Olga woke up early, when dawn was only beginning to wash the sky outside. February twenty-sixth. Her birthday. Twenty-eight. It should have been a reason to celebrate, yet a strange unease had settled in her chest and wouldn’t let her breathe freely. Maksim was snoring beside her, sprawled across half of their narrow bed. Olga … Read more
The spoonful of soup froze halfway to Pavel Yegorovich’s mouth. Lidiya Semyonovna slowly set the bread box down on the table, and a crust of dark rye slipped from her fingers. Artyom felt the blood drain from his face. “You’ve got a pretty good place,” Marfa repeated, taking in the cramped dining area of … Read more
“Veronica—what, you haven’t eaten in a week?” Asya gasped, watching her cousin wipe a plate of potatoes and cutlets clean. “Pretty much,” Veronica said brightly, not even looking up from her food. “There’s no meat at home. So I’m making the most of it.” The café near the station buzzed with its usual soundtrack—cups … Read more
— Aliska! — a loud, hoarse voice of the stepfather sounded from deep inside the apartment. “Awake,” the girl thought heavily. “Here it comes again…” Quickly looking around, she grabbed a hoodie, threw it over her shoulders, and ran out of the house into the yard. — Ali, where are you going? — came … Read more
The key squealed as it turned in the lock, and the door swung inward with a heavy drag. Ekaterina almost floated into the hallway, tossing her bag—stuffed with folders—onto the small cabinet by the door. A whole day on her feet, endless reports, eyes aching from a glowing screen… all of that stayed outside. … Read more
The call came late at night, while Vera was sorting through paperwork in her home office. Beyond the panoramic window, the city glittered—thousands of lights, each one like a small triumph over darkness. She didn’t answer right away. She knew the number by heart, even though it hadn’t appeared on her screen in more than … Read more
Marina stood by the kitchen window, turning an empty envelope over in her hands. The same envelope that had held thirty-seven thousand rubles just the day before—six months’ worth of careful saving. She’d put aside a little from every paycheck: no new clothes, no cosmetics, the cheapest yogurts, coffee brewed at home instead of stopping … Read more
Life always saves its biggest surprises for the moments you least expect. When I opened my little flower shop, I never imagined what the next ten years would bring. Back then, Vitaly felt like my safe place—tall, self-assured, a man with ambition and plans. I fell in love with his drive, with the way … Read more
This day seemed to stretch on endlessly. Klara simply couldn’t understand why Leonid had arranged this meeting on the Embankment—the very place where they had first met. What was he up to? In the past, her husband had rarely shown a romantic streak: the most he ever did was bring her a bouquet on a … Read more
“Who’s going to roast the goose—me?” Galina Ivanovna’s voice crackled through the phone, demanding and wounded at the same time, with those familiar notes that had worked on her son for forty years straight. “My blood pressure’s been jumping for two weeks, and you want to run your own mother ragged at the stove?” Marina … Read more