“Have you completely lost it?” Christina blurted out—not as a shout, but as a hoarse, strangled rasp as she stepped into the living room. Her keys slipped from her hand. The ring hit the parquet with a dull clink, but the sound vanished beneath the TV’s monotonous buzz and the steady click-click of a game … Read more
Anna climbed the stairs with a folder of papers pressed to her chest. The appointment with the notary had ended earlier than expected, and she chose not to warn Nikolai that she was coming home early. All she wanted was to step into the apartment, brew some herbal tea, and sit in silence with everything … Read more
Svetlana stood at the stove, stirring sauce for pasta. Viktor, sprawled on the living-room couch, flipped through TV channels and casually tossed his socks from one place to another. After two years under the same roof, she was used to him leaving his things everywhere—but today it annoyed her more than ever. “Sveta, what are … Read more
Oleg came into the apartment and slammed the door so hard the walls seemed to answer back. His tie was loosened, his suit jacket tossed over his arm without a care. His face was glowing with excitement — that very day, the company had officially appointed him head of the sales department. And in a … Read more
Vera stood by the kitchen window, watching the neighbor’s kids play in the courtyard below. Their bright, ringing voices drifted in even through the closed panes, filling the May air with careless joy. Inside the apartment, the scent of freshly brewed tea—mint and cinnamon, her favorite combination—hung warm and sweet, the kind of smell that … Read more
Irina stood at the kitchen counter, steadily slicing vegetables for a salad. The knife in her hand moved with a cold, practiced rhythm, as if she’d done the same motion a thousand times. Viktor sat across from her, scrolling through his phone. An ordinary evening in an ordinary family—except the silence between them felt louder … Read more
“Galya’s expecting us Saturday at nine, so don’t plan anything,” Viktor said in a flat, everyday voice, popping a piece of fried potato into his mouth without even looking at his wife. “We’ll need to get up early so we can buy primer.” Oksana froze with her fork in midair. The brutal warehouse shift—twelve hours … Read more
“— Who’s that huffing like a locomotive? Seryozha, are you sick?” Veronika called out loudly as she tossed her keys onto the little table in the entryway. No one answered, but the sounds from the bedroom didn’t stop. It was heavy, strained breathing, broken by a weird rustling and creaking—like someone was trying to cram … Read more
“Kolya, are you deaf? I’m asking you for the third time—where are the clothes from the left section? Where is my black floor-length dress and my beige trench coat?” Olga stood in front of the wide-open sliding wardrobe, her gaze—normally sharp and observant—now drifting uselessly across empty space. Just a week earlier, garment bags with … Read more
“Shh—don’t be loud. She only just lay down after the trip,” Viktor said, greeting his wife not with a kiss, but with a shushing finger pressed to his lips. His eyes gleamed with that particular, stupid delight you see in kids who’ve done something wrong and are convinced it was actually brilliant. Alina froze in … Read more