“Why did you change the locks?” — the father-in-law snapped. “Have you forgotten who did the repairs in the apartment? Now all of this is your property?”

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“Do you even see yourself from the outside?” Oleg’s voice cracked, but it wasn’t anger — it was hurt, almost like a complaint. “You stand there, silent. Can’t squeeze out a word. So I’m supposed to be to blame for everything?” Anna stood by the window, her hands clenched tightly in the pockets of an … Read more

— “You are obliged to support my mother until the end of her life,” — ordered the husband, unaware that his mother had long ago decided to deprive him of the inheritance.

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Lena carefully moved the tiny vase with a sprig of gypsophila to the center of the table so that nothing would block her view of her mother-in-law’s face. The café was quiet, almost like a temple, and even the sounds were muffled — as if it was forbidden to speak loudly or express emotions too … Read more

Love at First Sight — Maxim, look at that beautiful girl!

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— Maxim, look what a beautiful girl! — Hello, I’m Natasha. What’s your name? The blue-eyed little girl with funny curls looked straight at the young twenty-five-year-old man. — I’m Nikolai, and this is my son Maxim. — Nikolai, do you have a wife? Nikolai’s wife, overhearing this, burst out laughing. Coming from a five-year-old … Read more

— They will move in with me, and you’ll take their apartment. — The daughter-in-law accidentally overheard how the mother-in-law was planning to give her apartment to her daughter

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“Oh, Yanochka, how hard it is for me to be alone,” Olga Nikolaevna lamented, pouring tea for her daughter-in-law. “My heart is acting up, my blood pressure is all over the place. Yesterday it hit me so badly, I thought—this is it, the end for me.” Yana silently nodded, trying not to show irritation. It … Read more

— If you’re planning to go to your mother’s for three months, maybe it’s better if we just get a divorce? Because I’m tired of you mostly being…

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— I’ve decided—I’m going to my mom’s on Saturday. Probably for about three months. The words fell on the table between the plate of fried potatoes and the salad. They fell lightly, mundanely, like breadcrumbs. Artyom said them without breaking from his food, carefully spearing a browned piece of chicken on his fork. To him, … Read more

“I can’t get a business loan while the apartment is still in your name!” — my husband wanted to save his restaurant at my expense

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Kristina carefully arranged the documents on her desk. The whole day had been tense. Negotiations with new clients had stretched into the late evening. But it was worth it — a major contract was signed. At home, she was greeted by silence. Roman was sitting in the kitchen in front of his laptop. His face … Read more

My husband gave everything to his brother. I just opened the screen. My husband’s messages with the “poor” brother turned out to be nothing about debts.

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Vika was standing by the sink, washing the dishes after dinner, when Dmitry came home. Her husband looked unusually tense—his eyebrows were furrowed, shoulders slumped. Usually, after work Dmitry joked around, told stories about his colleagues, but today he silently went into the room and plopped down on the couch. “What’s wrong?” Vika wiped her … Read more

At his wife’s funeral, an unfamiliar girl shouted at the husband: “Check the footage from the maternity ward cameras!”

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Night, thickening over the city, seemed to anticipate a tragedy. Heavy clouds crawled across the sky, as if bearing the weight of unfulfilled hopes and broken fates. The car slid over the wet asphalt like a ghost, leaving behind a trail of headlights and silence pierced by anxiety. Roman sat behind the wheel, gripping it … Read more

— We don’t have the right to take a bowl of strawberries from the plot into which we invested 2 million rubles?” the father-in-law asked in disbelief.

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“What if we ask your parents for help?” Gennady said thoughtfully, stretching out on the couch after dinner. Irina carefully set her cup of tea on the table and sat down beside him. The news about Svetlana selling her dacha had been on her mind all day. “Can you imagine what an opportunity this is?” … Read more