Her husband took her to an abandoned cabin to die, but there an unexpected encounter awaited her.

“Larisa, there’s not much left… Come on, darling, you can do it!”

She could barely move her legs. Each step was an incredible effort, as if a huge weight were hanging from them.

“I want to shower…” Larisa whispered, feeling her strength finally leaving her. “Gleb, I can’t anymore. I really can’t!”

Her husband looked at her with feigned concern, but there was a certain strangeness in his eyes. How had she not noticed that icy gleam before?

“You can do it, darling, you can do it! Look, here’s our goal: the little house!”

Larisa followed his gaze. In front of them rose a building that looked like a cross between an old barn and a fairy-tale cottage on chicken legs.

“Are you… sure the healer lives here?” Her voice trembled treacherously with tiredness and fear.

“Of course, dear! Come on, just a little bit!”

Larisa climbed onto the sloping porch almost mechanically, as if in a dream. Gleb laid her down on a wooden bench and suddenly smiled contentedly. A smile that touched her heart.

“Now you can rest… For a while.”

She looked around the gloomy room: cobwebs, dust, dampness. She looked at her husband fearfully:

“Gleb… No one lives here!”

“That’s right!” she laughed. “No one has lived here for about twenty years. And anyway, no one has searched here for a long time. If you’re lucky, you’ll die a natural death. And if not…” she paused, “wild animals will find you.”

“Gleb! What are you saying?! Wake up!”

He straightened, and the mask of a loving husband disappeared forever.

“I asked you to register the business in my name! But you were as stubborn as a mule!” he snapped. “Do you even understand what it cost me to tolerate you? To sleep with you? You disgust me!”

“And my money doesn’t disgust me?” Larisa whispered.

“It’s MY money!” she growled. “It’s mine, I just need to complete the paperwork. Everyone knows how crazy you are with all kinds of devilry. I tell everyone you’ve lost your mind and gone to the desert with a charlatan. I tried to persuade you, but…” He opened his arms theatrically, “you’re stubborn! Did you like my plan? I don’t even need to buy a coffin!”

His laughter sounded like a dog barking. Larisa closed her eyes: it’s a nightmare, just a nightmare…

But the slamming door was all too real.

She tried to get up; she needed to run, it was all a joke! But her body wouldn’t obey her. Lately, she’d been running out of breath quickly, as if someone were sucking her life energy dry.

“Now it’s clear who…” flashed through her thoughts.

She no longer had any strength. Larisa gave in and fell into a restless sleep.

They married five years ago. Gleb appeared out of nowhere; penniless, but with a charm that swept her off her feet. Tired of loneliness and work, Larisa fell madly in love.

But she was warned… Everyone around her said he just needed money, that he spent his money on other women. She discovered the truth a year ago. After that, she started having health problems: sometimes with her heart, sometimes with her stomach, sometimes all at once. The doctors explained it as nervous breakdowns.

She tried not to worry. She really tried! But how can you not be nervous when you love someone who betrayed you?

And now she’s a rich and successful woman, but she’s so sick that she won’t be able to get out of this wreck in the forest. Her death will remain a secret.

In a deep sleep, Larisa heard a rustling sound. Someone was nearby. Her heart sank: could it really be animals?

—Don’t be afraid!

She shuddered:

—Little girl! Where are you from?

A little girl about seven or eight years old was sitting across from her. The girl sat down next to her.

—I’ve been here before. When he brought you, I hid.

Larisa sat up:

—Are you alive? How did you end up here?

—I come here alone. When I argue with Dad, I hide here. Let him worry!

—Is he hurting you?

—No! He’s just forcing me to help. And I don’t want to. Why do children have to work? If I don’t listen, he makes me wash the dishes. A mountain to climb! The girl opened her arms.

Larisa smiled weakly:

“Maybe he’s just tired. Try giving you a task you can handle. I’d do anything for my dad if he were alive.”

“Did your dad die?”

“Yes, a long time ago.”

“Everyone will die,” the girl declared with childish philosophy.

“You mean your dad will die too?!” The girl perked up.

“People die when they get old. It happens.”

The girl thought:

“Mom was sick… She went with the angels. I cry often because I miss you. I’ll help Dad so he doesn’t die!” She looked at Larisa. “And were you brought here to die too?”

“It seems so…”

“Why not in the hospital?”

A tear rolled down Larisa’s cheek.

“He decided it himself… So I wouldn’t get cured.”

“You scoundrel!” The girl was indignant. “I’m going after Dad! Do you know what he’s like? He cures everyone in the village! Only he couldn’t cure Mom…” Her voice trembled.

“How is that?”

The girl went to the door,and for a moment, Larisa thought the child might leave, but she turned back. “He told everyone he could cure them. But Mom, she… she was different. She couldn’t be healed. He promised her, though. Promised me. And when she died, he said it wasn’t his fault. That was when I stopped trusting him.”

Larisa’s heart ached for the little girl. Her fragile voice, her confused innocence—it reminded her of herself when she was younger, before life had come crashing down.

The girl hesitated, looking around the cabin with suspicion. “Is he gone?” she asked in a whisper, almost like she feared the answer.

Larisa forced herself to sit up straighter. Her legs were numb, but she needed to stay strong, for the girl’s sake. “He left. I think he’s gone for good. He… he doesn’t care about me anymore.” Her words were barely audible.

The girl looked at her for a long moment. “I’m going to stop him,” she said, determination now creeping into her voice. “You’ll be okay here. I’m going after him!”

“No!” Larisa grabbed the girl’s arm weakly, “You can’t… It’s too dangerous. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants, and he’ll hurt anyone who gets in his way. Promise me you’ll stay here.”

The girl looked at her, then down at the dirt floor. “But… I don’t want him to hurt anyone else. I want to help you. You’re not supposed to be here. You should be with people who care about you.”

Larisa’s eyes welled with tears, but she wiped them away, trying to keep calm. “Sweetheart… if I could leave, I would. But I’m so tired. My body won’t listen. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to fight.” She paused. “Promise me you’ll stay hidden, at least until we know it’s safe.”

The girl nodded solemnly, her eyes wide with fear but understanding. “I promise. But you have to promise me something too.”

“What?”

“That when you can, you’ll tell someone. Tell them about him. Tell them what he did. Don’t let him get away with it.”

Larisa felt a flicker of hope for the first time in hours. She smiled at the girl, despite the pain coursing through her body. “I will. I’ll make sure they know. I promise.”

The sound of footsteps outside startled them both. The girl darted to the far corner of the room and hid behind a stack of old crates. Larisa tried to steady her breathing, her heart pounding in her chest.

The door creaked open, and there he stood. Gleb. His eyes were cold, calculating, and the sneer on his lips made her stomach churn.

“Larisa…” His voice was venomous, a twisted mockery of the tenderness it once held. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Did you really think I’d leave you here to die without checking on you? You’re so weak… so pathetic.”

Larisa swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “What are you going to do now, Gleb? You’ve brought me here, but you’ll never get away with it. People will find out what you’ve done.”

He laughed, the sound grating on her nerves. “Oh, Larisa, you really don’t get it, do you? You were never part of my plan. You were just a means to an end. And now, you’re nothing but a nuisance. A broken, useless woman who couldn’t even keep up with her own lie.”

She gritted her teeth. “You were never the man I thought you were. All this time, you used me for your own gain. And now… you’re going to let me die here alone?”

Gleb stepped forward, his shadow looming over her. “You should be grateful, Larisa. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be in that pathetic little life of yours, scrambling for scraps. But I gave you everything! You think I didn’t try? You think I didn’t work for us? For you?”

“Everything?” Her voice broke, her anger rising like a tide. “Everything you gave me was built on lies and deceit. I trusted you, Gleb, and look where it got me—alone in a cabin, waiting for my end.”

He leaned in, his breath hot against her skin. “Oh, you poor, deluded woman. You still don’t see it, do you? You’re not even worth the trouble anymore. I’ll let you rot here, like I should’ve done long ago.”

Larisa fought to keep her composure, her mind racing. She had to get out. Somehow, she had to make it out of this nightmare.

“Don’t… don’t you want your money, Gleb? It’s all here. You just need to finish what you started. Let me die, and you’ll be free to take everything. Just… just finish it,” she said, her voice filled with a mix of defiance and pleading.

His eyes narrowed. “You think that will stop me? You think I care about your money anymore? It’s never been about that, Larisa. It was about power. Control. You were just the prize I needed.”

As he moved toward her, the girl sprang from behind the crates, rushing forward with all the speed she could muster. “Stop! Don’t hurt her!”

Gleb froze. His eyes widened as the child appeared, her small form shaking with fury. “You… you little brat. What are you going to do?”

The girl stood her ground. “I’m going to tell everyone what you did. You won’t get away with it. People will know the truth.”

Gleb’s face twisted in disbelief, and then in anger. He took a step toward the girl, but Larisa, fueled by adrenaline, managed to get to her feet, grabbing a rusted old piece of wood that lay nearby.

“Stay away from her!” she shouted, her voice stronger than she felt.

Gleb hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. Then, with a sudden growl, he lunged at the girl.

But Larisa, with every ounce of her remaining strength, swung the piece of wood at him, catching him across the chest. He staggered back, his face contorting in pain and rage.

“You’re not hurting anyone else!” Larisa screamed, her legs shaking but firm beneath her.

Gleb roared in fury, but the child quickly grabbed Larisa’s arm, pulling her toward the back door. “Come on! Let’s go!”

Larisa couldn’t believe it. Despite the pain, despite everything, the girl was helping her escape. It was her chance.

The girl dragged her into the woods, her small feet light against the damp earth. Behind them, Gleb shouted in rage, but it no longer mattered. They were free.

They would make it out. They would survive. And in time, the truth would be known.