Maxim has never felt so vulnerable. Thoughts swirl like a storm—unbridled, chaotic, suffocating. What should he do now? Who can help him?
Then Svetka Ponomarjowa, an old school friend he hasn’t seen since youth, reappears—with a terrifying story. It’s more than a chance reunion. Over drinks one June evening, she confesses her long-hidden love and reveals she can’t accept his marriage. Worse, she makes a chilling offer: several million dollars for his silence, or she’ll reveal what happened that night on a damning video.
Shaken, Maxim calls his mother, Maria Andreievna, voice trembling:
“He has a video… he’s threatening to air it if I don’t pay.”
In the other room, his wife Genja, pretending illness in bed, hears everything. Her intuition rouses her—something is terribly wrong.
Maria’s voice is calm but concerned:
“Don’t let her scare you. Don’t give in.”
Meanwhile, hiding behind a door, Genja struggles with doubts: Has Maxim lied?
Maxim explains: Svetka says he forced her at Vovka’s dacha; she threatens the police. His mother advises: no more money, threaten to call the police yourself.
Strengthened, Genja steps forward. “I heard everything,” she says. “I believe you—but you must promise to never allow this again.” Maxim agrees, relief and anxiety in his eyes. “I need you more than ever.”
Genja’s resolve is firm: “Refuse her blackmail. Go to the police. If she continues, she’ll face consequences.”
Maxim nods, doubts fading. He’s not alone. Together, he and Genja will fight to protect their marriage. Shadows of the past won’t destroy them—they’re building a future on trust and determination.