It was quiet and rather chilly on one of the streets at the very edge of a large regional city.
Autumn had just begun to assert itself, but it had already generously gifted the townsfolk with a dose of drizzle and cold. In such weather, people preferred to stay in warm homes with a cup of fragrant, scalding tea or, at this late hour, to sleep off a long day of work.
The old grandfather clock in the hallway struck midnight όταν 75-year-old retiree Mary Thompson suddenly woke up with a vague sense of something bad. The old woman’s heart was pounding wildly. Getting out of bed, she shuffled barefoot to her small, cozy kitchen, where she poured some heart drops into a glass of water. After taking the medicine, Mary turned off the light and, sitting at the table, began to ponder what could have caused her heart to ache so. Usually, her intuition never failed her, so now she prayed to the Lord for one thing only: to protect her son, for Alex worked in the police. Just this evening, he had called to check on her and mentioned an important case at work. But despite her deep worry, she didn’t dare call him, as he had asked her not to disturb him during his duty unless it was absolutely necessary. His boss was very strict and didn’t tolerate subordinates being distracted by matters unrelated to their duties.
Mary Thompson had lived a long and happy life with her husband, raising a wonderful, caring son. Unfortunately, she had given birth to him when she was already nearing forty, for there were reasons—she had undergone lengthy treatments for women’s health issues. Finally, God rewarded the couple for their struggles, blessing them with little Alex. But he didn’t seem in a hurry to give his mother grandchildren. He devoted all his free time to his job. Sadly, his father didn’t live to see the family grow; he had so dreamed of holding his grandchildren. Last year, Mary had buried her husband.
—
The old woman sighed heavily and was about to get up and head to her bedroom to try to fall back asleep when she glanced out the window and froze in shock. There, in the light of a swaying streetlamp, in the gazebo by the playground, she saw a young woman with a child in her arms, a stroller nearby, as the young mother rocked her baby to sleep.
— Modern mothers have gone too far with these newfangled recommendations, reading all sorts of nonsense about sleeping in the fresh air, and now they don’t even put their kids to bed at night but drag them outside, — Mary thought in bewilderment as she finally headed to rest.
Outside, a light drizzle had started again. The leaky roof of the gazebo offered little protection from the weather, but Sophia only wrapped her old, short, and clearly out-of-season jacket tighter around herself, pressed her baby to her chest, and sat on the bench, staring with a glassy, unblinking gaze at the moon, whose light struggled to break through the heavy clouds.
It wasn’t newfangled advice that had brought her and her daughter out into the night. Today, her husband, the father of her little Alice, had driven her out of their own apartment. The young woman had no tears left, for they had long been cried out. Arguments in her home had become daily in recent months, and now, trembling from the cold, she recalled her entire life.
Sophia was born into a well-off and once-happy family. Her father, Robert Johnson, was a mid-level businessman, and her mother, Emily Watson, a homemaker, kept the family hearth warm, as there was no need for her to work. Her father took care of the family’s well-being. She also had a loving grandmother, Victoria Hughes, who adored her granddaughter. But their family’s prosperity lasted only as long as her father’s business thrived. When Sophia was five, Robert went bankrupt, forcing the man to sell the remnants of his once-flourishing business and move the family to a small, crooked cottage in a godforsaken village. There, her father found work as a state farm engineer, and her mother had to start working too. That’s where Sophia first went to school. Apparently, her parents couldn’t handle such drastic changes in their lives—falling from riches to rags is far harder than rising from nothing. So, they turned to the bottle. At first, her father took to drinking, and then her mother joined him. With the green serpent came poverty, as her parents drank away their meager earnings. Their daughter had to grow up fast, essentially becoming the homemaker. By the age of ten, there wasn’t a household chore the girl couldn’t handle. Her grandmother pitied her deeply and tried to take her in, but she was already too old. The worst part was that her parents wouldn’t let her go. By then, the once-prosperous couple had turned into hopeless drunks, their inflamed minds consumed by one thought: where to get the next drink. The burden of caring for the home fell on their daughter’s fragile shoulders. But it couldn’t go on like this forever; sooner or later, their destructive habit would take its toll.
On that terrible winter day, Sophia, as usual, went to school in the morning, for despite everything, she loved learning, understanding it was her only chance to escape the trap her home had become. As soon as she stepped out, her father, returning from the store with another bottle, decided to toss some logs into the stove, as he was chilled from his run for more liquor. His wife was still asleep after another wild night. Gulping down the bottle’s contents in one go, Robert fell into a dead sleep, failing to notice a stray ember that landed on the old rug. Half an hour later, their cottage was ablaze. By the time the firefighters arrived, all that remained was a lone chimney. Thus ended the lives of a once-wealthy and happy couple.
From then on, a new and even harsher life began for Sophia—bitter, yes, but nothing compared to the orphanage. For, no matter how bad it was, her parents, though drunks, were still her family. Now, the girl was thrust headfirst into the harsh reality of institutional life. Her poor, elderly grandmother tore her hair out in despair, unable to help her granddaughter, as she was too old to take on guardianship. The only thing Victoria Hughes could do was visit the girl at the orphanage as often as possible, which she did daily until her death two years later.
—
And so, Sophia was left all alone in the world. But the terrible grief didn’t break her; instead, she studied even harder and, by the age of 18, graduated from school with a gold medal, leaving the orphanage behind.
Fate, however, had other plans. It might have been better if she’d been a poor student, unable to get into university to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. There, at one of the student parties, she met a seemingly wonderful guy. The orphan fell in love at first sight, her young heart fluttering. It had been so long since she’d known love and affection.
John had come from a remote, neglected village like the one she’d lived in before the orphanage. But he’d been expelled from the agricultural university in his second year for poor grades and skipping classes, and since then, he’d been getting by with odd jobs. He lived wherever he could, mostly in shady places with equally dubious characters. His best friend, who hadn’t yet been expelled, suggested he meet this very beautiful but incredibly modest and shy girl, knowing she had a nice three-room apartment—not in the city center, but in a decent area. Most importantly, she was all alone in the world. The cunning scoundrel seized the opportunity, posing as an incredibly kind and charming gentleman, quickly sweeping the girl off her feet.
That wonderful evening, the young couple spent together, and after the party, John, of course, offered to walk her home—such a chance couldn’t be missed; apartments with lonely girls don’t come along often. They didn’t make it to her place until morning, having spent the rest of the night strolling along the riverbank. The moon lit their path, and the city lights reflecting in the dark water looked incredibly romantic. One way or another, the village rogue, tasting the sweet life of the city, managed to charm the orphan. In him, she saw the prince she’d dreamed of her whole conscious life. She felt safe with him, like behind a stone wall. He even saved her from a hooligan once, cleverly staging the attack with a friend. After that, any girl would likely say yes to a marriage proposal, and Sophia was no exception.
The fact that her fiancé didn’t work or study, living off odd jobs, didn’t bother her in her youthful naivety. A few months later, the young couple got married—hardly a wedding, more like Sophia and John simply signing the papers, followed by a modest gathering with close friends at her apartment. Thus began Sophia’s married life, which she soon saw in all its ugly reality.
For starters, the girl had to get a job, as her hapless husband, whose great talents had yet to be appreciated, needed to be fed. So, after classes, while her husband lay at home in front of the TV, she took a job cleaning offices. George Miller, the company director, a seemingly unpleasant and overly sweet man, warmly welcomed the student and was deeply moved when he learned how hard life was for the young family. John, meanwhile, didn’t even think about looking for work.
Within a couple of weeks, the young man grew cold toward his wife and decided it was time to find a more sophisticated and liberated girl, eagerly browsing dating sites. And soon, he succeeded in this tricky endeavor, finding a real volcano of passion. True, the woman was a few years older than him, but what did that matter? All ages bow to love.
Sophia was stunned by the drastic changes in her husband once he’d settled into her apartment. The once gentle and kind guy turned into a real tyrant, constantly accusing his wife of doing everything wrong, of being useless, unable even to heat his soup to the right temperature. He was so ashamed before his friends that his wife, a future doctor, worked as a cleaner—words couldn’t express it.
Of course, he didn’t contribute a penny to the household but demanded only high-quality food in huge portions. The worst, however, was yet to come.
A couple of months later, after occasionally stooping to fulfill marital duties, a shocked John learned from his wife that she was pregnant. He nearly beat her upon hearing the news. Sophia was no less shocked, as she’d thought the news of her pregnancy would delight her husband and change his attitude toward her. Instead, she heard a wild scream:
— Are you out of your mind?! We can barely make ends meet, and you decided to have a kid behind my back, taking advantage of my lack of understanding! I’m a simple village guy, and you, a future doctor, know exactly how this happens! Since you deceived me, go and get rid of that little leech! You should’ve asked me first—I’d have told you I can’t stand kids!
At this declaration, the poor woman sank to the floor; this was not the prince she’d dreamed of. For the first time, Sophia tried to kick her worthless husband out, but instead of packing his bags and leaving like a man, he gave her a resounding slap, threatening that if she tried anything like that again, neither she nor the baby would live. He was the master of the apartment now, registered there, and wasn’t going anywhere. If she didn’t like it, he could send her to his village to his mother, who was caring for his paralyzed grandfather.
From then on, the poor woman lived as if in slavery. She felt so bad that she had to take a leave of absence from university, barely managing her cleaning job, without which she’d starve.
She was taken from work to the maternity ward, where Sophia gave birth to a healthy baby girl. When it was time to be discharged, she wrapped her baby in a blanket and returned home on public transport. Fortunately, a friend had given her a stroller, a crib, clothes, and many other things that had belonged to her sister and were gathering dust at their country house. Looking at his daughter, John, as usual lying by the TV, only wrinkled his nose in disgust and turned up the volume when he heard the baby cry.
Meanwhile, the man had long been seeing his mistress, thinking only of how to drive his wife out of her own home. The scoundrel wasn’t even stopped by the fact that she held his tiny daughter. His only fear was that if he kicked them out—which he could easily do, exploiting his wife’s weak character—child services might get involved, and he’d have to explain himself. So, he decided to leave things as they were for now. But closer to night, he couldn’t take it anymore, as the baby dared to wake him just as he’d fallen into a sweet sleep after chatting with his lover on the phone. Furious, John stormed into his wife’s bedroom and ordered them, despite the late hour, to go sleep outside and not return until morning. For good measure, the brave man gave Sophia a hard slap.
Trembling with fear for her child’s life, the girl quickly gathered her things and stepped out into the night.
By morning, exhausted and freezing, Sophia could barely stand and was nearly falling asleep. Fortunately, her baby was warmly wrapped and didn’t seem cold at all.
Meanwhile, Mary Thompson couldn’t fall back asleep. The old woman tossed and turned in bed all night, and as dawn broke, she went to the kitchen to make a simple breakfast. Looking out the window, the retiree was stunned to see the girl from midnight still sitting on the bench, wrapped in her jacket. Clearly, this wasn’t about newfangled whims—something had happened to the poor thing.
Without hesitation, the grandmother went to the hallway, threw her coat over her shoulders, and, leaning heavily on her cane, left the apartment. Quietly approaching the girl, she noticed her trembling from the cold.
— What happened to you, my child? Why are you sitting here all night?
Sophia suddenly heard a voice above her. Looking up, she saw a small, smiling old woman. Unable to hold back, Sophia told her everything that had happened. Mary Thompson couldn’t believe her ears—that such monsters existed in this day and age. She immediately invited the poor girl and her baby into her warm apartment, as Sophia was so cold her teeth were chattering, though her baby slept soundly.
The old woman fed Sophia hot chicken broth and asked about the details of her life. Learning everything, Mary decided to help the poor woman return to her own home. This was exactly the exceptional case when she could disturb her son.
Upon learning that guests in need of help were at his mother’s apartment, the police major arrived immediately. After talking to Sophia and leaving her daughter in his mother’s care, the officer went with her to her apartment.
Entering the bedroom, Sophia nearly fainted at the sight of her husband sleeping peacefully in bed, embracing another woman. She’d seen this woman enter the building an hour after her husband had kicked her out, but never imagined she was his mistress. John had grown so bold that he’d brought his lover over while his wife huddled on a wet bench.
With the policeman’s support, Sophia acted decisively this time. She packed the scoundrel’s things, threw them onto the staircase, and ordered him to go back where he came from, shouting that she’d file for divorce herself. Waking from his sweet sleep, John didn’t dare say a word in the officer’s presence and left silently, head bowed. His mistress followed, a bold woman who slapped him a few times, unaware he had a wife and child.
Sophia was deeply grateful to Alex, for without him, she’d still be wandering the streets at night.
Taking her daughter, thanking Mary Thompson for her kindness, and saying goodbye to Alex, Sophia got to work on household chores, relieved that she no longer had to fight for a piece of bread for her child against a wretch like her husband.
But later that evening, a knock came at her apartment door. Thinking it was Mary, Sophia rashly opened it, only for John to burst into the hallway.
— So, you turned your husband over to the cops?! You’re no better than me! You’ve probably been sneaking around with him for ages! Because of you, I had to sleep with that woman—the devil made me do it! Like any normal man, I put up with you during your pregnancy, but you could’ve been gentler and sweeter all this time! What good are you? You were a useless, unwanted gray mouse, and you still are!
He spewed these hurtful words with one goal: to humiliate and break his wife, making her submissive again. But for the first time in years, Sophia felt she wasn’t alone in this world. She demanded he leave immediately. But he wouldn’t budge, intent on terrifying her for good, smashing furniture and throwing it to the floor with all his might. The cries of their little daughter from the bedroom didn’t stop him. Sophia feared for her life, thinking her husband had gone mad, but she couldn’t even flee, as her defenseless baby was still in the apartment. Fate, however, took pity on her again, for at that moment, Alex entered.
After resting from his shift, the policeman decided to check on the poor woman his mother had brought home. Hearing a terrible racket from the second-floor apartment as he entered the building, he raced upstairs like lightning, arriving just in time. John, unwilling to lose the apartment, had grabbed a knife and raised it over his own daughter, while his wife knelt, begging him to spare the child. In a flash, Alex subdued the brute and called for backup.
John was terrified, and for good reason—besides the attempted assault on a minor, a whole packet of illegal substances was found in his pockets. This was how he spent his free time, distributing drugs in nightlife spots. The guy was locked away for a long time.
Now Sophia and her daughter had nothing to fear, but Alex still checked in on his charge. Mary Thompson offered her help too, as little Alice had become like a granddaughter to the old woman, who’d given up hope on her son—wrongly, it turned out.
The stern policeman felt true love for the first time in his life. Sophia melted his heart. Neither could have imagined they’d ever love again—her heart seemed broken forever, and he cared for nothing but work. Yet it was his job that helped him find happiness.
Sometimes, love shouldn’t be rushed; don’t hurry in choosing, and don’t confuse love with passion. Never haste in matters of the heart, for if it’s true love, it grows stronger with time, not fades. “Haste makes waste”—Sophia learned this proverb for life, though it was far from funny to her. Don’t rush to tie your life to someone you don’t truly know, for diving in headfirst might mean never resurfacing.
Fortunately, this story ended well, with everyone getting what they deserved. And this tale will be a lesson to all young beauties choosing a partner. Not all that glitters is gold.
For the first time in years, Sophia was truly happy. Alex treated his beloved with great care. It wasn’t hard for the young woman to divorce her criminal husband and forget that chapter of her life like a bad dream. She now had a real man by her side, one who wouldn’t hurt or betray her.
Some time later, Mary Thompson was over the moon—her Alex announced he’d soon marry a wonderful woman. When the old lady saw that his fiancée was Sophia, she was overjoyed and welcomed her daughter-in-law like her own. And soon after, besides Alice, another baby would join their home.
Happiness comes when you least expect it. This wonderful family is proof of that.
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