My mother-in-law convinced my husband that I spend too much, and the two of them started demanding reports on my expenses

Maria set the grocery bags on the kitchen table and started putting everything away—vegetables into the refrigerator, grains into the cupboard, cleaning supplies under the sink. Just another ordinary weekday evening. In the next room Dmitry sat in front of the TV, scrolling through news on his phone. He didn’t seem to notice his wife, … Read more

We arrived at our dacha without calling ahead for the winter holidays—and found strangers there. They had no idea we were the owners

Galina gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. Snow pelted the windshield of their old Niva, and the wipers could barely cope with the wet clumps sticking to the glass. “Shouldn’t we at least call the neighbors?” Ivan asked yet again, glancing at his wife. “Let them know we’re on our way.” … Read more

You insulted my brother’s wife! Seriously, were you that stingy about some suit? Is it really that precious?

— You insulted my brother’s wife! Seriously—was it so hard to share some suit? Is it really that valuable? — Yes, it is, — Tanya answered evenly. — It’s an expensive suit. And I don’t remember you ever buying me clothes so you could shame me about them. Besides, Liza went digging through my things … Read more

After the divorce, they split the apartment — her ex left for a new love, but came back for the dacha and the car. Her answer surprised him

Irina stood by the window, watching autumn leaves drift and spin in the air. The apartment felt roomier without Dmitry—without his things, his presence, his constant dissatisfaction. Six months earlier, he had packed a suitcase and left for his secretary, Valentina. “This apartment will be enough for you,” he’d said then, putting on a show … Read more

Olga was slowly stirring her morning coffee, savoring the quiet. For the first time in three years of marriage, she could eat breakfast in peace

Olga slowly stirred her morning coffee, enjoying the silence. For the first time in three years of marriage, she could eat breakfast without Dima’s usual grumbling about traffic or his comments about her “way too strong” coffee. A week without her husband had passed in a blink—she’d rewatched her favorite films, reread books she loved, … Read more

This is my apartment—who are you supposed to be?” snapped her ex-husband’s new wife, with no idea who was standing on the doorstep

Svetlana stood in front of a door she knew by heart, fingers sifting through the keys in her purse. Something felt off immediately—the lock had clearly been changed. She frowned and double-checked the number. No, she wasn’t mistaken: third floor, apartment twenty-seven. The same place where she had lived through eight years of marriage. “Igor … Read more

My Husband’s Sister Mocked the Bride at the Wedding — a Year Later She Was Begging for Help

Olesya stood in front of the mirror in a bright, snow‑white dress, straightening her veil with shaky fingers. Her heart was thudding so loudly it felt as if the whole room could hear it. Today she would become Andrey’s wife—and step into his family. “You’re absolutely gorgeous,” her friend whispered while fastening the buttons down … Read more

Nataliya heard the familiar voice in the stairwell before the doorbell even rang. Larisa Nikolaevna always spoke loudly, as if the whole world needed to know what was happening in the family

Nataliya heard the familiar voice in the stairwell even before the doorbell rang. Larisa Nikolaevna always spoke at full volume, as if the entire building had a right to know what was going on in her son’s marriage. Her voice bounced off the concrete walls, mixing with the sharp clack of heels on the steps. … Read more

Tanya didn’t reach for her wallet. And the relatives’ faces fell—they’d grown way too used to freebies

The sun had only just begun to reach into the cramped kitchen of a typical two-bedroom apartment—one Tanya had bought with a mortgage three years earlier. Winter kept pushing in through the windows, but the radiators worked faithfully, filling the place with a steady, cozy heat. Tanya sat with a mug of coffee, sorting through … Read more

“So you left for another woman, and I’m supposed to keep taking care of your mother?” Lyuda sneered

Three years earlier, everything began with a fall. Lyuda’s mother-in-law, Antonina Semyonovna, slipped at home and fractured her hip. A call from the hospital in the dead of night. Panic. Paperwork. Endless waiting rooms and doctor queues. Lyuda bounced between her job and the hospital halls, while her husband, Viktor, only sighed and kept repeating … Read more