Husband Wanted UrgentlyHusband Wanted Urgently

Sarah was having a quiet moment with her coffee when her daughter Emily suddenly said, “Mom, you just have to find a new husband soon! Really, really urgently!”

Sarah almost dropped her cup, with a bit of coffee spilling onto the tablecloth. She put it down, cleared her throat, and looked closely at her daughter.

“Explain what’s going on,” she asked, trying to keep her voice even. “What’s this demand all about?”

Emily shifted from one foot to the other, lowered her eyes, and started studying the pattern on the carpet. She felt awkward, but she was firmly convinced she was doing the right thing.

“You see… Today I told dad that you’ve got a man,” she sighed heavily. “He just wouldn’t stop asking questions! He keeps asking if you’ve found someone! All this time I said ‘no’ and then he’d launch into this long speech about what a huge mistake you made leaving him. That you don’t get anything in life since you let go of such a wonderful guy!”

She raised her gaze to her mother. Her eyes showed annoyance, confusion, and even anger at her father.

“And also… he keeps repeating that you’ll soon realize how wrong you were and come back. Like, you definitely won’t find anyone better. So I got all worked up. Told him that you’ve met someone.”

Sarah ran her hand through her hair. Right away, the familiar intonations of her ex-husband came to mind that put-on confidence, that way of turning any conversation into a monologue about his own rightness.

“I can imagine the colorful words he used for that,” she said with a light irony. “Still can’t accept that I left him, the perfect one. Sometimes it seems to me that Mark only pushes for your weekend visits just for his own monologues. It’s important for him not to chat with you, but to get the latest gossip. He’s healing his ego that way.”

Emily sighed heavily and flopped onto the sofa, tucking her legs under her as usual. Leaning on a pillow, she absentmindedly ran her hand over the soft fabric of the upholstery, trying to gather her thoughts.

“Yeah, I think the same,” she said, looking off to the side. “I have to listen for an hour and a half to how amazing he is. The rest of the time I’m completely free he doesn’t even care how I’m doing. Doesn’t ask how I’m doing in school or if I need anything…”

The girl spoke about it so casually, as if describing a usual daily routine: getting up, breakfast, school, homework. For Emily this had really become ordinary long ago so much so that it didn’t even cause emotions anymore.

She leaned back on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling, mentally replaying the recent conversation with her dad in her mind. As always, it all started with his latest achievement this time he detailed how cleverly he conducted negotiations with partners. Then he moved on to his plans for the future, the difficulties he faces at work, how everyone around underestimates his contribution. An hour and a half monologue Emily even mentally noted the time so as not to forget to mention it in the conversation with her mom.

And when she tried to tell about her school maths competition, dad just nodded absently and immediately switched the topic to his own affairs. “Good job, of course, but you know, at my age I was already…” and then again a series of stories about his successes.

The girl shrugged slightly, brushing away the memories. She had long gotten used to this order of things. As long as Emily could remember, dad was always absorbed only with his own person. The other family members seemed to exist somewhere on the periphery of his attention important, but not enough to distract from the main thing from himself.

Any conversations he inevitably brought back to himself and his problems. If mom complained about fatigue, he immediately started talking about how hard it is for him at work. If Emily shared experiences about friends, dad found a way to turn the topic to his school years of course, much brighter and more eventful. He simply didn’t notice other people’s worries or considered them insignificant.

Emily still couldn’t figure out how her mom endured fifteen years next to such a person. He was literally fixated on his own glorious self! Maybe mom only held on for her sake, not wanting the daughter to grow up without a father. As a child, Emily sincerely believed that someday dad would change, start noticing them, take interest in their lives… But the years went by, and nothing changed. And only after the divorce did the girl discover with surprise that life without him was much calmer! No one pulls all the attention to themselves, considering others’ trifles unimportant.

“And why am I obliged to urgently find myself a life companion?” Sarah’s voice sounded a bit sharper than she probably wanted. “So you said it and said it what’s the big deal?”

“You see, when dad heard that, he completely changed!” Emily involuntarily winced, pressing one of the pillows scattered on the sofa to her chest. “First he turned pale, then red and started yelling so that even the neighbor ran over! To be honest, I even got a little scared.”

She fell silent for a moment, remembering that scene. Dad’s voice, unusually high and breaking, his hands clenched into fists, his darting gaze. It seemed like he was about to burst from the emotions filling him.

“He demanded that I name that man and describe him in all details,” Emily continued, fiddling with the edge of the pillow. “I refused, said that you asked not to say anything, especially to him… I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts calling you soon and hassling you.”

Sarah slowly turned around, leaned against the windowsill and looked closely at her daughter. Interesting day she’s in for… She can easily imagine the level of Mark’s hysteria… Did a good job, daughter, can’t say otherwise…

Sarah sat down on the sofa next to Emily and sighed heavily, hugging her daughter. Well, there’s nothing to be done now. The words were spoken, and you can’t take them back…

“Why did you come up with that?” she asked quietly, slightly rocking Emily in her arms. “We were living peacefully! Now we’ll have to listen to his tantrums and whining again. Even feel like turning off the phone.”

Emily gently wriggled out of the embrace, sat up straight and looked seriously at her mother. Genuine conviction shone in her eyes.

“Because you’re wonderful!” she said confidently. “You’re beautiful, smart, you have lots of friends, and men find you popular! Think I don’t see? And dad is always saying nasty things about you! I’ve had enough!”

The woman gently stroked her daughter’s hair, carefully running her fingers through the soft strands. Tenderness and slight confusion could be read in her gaze.

“I get it, sunshine, I get it,” she said softly. “Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t want me to start serious relationships. After all, only six months have passed since the divorce from your dad.”

These words were not easy for her. Somewhere deep in her soul she feared that her daughter might perceive a new romance as betrayal or an attempt to replace her dad. Sarah looked closely at Emily’s face, trying to catch the slightest signs of displeasure.

“Rubbish!” Emily snorted, and there was such sincere determination in her voice that Sarah couldn’t help smiling. “The main thing is that you’re happy!”

The girl crossed her arms on her chest, smiling at her mother. At that moment she looked surprisingly adult wise beyond her years and ready to defend her opinion.

Sarah continued to look at her daughter, and the anxiety in her heart gradually melted away. Emily spoke so confidently that doubts began to recede. Maybe she really does think too much about the past and is afraid of the future?

“You’re a clever girl,” Sarah said quietly, pulling her daughter to her again. “Thank you for caring so much about mom.”

Emily pressed against her, settling comfortably at her side. At that moment both felt how it was getting even warmer and calmer between them as if their little family, despite everything, was only getting stronger with each day…

Sarah was sitting at her work desk, trying to concentrate on the report. The lines blurred before her eyes, and a dull ache pulsed in her temples, which had only slightly hinted at its presence in the morning but had grown to unbearable sizes by lunchtime. The woman tiredly massaged her temples, hoping to ease her condition a bit. The movements were slow, almost mechanical she had already done them dozens of times during the day.

After thinking for a couple of minutes, Sarah still decided and asked a colleague to go to the pharmacy it was literally two minutes’ walk from the office. Returning with the tablets, she washed them down with water from the jug and tried again to read the documents. No use. Her head felt like it was filled with lead, and every sound the tapping of keyboards, the hum of the air conditioner, distant conversations in the corridor responded in her with a sharp wave.

At that moment the security guard looked into the office. His face was polite, but there was some caution in his eyes.

“Sarah, someone’s here for you,” he said, slightly opening the door. “Your ex-husband insists on a meeting. Will you come down or should we help him leave?”

Sarah froze. A wave of irritation mixed with fatigue rose inside. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain external calm.

“I’ll come down now, sorry for the inconvenience,” she answered, getting up from the table.

Mentally she cursed. How untimely! Everything was going worse than ever. The working day was already hard, her head was splitting, and now Mark decided to show up without warning. Why didn’t he call? Why come straight to work, where there are lots of strangers? Did he decide to make a scene right in the office?

She slowly headed to the exit, trying not to hurry sharp movements only intensified the headache. The corridor was lively: employees hurrying on business, someone laughing by the coffee machine, someone discussing a project at the board with notes. Sarah walked past them, feeling how tension was tightening her shoulders.

Sarah came out into the hall and immediately saw Mark. He was pacing from side to side, now approaching the reception desk, now stepping back a couple of steps. His movements were sharp, impulsive he was emotionally waving his arms, proving something to the guards, periodically raising his voice. On the faces of the security employees there was restrained displeasure: they tried to remain polite, but were clearly ready to move to more decisive actions if the situation got out of control.

“What do you need?” Sarah asked without preamble, stepping closer. Her voice sounded even, although irritation was growing inside. “What kind of performance have you arranged here? Want to get acquainted with the police closer? I can arrange that.”

Mark turned sharply at the sound of her voice. His face was red, his eyes burning with an incomprehensible fire either from anger or from excitement. He jumped up to his ex-wife, accusingly pointing a finger at her, as if he had caught her in some crime.

“You!” he shouted. “You! Emily told me everything! Only six months have passed since the divorce, and you’ve already found yourself a new man?”

In his voice there was a mix of disbelief, resentment, and obvious jealousy. It seemed he hoped until the last that his daughter was mistaken or just trying to prank him. But now, looking at Sarah’s calm face, he understood that this was no joke.

Sarah raised her eyebrows in surprise, slightly tilting her head to the side. Her pose remained relaxed, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.

“And I have to keep faith with you forever?” she asked in an even tone. “Even after the divorce? You’re asking for too much, dear. Especially given that even in marriage you didn’t consider fidelity an obligatory virtue.”

Mark froze for a moment, as if not knowing how to react. His hand, still stretched out towards her, slowly lowered. Something like confusion flashed in his eyes he clearly didn’t expect such a calm, confident retort.

Around them people continued to walk: employees, visitors, couriers… Some cast curious glances in their direction, some tried not to pay attention. But for Mark and Sarah the whole world narrowed for a moment to this small space between them a space filled with old grievances, unspoken reproaches, and a new reality that was hard for him to accept.

“You… you just…” he finally squeezed out, but Sarah didn’t let him finish.

“Let’s not make scenes, Mark,” her voice became a bit softer, but no less firm. “If you need to discuss something, we can talk calmly. But not here and not like this.”

“Scenes? I’ll show you scenes!”

Mark was almost shouting, and his voice echoed through the spacious office hall. His face was covered with crimson spots, veins stood out on his neck, and his fists clenched and unclenched involuntarily, giving away extreme nervous tension. He would take a step forward, then step back, as if he couldn’t decide how best to convey his threat.

“I won’t allow my daughter to live under the same roof with some unknown person!” he shouted, not noticing that he was attracting the attention of passing employees. “I’ll take Emily away from you! You won’t see her ever again! You…”

His words sounded sharp, almost hysterical, but Sarah only slightly raised an eyebrow, keeping an expression of calm indifference on her face. Take the daughter? Well, she’d like to see that! Any court would side with her!

“All said? Straight actor,” she said in an even, slightly mocking tone. And added: “From the circus.”

“What’s going on here?”

Mark stopped mid-sentence and turned sharply to the unfamiliar voice. In the doorway leading to the hall stood a man in an elegant dark blue suit. His posture was casually confident, and his gaze calm and attentive. The guards, who had been trying to delicately restrain Mark, instantly stood at attention obviously, this was a person who held a not insignificant role in the company.

“Don’t interfere!” Mark hissed, casting an irritated look at the stranger. His face was still burning with anger, and hostility sounded in his voice. “This is a personal matter, it doesn’t concern you.”

The man didn’t rush to answer. He slowly walked forward, stopping a little apart, so as to see both interlocutors. He smirked, which wound Mark up even more.

“A personal matter is when you talk to your wife alone,” he finally said. “But when you arrange a scandal in a public place, it stops being personal and becomes public.”

Sarah silently observed this scene, feeling how the tension in the air was becoming almost tangible. She didn’t expect James to appear, but his intervention, though unexpected, seemed appropriate to her at least, it knocked Mark off his usual track of threats and shouts.

Mark took a step towards the man, clearly intending to respond with sharpness, but he didn’t even flinch. His gaze remained calm, almost impassive, as if he was used to dealing with much more emotional opponents.

“Who are you to tell me what to do?” Mark muttered through his teeth, trying to keep the remnants of self-control. “Sticking your nose into someone else’s business!”

James took several confident steps forward. He approached Sarah, who was still standing in slight bewilderment, not fully understanding what was happening, and gently put his arm around her waist. Demonstratively, leaving no room for imagination.

“Who am I?” he said in an even, almost everyday tone, but there was such cold determination in his voice that even Mark involuntarily stepped back. “I’m the one who makes Sarah happy. You allow yourself to shout at my woman, and I don’t forgive that. A trip to the police won’t get you out of this, I’ll make sure you have more problems than you can handle. And if you dare to use the daughter as a bargaining chip… I think you’ve understood me, right?”

Mark froze. His face, which had recently been burning with anger, gradually lost its crimson shade, being replaced by pallor. He shifted his gaze from James to Sarah, as if trying to realize that the situation had gotten out of his control. Something like confusion flashed in his eyes he clearly didn’t expect to meet such a confident and cool-headed opponent.

For several minutes he stood silently, clenching and unclenching his fists, as if struggling with the desire to say something sharp. But the words didn’t come either because of the overwhelming confidence with which James spoke, or from the realization that his usual methods wouldn’t work here.

Finally, he grimaced, muttered something unintelligible, barely audible, and turned sharply. His gait, which had been assertive and aggressive before, now looked constrained, as if he was trying his best to preserve the remnants of dignity. Before leaving the hall, he turned, threw over his shoulder:

“You can forget about the alimony!”

“We don’t need it,” Sarah snorted as soon as he disappeared behind the door. Her voice sounded light, almost mocking, but there was genuine relief in it. “But at least Emily won’t have to go to her dad’s anymore!”

A moment later Sarah suddenly realized that the warm, confident hand of the managing director was still lying on her waist. This touch, so simple and at the same time significant, made her slightly embarrassed. She involuntarily lowered her gaze, feeling a light blush spreading across her cheeks, and carefully stepped back, trying to do it as naturally as possible.

With a light, slightly confused smile she turned to her unexpected savior:

“Thank you so much, James. You can’t even imagine how much you helped!”

Her voice sounded sincere, without a hint of pretense. At that moment she really felt huge gratitude not only for intervening in the unpleasant scene, but also for how confidently and calmly he did it.

The man smiled slightly, his eyes warming for a moment.

“Shall we talk about this over lunch?” he suggested, extending his hand in an inviting gesture.

Sarah paused for a second, thinking over the proposal. The usual doubts flashed through her head isn’t it too soon, won’t it look frivolous? But she dismissed these thoughts almost immediately. James was behaving correctly, respectfully, and she really wanted to talk to him without the rush and strangers.

Plus, curiosity was stirring inside: who he really is, why he decided to intervene, what hides behind this calm confidence?

“Of course,” she replied, placing her palm in his hand.

The touch turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant firm, reliable, but without pushiness. Sarah felt how the tension that had gripped her since Mark appeared gradually left, leaving room for light excitement and even anticipation.

Later, at a cozy table in a small restaurant near the office, the conversation went more freely. The soft light of the lamps, unobtrusive music, and the aroma of fresh pastries created a welcoming atmosphere.

Gradually, in the course of a casual conversation, she found out that her savior had long had tender feelings for her. He told about it simply, without pathos and beautiful phrases rather as something natural that had long been maturing inside, but found no way out.

“I hesitated for a long time to approach,” he admitted, stirring his coffee with a spoon. “You always seemed so focused, serious… I understood that you were going through a difficult period after the divorce, and didn’t want to pressure or seem intrusive.”

Sarah listened without interrupting. There was no shadow of arrogance or self-satisfaction in his words only sincerity and respect for her personal space.

“And today, when I saw how that man was shouting at you…” James frowned disapprovingly. “I just couldn’t stay aside!”

The woman couldn’t hold back a soft smile. So that’s how it was! She had noticed the boss’s glances before, but had misinterpreted them! James was quite likable to her, but because of the difference in position she would never have dared to make the first move herself…

Three months after that tense scene in the office, Sarah and James officially became husband and wife. The wedding was splendid, the man fulfilled literally all of Sarah’s dreams, carrying out any wish.

Emily sincerely rejoiced for her mom. On the wedding day she helped Sarah get ready, carefully making sure everything was perfect from the hairstyle to the last button on the dress. When the newlyweds exchanged rings, the girl smiled and hugged both tightly.

“I’m so happy for you!” she whispered, and genuine joy shone in her eyes.

At the same time, Emily immediately honestly warned that she wasn’t ready to call James dad yet.

“I like you, James,” she said in one of the first evenings when the three of them were left alone. “And I’m glad that mom isn’t alone. But dad… No matter what he’s like, I already have a dad.”

James nodded without a shadow of offense:

“I understand. And that’s right, Emily. The main thing is that we’re together.”

Mark also received an invitation to the wedding more for the sake of mockery than seriously. Sarah hesitated whether it was worth sending him the envelope, but in the end decided let him know that her life continues, and without him. She sent the invitation by post, without an accompanying letter just a card with the date, time and address.

Naturally, Mark didn’t appear at the wedding. He didn’t even seriously think about coming the very thought of it caused a mixture of irritation and bitter resentment in him. Instead, he found another way to vent the accumulated dissatisfaction: he started calling mutual acquaintances.

He made the first call already the next day after receiving the invitation. His voice sounded deliberately calm, but tension clearly showed in the intonations.

“Can you believe it, she invited me to her wedding!” he blurted out, without waiting for the interlocutor to finish the greeting. “After everything that happened!”

The interlocutor (an old university friend) politely inquired what exactly seemed so outrageous to Mark. But he just waved it off:

“How could she? Humiliate me like that!”

In the following days this scene repeated again and again. Mark dialed one number after another, and each conversation started the same with this phrase about the invitation, spoken with barely restrained indignation. He seemed to be trying to find confirmation of his rightness in others’ words, waiting for someone to say: “Yes, that’s really awful.”

But the interlocutors reacted restrainedly. Someone nodded sympathetically, someone got by with general phrases like “Well, everyone has their own life”, and someone just remained silent, not knowing what to answer. And the more often Mark repeated his monologue, the more clearly he understood that his arguments sounded unconvincing.

Then he started claiming that Sarah was rushing too much with the new marriage:

“Only six months have passed! Can you really find real love in such a short time? It’s just an attempt to run away from reality. She’s just trying to forget me, you know?”

Then he suddenly switched to something else:

“She didn’t even give me a chance to fix everything! If we had talked, I could have…”

He didn’t finish himself what exactly he could have done get her back, change something in himself, start everything anew.

And sometimes his claims took a completely strange turn:

“I did so much for her, and she… Didn’t even say thank you. Just took and left. And took the daughter with her!”

These accusations of “ingratitude” sounded especially unconvincing. The interlocutors exchanged glances, shrugged their shoulders, and someone cautiously remarked:

“And why should she thank you? You were married, that’s natural!”

Mark fell silent, feeling how annoyance was growing inside. He understood that his words weren’t producing the effect he hoped for. No one shared his indignation, no one called Sarah “indecent” or “frivolous”. On the contrary, everyone seemed to think that she has the right to live on and that made him even angrier.

In the end, tired of the fruitless conversations, Mark stopped calling. He sat in his apartment, looked at the little things left from Sarah a forgotten hair clip on the shelf, an old photo album in the cupboard, a couple of dresses that had become small and understood no matter how you twist it, life goes on. Only he hadn’t yet managed to find his place in this new life.

In the end, tired of the fruitless conversations, Mark fell silent. And the life of Sarah, James, and Emily went its own way calm, measured, filled with small joys: joint dinners, weekend walks, funny arguments about which film to watch in the evening…Sarah was having a quiet moment with her coffee when her daughter Emily suddenly said, “Mom, you just have to find a new husband soon! Really, really urgently!”

Sarah almost dropped her cup, with a bit of coffee spilling onto the tablecloth. She put it down, cleared her throat, and looked closely at her daughter.

“Explain what’s going on,” she asked, trying to keep her voice even. “What’s this demand all about?”

Emily shifted from one foot to the other, lowered her eyes, and started studying the pattern on the carpet. She felt awkward, but she was firmly convinced she was doing the right thing.

“You see… Today I told dad that you’ve got a man,” she sighed heavily. “He just wouldn’t stop asking questions! He keeps asking if you’ve found someone! All this time I said ‘no’ and then he’d launch into this long speech about what a huge mistake you made leaving him. That you don’t get anything in life since you let go of such a wonderful guy!”

She raised her gaze to her mother. Her eyes showed annoyance, confusion, and even anger at her father.

“And also… he keeps repeating that you’ll soon realize how wrong you were and come back. Like, you definitely won’t find anyone better. So I got all worked up. Told him that you’ve met someone.”

Sarah ran her hand through her hair. Right away, the familiar intonations of her ex-husband came to mind that put-on confidence, that way of turning any conversation into a monologue about his own rightness.

“I can imagine the colorful words he used for that,” she said with a light irony. “Still can’t accept that I left him, the perfect one. Sometimes it seems to me that Mark only pushes for your weekend visits just for his own monologues. It’s important for him not to chat with you, but to get the latest gossip. He’s healing his ego that way.”

Emily sighed heavily and flopped onto the sofa, tucking her legs under her as usual. Leaning on a pillow, she absentmindedly ran her hand over the soft fabric of the upholstery, trying to gather her thoughts.

“Yeah, I think the same,” she said, looking off to the side. “I have to listen for an hour and a half to how amazing he is. The rest of the time I’m completely free he doesn’t even care how I’m doing. Doesn’t ask how I’m doing in school or if I need anything…”

The girl spoke about it so casually, as if describing a usual daily routine: getting up, breakfast, school, homework. For Emily this had really become ordinary long ago so much so that it didn’t even cause emotions anymore.

She leaned back on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling, mentally replaying the recent conversation with her dad in her mind. As always, it all started with his latest achievement this time he detailed how cleverly he conducted negotiations with partners. Then he moved on to his plans for the future, the difficulties he faces at work, how everyone around underestimates his contribution. An hour and a half monologue Emily even mentally noted the time so as not to forget to mention it in the conversation with her mom.

And when she tried to tell about her school maths competition, dad just nodded absently and immediately switched the topic to his own affairs. “Good job, of course, but you know, at my age I was already…” and then again a series of stories about his successes.

The girl shrugged slightly, brushing away the memories. She had long gotten used to this order of things. As long as Emily could remember, dad was always absorbed only with his own person. The other family members seemed to exist somewhere on the periphery of his attention important, but not enough to distract from the main thing from himself.

Any conversations he inevitably brought back to himself and his problems. If mom complained about fatigue, he immediately started talking about how hard it is for him at work. If Emily shared experiences about friends, dad found a way to turn the topic to his school years of course, much brighter and more eventful. He simply didn’t notice other people’s worries or considered them insignificant.

Emily still couldn’t figure out how her mom endured fifteen years next to such a person. He was literally fixated on his own glorious self! Maybe mom only held on for her sake, not wanting the daughter to grow up without a father. As a child, Emily sincerely believed that someday dad would change, start noticing them, take interest in their lives… But the years went by, and nothing changed. And only after the divorce did the girl discover with surprise that life without him was much calmer! No one pulls all the attention to themselves, considering others’ trifles unimportant.

“And why am I obliged to urgently find myself a life companion?” Sarah’s voice sounded a bit sharper than she probably wanted. “So you said it and said it what’s the big deal?”

“You see, when dad heard that, he completely changed!” Emily involuntarily winced, pressing one of the pillows scattered on the sofa to her chest. “First he turned pale, then red and started yelling so that even the neighbor ran over! To be honest, I even got a little scared.”

She fell silent for a moment, remembering that scene. Dad’s voice, unusually high and breaking, his hands clenched into fists, his darting gaze. It seemed like he was about to burst from the emotions filling him.

“He demanded that I name that man and describe him in all details,” Emily continued, fiddling with the edge of the pillow. “I refused, said that you asked not to say anything, especially to him… I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts calling you soon and hassling you.”

Sarah slowly turned around, leaned against the windowsill and looked closely at her daughter. Interesting day she’s in for… She can easily imagine the level of Mark’s hysteria… Did a good job, daughter, can’t say otherwise…

Sarah sat down on the sofa next to Emily and sighed heavily, hugging her daughter. Well, there’s nothing to be done now. The words were spoken, and you can’t take them back…

“Why did you come up with that?” she asked quietly, slightly rocking Emily in her arms. “We were living peacefully! Now we’ll have to listen to his tantrums and whining again. Even feel like turning off the phone.”

Emily gently wriggled out of the embrace, sat up straight and looked seriously at her mother. Genuine conviction shone in her eyes.

“Because you’re wonderful!” she said confidently. “You’re beautiful, smart, you have lots of friends, and men find you popular! Think I don’t see? And dad is always saying nasty things about you! I’ve had enough!”

The woman gently stroked her daughter’s hair, carefully running her fingers through the soft strands. Tenderness and slight confusion could be read in her gaze.

“I get it, sunshine, I get it,” she said softly. “Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t want me to start serious relationships. After all, only six months have passed since the divorce from your dad.”

These words were not easy for her. Somewhere deep in her soul she feared that her daughter might perceive a new romance as betrayal or an attempt to replace her dad. Sarah looked closely at Emily’s face, trying to catch the slightest signs of displeasure.

“Rubbish!” Emily snorted, and there was such sincere determination in her voice that Sarah couldn’t help smiling. “The main thing is that you’re happy!”

The girl crossed her arms on her chest, smiling at her mother. At that moment she looked surprisingly adult wise beyond her years and ready to defend her opinion.

Sarah continued to look at her daughter, and the anxiety in her heart gradually melted away. Emily spoke so confidently that doubts began to recede. Maybe she really does think too much about the past and is afraid of the future?

“You’re a clever girl,” Sarah said quietly, pulling her daughter to her again. “Thank you for caring so much about mom.”

Emily pressed against her, settling comfortably at her side. At that moment both felt how it was getting even warmer and calmer between them as if their little family, despite everything, was only getting stronger with each day…

Sarah was sitting at her work desk, trying to concentrate on the report. The lines blurred before her eyes, and a dull ache pulsed in her temples, which had only slightly hinted at its presence in the morning but had grown to unbearable sizes by lunchtime. The woman tiredly massaged her temples, hoping to ease her condition a bit. The movements were slow, almost mechanical she had already done them dozens of times during the day.

After thinking for a couple of minutes, Sarah still decided and asked a colleague to go to the pharmacy it was literally two minutes’ walk from the office. Returning with the tablets, she washed them down with water from the jug and tried again to read the documents. No use. Her head felt like it was filled with lead, and every sound the tapping of keyboards, the hum of the air conditioner, distant conversations in the corridor responded in her with a sharp wave.

At that moment the security guard looked into the office. His face was polite, but there was some caution in his eyes.

“Sarah, someone’s here for you,” he said, slightly opening the door. “Your ex-husband insists on a meeting. Will you come down or should we help him leave?”

Sarah froze. A wave of irritation mixed with fatigue rose inside. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain external calm.

“I’ll come down now, sorry for the inconvenience,” she answered, getting up from the table.

Mentally she cursed. How untimely! Everything was going worse than ever. The working day was already hard, her head was splitting, and now Mark decided to show up without warning. Why didn’t he call? Why come straight to work, where there are lots of strangers? Did he decide to make a scene right in the office?

She slowly headed to the exit, trying not to hurry sharp movements only intensified the headache. The corridor was lively: employees hurrying on business, someone laughing by the coffee machine, someone discussing a project at the board with notes. Sarah walked past them, feeling how tension was tightening her shoulders.

Sarah came out into the hall and immediately saw Mark. He was pacing from side to side, now approaching the reception desk, now stepping back a couple of steps. His movements were sharp, impulsive he was emotionally waving his arms, proving something to the guards, periodically raising his voice. On the faces of the security employees there was restrained displeasure: they tried to remain polite, but were clearly ready to move to more decisive actions if the situation got out of control.

“What do you need?” Sarah asked without preamble, stepping closer. Her voice sounded even, although irritation was growing inside. “What kind of performance have you arranged here? Want to get acquainted with the police closer? I can arrange that.”

Mark turned sharply at the sound of her voice. His face was red, his eyes burning with an incomprehensible fire either from anger or from excitement. He jumped up to his ex-wife, accusingly pointing a finger at her, as if he had caught her in some crime.

“You!” he shouted. “You! Emily told me everything! Only six months have passed since the divorce, and you’ve already found yourself a new man?”

In his voice there was a mix of disbelief, resentment, and obvious jealousy. It seemed he hoped until the last that his daughter was mistaken or just trying to prank him. But now, looking at Sarah’s calm face, he understood that this was no joke.

Sarah raised her eyebrows in surprise, slightly tilting her head to the side. Her pose remained relaxed, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.

“And I have to keep faith with you forever?” she asked in an even tone. “Even after the divorce? You’re asking for too much, dear. Especially given that even in marriage you didn’t consider fidelity an obligatory virtue.”

Mark froze for a moment, as if not knowing how to react. His hand, still stretched out towards her, slowly lowered. Something like confusion flashed in his eyes he clearly didn’t expect such a calm, confident retort.

Around them people continued to walk: employees, visitors, couriers… Some cast curious glances in their direction, some tried not to pay attention. But for Mark and Sarah the whole world narrowed for a moment to this small space between them a space filled with old grievances, unspoken reproaches, and a new reality that was hard for him to accept.

“You… you just…” he finally squeezed out, but Sarah didn’t let him finish.

“Let’s not make scenes, Mark,” her voice became a bit softer, but no less firm. “If you need to discuss something, we can talk calmly. But not here and not like this.”

“Scenes? I’ll show you scenes!”

Mark was almost shouting, and his voice echoed through the spacious office hall. His face was covered with crimson spots, veins stood out on his neck, and his fists clenched and unclenched involuntarily, giving away extreme nervous tension. He would take a step forward, then step back, as if he couldn’t decide how best to convey his threat.

“I won’t allow my daughter to live under the same roof with some unknown person!” he shouted, not noticing that he was attracting the attention of passing employees. “I’ll take Emily away from you! You won’t see her ever again! You…”

His words sounded sharp, almost hysterical, but Sarah only slightly raised an eyebrow, keeping an expression of calm indifference on her face. Take the daughter? Well, she’d like to see that! Any court would side with her!

“All said? Straight actor,” she said in an even, slightly mocking tone. And added: “From the circus.”

“What’s going on here?”

Mark stopped mid-sentence and turned sharply to the unfamiliar voice. In the doorway leading to the hall stood a man in an elegant dark blue suit. His posture was casually confident, and his gaze calm and attentive. The guards, who had been trying to delicately restrain Mark, instantly stood at attention obviously, this was a person who held a not insignificant role in the company.

“Don’t interfere!” Mark hissed, casting an irritated look at the stranger. His face was still burning with anger, and hostility sounded in his voice. “This is a personal matter, it doesn’t concern you.”

The man didn’t rush to answer. He slowly walked forward, stopping a little apart, so as to see both interlocutors. He smirked, which wound Mark up even more.

“A personal matter is when you talk to your wife alone,” he finally said. “But when you arrange a scandal in a public place, it stops being personal and becomes public.”

Sarah silently observed this scene, feeling how the tension in the air was becoming almost tangible. She didn’t expect James to appear, but his intervention, though unexpected, seemed appropriate to her at least, it knocked Mark off his usual track of threats and shouts.

Mark took a step towards the man, clearly intending to respond with sharpness, but he didn’t even flinch. His gaze remained calm, almost impassive, as if he was used to dealing with much more emotional opponents.

“Who are you to tell me what to do?” Mark muttered through his teeth, trying to keep the remnants of self-control. “Sticking your nose into someone else’s business!”

James took several confident steps forward. He approached Sarah, who was still standing in slight bewilderment, not fully understanding what was happening, and gently put his arm around her waist. Demonstratively, leaving no room for imagination.

“Who am I?” he said in an even, almost everyday tone, but there was such cold determination in his voice that even Mark involuntarily stepped back. “I’m the one who makes Sarah happy. You allow yourself to shout at my woman, and I don’t forgive that. A trip to the police won’t get you out of this, I’ll make sure you have more problems than you can handle. And if you dare to use the daughter as a bargaining chip… I think you’ve understood me, right?”

Mark froze. His face, which had recently been burning with anger, gradually lost its crimson shade, being replaced by pallor. He shifted his gaze from James to Sarah, as if trying to realize that the situation had gotten out of his control. Something like confusion flashed in his eyes he clearly didn’t expect to meet such a confident and cool-headed opponent.

For several minutes he stood silently, clenching and unclenching his fists, as if struggling with the desire to say something sharp. But the words didn’t come either because of the overwhelming confidence with which James spoke, or from the realization that his usual methods wouldn’t work here.

Finally, he grimaced, muttered something unintelligible, barely audible, and turned sharply. His gait, which had been assertive and aggressive before, now looked constrained, as if he was trying his best to preserve the remnants of dignity. Before leaving the hall, he turned, threw over his shoulder:

“You can forget about the alimony!”

“We don’t need it,” Sarah snorted as soon as he disappeared behind the door. Her voice sounded light, almost mocking, but there was genuine relief in it. “But at least Emily won’t have to go to her dad’s anymore!”

A moment later Sarah suddenly realized that the warm, confident hand of the managing director was still lying on her waist. This touch, so simple and at the same time significant, made her slightly embarrassed. She involuntarily lowered her gaze, feeling a light blush spreading across her cheeks, and carefully stepped back, trying to do it as naturally as possible.

With a light, slightly confused smile she turned to her unexpected savior:

“Thank you so much, James. You can’t even imagine how much you helped!”

Her voice sounded sincere, without a hint of pretense. At that moment she really felt huge gratitude not only for intervening in the unpleasant scene, but also for how confidently and calmly he did it.

The man smiled slightly, his eyes warming for a moment.

“Shall we talk about this over lunch?” he suggested, extending his hand in an inviting gesture.

Sarah paused for a second, thinking over the proposal. The usual doubts flashed through her head isn’t it too soon, won’t it look frivolous? But she dismissed these thoughts almost immediately. James was behaving correctly, respectfully, and she really wanted to talk to him without the rush and strangers.

Plus, curiosity was stirring inside: who he really is, why he decided to intervene, what hides behind this calm confidence?

“Of course,” she replied, placing her palm in his hand.

The touch turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant firm, reliable, but without pushiness. Sarah felt how the tension that had gripped her since Mark appeared gradually left, leaving room for light excitement and even anticipation.

Later, at a cozy table in a small restaurant near the office, the conversation went more freely. The soft light of the lamps, unobtrusive music, and the aroma of fresh pastries created a welcoming atmosphere.

Gradually, in the course of a casual conversation, she found out that her savior had long had tender feelings for her. He told about it simply, without pathos and beautiful phrases rather as something natural that had long been maturing inside, but found no way out.

“I hesitated for a long time to approach,” he admitted, stirring his coffee with a spoon. “You always seemed so focused, serious… I understood that you were going through a difficult period after the divorce, and didn’t want to pressure or seem intrusive.”

Sarah listened without interrupting. There was no shadow of arrogance or self-satisfaction in his words only sincerity and respect for her personal space.

“And today, when I saw how that man was shouting at you…” James frowned disapprovingly. “I just couldn’t stay aside!”

The woman couldn’t hold back a soft smile. So that’s how it was! She had noticed the boss’s glances before, but had misinterpreted them! James was quite likable to her, but because of the difference in position she would never have dared to make the first move herself…

Three months after that tense scene in the office, Sarah and James officially became husband and wife. The wedding was splendid, the man fulfilled literally all of Sarah’s dreams, carrying out any wish.

Emily sincerely rejoiced for her mom. On the wedding day she helped Sarah get ready, carefully making sure everything was perfect from the hairstyle to the last button on the dress. When the newlyweds exchanged rings, the girl smiled and hugged both tightly.

“I’m so happy for you!” she whispered, and genuine joy shone in her eyes.

At the same time, Emily immediately honestly warned that she wasn’t ready to call James dad yet.

“I like you, James,” she said in one of the first evenings when the three of them were left alone. “And I’m glad that mom isn’t alone. But dad… No matter what he’s like, I already have a dad.”

James nodded without a shadow of offense:

“I understand. And that’s right, Emily. The main thing is that we’re together.”

Mark also received an invitation to the wedding more for the sake of mockery than seriously. Sarah hesitated whether it was worth sending him the envelope, but in the end decided let him know that her life continues, and without him. She sent the invitation by post, without an accompanying letter just a card with the date, time and address.

Naturally, Mark didn’t appear at the wedding. He didn’t even seriously think about coming the very thought of it caused a mixture of irritation and bitter resentment in him. Instead, he found another way to vent the accumulated dissatisfaction: he started calling mutual acquaintances.

He made the first call already the next day after receiving the invitation. His voice sounded deliberately calm, but tension clearly showed in the intonations.

“Can you believe it, she invited me to her wedding!” he blurted out, without waiting for the interlocutor to finish the greeting. “After everything that happened!”

The interlocutor (an old university friend) politely inquired what exactly seemed so outrageous to Mark. But he just waved it off:

“How could she? Humiliate me like that!”

In the following days this scene repeated again and again. Mark dialed one number after another, and each conversation started the same with this phrase about the invitation, spoken with barely restrained indignation. He seemed to be trying to find confirmation of his rightness in others’ words, waiting for someone to say: “Yes, that’s really awful.”

But the interlocutors reacted restrainedly. Someone nodded sympathetically, someone got by with general phrases like “Well, everyone has their own life”, and someone just remained silent, not knowing what to answer. And the more often Mark repeated his monologue, the more clearly he understood that his arguments sounded unconvincing.

Then he started claiming that Sarah was rushing too much with the new marriage:

“Only six months have passed! Can you really find real love in such a short time? It’s just an attempt to run away from reality. She’s just trying to forget me, you know?”

Then he suddenly switched to something else:

“She didn’t even give me a chance to fix everything! If we had talked, I could have…”

He didn’t finish himself what exactly he could have done get her back, change something in himself, start everything anew.

And sometimes his claims took a completely strange turn:

“I did so much for her, and she… Didn’t even say thank you. Just took and left. And took the daughter with her!”

These accusations of “ingratitude” sounded especially unconvincing. The interlocutors exchanged glances, shrugged their shoulders, and someone cautiously remarked:

“And why should she thank you? You were married, that’s natural!”

Mark fell silent, feeling how annoyance was growing inside. He understood that his words weren’t producing the effect he hoped for. No one shared his indignation, no one called Sarah “indecent” or “frivolous”. On the contrary, everyone seemed to think that she has the right to live on and that made him even angrier.

In the end, tired of the fruitless conversations, Mark stopped calling. He sat in his apartment, looked at the little things left from Sarah a forgotten hair clip on the shelf, an old photo album in the cupboard, a couple of dresses that had become small and understood no matter how you twist it, life goes on. Only he hadn’t yet managed to find his place in this new life.

In the end, tired of the fruitless conversations, Mark fell silent. And the life of Sarah, James, and Emily went its own way calm, measured, filled with small joys: joint dinners, weekend walks, funny arguments about which film to watch in the evening…