What will happen if I just tell the truth one day?” he asked quietly, staring into space. “What you fear most in the world, Kirill. You will stop being someone you never were,” his wife replied, not lifting her eyes from the book. The autumn wind hurled handfuls of rain against the windows of the … Read more
The Underhanded Mathematics of Family Life: Squeezing the Most Out of the Least Investment. Waiting for the Last Mortgage Payment. Getting Rid of Unnecessary Ballast. Claiming One’s Share. But then an Unpredictable Variable Appeared in the Equation. Lizaveta held in her hand the receipt for the final mortgage payment and could hardly believe it – … Read more
— Listen to me carefully: this apartment must be registered only in our names! Do you understand, you loafer? Only then will you be able to keep your stubborn wife under control and prevent her from getting out of your grasp!” the mother-in-law grumbled irritably. Not long before that… “— Oh, it’s so cold! It … Read more
Marina stopped her car by an acquaintance’s gate and sat for several seconds, examining her well-tended garden. The June sun generously flooded the plot, its rays playing across the veranda’s windows. She adored that summer house with all her heart – every lilac bush had been planted by her own hands, every flowerbed crafted with … Read more
The twilight of October gently enveloped the city as I set the table for dinner. The familiar cups with worn edges, the old embroidered tablecloth — everything in this kitchen had remained unchanged for the past three decades. Viktor entered, carefully closing the door behind him. The warm October evening prompted him to roll up … Read more
One phone call turned Anastasia’s life upside down, revealing the secrets and lies of her marriage. But fate had an unexpected twist in store — in the labyrinth of betrayal, she would find her path to true happiness. “He said to tell you he has a sweet little thing just like you. Only younger. And … Read more
You didn’t take good care of him,” he whispered, extending a framed photograph as a Women’s Day gift. “I hope you’ll do better with the children.” His smile was empty, lifeless. At first, I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing. The world had narrowed, then shattered into pieces. In the photo, Alexey stood in that … Read more
— Kat, mom is sure that now is not the best time to buy an apartment. The market is too volatile, prices are clearly overinflated. — Is her opinion expert? — Ekaterina looked up from her laptop, where she was reviewing another two-room option in a new building. It was a Friday evening. Outside, the … Read more
Old Pyotr found himself on the street, cast out by his own son and daughter-in-law from the house he had once built with his own hands. His beard was crusted with frost, and his fingers had grown numb from the biting cold when something warm suddenly touched his face… Ivan sat on a snow-covered … Read more
Tanya stepped out of the metro and immediately realized she was dressed too lightly. She shivered from the cold wind, hugged herself, and ran into the warm shopping mall. “I guess it’s time to start wearing my down jacket,” she thought. Inside the mall, Tanya headed to the café area and bought herself a coffee … Read more