The Bet. by Anton Chekhov. Short story audible.
Channel: Audio Oasis
Date: 2023-04-14

"The Bet" is a short story by Anton Chekhov about a wealthy banker who bets a young lawyer two million rubles that he cannot stay isolated in solitary confinement for fifteen years. The lawyer agrees to the bet, and the banker builds a luxurious prison cell for him to live in.

At first, the lawyer is content with his books and music, but as the years go by, he becomes disillusioned with his isolation and begins to question the value of his bet. On the eve of the fifteen-year deadline, the banker realizes that he cannot bear to lose his fortune, and plans to kill the lawyer before the bet is due. However, when he arrives at the prison cell, he finds that the lawyer has left a note renouncing the money and declaring that life imprisonment is better than death. The banker is left feeling ashamed and regretful of his callousness.