The gistI'll tell it as I remember it.

I got married at 20, to a wonderful man; he literally carried me in his arms. Love was just flying between us, what more could you want? Live and be happy, as they say. We didn't have children, or rather, I can't have any. But I didn't despair and thought about adopting a child from an orphanage, and my husband didn't mind.

So we lived together for six years. And then I caught my husband with his mistress. I couldn't even scream then; it was like the ground had been pulled out from under me. And then he started accusing me of being a healthy man and wanting his own children, but I couldn't. That it was all my fault. It completely killed me. He got ready and left with that girl...

I was in a daze the whole day, I couldn't sleep all night, and the next morning I took an unpaid day off from work, for which I got a serious beating later. The next day, I was overcome with such anger that I started thinking, "Why am I worse? Why? Is it my fault?"

With these thoughts, I fell asleep on the couch, I don't even remember how. And I had this dream, as if I woke up in my apartment, on that very same couch. Only next to my couch stood a complete stranger. He stood there, looking at me with sad eyes. I was so surprised I couldn't even say anything.

"Poor thing... I understand you," he says in a quiet, calm voice.

"What are you doing here?" is the only stupid question I can think of.

"I live here... don't be afraid of me, I understand you, he's not worthy of you," he continues in the same voice.

 "I live here," I start to get angry. "Get out of here!"

"I can't go anywhere," he slowly approaches me. "I've known you for a long time, he's not worthy of you, you're so..."

"Don't come any closer!" I almost scream and pull away from him, but moving is very difficult, as if my body has become much heavier.

"Don't be afraid," he says, already sitting down on my couch. "I will never leave you, I'm not him. If only you were mine! Please, believe me."

I look at him wildly and only now notice that he's holding something like a rope in his hand. I look only at this rope and realize that things are very bad. And he, noticing where I was looking, began to speak:

"This," he gestured at the rope, "I hanged myself with this rope 10 years ago when I saw my wife with another man. I couldn't bear it, so I understand you, I'm so tired of being alone."

I don't know why, but this calmed me down, and I began to feel sorry for this poor guy. He turned to me and began to approach again.

"You understand me, we are destined to be together," he slowly wrapped the rope around his other hand. "Don't be afraid, it won't hurt for long. And we will be together."

The thought flashed through my mind: "It hurts, will it strangle me?" I began to struggle with all my might, and he was already throwing the rope around my neck.

"Just a little while, just a little while," he said in the same calm voice.

 A second later, I felt like I was waking up from a dream, overcome with fear and pain. I caught my breath, looked around, and was glad it had been a dream. But my neck still hurt. And there were bruises on it. I immediately moved out of that apartment and into a rented one, and soon sold this one. I feel sorry for that guy, but I couldn't stay there any longer.

My husband soon returned, saying he was sorry, but I didn't accept him, and we divorced.