Larisa remained seated on the wooden bench as the bitterness of the infusion continued to slide down her throat. A warmth began to spread slowly through her chest, as if something inside were reigniting.

For months she had felt her body shutting down. Each day a little weaker, each morning more difficult than the last.

Now, for the first time in a long time, his breathing stopped hurting.

The man Dasha called Dad watched every small change with quiet attention. He didn’t seem surprised, as if he had seen that same silent battle between body and death many times before.

“The poison they gave you doesn’t act quickly,” he finally said. “But it weakens the heart until it resembles a natural illness.”

Larisa closed her eyes for a second.

—So Gleb knew exactly what he was doing.

-Yeah.

There was no gentleness in that answer. Just a simple truth.

From the doorway, Dasha approached again. She sat on the floor in front of Larisa, hugging her knees.

“Aren’t you going to die now?” he asked with childlike seriousness.

Larisa looked at the girl.

She wanted to answer confidently, but life had taught her that promising too much could break hearts.

“I’ll try,” he said with a weak smile.

Dasha seemed satisfied with that answer.

—My dad always says that the body listens when one decides to live.

The man let out a small laugh.

—Dasha talks too much.

But his eyes showed pride.

It took a while before Larisa gathered enough strength to stand up again. This time the dizziness was milder.

The man held her arm as she tried to walk a few steps.

“You’ll need to rest for several days,” he explained. “The poison is still in your blood.”

Larisa looked around the cabin.

-Here?

The man shook his head.

—No. My house is about a twenty-minute walk away. It’s safer.

Larisa hesitated.

The idea of ​​depending on strangers had always been difficult for her. She had built her life on her own, making firm decisions, controlling every detail.

But now he could barely stand up.

Sometimes accepting help was also a decision.

“Okay,” he finally said.

They left the cabin as the sun began to set behind the trees. The forest was quieter than Larisa had imagined.

There were no wild animals waiting.

Just leaves moving in the wind.

And the cheerful sound of Dasha walking ahead of them, skipping among roots as if that place were her secret kingdom.

The journey was slow.

Each step required effort, but Larisa felt something new inside her chest: a small determination that grew with every meter.

He wasn’t going to die there.

The man’s house finally appeared among the trees. It was small, made of light wood, with a garden full of plants that Larisa didn’t recognize.

The smell of dried herbs filled the air.

“I prepare my remedies here,” the man explained.

Inside, everything was simple but clean. A large table, shelves with jars, a bed near the window.

Larisa lay back gratefully.

Exhaustion overtook her immediately.

Before falling asleep, the man spoke to her again.

—There is still something important you need to decide.

Larisa opened her eyes.

—Will you return to your life… or will you disappear?

The question hung in the air.

He could go far away.

Change name.

Leaving behind the business, the money, the betrayal.

Or I could return to the city.

Facing Gleb.

And to prove that she was still alive.

Larisa thought about everything she had lost.

She thought about the nights she was sick while Gleb pretended to be concerned.

He thought about the abandoned cabin.

And in the cruel laughter when he closed the door.

When he spoke again, his voice was weak but firm.

—I’m going back.

The man nodded slowly.

—Then we’ll have to do it right.

The following days were tough.

The treatment continued with bitter herbal teas, rest, and simple food. Little by little, color returned to Larisa’s skin.

His breathing became heavier.

And his mind began to clear.

Meanwhile, Dasha didn’t stray far from her.

I was bringing her soup.

He told her stories about the village.

And sometimes he would just sit nearby, silently drawing.

One afternoon, as the sun shone through the window, Larisa saw something on the table.

An old newspaper.

There was a photograph on the cover.

Hers.

Below the title:

“Businesswoman disappeared under mysterious circumstances.”

Larisa felt a chill run down her spine.

The man appeared behind her.

—Your husband has already started telling his version.

Larisa read the entire news story.

She said she had suffered a mental breakdown.

That she had run away with a “healer”.

That his family was worried.

Larisa put the newspaper down on the table.

For a few seconds he said nothing.

Then he looked up.

-Perfect.

The man frowned.

-Perfect?

Larisa nodded.

—Because now everyone thinks I’m crazy… or dead.

A small smile appeared on her face.

—And nobody expects him to come back.

The man understood something at that moment.

—So you plan to surprise him.

Larisa looked out the window towards the forest.

—No.

Her voice was calm.

—I plan to finish what he started.

Dasha lifted her head from the ground.

—Does that mean you’re going to win?

Larisa looked at her.

And for the first time since it all began… she smiled with real confidence.

—That means I’m not going to lose anymore.