— What do you mean you didn’t pay? What? Why? — Svetlana looked surprised from the bathroom, where she was hand-washing her daughter’s clothes. The child needed to go to kindergarten, clean clothes had run out, and, as if on purpose, the washing machine had broken down. And there was simply no money to fix … Read more
Spring in the garden is especially wonderful. The apple trees are in bloom, the birds are singing, and the air is so fresh it takes your breath away. You hear the buzzing of bees, breathe deeply — and realize: living outside the city is a great blessing. Especially when it’s only twenty minutes to the … Read more
Alina sat on the couch, leaning back comfortably against the soft pillows. The room was filled with a ringing silence, occasionally broken by the monotonous drip of water leaking from the kitchen faucet. Outside the window, the sky was slowly darkening—as if some invisible hand was gradually turning off the lights in the world. The … Read more
— Mom, are you serious? I’ve already sent out the invitations! The restaurant is waiting for payment! My wedding is in two weeks! You can’t let me down! — Kira couldn’t believe that her mother’s words were not a nightmare or a prank. — Darling, I understand… — No, you don’t understand! — Kira shouted, … Read more
— Where’s the soup I made yesterday? — Sveta asked indignantly. — I threw it out, — her mother-in-law replied briskly, stirring something in the pan. — It was too watery. I made a new one — richer and thicker. A man needs to be well fed! Sveta and Lesha lived in a small but … Read more
Right after graduation, Liza submitted her university application. She was confident she would get in — her Unified State Exam scores were high, even above the average passing score from last year. The summer turned out to be hot. A friend suggested spending a couple of weeks in Gelendzhik at her aunt’s place. The thought … Read more
Lera locked the car, and she and her husband hurried toward the office entrance. Rain came pouring down from the sky, turning the street into streams of water. Colleagues who arrived a bit later lingered by the parking lot, unwilling to step out into the cold downpour. They glanced helplessly at their watches—the workday was … Read more
— It’s my anniversary! — the mother-in-law reminded. — And that means I’m expecting a gift from you. Why don’t you give me the same wonderful refrigerator, only a little earlier? — But… it costs… quite a bit… — Olga was a bit taken aback by such a direct hint. — Don’t worry about it! … Read more
— Mish, we’ve been living together for three years now—maybe we should get ourselves a kitten? Julia turned to her boyfriend, who was slouched on the sofa, absentmindedly flipping TV channels with a blank expression. He turned to her and frowned. — What else are you dreaming up? Shall we get a piglet next? And … Read more
— You’ll all be cleaning staff! Just know this — I’ll fire you to hell!” Vladimir barked, slamming the door to his office loudly. “Those freeloaders have really gotten cheeky,” he muttered to himself. “They don’t want to work but expect to get paid! Meanwhile, the company is on the edge, losing money!” Deep down, … Read more