From the moment Anya turned eighteen, her life took a painful and abrupt turn when her own mother cast her out of the house with cold finality, telling her the apartment belonged to her sisters and that she was never truly wanted.
Despite years of trying to earn affection and approval, Anya had always been treated as an outsider, a shadow among her siblings Vika and Yulia, who received love, attention, and even financial support for university, while Anya got only hand-me-downs and disdain. Her only source of comfort had been her grandfather, a kind and steady presence who raised her when her mother, pregnant and abandoned, had nowhere else to go. Summers with him in the countryside were filled with peace, chores, and moments of joy, but his death when Anya was ten only deepened the emotional isolation she felt at home.
As she grew, her sisters mocked her, and her mother never intervened, reinforcing the belief that she was unloved and unwanted. Forced to become independent, Anya took work as a hospital orderly and eventually proved herself so reliable that she was offered a scholarship to train as a surgeon. By twenty-seven, she lived alone, worked hard, and had no close family, but she had built a quiet, dignified life. A kind colleague named Grisha eventually noticed her sadness and encouraged her, offering both emotional support and later, a proposal of marriage. After she helped save the life of a patient, Dmitry Alekseevich, he offered her a job in a private clinic and a place to live, and over time, they formed a deep bond. When she confided in him about her pregnancy and decision to marry Grisha, Dmitry insisted on gifting her a house in the countryside—the same village where her grandfather had once lived—saying she deserved a home of her own.
Though hesitant at first, Anya accepted, unaware of the deep family ties that would later be revealed. Not long after, her seemingly stable life crumbled. Grisha, the man she trusted, betrayed her just a week before their wedding when another woman named Lena showed up at their apartment claiming Grisha’s love and saying Anya was no longer needed. Grisha admitted to the affair and cowardly stepped back, leaving Anya heartbroken and pregnant. She took refuge in the country house Dmitry had given her, which turned out to be a well-built, cozy home perfect for starting over, even though she faced challenges like the lack of running water and the uncertainty of giving birth alone. The neighbors already knew her, thanks to Dmitry’s introduction, and she found comfort in their quiet support.
Her mother and sisters remained cold, suggesting she give the baby up and criticizing her choices, but Anya had already decided to close that chapter. One day, while stoking the stove to warm the house, her poker hit something hidden among the firewood—a sealed wooden box labeled in familiar handwriting: “Anya, this is for you.” Inside was a letter from Dmitry, revealing a shocking truth: he was her grandfather’s brother, and he had been asked to look after her. Her mother was not her biological mother, but rather her aunt, who had hated her real mother and treated Anya with resentment as a result. The letter explained how Dmitry had searched for Anya for years, and that fate had brought them together at the hospital. He had given her the house her grandfather had once purchased from him, knowing she’d never receive anything from the rest of the family. The box also contained money left by her grandfather and a photo of her true parents—smiling, young, and holding a little girl. Overcome with emotion, Anya felt the years of pain and rejection melt away. She wasn’t unwanted. She had always been loved, just hidden from the truth. As she lit the stove, she let the flames carry away the sorrow, betrayal, and loneliness. In that moment, Anya didn’t feel abandoned—she felt strong, protected, and finally at peace. She had a home, a future, and a child on the way. For the first time in her life, she believed she truly was a happy person.
