey started.

“No need,” Inna said, pulling out another envelope. “Here are your card statements. Natasha might like to know you were seeing two other girls as well—both students.”

Natasha turned and ran out, her heels clicking loudly on the stairs.

Inna pulled out another document. “Remember those papers you had me sign three months ago? You said it was just for the tax office. It was actually a loan contract—you used my car as collateral.”

People began quietly leaving the table.  Alexey sat alone, his head down.

Inna pulled a plane ticket from her bag. “I’m flying out to Maldives tomorrow. The apartment has to be empty by the end of the week.”

She walked to the door, then turned to look at him one last time.“Goodbye, Alexey. I hope it was worth it.”

The door closed softly behind her. Alexey was left sitting alone in the quiet apartment, surrounded by half-eaten food and unfinished wine. In the distance, the sound of a car engine starting echoed—Inna was leaving to begin a new chapter