I had to know the truth. I followed my husband’s car at a distance. I soon realized he wasn’t heading to Diana’s house.
He headed to an unfamiliar part of the city and stopped at a secluded park. I parked a few meters away and watched. Mikhail got out, took the children by the hand, and walked toward a large oak tree.
And then I saw her. A red-haired woman, around thirty years old, was sitting on a bench. Beside her was a little girl, about nine years old, with the same reddish hair.
When the little girl ran toward Mikhail, he picked her up tenderly, as if he had done it all his life. Ana and Vanya joined in, laughing happily. Mikhail was talking to that woman with a familiarity that chilled me to the bone.
I couldn’t stay still. My legs trembling and my heart pounding, I got out of the car and walked toward them. When Mikhail saw me, he turned pale.
“Amina…” he murmured, “what are you doing here?” “That’s what I’m asking you,” I replied, my voice breaking. “Who is she? And that little girl?”
Ana and Vanya ran toward me shouting “Mommy!” and behind them, the unknown girl.
“Go play for a while,” Mikhail said tensely, pointing to the swings. The woman turned away, uncomfortable. Mikhail ran a hand through his hair and murmured,
“We need to talk.”
Her name was Svetlana, and the girl’s name was Lilia.
Mikhail began to speak, and every word tore at my heart. “Before I met you, I had a brief relationship with Svetlana. When I found out she was pregnant, I was scared.
I wasn’t ready to be a father… and I ran away.”
Svetlana raised Lilia alone. She never asked for anything. A few months ago, they met again by chance.
Lilia, curious, began asking questions about her father, and Svetlana agreed to let them get to know each other little by little. “And why didn’t you tell me? Why did you take our children to see her without speaking to me?” I asked, on the verge of tears.
“I was afraid. Afraid of losing you, of destroying what we have. I just wanted the children to meet their sister without causing you pain.
I know I was wrong, but I didn’t know how to do it right.”
My world crumbled. She had lied to me, she had taken away my right to decide. But seeing Lilia play with Ana and Vanya, something changed inside me.
It wasn’t just a betrayal… it was the story of a little girl who just wanted to meet her father. At home, we talked for hours, amidst recriminations, tears, and silences. Mikhail confessed that his mother, Diana, knew everything and had helped him cover up his outings, saying they were “visits to Grandma.”
“My mother begged me to tell you, but I thought there would be a better time…” he said, ashamed.
The next day, I invited Svetlana and Lilia over. If they were going to be part of our lives, I wanted to get to know them well. At first, Lilia was shy, clinging to her mother.
But Ana and Vanya started playing with her as if they’d known each other forever. In just a few minutes, they were building a tower of blocks, laughing together. Svetlana and I sat down in the kitchen.
It was awkward at first, but the conversation soon flowed. She wasn’t an enemy, but a mother who had done everything she could for her daughter. She just wanted to give her a family.
The months passed. It wasn’t easy. Trust isn’t rebuilt overnight.
But now, Lilia comes every Saturday, and the children adore her. Mikhail and I are still working on our relationship. I haven’t forgotten, but I’m learning to forgive.
There are no more secrets. Now, every Saturday we go to the park together. No lies.
No rules. Just us. A family.
