It all started out so beautifully. We graduated high school, aced our college entrance exams, and of course, got into journalism. Hard not to when your dad’s a professor there, and the university team needs decent soccer players like they need air to breathe.
So, they invited everyone to the celebration and even told us to bring friends. If you’re gonna party, might as well go all out. We piled into three cars and headed to our parents’ summer house. Didn’t even properly introduce ourselves to everyone before the fun kicked off.
And then, when everyone was already pretty buzzed, Stepan pulled me aside onto the porch and dropped a bombshell.
“Hey, Stas, check this out. I’ve got a real hottie lined up, a brunette. Firecracker, total bombshell. Might be a bit older than us, but who can tell in the dark?”
“So what? Tell me about it tomorrow,” I brushed him off. I had my own thing brewing here.
“That’s exactly my point,” my brother cut in. “You go to mine. I’ll go to yours. Then you step out like you’re taking a leak, and we switch. Get it? Twice as many girls.”
If I’d been sober and not so caught up in the thrill of new possibilities, I might’ve realized this was a dumb idea, like cheese in a mousetrap.
But I wasn’t sober. I was of age and in prime shape.
That’s how my brother and I ended up with a kid.
Though we didn’t know about her for a long time. Turns out, that brunette was married, passed the kid off as her husband’s, and then bolted abroad to her dad to escape the mess.
But later, that little girl became very important to her. She still hasn’t managed to get her back, though. And without a granddaughter, her father won’t let her touch the family fortune or live in peace. He’s demanding either this granddaughter or another one.
So, we’re screwed. Because Sofia, the one who got pregnant, knows exactly who the father is. And our mother won’t rest until one of us marries her.
After all, Dad’s just some professor. But Mom’s used to moving in high circles. Her father, my grandfather, is a full-on congressman. And even before that, he was no small fry.
So, Sofia’s supposed to restore the family’s shine. Her dad’s the mayor of some Polish city and filthy rich, even by their standards. Sofia’s his only kid, he’s old, and there won’t be another.
That’s why Mom started calling Sofia “sweetie” right away and insisted Sofia call her “Mila.” She even told Dad she didn’t care which of us—Stepan or me—married the “poor girl,” but it had to happen fast, and with a kid in tow.
You can imagine how thrilled she was when, right around then, it came out that I had a girlfriend who was pregnant. And on top of that, Tanya’s from some backwater village—her dad’s a drunk, her mom’s a dairy farmer. Tanya’s got no college degree, works a job that barely covers rent for a tiny apartment and a modest life.
And the worst part? My parents didn’t hear about it from me.
Because Tanya stopped answering my calls and blocked me.
I was pretty pissed off at the time.
How was I supposed to know Tanya had decided to tell me about the pregnancy, showed up at the university, and ran into Stepan? And that he, trying to figure out who this new girl of mine was, pretended to be me?
Tanya confessed to Stepan that she was pregnant and got told it was her problem alone. Stepan, of course, didn’t say a word to me. True to his nasty habit, he just sat back to see how it would all play out.
What played out was a scandal and a fistfight. Dad insisted whoever caused this mess had to marry her. Stepan decided that sweet, gentle Tanya was a much better option than the scheming, worn-out Sofia.
So, I had to beat him up, snatch the ring, and sneak through backyards to get to the courthouse.
My life got pretty great after that. Tanya’s, on the other hand, not so much. She’d kind of achieved her dream—escaped the sticks, married a city guy from a decent family. Now she could even enroll in theater school, something she’d always wanted. Not exactly dreaming of twins, as you might’ve guessed.
And so, she became dependent on my family’s help.
Tanya’s not the confrontational type. She even agreed to name the kids what my mother wanted—Ilko and Igor—instead of the names she’d originally picked.
Think my mom appreciated that?
Oh, she sure did. She found herself a doormat to wipe her feet on. Didn’t miss a single chance to point out what a favor had been done for this “peasant girl from a bad family,” how Tanya would’ve been ruined without my parents’ blessing on our marriage, how my wife was a lousy homemaker, uncultured, clumsy, and indiscriminate in her relationships.
Mom got Tanya a little wrong, though. Not being confrontational doesn’t mean she likes being treated this way or is willing to put up with it.
Then there was Stepan, pretending to joke around, trying to pass himself off as me to Tanya at every opportunity.
During one of his latest stunts, Tanya grabbed her passport, card, and the kids, and took off to her mom’s. Of course, I wasn’t home at the time.
When I got back and figured out what happened, I just rented a cheap one-bedroom, moved my wife and kids there, and cut contact with my family to a bare minimum. Didn’t have much time to chat anyway. I had to work to support the family, study, and train. Especially train. That was my only guarantee that when I graduated, I’d have solid prospects.
Because scouts from the first division were eyeing me and my brother. They’d noticed us back in high school. They called us “Double Trouble,” not just because women seemed to like us. Why wouldn’t they like athletic city guys from a good family, decent-looking to boot? But also because we carried our school team in every competition. And now, the university team too.
So, I knew the tryouts were coming up soon. Stepan and I would get picked for a top-tier team in the country. And they pay really well, trust me—if you haven’t seen what first-division players can afford.
Life wasn’t easy, but the future looked promising.
Judge for yourself. At the very least, sports journalism would keep me fed. And that’s if I didn’t make it in the top league. Why wouldn’t I, though?
Anyway, I let my guard down. Even though I knew I shouldn’t have.
That’s when Stepan made his second move, after Sofia and Mom cornered him about marriage again.
That’s when he announced that Sofia would be marrying me. Because I’m the one pretending. And Tanya’s kids are actually his.
Good thing he said it in front of me and without Tanya there. So everyone heard my response.
“Tanya is mine. Nobody else’s. I’m firm on that. Stepan couldn’t have even known about her. She’s not a student, not a neighbor, not from school. I met her by chance at an office while doing a report for a certain Sofia who’s here now. Who later claimed to be the mother of Stepan’s child.”
“Or one of yours!” Sofia jumped up, ignoring the signals Mom was sending her.
“Yeah, right,” Stepan sneered from the couch, clearly enjoying the drama. “Or someone else’s. You’re so easygoing.”
Sofia started stammering about how she’d been stripped of parental rights and couldn’t demand a DNA test. But she knew for sure. And if the Pyshny family cared about their reputation, they’d do whatever she said. And what she said was this: She didn’t care who she married, but he had to have kids. And Grandpa Congressman better do something so she could adopt those kids. How she’d explain to her dad that she had children he didn’t know about wasn’t our problem.
Of course, I laughed it all off. In the end, Tanya heard about that incident twice from Sofia. And naturally, she started suspecting that Stepan and I had pulled that disgusting trick on her too.
But she’s really calm and level-headed. So, I explained why that couldn’t have happened and the reason Stepan and Sofia were spreading these rumors.
Tanya calmed down, and Stepan got roped into marrying Sofia.
My brother, though, didn’t calm down.
Passing off our kids as Sofia’s wouldn’t work now. But Stepan was dead set on getting revenge on me for supposedly ruining his life.
He did it in his usual way, though. Lulled me into a false sense of security. Didn’t bother us for three years.
Got proof that Sofia couldn’t get pregnant anymore. Dug up details about Tanya’s life before we met.
Then he cornered her outside the Theater Institute and started up again, saying the kids were his, that I was taking advantage of her trust. That she’d be much better off with Stepan. Because he hadn’t fallen out with the family, was more promising in soccer, Grandpa’s favorite grandson, the heir, and the family’s hope. While I’m just a messed-up loser who does everything to spite Stepan.
Tanya flipped out on me and threatened to leave for her mom’s with the kids for good if I didn’t provide ironclad proof that they’re mine. Because when she sees me and my brother together, she can’t tell us apart anymore. She doesn’t trust anyone now. And she feels dirty and used. She’s a future actress, and her nerves are her working tool. They can’t be messed with.
That’s how I ended up at a research center, then a genetics lab. I submitted everything they needed from me and my little rascals, as well as what my brother provided. And I started waiting for news about some shared markers between me and my sons that Stepan wouldn’t have.
But so far, the messages to Pyshny S.—that’s me—had nothing for or against my claim that the kids are definitely mine.
Tanya was walking around angry, clearly regretting ever laying eyes on me.
Meanwhile, I stayed focused because the tryout moment was approaching. Stepan and I were getting one last look on the field before being picked for the capital’s team as reserves. Or not picked, but that was pretty much impossible.
And then the day of the tryout match arrived. Mom personally packed our uniforms and cleats for Stepan and me. The whole family, even Tanya with the kids, reconciled for a day and sat in the guest seats to cheer us on. The fan club, though, was way louder and more energetic in their support.
And both Stepan and I were dead set on not letting any of them down.
Of course, he succeeded. Unlike me.
But I put on a much more dramatic show. And that game split my life in half. Because I woke up after anesthesia and learned that my soccer career was over.
Thanks for your interest in this story, for adding the book to your libraries, and for sharing it on social media, my amazing readers! And a special shoutout for the awesome comments.
What do you think happened to Stas during the match?
One more question—when should I post the next part? As usual, after midnight, or at some other time?