蜜芽传媒

Episode 2 deepens the turmoil unleashed by Mykolai鈥檚 marriage to the volatile and much younger Valentyna. Domestic chaos erupts as Mykolai locks himself in fear, alleging abuse, while Valentyna flaunts wealth, bullies him, and charms others with half-truths. The police dismiss the conflict as marital squabbling, but Nadya sees her father鈥檚 frailty and grows desperate to intervene.

When Mykolai finally takes legal action, divorce proceedings are set in motion, though Valentyna pleads that she is merely a misunderstood immigrant trying to provide for her son, Stanislav. Her past resurfaces with the dramatic arrival of her ex-husband Dubov, who still longs for her and seeks to reunite their fractured family.

Meanwhile, suspicions mount about Valentyna鈥檚 motives when she returns unexpectedly, apparently pregnant, and demands money in exchange for leaving. Mykolai, blinded by pride and confusion, insists he may be the father, fuelling bitter disputes among his daughters and Dubov.

Interwoven with this present-day drama are poignant wartime recollections. Ludmyla narrates the hardships of her early marriage, motherhood under poverty, and survival through famine, war, and forced labour. Vira, too, begins to reveal her own traumatic childhood memories from a Nazi labour camp - secrets long buried beneath her bitterness.

As tensions escalate, Mykolai clings to poetry, tractors, and delusions of love, even as his daughters push him toward safety and truth. The episode exposes not only Valentyna鈥檚 manipulations but also the scars of history carried by every member of the family, where loyalty, betrayal, and resilience continue to collide.

An International Arts Partnership production for 蜜芽传媒 Radio 4