\u201cAre you sure she\u2019ll accept?\u201d she asked, placing the agenda down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Denis frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course she will. Mom already cleared it with her parents. They have no objections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI see,\u201d Olga said, standing, walking to her desk. \u201cThen congratulations. I wish you happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2026 you\u2019re not angry?\u201d Denis stammered, confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy would I be?\u201d she replied, opening a drawer and pulling out a stack of documents. \u201cYou made your choice. I acknowledge it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, good that you understand,\u201d Denis said, trying to relax. \u201cI was afraid there\u2019d be scandal\u2026 tears\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can always hope,\u201d Olga said, opening her laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She sat, booting it up, sorting documents methodically: the restaurant contract, hall reservation, entertainer receipts, baker contact info.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Denis asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m canceling the wedding,\u201d Olga said calmly, opening her email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait, don\u2019t rush,\u201d he said, rising. \u201cWe could talk\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to discuss,\u201d she interrupted, typing rapidly. \u201cYou\u2019ve found a better fianc\u00e9e. Therefore, no wedding. Logical, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell\u2026 yes, technically,\u201d Denis murmured. \u201cBut why be so radical? Maybe we could postpone\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olga didn\u2019t look up. Fingers flew across the keyboard. Message one: banquet canceled. Message two: hall reservation terminated. Message three: entertainer declined. Message four: cake order annulled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll in my name,\u201d she explained, eyes on the screen. \u201cNo problem. Tomorrow I\u2019ll call the florist, the photographer. Only the rings remain, but we can return them with receipts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait\u2026 you\u2019re really canceling everything?\u201d Denis stammered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWas I supposed to?\u201d she said, finally looking at him. \u201cOr were you planning two weddings?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, of course not\u2026\u201d he muttered. \u201cI just thought\u2026 maybe you\u2019d want to talk, understand\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to understand,\u201d Olga said, closing the laptop. \u201cYour mother found a better fianc\u00e9e. Congratulations. You\u2019re free.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She passed Denis, gathered her bag from the wardrobe, packing clothes, makeup, documents. Denis stood in the doorway, stunned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo a friend\u2019s. The apartment\u2019s yours. I\u2019m just temporarily registered here. Tomorrow I start looking for my own place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait!\u201d Denis exclaimed, stepping into the room. \u201cDon\u2019t go! Stay here for now, we can fix this calmly!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to,\u201d Olga said, zipping her bag. \u201cI cannot live next to a man who sees me as a bad match.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t say that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes. You just did. With your own words,\u201d she said, putting on her coat and scarf. \u201cI\u2019m a simple manager, and you need the daughter of a top executive. Remember?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Denis opened his mouth, but no words came. Olga walked out. At the threshold, she turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTell Ra\u00efssa Fiodorovna I wish her luck finding a truly worthy fianc\u00e9e for her son. Maybe the third time will be the charm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe third?\u201d Denis asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy not? If the first wasn\u2019t good enough, the second may fail too. Maybe Alissa is difficult. Or maybe Mom finds someone even better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olga left without waiting for a reply. The door closed softly behind her. Snow still fell, covering streets and cars in thick white layers. She called her friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTania, it\u2019s me. Can I come over? Just for a while, until I find a new place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course!\u201d Tania replied, worried. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll tell you when I get there. Leaving in ten minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olga took a taxi, leaning back against the seat. The heater hummed. She closed her eyes. Oddly, she felt neither pain nor disappointment\u2014only relief and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tania welcomed her with a warm cup of tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTell me,\u201d she insisted, seating Olga on the sofa. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe wedding\u2019s off,\u201d Olga said, cradling the mug in her hands. \u201cDenis found a better fianc\u00e9e.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snow fell softly over the city as Olga realized her life was about to change forever. The wedding, set for a week later, had been planned to perfection: the venue reserved, the rings purchased, the guests invited. Everything seemed flawless\u2026 until Denis suddenly changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the days leading up to that night, he grew distant, secretive, and often absent. The constant calls from his mother and his repeated silences stirred doubt and unease in Olga. Then, one evening, he spoke plainly: his mother had found him a \u201cbetter\u201d fianc\u00e9e\u2014one from a wealthier, more prestigious family. And he had agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strangely, Olga didn\u2019t cry. She simply understood that this man would never be a worthy partner. Without raising her voice, she canceled the wedding, terminated every contract, and left the apartment that very night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Denis scrambled in vain to fix what was broken, Olga was already moving forward. She returned the rings, tied up the final details, and embarked on a journey\u2014the one that had been intended as their honeymoon. There, by the sea, she rediscovered calm, clarity, and confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Denis lost everything: the \u201cbetter\u201d fianc\u00e9e rejected him, and his mother had to confront her own failure. Olga returned transformed: a new home, a professional promotion, and a freedom all her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When her former mother-in-law tried to contact her, Olga\u2019s reply was simple, precise, and final:
\u201cYour choice is yours. Mine is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hung up without a trace of regret. The past was closed. A fairer life had begun\u2014on her own terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n