Anastasia was arranging the buns, taking her usual place behind the counter. The scent of baked goods filled the small shop. She liked working in the residential area of Yekaterinburg. For Anastasia, this store was more than just a business. It was a legacy she received from her parents.
The bell over the door rang, and an elderly woman entered the shop.
“Good morning, Anna Petrovna!” Anastasia smiled. “The usual, a loaf of Borodinsky bread and a pack of cottage cheese?”
“Oh, Nastenka,” the old woman sighed. “You always remember what I need. That’s why I love your little shop—it always feels like home here.”
Anastasia was proud that she knew almost all of her regular customers by name. For many locals, this wasn’t just a grocery store. It was a place where residents gathered to discuss recent events, catch up on news, and so on.
When the morning rush subsided, Anastasia sat down on a chair and pondered. Today was the anniversary of her parents’ death. Three years ago, there was a car accident. Afterward, Anastasia inherited the shop. She vividly remembered how her father taught her bookkeeping and her mother taught her how to stock the shelves. Her parents had been preparing her for adult life even then.
Suddenly, the phone rang, pulling Anastasia out of her reverie. Her husband’s name flashed on the screen.
“Hello, Vitya,” she answered.
“Nastya, what time are you free today?” Victor’s voice sounded unusually spirited.
“As usual, at seven. Why?”
“Great! I have a surprise for you. Let’s meet at our favorite restaurant at eight, okay?”
Anastasia smiled. Despite being married for three years, Victor still knew how to surprise her.
“Okay, I’ll be looking forward to it.”
After hanging up, Anastasia returned to work, but her thoughts kept drifting to the evening ahead.
“What surprise has Victor prepared? Maybe he finally found a job?”
Victor had been unemployed for several months, working on a business plan for a startup. Anastasia supported her husband as best she could. But the financial situation of the family was beginning to worry her.
At the restaurant, Anastasia immediately noticed Victor. He was sitting at a distant table, twirling a glass in his hands.
“Hello, dear,” Anastasia kissed her husband on the cheek. “Well, tell me, what’s the surprise?”
Victor smiled broadly:
“Nastya, I finally found an investor for my startup!”
Anastasia joyfully clapped her hands:
“Vitya, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!”
“Yes,” nodded Victor. “But there’s a catch. To show my seriousness about the project…,” he hesitated, watching his wife’s reaction. “I need to invest too. Basically, we need a starting sum for the project launch. And I was thinking…”
Anastasia tensed up. She already guessed what her husband was leading up to.
“Maybe we should sell your store?” blurted Victor. “Invest the money in my project, and in a year or two we’ll be millionaires!”
Anastasia felt a chill inside. Sell the store? The only memory of her parents? The only source of income?
“Vitya, are you out of your mind! You know what this store means to me,” she said quietly.
“Come on, Nastya!” Victor waved his hand dismissively. “It’s just a building and goods. But we have a real chance to get rich!”
Anastasia shook her head:
“No, Vitya. I can’t. This store is not just a business, it’s a memory of my parents, a part of me. I already have stability and reputation. Is your project really more important than what I’m doing?”
Victor frowned:
“Well, okay, let’s at least discuss this at home. Take a look at the business plan! Then you’ll understand our prospects!”
Reluctantly, Anastasia agreed, feeling it was a bad idea.
The following weeks were a nightmare. Victor constantly talked about his project, convincing his wife of the need to sell the store. He showed her numbers, drew charts, promised mountains of gold.
“Nastya, understand, the little shop is outdated,” said Victor. “But my project is a step into the future. Imagine, we will have our own chain across all of Russia.”
But the more her husband pressed and insisted, the more Anastasia resisted. Something about Vitya’s words alarmed her. And her husband’s behavior had changed. Victor became irritable, temperamental. He often whispered to someone on the phone and locked himself in the office.
One day, Anastasia accidentally overheard a conversation of Vitya.
“Don’t worry, Kolyan,” Victor was saying. “Everything is going according to plan. This fool will soon agree to sell the store. Then we’ll quickly arrange a divorce, and the money will be ours.”
Anastasia froze, not believing her ears. Her heart pounded furiously, and one thought hammered in her head: “How could he? How could he do this to me?”
Gathering all her willpower, Anastasia quietly walked into the bedroom and locked herself there. She needed time to come to her senses and decide what to do next.
The following days Anastasia spent as if in a fog. She mechanically performed her work at the store, smiled at customers, but inside a storm of emotions raged. Nastya was overcome with anger and disappointment. And then Anastasia wanted revenge.
Vitya did not notice the changes in his wife’s behavior. He continued to build castles in the air, describing how they would benefit from selling the little shop.
“Nastya, just think for yourself,” he said during dinner. “Why do we need this little shop when we can have a whole network? You will manage all this, not just stand behind the counter.”
Anastasia silently nodded, but a plan was already forming in her head. She decided to play along to buy time and protect the store.
“You know, Vitya,” said Nastya the next day. “You were right about the shop.”
Victor beamed:
“Really? You agree to sell it?”
“Well, not quite,” Anastasia paused. “I was thinking, maybe we should register the shop in both our names? To develop the business together?”
Victor was momentarily disconcerted but quickly composed himself:
“That’s… a great idea, dear! I knew you’d understand!”
He hugged Anastasia, and she forced herself to smile, feeling a wave of disgust inside.
“Let’s start the paperwork tomorrow,” suggested Victor.
“Of course, darling,” replied Anastasia. “I’ll organize everything myself.”
The next day, indeed, Anastasia went to a lawyer, but not for the documents Victor expected. She began preparing papers to protect her property in case of a divorce.
In the evening, returning home, Anastasia found Victor talking on the phone. He quickly ended the conversation when he saw his wife.
“How are you, dear?” he asked, trying to look casual. “Did you manage to take care of the documents?”
Anastasia nodded:
“Yes, everything is going according to plan. Soon our store will be the beginning of something bigger,” she smiled, trying to sound sincere.
Victor beamed:
“I knew you’d understand! We’ll move mountains together!”
Anastasia nodded, internally preparing for a protracted battle.
Nastya met with a family law attorney at a cafe.
“The situation is complicated, but there’s a way out,” concluded Elena Sergeyevna. “You have to act quickly. But in a way that won’t raise suspicions from your husband.”
The lawyer advised Nastya to gather all documents proving that the store was her inheritance. She should also take care of the will. Even in unforeseen circumstances, the store should not go to Vitya!
“What about a joint account?” asked Anastasia. “Victor will likely suggest this soon.”
“If you agree to a joint account, insist on separate management,” advised Elena Sergeyevna. “And don’t even think about signing anything! First, consult with me. Alright, I’ll be in touch!”
Armed with new knowledge, Anastasia returned home. As she suspected, Victor brought up finances in the evening.
“Nastya, I was thinking,” he began, feigning a casual tone, “maybe we should merge our finances? Open a joint account for business development?”
Anastasia pretended to ponder:
“You know, that’s an interesting idea. Let’s discuss the details tomorrow? I’m a bit tired today.”
Victor agreed, as his wife didn’t reject the proposal.
The next day at the bank, Nastya opened a new personal account, about which she told Vitya nothing. Part of the income from the little shop went there. The main account was left with only minimal expenses.
In the evening, when Victor again talked about a joint account, Anastasia agreed but on one condition:
“Let’s do this: we’ll open a joint account, but each of us will have the right to manage only their part of the contribution. That would be fair, right?”
Victor frowned:
“But why all these complications? We’re a family. Relationships should be built on trust.”
“Of course, dear,” smiled Anastasia. “But in business, you need to be cautious, you said it yourself. Let’s start with this, and then we’ll see.”
Victor reluctantly agreed, not to raise suspicions.
Anastasia was busy protecting the business. She checked all the documents, all contracts were registered in her name. Nastya made sure that Vitya had no relation to the store. Everything was documented.
Victor became increasingly careless. He believed that the “perfect plan” would work. He often shared with Nastya plans for “their” future. Vitya didn’t know that Nastya already knew everything.
“Imagine, in a year we will already have our own network! Many branches not only in the city but also beyond!”
Anastasia nodded and smiled, supporting the conversation, but internally she was preparing for the decisive moment.
That moment came two weeks later. Victor came home with papers for signing.
“Nastya, I’ve prepared documents for transferring your inheritance to our joint account,” he said, laying out the papers on the table. “Let’s sign, and start a new chapter in our lives!”
Anastasia took the documents, pretending to study them attentively. Then she looked up at her husband and calmly stated:
“Victor, I know about your plans to divorce me and take my business.”
Victor turned pale:
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I heard your conversation with Nikolai,” replied Anastasia. “You called me a ‘fool’ and discussed how quickly to arrange a divorce after selling the store.”
Victor tried to justify himself:
“Nastya, you misunderstood! It was just a joke…”
“Enough lying, Victor,” Anastasia interrupted him. “I know everything. And I won’t let you take what belongs to me and my family.”
With these words, she pulled out another set of documents from her bag:
“Here are the papers for the divorce and property division. The store remains entirely mine, as it was before our marriage. You can take everything we’ve acquired together over these three years.”
Victor was shocked as he looked at his wife:
“You… you’ve been pretending all this time?”
“I learned from the best,” Anastasia bitterly smiled. “From you.”
Victor tried to object, but Anastasia stopped him:
“Don’t bother. I’ve already consulted with a lawyer. All documents are in order, and you can’t claim my business.”
Victor slumped into a chair, realizing that his plan had completely failed.
“What now?” he asked in a defeated voice.
“Now you sign these papers and leave,” Anastasia said firmly. “I’ll give you a week to pack your things and find a new place to live.”
Victor silently signed the documents. When he looked up at Anastasia, his eyes showed surprise and even something akin to respect:
“I underestimated you, Nastya.”
“That was your main mistake,” replied Anastasia, opening the front door.
After Victor left, Anastasia felt a strange emptiness. Three years of marriage, which seemed happy, turned out to be a lie. But along with the bitterness came a sense of relief—now she was free from manipulation and deceit.
The next day, Anastasia arrived at the shop earlier than usual. She walked between the familiar shelves, inhaling the smell of fresh bread and coffee. This was her world, her legacy, and she had managed to protect it.
Anna Petrovna, stopping by for fresh cottage cheese, immediately noticed a change in the mood of the owner:
“Nastenka, is everything alright? You look somewhat tired.”
Anastasia smiled:
“Everything’s fine, Anna Petrovna. Just… starting a new chapter in life.”
“Well, well,” the old woman nodded. “Just make sure our shop doesn’t go anywhere. We’re used to it.”
“Don’t worry,” Anastasia sharply replied. “The shop isn’t going anywhere. On the contrary, I’ll make it even better!”
Anastasia fully immersed herself in work. The shop’s interior was updated, the assortment expanded, and farm products added. Nastya introduced grocery delivery for the elderly. Local residents grew to love Anastasia even more.
The business thrived, and Nastya was over the moon with happiness. After all, Anastasia had found her calling. She was not just selling products. Anastasia had created a place where all residents of the district felt comfortable being and communicating.
One day, Nastya was sorting through old photos. She accidentally stumbled upon a picture where she and her parents posed in front of the newly opened shop. That day, the whole family hoped that the business wouldn’t fail but would bring happiness and stability.
“Thank you,” Nastya stroked the photo, “I managed to keep the little shop afloat. And I’ll do everything to ensure your business lives and grows.”
In the evening, Nastya was finishing closing the shop. She saw her reflection in the window. Anastasia saw a strong and self-sufficient girl. She had gone through pain, humiliation, and betrayal. But Nastya coped with everything and became stronger.
“It seems I’ve grown up,” Anastasia cheerfully muttered.
Nastya locked the shop and headed home. New events and adventures awaited her. Anastasia eagerly awaited to see what fate had prepared for her.
Six months later, Nastya accidentally ran into her ex. Vitya looked worse.
“Hello, Nastya,” Victor said uncertainly. “How are you?”
“Good. And you?”
Victor shrugged:
“Could be better. You know, I… I wanted to apologize. You were right about me.”
Anastasia looked attentively at her ex-husband:
“Thank you for the apologies, Vitya. I hope you’ve learned a lesson from this story.”
“Yes, I have,” nodded Victor. “You taught me that honesty and hard work are more important than any schemes and machinations.”
Anastasia smiled:
“I’m glad to hear that. Good luck, Vitya.”
Anastasia sighed with relief when her ex-husband left. The past had let go of Nastya, and she was ready to move forward.
The girl took up her work with new energy. Nastya had many plans. And now she had the belief that everything would work out. Anastasia smiled. Life went on.