Dina stood on the doorstep of their apartment building, her eyes straining to catch one last glimpse of the car disappearing around the corner. The summer evening was heavy, the heat clinging to the asphalt like a mirror of the bitterness filling her heart.

Pavel had left. Again. Just like yesterday. And the day before.

Every day, his «fishing trips» lasted longer, became more secretive. At first, Dina believed him — Pavel had always loved the outdoors, could sit by the river for hours with a fishing rod. But something had changed. The warm tiredness that used to soften his features after these trips was gone, replaced by irritation and nervous haste.

Most importantly, with each passing day, he was less and less willing to take her along. There was always a reason: «It’s boring there,» «Fishing isn’t for women,» «You’ll be uncomfortable.»

But tonight, Dina could no longer swallow her humiliation.

She went back inside, sat on the edge of the bed, staring into the emptiness. For several minutes, she listened to the oppressive silence. Then a plan began to form.

In the back of the closet, buried under old things, she found a small voice recorder. Years ago, Pavel had given it to her with a laugh: «To record your brilliant thoughts like a real writer.» Tonight, this forgotten device would become her weapon.

The next morning, as Pavel prepared for yet another «overnight fishing trip,» Dina slipped the recorder into the pocket of his jacket without a word. As usual, he refused to let her come.

Once his car disappeared down the street, she was left alone, pacing the apartment like a caged animal. Time crawled by painfully. She imagined a thousand scenarios, none of them ending well.

Night fell. Morning came. Pavel returned only around noon, looking tired and irritable. He tossed his jacket onto a chair without noticing anything unusual.

While he showered, Dina seized her chance. Hands trembling, she retrieved the recorder and pressed play.

Her heart thundered in her chest.

The recording began with the hum of the car engine, some music playing faintly. Then came voices — laughter. A man’s and… a woman’s.

— Pasha, darling, where are we going today? — the woman’s voice purred sweetly.

— Anywhere you want, my little fish, — Pavel replied, his tone dripping with affection.

Dina sat frozen. The tenderness in his voice — the tenderness she had not heard in months — was now reserved for another woman.

The recording continued: whispered jokes, stolen kisses, teasing remarks. There was no mention of fishing.

Dina listened to every second. At first, she wanted to cry. Then to scream. But eventually, a strange numbness settled over her. Everything that had once connected her to this man collapsed into dust.

What Happens After the Truth
That evening, Dina set the table as usual, preparing dinner. Pavel came home, sat heavily at the table, and reached for his fork without so much as a glance in her direction. He didn’t notice how still she was, how different.

Without a word, Dina placed the voice recorder on the table between them and pressed play.

Silence fell like a stone. As the familiar voices, the laughter, and the stolen kisses filled the room, Pavel’s expression shifted from confusion to fear to pathetic, fumbling excuses.

— Dina, I… it’s not what you think…

She stood up quietly. Removed her wedding ring from her finger. Set it beside the recorder.

— Consider yourself permanently assigned to your «fishing trips,» — she said softly.

Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving him to the suffocating silence.

A New Dawn
The next morning, Dina woke up in the same apartment but in a completely different world. A world where she would no longer wait for empty promises, no longer accept lies wrapped in cheap excuses, no longer shrink herself for someone who had long since stopped seeing her.

It was hard at first — the loneliness, the fear, the anger. But with each new day, she grew stronger.

She signed up for language classes. She started jogging in the mornings. She made new friends, surrounded herself with people who valued sincerity.

Most importantly, Dina realized that sometimes pain is the price of freedom. That small recorder, those bitter tears — they were the toll she paid to reclaim her life.

Now, she was no longer afraid of loneliness or of starting over. Because she knew that the worst betrayal was behind her. And truth — even painful truth — always leads to new beginnings.