Nothing can be resolved in an instant; everything must be done gradually… One must prepare to avoid losing half of everything one has worked for.

As I walked home, a small box nestled in my bag. Inside were a pair of elegant, expensive watches for David, a gift I selected with great care.

For months, I had been saving a portion of my salary from each paycheck to create a special surprise for him.

Tomorrow is my husband’s birthday. Forty-two years old—it isn’t a milestone, but I wanted to make it a memorable day. We’ve been together for fifteen years.

I remember how we met at a celebration for a mutual friend, how we struck up a conversation and talked until the early hours, standing by the entrance.

The lift in our building has always been temperamental. It’s an old one from the era of the Soviet Union, with plywood walls scrawled with graffiti.

I pressed the button to call the lift. It descended slowly, creaking as if the effort was too much for it.

Finally, the doors opened, and the light inside flickered. I stepped in and pressed the worn button labeled “8.”

The doors shut, and the lift began its slow ascent.

I envisioned spending the entire day with my husband. In the evening, our friends and family would come together to celebrate.

Suddenly, the lift jolted violently and came to a halt.

I pressed the button for the eighth floor again and then tried other buttons. Nothing worked.

“Just what I needed!” I muttered, exhaling in frustration. “This is just my luck.”

I pressed the button to communicate with the operator. Hissing crackled through the speaker, followed by a young woman’s voice.

“Operator speaking.”

“I’m stuck in the lift between the first and second floors.”

“I’ve notified the technician. Help will arrive shortly,” she replied.

“And when exactly?” I asked, but was met only with silence as the connection dropped.

I took out my phone. The signal was weak—only one bar.

I called David, but he didn’t answer. He was likely busy in a meeting or on the tube; he usually returned home around this time.

Twenty minutes passed. I squatted against the wall of the lift.

My phone battery was nearly dead, and I decided to switch it off.

Suddenly, I heard voices outside the lift.

A woman’s voice, bright and slightly hoarse.

It was Anna—the neighbour from the second floor. Young and striking, always in high heels. We exchanged greetings but never became close friends. I once helped her carry groceries, and she treated me to tea, but that was as far as our relationship went.

“You promised!” she was saying, her tone insistent. “How long can you keep putting this off? I can’t stand it any longer!”

A male voice responded, too faint for me to catch the words, but the tone was defensive, slightly irritated.

“Your promises mean nothing!” Anna continued. “I can’t take this anymore! You’re an adult behaving like a child!”

I couldn’t help but listen. Was this a domestic conflict?

In another situation, I would have felt awkward eavesdropping, but boredom and desperation made me an unwilling witness to their conversation.

“What do you want from me, Anna?”

The male voice grew louder, and I froze.

The tone, the inflections… Could it be David?

I pressed against the lift door. No, it couldn’t be.

David should be at work or at home. He couldn’t possibly be in our neighbour’s flat.

“I want you to finally tell her the truth,” Anna’s voice trembled with indignation. “You need to get a divorce. How much longer will this go on? How much longer can you delay?”

“Nothing can be solved immediately, you know,” the moment I heard David’s voice, I was certain. “I need time to prepare. I’ll lose half of everything in a divorce: the flat, the car, the holiday home…”

“What about our son? Have you thought about him at all?”

The world around me seemed to tilt as if I had lost my footing. A son? What was she talking about?

“He’ll be a year old soon,” Anna continued with a clear reproach in her voice. “He only sees his father on weekends, and even then, not always. How can you call yourself a father if you’re never around?”

I wanted to scream, pound against the lift door with all my strength. I wished to shout that I was hearing every word. However, my body felt frozen, as if it wouldn’t obey my commands.

I stood there, as though I had fallen into an icy abyss. My mind replayed snippets of memories, questions, and bewilderment.

“Just wait a little longer,” David’s voice sounded weary and lifeless. “I have everything figured out. It will be resolved soon.”

“What exactly have you figured out?” Anna scoffed disbelievingly. “You always say the same thing. You’ve always got excuses.”

“I’ve started transferring money to another account,” he replied in a business-like tone. “I’ve registered the car in my brother’s name. Soon, I’ll say I’m going away on a business trip, and then I’ll file for divorce. It will be easier for everyone.”

“Why not do it now?” she challenged, distrust evident in her voice.

I slowly sank down to the lift floor, gripping the box of watches tightly, as if that would prevent me from falling into despair.

Thoughts collided and tangled, one after the other. How did this happen? When? We had been so happy! We were even planning to build a new sauna at the holiday home this summer.

David had always seemed so attentive, so caring. Could it all have been a facade?

Then I recalled my mother’s words. Before the wedding, she had taken my hands and said seriously: “David is a notable man. Plenty of women follow such men. Be careful he doesn’t ruin your marriage.”

I had only laughed at the time. Her warning felt trivial and unfounded. How wrong I was…

The voices outside grew quiet. It seemed the entire building had fallen into silence, leaving me alone.

My mind swirled with thousands of questions: How long had this been going on? Did the other neighbours know? Most importantly—what should I do now?

If David was planning this, I would take the first step. I decided to reveal his treachery on his own birthday. He would learn what his deceit would cost him.

After a few moments, I heard a knock on the lift door.

“Hey, is anyone there?” a male voice called.

“Yes, I’m here!” I replied, struggling to stand up. My legs had gone numb from squatting.

“I’m opening it now; don’t worry!”

There were some scraping sounds, and a couple of minutes later, the lift doors finally opened.

Standing outside was an elderly technician in a blue overall bearing the logo of the managing company. With grey hair, a weathered face, and rough hands, he smiled at me.

“Well, there you go—freedom! How long have you been in there?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. My phone died, and I don’t have a watch,” I answered as I stepped out of the lift.

I stretched with relief, feeling the tension leaving my body.

“These old lifts are completely useless,” the technician sighed. “But no one’s in a rush to replace them. There’s no money, they say.”

I nodded, thanked him, and slowly walked up the stairs to the eighth floor.

Upon opening my flat door, I found David already home, sitting in the living room with a laptop on his lap. His glasses had slipped to the tip of his nose, and his hair was tousled—just how he always looked when concentrating.

“Oh, you’re back!” he smiled with his familiar warm expression. “I called you, but you didn’t answer.”

“I got stuck in the lift,” I replied, attempting to keep my voice steady. “My phone was almost dead.”

“That lift again,” David shook his head. “We really need to file a collective complaint. How long can we put up with this?”

I stared at him, unable to comprehend how he had learned to lie so convincingly. Every gesture and inflection now seemed fabricated, insincere.

“Are you having dinner?” I asked as I headed to the kitchen. “I’ll prepare some pasta.”

“Of course,” he replied. “Do you want me to help?”

“No, I can manage,” I waved him off, taking ingredients from the fridge.

The evening passed as usual. We had dinner, discussed the news, and watched a series together. David spoke of work matters; I listened attentively, nodding and laughing at his jokes.

But inside, my plan was brewing.

The next morning began with my deliberately cheerful call:

“Happy birthday, dear!”

David opened his eyes, stretched, and smiled.

“Thanks, love.”

“I have a surprise for you,” I said with a mysterious smile. “But first, you’ll have to close your eyes.”

“What are you up to?” he asked.

“You’ll see,” I replied, retrieving his dark blue tie from the cupboard. “Turn around; I’ll blindfold you.”

David obediently turned. I carefully tied the tie over his eyes, ensuring he couldn’t see a thing.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked as I led him out of the flat.

There was curiosity and a hint of apprehension in his voice.

“I hope it’s not a parachute jump? You know I’m scared of heights.”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” I said, guiding him towards the lift. “Just trust me.”

We descended to the second floor. I led David out of the lift and brought him to Anna’s flat.

I pressed the doorbell.

Every second of waiting felt endless.

In my mind, I envisioned images: the door opening, Anna’s shocked expression. I imagined her bewilderment.

Finally, the door cracked open. Anna stood in her home attire, a towel on her still-wet hair, her face only displaying mild confusion.

“Take him,” I said, giving David a slight push forward.

“What?” Anna glanced at us, clearly perplexed.

I guided my husband inside the flat. He still seemed oblivious, following my lead.

“You can take off the blindfold now,” I said confidently.

David removed the tie from his eyes, blinked, and began taking in his surroundings.

“Where are we? What’s happening?” he exclaimed, looking from me to Anna, clearly confused about his surroundings. “Whose flat is this?”

I crossed my arms defiantly, ready for the resolution.

“Ask your Anna,” I said coldly.

David stared at our neighbour with such genuine confusion that, for a moment, I doubted myself.

“What are you talking about?” he said, looking between me and Anna. “Vicky, please explain.”

Anna appeared just as bewildered.

“Have you all gone mad?” she asked.

“Stop pretending,” I snapped. “I heard everything yesterday—your conversation by the lift.”

Anna frowned.

“What conversation? I was at work all day yesterday. I only returned around 9 PM. I had my shift at the shop until 8.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but just then, a man came out from the kitchen.

A small boy sat on his arms, munching happily on a biscuit.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, and I froze.

His voice… The tone, the inflection… It was nearly identical to David’s. Even his manner of speaking seemed familiar.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. The man didn’t resemble David at all, but their voices… they were practically indistinguishable.

I laughed, grabbed David’s hand, and pulled him towards the exit.

“Please excuse us,” I said to our neighbour. “This is a misunderstanding. We’re leaving.”

Back home, I recounted the entire story to David. He listened with interest, as if he were watching a film unfold.

Then he shook his head and embraced me.

“Vicky, how could you think I’d do something like this? After fifteen years together? You know how much I love you.”

“You’ll believe it when you find yourself in that situation,” I smiled. “I’m sorry for putting on this spectacle.”

“It’s alright,” David grinned back. “Now we have an amusing story for family evenings.”

At last, I retrieved the box from my bag and offered it to him.

David was thrilled with the gift, immediately putting on the watches and admiring them throughout the day.