Transcription
He didn't sleep. Vadim lied, but it wasn't enough that she should feel guilty about it. Tell me about your husband. About Sergei? Why? Well, okay, if you insist. Angelica settled more comfortably at the table.
We met him in a small cafe. We often drank coffee there after classes with Svetka. I was never deprived of male attention. Probably, that's why it was so hard for me in the orphanage. The girls hated me. In high school, they locked me in the toilet and the boys beat me. I didn't want to be friends with them. It hurt their pride. I was an outcast.
And then, when we got out of those gray walls, a new life began. We studied, worked, enjoyed life, and made plans. Svetka was always easygoing, she knew how to make acquaintances. We always had a lot of noise, a lot of friends, acquaintances. I didn't mind. I was finally learning to live again. And I liked it. And Sergei was so gallant, so handsome. He was unlike our acquaintances. He read poetry, can you imagine? No one ever read poetry to me, but he did. That's how it all started. We rented an apartment, talked about getting married.
Do you love him? Yes. She answered so quickly that Vadim understood, she really wanted to believe it. You see, not everything was as smooth as we wanted. I fought for my happiness in small pieces, didn't sleep for days, worked three jobs. I wanted a family, children, Sergei did too. He wasn't doing so well at work. I don't know why. Maybe he lacked perseverance, or something.
And then it turned out that the only relative I had left made a will in my favor. An aunt? Yes. After she abandoned me, she got married, left for abroad. I don't know what happened there, but she had no children. Her husband died a year before her death. She died alone. And you know, if she had found me earlier, I would have forgiven her. After my father's death, I was in such a state of shock. Everyone turned their backs on me. I was alone, completely alone, if it weren't for Svetka. But then, no, I never held it against her. In the end, she wasn't obligated to. Well, ultimately, I became the heir to a huge fortune, opened my own company, invested something in securities, and bought this house. Of course, there's no such passion as before, but he loves me. True, he doesn't read poetry anymore.
Angelica chuckled at her own thoughts. And does Sergei know about your, well, about what you see? Vadim still couldn't forgive himself for their shift to informal address. It was very difficult for him not to mix personal and professional relationships. But there's no turning back. He had to adapt to the circumstances. No, he doesn't know. About your past. We rarely talk about that. I told him right away that I grew up without parents. It even seems to me that it made me even more appealing to him. And I wouldn't tell him about my father. That's something I'd like to forget. You see, his face is still in front of my eyes. It just happened that way. I had to tell him.
And when did the hallucinations begin? Angelica bit her lip. Well, probably right after that incident. Which one? We were choosing a suit for Sergei, there was some very important meeting, and in the leather goods department, I was choosing a belt for him. And then, then I saw one very similar to that one.
Angelica fell silent, walked across the room and stopped opposite Vadim. I had a panic attack. I lost consciousness. Right after that incident, I told Sergei everything. So, when did it happen? Six or seven months ago, I don't remember exactly. Vadim pondered. Okay, you need to get some sleep. Let's meet tomorrow. I need to be at the office. I can only drop by after work. Great. I'll be waiting. Are you leaving? Yes.
Angelica bit her lip again. Vadim felt a strong desire to kiss that lower lip, to feel its taste in his mouth. He approached Angelica, took her hand, gently traced her finger from her wrist to her palm, then as if remembering something, released her hand and abruptly stepped back. God, what is he doing? He should help her cope with her problem. She's his patient. It's all sleepless nights. And Nastya. Strangely, he even felt relieved by their breakup, although he had recently planned to propose to her. Of course, he didn't expect such betrayal from her. And yet, he's a qualified specialist with many years of experience. Why didn't he notice anything, but he should have? She started disappearing with her friends often, got a haircut, dyed her hair a bright blonde, which, by the way, suited her. And lately, things weren't so good in bed. She was suffering from migraines. He attributed it to her busyness and fatigue. Forget about her. It's all for the best. It's good that he found out about this now, and not after the wedding.
Maybe you'll stay? I'm afraid to stay alone. Sorry, I really need to go. Angelica sighed and began to see him off. See you in the evening, Angelica. Try to get some sleep. Yes, of course.
Vadim drove down the night highway and thought. He was only concerned by the fact that Angelica's hallucinations only began to torment her when she was alone and only at night. I wonder how her husband treats his wife? Of course, that incident in the store triggered the first attack, but it's such a rarity. Only 5% of patients are susceptible to visual hallucinations. He needs to schedule Angelica for an examination of the temporal part of the brain. That would explain a lot. Then it would be possible to adjust the treatment, to consult surgeons. But Angelica looks perfectly healthy. No signs, except that she's hallucinating this damn belt. He suddenly remembered an old case of a classmate. For some time they shared an office, practiced together. Come on, could this really happen to Angelica? Although he nodded to himself, as if taking his thoughts seriously, and increased the speed.
He couldn't fall asleep. He paced back and forth in his hotel room, then put on his jacket and went out into the hall. The clock showed 7:00 am. By the time he gets to the office, by the time... Roman, hi. Oh, lost soul, hi. Hi. Since you remembered me, it means you need something. You're right as always. I need to install cameras in the house, but so that no one knows about it. Will you help? No problem. What did you get involved in again? I'll tell you when we meet, when can I drop by? I'm at work, come over. I'll be there in an hour. Vadim took out his phone and looked at the clock. God willing, he's right, but Angelica still needs to be sent for an examination. It's a shame she's his patient. Under other circumstances, he would have used all his charm to win this woman over. And on the other hand, he can still send her flowers, just to brighten her [music] day.
Angelica stuck her nose into the bouquet and smiled. She had already forgotten how pleasant it is when you are given flowers. At the beginning of their relationship, Sergei paid attention to her, gave her flowers, small, pleasant gifts, and then somehow everything went downhill. Although, on the contrary, now they had the opportunity to please each other with pleasant trifles now and then. They even discussed gifts for birthdays and other important dates, so there were no surprises. Damn, how pleasant it is anyway. Vadim liked her as a friend, as a man. When he held her hand in his last night, she felt pleasant goosebumps running down her skin. No, no, did she love her husband or not? Or was only habit and attachment left of love and passion? They hadn't spent time together for so long. He was constantly late at work, sometimes even sleeping in the office. And she was always alone. The rare moments they managed to spend together, they spent in bed. It was a big duty. She hadn't felt passion for him for a long time. How did she not notice? When did it happen, why didn't she raise the alarm? But she felt attraction to Vadim – it's foolish to deny the obvious. And yesterday he looked at her like that. She was sure that he was going to kiss her now, but something pushed him back at the last moment, and he moved away from her, and she really wanted him to do it. She again inhaled the scent of roses and switched her attention to work. She will definitely thank him when they meet.
Yes, darling. Angelica's husband's call interrupted her work. How are you? Everything is wonderful, darling. I'm sure you have a tired voice. Oh, I slept poorly last night. What happened? Maybe it's worth telling him everything already. Perhaps he won't stay late at work so often. After all, when he's around, there are no hallucinations, they don't haunt her. Nothing serious. You'll come home, and I'll tell you everything. That's why I'm calling. I missed you so much that I decided not to wait until tomorrow morning and will leave today. True, I'll arrive late at night, but after midnight I'll be able to hug my beloved wife. Angelica should have felt joy and relief, but she caught herself thinking that she would now not be able to call Vadim so that he could save her from her nightmares. "Sergei" is returning tonight. "I will not disturb you in the middle of the night anymore". She said it with such regret that she herself was frightened by her reaction to this message. Andzhi, she even flinched. Besides Svetka, no one ever addressed her like that. Only Mom. But that was so long ago, she had almost forgotten her tender voice. She turned at the sound of his voice and looked at him with eyes full of tears. Are you upset about something? I can say everything I think. You must tell me everything you think. Only then can I help you. I'm not sure I want my husband back. That's it. She voiced her thoughts. It's just that she couldn't lie to others, nor to herself. She was drawn to this man, and all day, instead of dealing with accounts and tables, she thought about Vadim. He came closer to her, looked straight into her eyes. Why? I'll be sad without you. I'm used to you. You, I don't know how to say it. He took another step toward her, put his arms around her shoulders, looked into her eyes and saw a silent expectation, a continuation. He leaned down and touched her lips, and she seemed to be waiting for his kiss. Her lips parted, letting his tongue in. He felt her taste. His head spun, he pulled her closer to him. She yielded and pressed against his chest. Her hands rose and fell on his neck. She moaned and responded to his kiss so passionately and ardently that he barely managed to restrain himself from grabbing her in his arms and dragging her to the sofa. Angelica slightly pulled away from him. Her lips were swollen from the kisses and looked even more seductive than before. God, what are we doing? He himself didn't understand how it happened, how he lost control of himself. Sorry. He loosened his embrace, but couldn't completely let go of Angelica. He stroked her velvety cheek, again straightened a stray lock of hair. Do you trust me? Yes. I'm going to say one thing now. It may sound absurd, and everything may be completely different. If I'm wrong, I apologize, but I hope I'm right. If not, you will need to undergo an examination to find out the cause of your hallucinations. I don't understand anything. He took her hand, seated her in an armchair, sat down next to her, looked into her eyes and kissed her fingertips. I think you're being deliberately driven crazy. Angelica stared at Vadim incomprehensively. Everything you see, it's all staged. And I'm afraid your husband is involved in this. Angelica pulled away her hands and jumped up from the armchair. What are you saying? How could you think of such a thing? I understand, it looks like utter nonsense. Once upon a time, a woman turned to my friend, a practicing psychologist. She constantly hallucinated the crying of her unborn child, but she only heard it when she was alone. You also only see your visions at night. You see, when a person is sick, he is prone to such attacks regardless of time and place. She lost her daughter. Her daughter was born dead. It was a deep trauma, which, of course, affected her psychological state. But she started hearing the baby cry only when her husband decided to file for divorce, and they started a difficult legal battle over the division of property. Her husband decided to drive his ex-wife crazy, thus putting her in a mental hospital, in order to get all the property without any trial. Angelica listened without interrupting, but from her expression he understood that she didn't believe a single word he said. Everything came out by accident. The maid, who cleaned the mistress's bedroom, found a transmitter under the carpet, where no one ever looked. It was he who transmitted the sounds of a crying child. But this can't apply to my case. Possibly, but let me convince myself of my assumption. What do you want from me? Vadim stood up, opened a drawer and took out several small cameras. Look, these are cameras. They transmit a signal to a certain channel. We'll connect them to your phone. All you need to do is install them throughout the house. Where are you most often haunted by hallucinations? Mostly in the kitchen, in the hallway, nowhere else. And where is your husband usually at that time? Well, most often he stays late. He has never seen me in this state. Only recently he slept on the sofa, came home late and didn't wake me up. Can you install the cameras before your husband arrives? I don't know. Angelica licked her lips, which still remembered the taste of his kiss. I'm sure you're wrong. My husband would never do that to me. And why would he? He loves me and definitely doesn't plan to file for divorce. Angelica, I'll be glad if I'm wrong. But okay, further, if I agree, I'm not sure I can do it myself. I'll tell you everything. Come here. Read this. He showed and told how to use the equipment properly. Angelica climbed into bed, pressed the icon on her phone to turn on the program, and waited. She herself didn't understand how she agreed to all this. God, what nonsense! Sergei doesn't even have such thoughts. He loves her. Yes, maybe their relationship isn't what it was 7 years ago, but that's normal for everyone. And how long should she wait? She leaned back on the pillow, turned on the TV and turned the volume on her phone to maximum. After 2 hours she was completely convinced that she was doing nonsense. Instead of going to bed, she changed into a nightgown, turned off the TV and burrowed into a soft blanket. She was already reaching for her phone to turn off the program, but something stopped her. Okay, I'll watch a little longer. In the end, she'll be able to see Sergei arrive and prepare for his return. She was ashamed of her momentary weakness with Vadim, of the fact that she still let him persuade her into this adventure with the cameras, thus letting Vadim understand that she might not trust her own husband. "What's that?" Angelica mumbled to herself, seeing the moving light from a flashlight that was moving along the corridor. The light stopped near the hall, then continued on towards the kitchen. The light flickered, stopped at the table and stopped moving. Then she saw a shadow in that light. The shadow was doing something. Angelica didn't understand what exactly. The girl held her breath, afraid to scare the shadow, although she perfectly understood that they were on different floors of the house. Then the flashlight started moving again, returned to the corridor and left the house. Angelica sat up in bed and fought the urge to dial Vadim's number. She completely didn't understand what was happening, but he was right about one thing. Someone is deliberately driving her crazy. The flashlight's light appeared again in the corridor, then went to the kitchen, something fell. Angelica even flinched in surprise. It was these sounds that usually woke her up in the middle of the night, and she went to check what was there. She hid her phone under her pillow, threw on her robe and started going downstairs. She didn't feel fear. She was reassured by the fact that Vadim was somewhere far away seeing the same thing. She walked down the steps and repeated under her breath, show fear, get scared, even if it's not scary. She found the switch and bright light flooded the kitchen. Yesterday what she saw would have terrified Angelica, but now she looked at the belt hanging from the chandelier and felt nothing but heartache. She completely forgot that she was supposed to play horror, she took a step towards the belt. She wanted to take this damn leather cord, find the owner of the flashlight and strangle him for a long time. How long she stood there, Angelica didn't know, then she remembered Vadim's words, reached out to her mouth, felt the wall with her back and slowly slid to the floor. They told her that she needed to portray fear, but they didn't say how to do it. In all those moments when she thought that she really saw this picture only in her imagination, she was really terribly afraid, but she didn't remember herself at that moment. And she was a lousy actress. So what should she do now? Lose consciousness. She crawled to the door, trying to tremble like an aspen leaf. Then she got to her feet and ran upstairs to the bedroom. She locked the door, found her phone under the pillow and stared at the screen. Sergei came out of the pantry. With a calm movement, he took the belt off the chandelier, chuckled to himself, calmly poured himself a glass of his favorite brandy, made a gesture resembling a toast, and drank it in one gulp. He washed the glass and put it back in place. Then he calmly turned off the light and, walking down the hall, disappeared behind the door. How could he do this to her? It's inhuman. Angelica was about to dial Vadim's number, when the front door slammed shut. Sergei turned on the light, calmly walked into the house with a travel bag, which he always took on business trips. He threw down his bag, went upstairs to the bedroom. Angelica heard him pull the doorknob, stand for a few seconds and go downstairs and comfortably settle on the sofa. Most likely, he'll just fall asleep now, and in the morning he'll be gentle and attentive. The phone vibrated – Vadim was calling. Yes. Angelica could barely hear her own voice. She was so afraid that Sergei would hear him. I saw everything. Did you manage to press record? Yes. Great. We can meet in the morning. I'll call you. She hung up. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She needed to process what she had seen. Okay. Let's say Sergei decided to drive her crazy. But why? Everything is fine with them, they're not getting divorced. There isn't even a hint of it. What are his motives? Why? Is he a sadist? She didn't fall asleep that night. She just lay there and stared at the ceiling. There was such emptiness in her soul. Even the realization that she wasn't crazy didn't make her happy. "Darling, are you asleep?" She heard Sergei's voice and turned her head at the sound of his voice. She didn't even move, she just looked at the door. He knocked again and pulled the handle. Angelica got up, opened the door and went to bed, turning away from her husband. He sat down beside her, leaned over, kissed her bare shoulder. Sorry if I woke you. I arrived late, the bedroom was locked. What's going on? Why did you lock the door? What did you want to tell me? God, how can you look her in the eyes and lie like that? Not a single muscle twitched. Such sincere concern for her. She felt sick. She jumped up and rushed to the bathroom. Darling, what's going on? Are you sick? Sergei hugged his wife so tenderly and sat her on his lap. You know, I think I'm going crazy. What are you talking about, darling? I see him. Who? Father. Father. Vadim moved her to the bed and looked at her intently. Well, not exactly my father. I see the belt he hanged himself with. He constantly haunts me. It's so scary, as if my father is suggesting I do the same. You understand? Darling, you need a specialist. Why didn't you tell me about this before? I could have helped you, How he plays. If she hadn't seen with her own eyes how he was preparing the staging, she would never have believed it in her life. Well, I was sure I could handle it myself. I'm very worried about you. This is abnormal. Maybe we should still see a doctor? I've already seen one, and he suggested a full examination. He thinks I have paranoid schizophrenia. What's that? Well, when I see things that don't actually exist. And it's treatable. God, what care. I don't know, but it's getting worse and worse for me, darling. I'm here, and I'll always be here. Together we will cope. I love you. Angelica turned away. She wanted to cry. Please, darling, please, don't cry. When is your next session, I want to go with you. No need. We need to get tests done first. Thank you, darling. On the last word, Angelica's voice trembled. I need to get ready for work. Of course, make you some coffee? Yes, please, I'm going to the shower.
Angelica paced around her office. Every minute seemed like an eternity. Yes, God, is he walking or what? Finally, the intercom turned on, and the secretary announced that Vadim Alexandrovich was here. He entered the office a little lost. It was clear that he hadn't slept all night either. Angelica, don't say anything. I just don't know what to do anymore. Will you treat me to coffee? Angelica herself carried the cup, sat on the sofa, inviting him to join with her gaze. He was silent for a long time, and then he said: "You are no longer my patient, but I still really want to help you. Thank you. I don't even know what to say". Do you guess why he might be doing this? No. The girl got up and started walking around the sofa. Well, let's say he, like in your story, wants a divorce and to get the maximum in it. If he just divorces me, he'll be left with nothing. Everything we have is bought with my aunt's inheritance. The house, the company, and you're right. The only way to get it all is to get rid of me. Correct. We need to find out if he's acting alone, or... No. I'm sure he doesn't have anyone. Angelica suddenly blushed. Anje, I'm sorry, really. Don't apologize, if it weren't for you. You know, I have such disgust for this man. For some reason, I don't feel the pain of his betrayal. I'm just disgusted. You can stop it all at any second. Just next time, come up and rip off that belt. And that's it. I'm only afraid that if this plan collapses, he may come up with a new one. You're right. So what should we do? Vadim approached her, straightened that terribly sexy and unruly lock of hair. Maybe I'm not in time, but you're incredibly beautiful when you're angry. Angelica looked at him and started laughing. She laughed so infectiously and sincerely that he first smiled, and then laughed along with her. And so they stood facing each other and laughing. Laughter relieved the last tension between them, broke down the last barriers. Let's go have breakfast. I'm so hungry. I'm ready to eat a whole crocodile. Let's go. They devoured an omelet with ham and developed their own plan.
What did the doctor say? Sergei looked worried. Surprisingly, he came home from work early today. I'm undergoing an examination. The doctor says I have a long treatment ahead of me. Great. What? Sergei apparently realized that he had said something wrong. I said, "It's great that it's all treatable, darling". He approached his wife and kissed her forehead. Go to sleep, you look tired. You're right. I haven't slept well lately. But you're home, now I'll sleep peacefully. She gave her husband a strained smile. Of course, darling.
Angelica slept very lightly. She perfectly heard Sergei get up, leave the room and return after about 10 minutes. He deliberately lay down loudly, turned over several times, just to wake her up. Of course, she pretended to wake up. Sorry, darling. Angelica got up and threw on her robe. Where are you going? I'll go get a drink. Angelica went into the kitchen, turned on the light, raised her head and, naturally, saw what she expected to see. He deliberately woke her up so that she would go to the kitchen. She touched the belt she was so afraid of. It no longer evoked any emotions in her, but it was necessary to bring their crazy plan to the end. And she screamed at the top of her lungs and fell to the floor.
Сергей застал Анжелику в таком виде. Она билась в истерике, кусалась, царапалась. Он схватил её, отнёс на диван и убежал на кухню. Анжелика была уверена, что он прячет ремень. "Ну-ну, давай, камера всё равно всё заснимет".
Конечно, вызвали скорую. Врачи зафиксировали нервный срыв и истерию, сделали укол успокоительного и уехали. Всё это время Сергей был рядом, гладил её по голове, говорил ласковые слова. Анжелика закрыла глаза и улыбнулась, а она оказалась отличной актрисой. Ей можно было Оскар вручать за её сегодняшнюю роль.
Приступы продолжались почти каждый день. Анжелика вздрагивала от каждого шороха, постоянно плакала, билась в истерике. Сергею уже не нужно было ничего делать. Его жена уже и без его помощи сходила с ума. Она сегодня даже не смогла сама спуститься вниз к ужину, и ему пришлось практически силой запихивать ей антидепрессанты, которые выписал ей врач.
Он укрыл жену пледом, дождался, когда она уснёт, тихонечко вышел из спальни и позвонил Ясе: "Рыбка моя, можешь меня поздравить ещё пару дней, и жёнушка моя поедет прямиком в дом с жёлтыми стенами".
Конечно, конечно. Соскучился. И я тебя, и я. Дай мне ещё пару дней. Как только заключу договор с клиникой, подам на развод. Я тоже зайка. Ну всё, целую. Увидимся завтра.
Он отключил телефон и довольный улыбнулся. Анжелика смотрела на экран телефона и тоже улыбалась мужу. Ну теперь всё понятно. Любовница всё-таки есть. Все карты вскрыты. Завтра она попросит позвонить Вадиму, он приедет, заберёт её в частную клинику к своему другу, и все они будут ждать документы о разводе. А там, там её дорогой муженёк получит то, что он заслуживает.
Анжелика водила пальчиком по груди Вадима, а он нежно прижимал её к себе. Она повернула голову, подставляя губы для поцелуя. Ну чего мы ждём? Он же подал на развод. Да, собственно, уже ничего. Собирайся, поехали. Куда? К твоему почти бывшему мужу и к его любовнице. Жаль, что ты не сможешь привлечь его к уголовной ответственности, но он трус. Уверен, что он даже и не попытается с тобой тягаться.
Анжелика приподнялась на руке, посмотрела на Вадима и улыбнулась: "Давай завтра". "Завтра?" "Да, завтра, потому что сегодня у меня на тебя совсем другие планы". Она запустила руку под одеяло, поцеловала его в шею и начала спускаться ниже.
Сергей сидел бледный и потный. Его секретарша, а по совместительству и его любовница стояла за его спиной и молчала. Ты этого не сделаешь. Он ещё раз бросил взгляд на телефон, где он, крадучись, как вор, пробирается среди ночи на кухню, чтобы повесить чёртов ремень. Да я и не собираюсь. Любой врач скажет, что я абсолютно здорова. Тебе и так ничего не достанется.
Анжелика взяла в руки телефон и нажала на паузу. И, кстати, у вас ровно 30 минут, чтобы покинуть мой дом. И да, я согласна на развод.
Чем займёмся? Анжелика обняла Вадима, который ждал её после работы дома. Предлагаю отметить твоё чудесное исцеление и твой развод. Прекрасная мысль. А ещё я хочу, чтобы ты стала моей женой. Уверен, что хочешь иметь в жёнах женщину, склонную к шизофрении. Уверен, что ты самая лучшая женщина на свете, которая сделает меня самым счастливым, если скажет да. Ну тогда я согласна. Анжелика подбежала к нему и повисла у него на шее. Быстрее целуй меня, пока я не передумала.