Translated material
Competition
You can go to the winner, you can stay with the loser
Dasha Grontsman had a surname after her husband. Roma Grontsman was a "gearman" - the head of the department for relations with state and government organizations at ETEK, the Eurasian Transport and Energy Corporation. That is, he was a top manager of the largest company, and Dasha really liked it. Moreover, he was only thirty-two years old, and she was twenty-seven. Roma was fair-haired and gray-eyed, tall and thin. He was one-quarter German, after his grandfather, hence the surname. Dasha fell in love with him immediately and to death, as soon as she saw him. He was then almost nobody at all, and she was just an HSE graduate. And in just five years - such a take-off. New apartment, cottage in the village "Michigan".
Roma adored Dasha. He used to whisper at night:
- You won't leave me? Won't you leave me?
“How funny you are, I love you,” she whispered, closing her eyes and remembering Alik Khanifatov.
Yes, she had a lover for two years.
He also worked at ETEK, also as a top manager, head of the First Technical Department. Small in stature, broad-shouldered, swarthy and dark-haired. Neighbor in the holiday village "Michigan". Roma often traveled around the country - here he and Alik met either at his dacha or in Moscow.
Alik has been divorced for a long time. He loved Dasha very much and all the time called her to marry. "I feel good with you!" Dasha whispered, but gave no answer. Alik sighed and said: “Of course, your husband and I have the same salary and cottages according to the same standard project! And in general he is a real Aryan! And I am a poor Asian!” Alik was thin and witty, despite his musculature and hairy chest.
Dasha especially appreciated him for this. But she couldn't make a choice.
One day, Roma told her that there would be a general meeting of shareholders in October and that the first vice president was retiring.
- I was told that this is a chance for me personally. Although there is a strong competitor. A certain Khanifatov Albert Raufovich. First technical department.
Is he better than you? Dasha laughed.
— Much! Roman replied. — His uncle is the main shareholder of a serious oil company. So here.
Dasha knew this very well, but said:
“You still have to fight. I believe in you.
“And you won’t leave me if I don’t get elected first vice?”
"Fool," she hugged him even tighter. - I love you so much…
“The elections are shmybors,” Alik Khanifatov said sadly to Dasha. - I have a serious chance. But also a serious competitor. Your husband, I'm sorry.
“Of course, I respect him,” Dasha said, “but look at things realistically: “G-R” and “first technical”. It's incomparable!
"That's not the point," said Alik. - Your husband's great-uncle, a certain Walter Gronzman, is the director of the European Transport and Energy Association.
- I believe in you! Dasha said. - Don't give up.
“But they’ll make me first vice,” said Alik, “then will you divorce him and marry me?”
Who do you think I am? Dasha was outraged.
“And if nothing works out, you will, of course, leave me,” Alik continued sadly. But I won't die of boredom. I will remember these two years of happiness.
That's what it is! Dasha almost burst into tears.
“No matter how things turn out,” Dasha thought on the very day when a meeting of ETEK shareholders was taking place in a country hotel, “whatever happens, it will be some kind of decision.
It doesn't matter who wins. The main thing is that they will finally become different.
This is where I really have to choose.
You can go to the winner. Leave Roma for Alik. Or, if Roma wins, stay with him and break up with Alik. It's cynical, but vital.
Or vice versa! You can stay with the loser. And tell the winner: “I don’t change my love for bonuses and options!” It's romantic and noble."
Dasha opened her macbook. The news immediately caught my eye:
“The general meeting of shareholders and the meeting of the board of directors of the largest transport and energy corporation have ended.” Clicked. Links are out. Well, finally: “At the meeting of ETEC shareholders, a decision was made to appoint two first vice-presidents. They were Roman Grontsman and Albert Khanifatov.”
- Crap! Dasha said loudly. - Four more years of suffering.