As it happens, almost all of my stories are written from life. This one is not an exclusion. Sometimes I don't quite understand the logic of my characters, but I have to follow it, and it's up to you to decide how much you like it.
Thanks again to RogueUlfric for bringing this story to more acceptable form.
A Life Imbued With Lies
Kostya
Just three months ago, I thought I was the happiest man in the world; I was enjoying my life, I thought I had the most wonderful family, a faithful and loving wife, a beautiful little girl (although only she now does not allow me to finally break down). All in all, an unremarkable marriage of a couple in love. As Tolstoy wrote: "All happy families are similar to each other, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." It's about us.
***
I met Angelina at her graduation party, when she was not yet eighteen years old. On that day, my friend Lyosha and I went to see his sister Lena get her diploma. She was so important in her new outfit and with a "look everyone, I'm an adult!" expression on her face, that one was inevitably drawn to smile. So the three of us went, first to the official part. We clapped our hands a little at the presentation of diplomas, and then the action flowed into the festive part, where we watched a sort of mini-Club of the funny and inventive, or, as they called it then, "a parade of variety miniatures". It was here that I noticed a girl from Lena's class.
She was thin (which I always liked in girls), well-proportioned, with well-defined facial features and lush, wavy hair in a fancy hairdo, wearing a lilac short dress. Simply put, she was beautiful and immediately appealing to the eye. That she was clever was indicated by the gold medal 'For Special Achievements in Education', given to her along with her high school diploma, and a gold-colored graduation ribbon with the inscription: 'Medalist of the Year'.
I should say that immediately I liked her very much.
I myself was then a fourth-year student at our university, specializing in computer science and computer technology, twenty-two years old. My name is Konstantin, shortly Kostya.
Oh, how I courted: flowers, gifts, surprises. To have enough money, in the evenings I worked at a vegetable warehouse as a loader, though I already had a part-time job as a lab technician at the university. But, anyway, by winter Angelina, at that time a first-year student at the Institute of Finance, and I became man and wife. How happy I was.
We immediately rented a studio apartment on the outskirts of the city, which took most of the money I earned, and lived as a family of newlyweds, living from hand to mouth, which, however, did not prevent us from being happy. Of course, everyday life made its adjustments, and sometimes we had quarrels, but they invariably ended in a stormy reconciliation and never left a deep trace in our lives. Well, at least I thought so.
About a year later our little girl was born, we named her Angelika, so even her and my wife's names were similar. I loved her madly. Of course, diapers and onesies and the like did not add to the joy of life, but it seemed to me that on the whole nothing marred the flow of our lives. I tried my best to help my wife manage the household and raise the child, although it was not easy, given that at first, we were both students, or rather I was already a graduate student.
When I got my degree and got a job at a subdivision of Rosatom, it became easier with money, though there was less time to help my wife. We even had to hire a nanny. However, Angelina, or as I always called her - Gelya, successfully managed to finish university, and got a job, when our Angelika, shortly Lika, was three and a half years old. She worked as an accountant in a company closely connected to 'Alrosa' holding, where the director was Arkady Naumovich Starikov, and had a good salary to start with, so we could also afford to occasionally hire a nanny and part-time housekeeper to help Gelya.
We lived fine, almost no fighting, I earned good money, gradually made a good career, became head of the commercial department, but I did not deprive my family of my attention and care. Every penny came to the house, every free minute given to my girls. Flowers and gifts were for each, on even the most insignificant occasions.
In intimate life, too, everything was excellent. Gelya was a passionate and temperamental woman, and there was not a day when we would not prove our love to each other to such an extent that it often required wringing sweat-drenched sheets, after which we basked in each other's arms for a long time.
By our daughter's fifth anniversary, though, the tension had gradually subsided, but I took that for granted, because you can't burn as brightly over the years as you did at the beginning. Nevertheless, I had nothing to complain about, and I continued to enjoy our happy life.
***
Then that day has come, Wednesday, three months ago. I remember every detail as if it were today. I woke up, woke and dressed the child, since my wife was leaving for work later, and we all had breakfast together, after which I took my daughter to day care, and went to work myself in a good mood.
In the last few days, Gelya's health had been a little off, she sometimes felt nauseous and had some strange mood swings but, on the whole, she assured me that she was fine, and that it was because of the work load.
I must say that she has made impressive progress over the past two years, rising to the position of deputy chief accountant, and her workload was great, so I did not attach too much importance to her condition, believing that the next vacation, which we planned to spend in Cyprus, would remove all the symptoms, and Gelya would return to her normal state of cheerful giggler. And the vacation was only a month away.
So, whistling a bravura march, I went to work. About two hours later, I got a WhatsUp call from Gelya.
"Hi, honey, I have a surprise for you," she forwarded a picture of the pregnancy test with two lines. "Everything is right; I did it on an empty stomach so it would be accurate. So, I took the whole day off from work, and now I'm going to the antenatal clinic to confirm the test, to specify the timing and to get registered there. I'll try to get it done before lunch, and then I'll cook something delicious, and we'll celebrate when you get home from work in the evening."
To say that I was glad of the news is needless. We were already thinking that Lika was obviously missing a little brother or sister.
"Oh, honey, I love you so much. You gave me an extraordinary gift. A big kiss, and tonight I'll try to prove my love."
"Well, well," laughed Gela, "we made the gift together. So, I love you too, and wait for the promised proof."
I immediately told the chief to congratulate me on the addition to the family, and he even let me off early from work. I did not call Gela, deciding to surprise her.
I did not think that the surprise was waiting for me...
On the way home I picked up my daughter and took her to my parents to tell them the news, and, of course, to let them hold their granddaughter with them, giving us some time alone.
They understood everything correctly, and the father himself promised to take my daughter to day care in the morning. It was obvious that they were happy, too.
I bought a cake, a beautiful bouquet, champagne, a gold pendant, and hurried home.
I opened the door silently, quietly went inside, expecting to remain unnoticed until the last, so that the surprise would be complete. My wife was sitting in her room in front of the computer, chatting loudly on Skype with her friend Caroline. She didn't even hear me come in and stand outside the door. But their conversation threw me into the deepest shock.
"So, tell me, Gelya, what is your gestation period?"
"It's already the fourth week."
