The Oblonsky household is in a state of complete upheaval after the princess discovers that her husband Stépane Arcadiévitch Oblonsky, also known as Stiva, has been having an affair with their recently dismissed French governess. The betrayal has caused the princess to declare that she will no longer live under the same roof as him. This severe conflict has lasted for three days, creating an atmosphere of misery and isolation that affects both spouses, the other family members, and the domestic servants. The tension is so profound that the people living in the house feel less connected than random strangers sharing an inn.
The household operates in total disarray as the wife remains locked in her rooms and the husband avoids returning home all day. The children wander through the rooms completely unattended, while the English governess quarrels with the housekeeper and writes to a friend to find her a new position. Meanwhile, the cook has left without permission during dinner hour, and both the kitchen maid and the coachman are asking for their accounts to leave. Everyone in the residence suffers from the ongoing crisis brought about by the marital breakdown.
Three days after the initial confrontation, Prince Stépane Arcadiévitch wakes up at eight in the morning in his study on a leather sofa rather than his proper bedroom. He tries to prolong his sleep and briefly recalls a pleasant dream involving dining tables that sing and carafes shaped like women. When he reaches out for his usual morning comforts and his birthday slippers, reality abruptly returns to him. He remembers the devastating scene with his wife and the hopeless situation he created through his own actions.
He vividly recalls the exact moment the affair was exposed when he returned home happily from the theater carrying a large pear for his wife. Instead of finding her in the drawing room, he discovered her in the bedroom holding the fatal note that revealed everything. Most distressingly, when confronted, his face involuntarily formed a foolish, good-natured smile instead of showing remorse, denial, or anger. Dolly reacted to this silly grin with physical anguish before launching into bitter reproaches and fleeing from him. Stiva is left in utter despair, burdened by the realization of his guilt and the frustrating memory of his foolish smile.