The apartment was small, tucked away in the heart of Moscow’s working-class district, where the creak of the floorboards seemed louder than it should be in the quiet. The dim light from a flickering lamp cast soft shadows across the walls, making the old furniture look even more worn. Ivan sat across from her, watching the way she sat so gracefully on the couch, her form like a perfect contrast against the humble surroundings. She wore a dress that probably cost more than he made in a year—a shimmering silk fabric that clung to her figure, so out of place in this tiny, modest apartment. But she was here with him. In his world.

He swallowed the thoughts swirling in his mind, pushing away the bitter taste of insecurity as he watched her unwrap the gift he gave her. Her eyes lit up as she saw the necklace, a small golden pendant on a delicate chain, something simple, yet meaningful to him. But then, as she slipped the necklace from the box and it caught the dim light, Ivan’s gaze moved involuntarily to the bracelet around her wrist.

It gleamed brightly against the muted glow of the room, and Ivan felt the familiar sting of jealousy and inadequacy. That bracelet. It had been a gift from Dmitri, her boyfriend—the one who could give her anything she wanted, whose wealth was the world she lived in. A bracelet that probably cost more than he could ever imagine earning in a lifetime.

His stomach twisted as he leaned back in his chair, his voice suddenly feeling small in the space between them. “It’s not much,” he said, his words tight, reluctant. “It belonged to my grandmother. She gave it to me when I was younger. And I always thought… if I met someone special enough, I’d give it to them.”

She looked down at the necklace in her hands, her fingers brushing over the golden chain, and then back up at him. Her eyes, so warm and understanding, met his. But there was something there—a kindness, a tenderness—that made him feel like he was betraying himself for even thinking about it.

“Ivan, it’s beautiful,” she said softly, her voice full of sincerity, yet he couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling in his chest.

He looked away, his gaze drifting back to the bracelet. The perfect bracelet. The one that Dmitri had given her. The one that represented everything Ivan couldn’t be for her. The world she came from—one filled with riches, social status, and power. A world so far from his own, so far from the crumbling streets where he grew up, the tiny apartment he shared with his mother, and the constant struggle to make ends meet.

He felt a lump form in his throat, his voice tight with frustration and self-doubt. “But I can’t compete with that,” he muttered, bitterness creeping into his tone as he gestured toward the bracelet. “I can’t give you what he can. What your world can offer you.” He shook his head, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I don’t belong in your world.”