Victoria, on the other hand, had no such privileges or family prestige. She preferred not to talk about her parents. They barely made ends meet, and whatever they earned went straight to booze. They lived in an old house inherited from her father’s parents, likely untouched since it was built. She ran away after high school and never returned. Her parents had another child—Igor—who was constantly in and out of prison for robbery and assault. Victoria had to survive on her own. As she grew up and realized that her looks drew attention from men, she figured out how to use it to her advantage. And she did. She learned how to seduce and manipulate men.
Lana watched the dancing couple thoughtfully. “That must be the friend of the club’s owner,” she thought. The man, pleasant-looking and slightly above average height, was gazing at Victoria with affection, confidently leading her across the dance floor.
“And me? The only one interested in me was some dancer she planted—just for fun…” Lana muttered bitterly to herself.
At twenty-four, Lana was still a virgin—unlike her inseparable friend, who, by the same age, had become quite experienced and discerning when it came to men.
Immersed in her heavy thoughts, Lana suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It was her mother, crying into the receiver.
“Mom, you’re crying… What happened?” The loud music and noise made it hard to hear, so she rushed outside. Out in the street, she pressed the phone to her ear.
“Vitya… he was in an accident, Lana,” her mother sobbed.
“Oh God!” Lana gasped, covering her face with her hand.
“He’s in intensive care. Come quickly.”
Like someone in a trance, Lana ran into the street, flagged down the first taxi she saw, and rushed to the hospital. She texted Victoria: “I left. Urgent family stuff.”
She didn’t tell her what had happened, thinking that Victoria might not come to the hospital alone—and she didn’t want to explain to her mother who these men were. Meanwhile, Victoria, having shaken off her persistent admirer, returned to their table. Not finding her friend, she immediately took out her phone to call her. But after reading the text, she relaxed.
“She probably ran home from being overwhelmed,” Victoria thought with a smirk.
After sitting alone for a while, she decided it was time to go “home” herself—meaning the dorm. She slung her dainty purse over her shoulder and got up. Just then, she spotted a familiar silhouette not far away. A young man was talking to some woman. Victoria fixed her hair and pulled down the hem of her short dress, then headed straight for him. She poked him in the side from behind. He raised an eyebrow, turned sharply, and when he saw her, lit up.