After finishing school, her parents enrolled her in a prestigious university, and once she graduated, she began working at the family business.

She had her own apartment and car right after school, a reflection of how easily life came to her.

At twenty-two, Diana met Nikolay and fell deeply in love with him. He was handsome, charming, and had no trouble attracting women.

However, to win Diana’s heart and become her husband, Nikolay had to work hard.

Her parents disapproved of him. At twenty-eight, he was a taxi driver despite holding a law degree, and they couldn’t understand why he wasn’t pursuing a more stable career.

Diana managed, through persistence, to change her parents' views on Nikolay. Eventually, they gave their blessing, helped fund the wedding, and even gave the newlyweds a country mansion as a gift, hinting that they expected grandchildren soon.

Over the three years of their marriage, Diana never doubted her choice. Nikolay was always attentive and caring, never rude.

However, for reasons of his own, Nikolay refused to work in the family business. He preferred to work as a lawyer in a government office but resigned after only two years. Since then, he had struggled to find a steady job, refusing to work for her father.

Diana didn’t pressure him. Thanks to regular support from her parents, she and Nikolay continued to live comfortably.

She had a good relationship with her mother-in-law, Ekaterina Danilovna, who often visited, sometimes staying overnight. She always praised Diana and tried to please her, so Diana never expected anything bad from her.

One evening, Diana came home earlier than usual and overheard voices upstairs. It sounded like Nikolay and Ekaterina Danilovna.

Curious, Diana quietly went upstairs and saw her husband standing by the wardrobe room door.

“Mom, maybe that’s enough? You’ve been trying on clothes for an hour,” Nikolay said, clearly frustrated.

“What’s going on?” Diana asked as she stepped into the room.

“Why are you home so early?” Nikolay responded, his tone surprised and a little panicked.

“Father gave me the afternoon off for some meeting. I didn’t ask for details,” Diana explained. “But why are you so flustered?”

Nikolay nervously closed the wardrobe door and attempted to steer her downstairs.

“Nothing special. Just surprised to see you home early. Let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll make you some soup,” he suggested.

But Diana realized something was off. She entered the wardrobe and saw Ekaterina Danilovna trying on Diana’s evening dress, one that fit both of them.

“Your dresses are lovely, I couldn’t resist,” her mother-in-law said casually, smiling sweetly.

Diana stood frozen, shocked by what she was witnessing. “How often do you try on my clothes?” she asked, her voice suspicious.

Ekaterina Danilovna quickly changed back into her own clothes, smiling as if nothing had happened. Nikolay, avoiding the confrontation, walked to the kitchen.

“I just wanted to see how it fit. Sorry if I upset you,” her mother-in-law said nonchalantly. “It’s such a beautiful dress; I’m sure you look stunning in it. How much did it cost?”

“I don’t know; it was a gift from my mom,” Diana replied. “But next time, if you want to try on my things, please ask first.”

“Of course, dear. I didn’t mean any harm,” Ekaterina Danilovna hurriedly apologized and left the room.

Diana, still shaken, began to fold clothes in the wardrobe. As she picked up a pair of Nikolay’s trousers, a folded piece of paper fell from the pocket. Diana bent down, picked it up, and read:

“Happy anniversary of our meeting, my love! Thank you for last night!”

She reread the message, puzzled. The handwriting didn’t look like hers or Nikolay’s. She also realized that she and Nikolay had never celebrated their meeting anniversary.

Diana considered confronting him immediately, but then decided it would be futile. If Nikolay was cheating, he would lie and make excuses.

She slipped the note into her pocket and went downstairs. By the time she got there, her mother-in-law had already left, and Nikolay was waiting for her in the kitchen.

Diana sat down, her face expressionless. Nikolay, oblivious to her growing suspicion, didn’t try to engage her in conversation.

After dinner, Diana told him she was meeting friends. “It’s just us girls,” she said, leaving the house. Instead of going to the café, she went to a pet store and bought a GPS collar.

She set it up and linked it to her phone before returning home that night while Nikolay was in the bath. Diana saw this as the perfect opportunity.

She took the keys to his car and hid the collar in the trunk.

The next two days passed uneventfully. Nikolay behaved as usual, and she began to think she might have overreacted about the note.

Then, on Monday, she received a notification that Nikolay’s car had started moving. Her curiosity piqued, Diana tracked his movements. He first drove to an apartment building, stayed for about an hour, then headed to a shopping center.

Unable to resist, Diana left work early to see what he was up to. It was difficult to find him in the large shopping center, but after some searching, she spotted him near a supermarket entrance.

Nikolay was with a woman and two children—probably three and six years old. The kids were excitedly jumping around him, shouting, “Daddy, daddy! Will you buy us ice cream?”

The sight struck Diana like a punch in the gut. She approached Nikolay, her legs shaking, her voice trembling as she asked, “What’s going on here? Why do they call you daddy?”

“Diana, what are you doing here? Let’s go outside, we need to talk,” Nikolay said, pulling her toward the exit.

Outside, he nervously began to explain. It turned out that when he met Diana, he was already in a common-law marriage with Liza, who was pregnant with their second child. They had lived in poverty, and to receive state benefits, they had registered Liza as a single mother.

Nikolay had initially refused to deceive Diana, but after persistent persuasion from Liza, he agreed. As the money came in, Liza’s demands grew, eventually pressuring Nikolay to marry Diana.

“Diana, if you love me, don’t tell your parents anything for a couple of months and don’t file for divorce. I haven’t found a job yet, and Liza and I need to pay off the mortgage,” Nikolay begged.

“Are you serious?” Diana wiped away tears, stunned. “You’ve been deceiving me for over three years, living a double life, and now you’re asking me for something?”

He pleaded, “It’s all for the kids. Don’t you want them to have a stable life?”

“I don’t want that, but it’s not my responsibility. Did Ekaterina Danilovna know about your other family?” Diana asked, exhausted.

“Yes, she knew everything from the beginning,” Nikolay admitted reluctantly.

Diana took a deep breath. “Give me the car keys. Since your mother knew, let her help you pay off the mortgage.”

With a heavy sigh, Nikolay handed over the keys. “Don’t come back home. I’ll send your things and the divorce papers.”

Diana left, tears streaming down her face, unable to believe that her husband had deceived her for so long.

Two months later, they were officially divorced. Meanwhile, Nikolay and Liza’s life became more difficult without Diana’s financial support. They struggled to pay their mortgage, and Liza’s mother refused to help, blaming her son for their predicament.