Victoria stared at yet another unpaid bill spread out on the kitchen table. She automatically adjusted a stray lock of hair and sighed heavily. In the next room, Artem enthusiastically described his new project—an online self-development course—to someone over the phone. “Imagine, it’s simply revolutionary!” his excited statement reached her. Victoria bitterly smiled. Over five … Read more
Kirill sliced the meat automatically, guiding the heavy knife across the cutting board with steady confidence. The blade slipped through the fibers with ease, the fat separating effortlessly; his movements were precise and habitual. It was just another ordinary day: the buzz of customers’ voices, the ring of the cash register, the smell of fresh … Read more
A hot summer day was slowly drawing to an evening. The sun was still mercilessly scorching, but a pleasant coolness reigned in the spacious living room of the country house. Galina Petrovna, an elderly woman with gray hair and a kind face, sank into a soft armchair with relief. “Oh, how nice it has … Read more
“Lida is divorcing her husband; he was living with another woman on his work rotation. She found out when she went to surprise him on his birthday,” Masha stopped Natalya just outside the store. “Did she?” “It turns out he did. She entered his trailer, and there he was celebrating his anniversary, not alone. That’s … Read more
The teapot quietly whistled on the stove as Elena sorted through tea bags. Chamomile, mint, black with bergamot… Vika had brought them from her last business trip to London. Elena smiled, remembering how her daughter had solemnly handed her these keys five years ago. “Now, Mom, you’ll have your own home,” Vika had said then, … Read more
The young man drove his car, not knowing the way. He was driving, as they say, into nowhere. Kirill’s only desire was to escape from home, or more precisely, from the society of his ex-wife. After the divorce, the couple continued to live in the jointly acquired apartment, unable to find acceptable options for exchanging … Read more
This apartment doesn’t belong to you! Sooner or later, it will belong to my little girl!” the stepmother said, poking Natalya in the chest. “I will do everything to make it happen as soon as possible. You can be sure of that.” Natalya was beaming with happiness. She had finally married the man she loved. … Read more
Yuri was very focused on eating his dinner and didn’t immediately notice how his wife, Evgenia, was engaged in a long and interested phone conversation with someone. “I wonder who has captivated my wife so much that she forgot about her unfinished dinner,” he thought, starting to get irritated by her prolonged absence. Evgenia was … Read more
Pasha, Pasha, where are you?” Vasiliyna called her husband. It was already 6 AM. They had argued yesterday, and her husband had spent the night on the porch. There, in the summer kitchen, was a topchan—an old sofa converted for use. Usually, by this time, he would already be in the yard, feeding the chickens, … Read more
They say that secrets may ruin a marriage. When I found that my husband had secretly purchased a second home, I got ready myself for the worst. But nothing prepared me for what I discovered as I drove there. I ended myself crying at the sight, and there was nothing to console me. Will and … Read more