They were on separate flights, so such precautions seemed appropriate.

On the plane, Andrey ordered whiskey and considered what he would say to his wife. After ten years of marriage, their connection had become like strangers.

Late in the evening, a cab pulled up near his residence. After paying the driver, Andrey froze for a few moments, gazing out the windows of his apartment. The light was turned on in the living room. Marina wasn’t asleep. He took a deep breath and moved towards the entrance.

The door opened silently. He put his suitcase down in the hallway and listened. Quiet music and voices were coming from the living room. “TV,” he thought, took off his shoes and walked toward the sound.

What he saw made him freeze in his tracks. In the middle of the living room stood a festive table with champagne and a cake decorated with a candle in the shape of the number “10”.

Marina was sitting on the sofa, but she wasn’t alone. Next to her was a tall, fair-haired man Andrey had never seen before. They were laughing, and the stranger’s hand was on her shoulder.

“What… what’s going on here?” Andrey asked hoarsely, taking a step into the room.

Marina shuddered and turned around, her eyes widening in surprise.

– Andrey? Are you back yet? – She glanced at her watch. – We weren’t expecting you for another two hours.

– We? – Andrey looked from his wife to the stranger and back. – Who is this?

The blond man stood up from the couch and extended his hand with a smile.

– Alexey. Nice to meet you.

Andrey ignored his hand.

– Marina, what’s going on here? What kind of holiday is this?

– Have you forgotten? – Marina looked genuinely surprised. – Today is ten years since our wedding day.

Andrey felt the ground sinking beneath his feet. It was his wedding anniversary. He’d entirely forgotten. Worse, he had spent the week with another woman plotting how he would request a divorce.

“And you decided to celebrate with… with this?” He nodded towards Alexey, who continued to smile calmly.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Alexey said, returning to the sofa. “I’m here purely for work.”

— For work? — Andrey clenched his fists. — In my house? In the evening? With champagne?

“He’s an interior designer,” Marina explained calmly. “I decided to do some renovations while you were away. It’s an anniversary surprise.”

– In one room? In a week? – Andrey asked incredulously.

“Not only in the living room,” Marina stood up and gestured for him to follow her. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest.”

As if in a fog, Andrey followed his wife. Their bedroom had been transformed no less than the living room: new wallpaper, a bed, lamps, paintings on the walls.

“This…” he couldn’t find the words.

– Do you like it? – Marina asked hopefully. – I’ve wanted to change something for a long time. I thought that while you’re at your “conference”, it’s high time.

Andrey noticed how she emphasized the word “conference” and cringed inwardly.

“Very… unexpected,” he said finally.

“That’s not all,” Marina opened the door to the next room, which used to be his office.

Andrey froze at the threshold. The area had been totally transformed into a nursery, complete with blue walls, a small crib, and toys.