Larisa had never thought of herself as weak. On the contrary—people saw her as the embodiment of prudence, cold logic, and iron will. From childhood spent within the walls of an orphanage, she learned one unshakable rule: you can only rely on yourself. No one will come to the rescue. No one will save you. … Read more
Larisa Pavlovna stood in front of the mirror in the hallway, adjusting the collar of her snow-white blouse. Behind her sounded her husband’s familiar voice: “You’ve got those shows on again? Lara, how much longer? Twenty years of the same thing—kitchen, TV, kitchen, TV.” She didn’t turn around. On the screen, a French pastry chef … Read more
While parking near his favorite café at lunchtime, Anton couldn’t have imagined how it would all end. Suddenly, he saw two lovers standing across the street. They hugged, then sweetly chatted, gazing into each other’s eyes as if they hadn’t met in a hundred years. “Vera?” Anton muttered in shock and automatically dialed his wife’s … Read more
Larisa had always considered herself a calculating and cold-blooded person. The orphanage had taught her a harsh truth: rely only on yourself. She had a clear life route — like a project measured down to the millimeter. First, a teacher training college, then a job — modest, but reliable. And later — marriage. Not on … Read more
The heat was unbearable, even for late May. The sun, like a baker gone mad, scorched from the sky, branding the earth with red-hot iron. The air above the asphalt quivered like a frying pan. Dust kicked up by the occasional car hung suspended, slowly settling on the leaves of the poplars lining the road … Read more
“Happy birthday, Mommy!”—Katya, my only daughter, pecked her mother-in-law, Alla Borisovna, on the cheek. “Here, take this!” Inside a luxurious envelope with gold embossing were plane tickets and a voucher for a two-week vacation in Dubai. Five stars, all-inclusive, a personal butler, spa treatments—the full package. I noticed the Burj Al Arab logo—the most expensive … Read more
A millionaire invited the cleaning lady to humiliate her—but when she walked in like a diva!.. He invited the cleaner to his lavish ball to laugh at her, but when she appeared like a true queen, he realized he’d made the greatest mistake of his life. Valentina was on her knees, carefully polishing the cold … Read more
The wife, who had been with her husband from the very beginning—back when he didn’t have money even for new jeans and dinner on the table was often just pasta with processed cheese—decided she would not so easily hand over her husband and the family business to that greedy woman. Recently, Grigory informed his wife … Read more
Just grab and run, you know? Immediately…” “But why me? What’s so special about me?” Thirty years have passed, yet these phrases still ring clearly in my memory, as if spoken only yesterday. That fateful evening radically changed the course of my life. Now, looking back through the prism of all these years, I clearly … Read more
— “Do you have your own car? Or are you planning to rely on Kostya’s?” Nika froze with a glass of juice halfway to her lips. At that moment, Kostya was slicing cheese at the kitchen counter; a slow flush crept over his cheeks. The woman who had just entered the apartment stood in the … Read more