I was absorbed in preparations since morning.
Christmas Eve has always been the most important day of the year for me. A table covered with a white tablecloth, candles flickering against the Christmas tree, the smell of borscht and pierogi wafting through the air – this was a time when the family was supposed to be together, when everything was supposed to be full of love and peace. But this year was supposed to change everything. Christmas Eve became a nightmare I will never forget.
I was absorbed in preparations from morning. My husband, Marek, was behaving a bit differently than usual – he was more thoughtful, silent, but I put it down to stress related to work. I didn't suspect anything.
– “Marek, are you okay?” – I asked, seeing him sitting by the window, staring at the snow.
– „Yes, of course. It's just that … it's going to be a special Christmas Eve– he replied, smiling uncertainly.
I didn’t understand what he meant, but I didn’t press further. I thought he had prepared some kind of surprise for me – maybe a gift, maybe something that would make this evening even more beautiful.
When the table was ready, Marek looked at his watch.
– „One more person will be here in a moment– he said, walking to the door.
I froze.
– „Who? Marek, it's Christmas Eve. It was supposed to be just the two of us– I said, trying to hide my uneasiness.
He didn’t answer. I got up and followed him into the hallway. Then the bell rang. The door opened, and a woman stood behind it. She was young, maybe ten years younger than me, and her advanced pregnancy was obvious at first glance. For a moment I lost my breath.
– „Marek, what’s that supposed to mean? Who is she?” – I asked, feeling my heart beating faster and faster.
Marek looked at me with a mixture of shame and determination.
– „This is Aneta. We need to talk.”
A dead silence fell in the living room. Aneta sat down in one of the armchairs, looking at me with embarrassment. I was still standing, trying to understand what was happening. Marek finally spoke.
– „Ela, this wasn't planned. I met Aneta a few months ago. It… wasn't supposed to end like this, but she's pregnant. And it's my baby.”
The words were like a knife driven straight through my heart. I couldn't believe it. The man I'd spent fifteen years of my life with, the man I'd shared every day with, had betrayed me. And now, on Christmas Eve, he brought me this truth like it was some twisted form of gift.
„Why now? Why on Christmas Eve?!” – I exclaimed, feeling tears welling up in my eyes.
Marek looked down.
– „Because I wanted you to know. Because I can't live a lie anymore. I want us all to start over.”
– „From scratch? You've got to be kidding! You ruined everything we had. And now you bring your mistress here and expect… what? Understanding?!”
Aneta finally spoke, in a quiet, trembling voice.
– „Please don't yell at him. It's my fault. I should have stayed away.”
– „Your fault?– I laughed bitterly. – „You're both to blame. You ruined my life.”
I don't know how long I stood there, looking at them, feeling everything inside me crumble. Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I ran out of the house, leaving them alone. The snow was falling thickly, and I wandered the empty streets, trying to understand what had just happened. Every step seemed heavier, every breath more painful.
I returned late at night. The house was empty, and the table with the Christmas Eve dishes was untouched. Marek and Aneta had disappeared, leaving behind a silence that filled every corner. I sat at the table, staring at the wafer that was supposed to symbolize love and unity. But now everything seemed false.
That evening I lost everything – my husband, my faith in love, my hope for a peaceful life.
A Christmas Eve that was supposed to be full of warmth and peace became the beginning of the end. Now I have to learn to live again, although I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive – neither him nor myself for not seeing the signs earlier that led to this nightmare.
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