Your alimony payments are seventy percent of your income?! Are you kidding me? You willingly give them almost everything, while I’m supposed to feed you and our child on my salary?

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“Transfer fifteen thousand to my card right now before I forget to order Tyoma’s winter snowsuit. And send another five thousand for groceries until the end of the week,” Marina said, dropping two heavy plastic shopping bags onto the hallway tiles with a dull thud. She straightened her aching back with difficulty. Her fingers were … Read more

“Suitcases in your hands — and both of you out. I don’t want to see either of you in my apartment again,” Arina said calmly to her husband and her best friend.

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“Suitcases in your hands—and both of you out,” Arina said calmly to her husband and her best friend. “I don’t want to see either of you in my apartment again.” Pavel stood in the middle of the bedroom with his shirt half-unbuttoned, staring at his wife as if she had walked not into her own … Read more

“Did you seriously change the locks?! How are we supposed to get into the house now?!” her mother-in-law shouted, yanking at the door handle.

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“Did you seriously change the locks?! How are we supposed to get into the house now?!” her mother-in-law shouted, yanking at the door handle. Tatiana stood in the hallway, silently staring at the door. The doorbell rang so sharply that even the dog under the couch flinched and let out a low growl. Then it … Read more

“We thought you’d sign the gift deed without making a scene,” Andrei said while his relatives sat around the table.

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“We thought you’d sign the gift deed without making a scene,” Andrey said while his relatives sat around the table. Elizaveta froze at the kitchen entrance, still wearing her coat. On the table lay a dark blue folder. Beside it were mugs, a plate of sliced cold cuts, her mother-in-law’s phone, and a pen. One … Read more

“Who exactly are you planning to throw out of the apartment? Us?!” my sister-in-law snapped, jumping to her feet when Natasha took the keys.

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“Who exactly are you planning to throw out of this apartment? Us?!” her sister-in-law snapped, jumping to her feet the moment Natasha took the keys. The kitchen suddenly felt cramped, as if that one sentence had sucked all the air out of the room. A moment earlier, voices had been overlapping, the television had been … Read more

“Women like you shouldn’t be allowed to have children at all,” my sister-in-law said after finding out I was pregnant.

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“You know, women like you shouldn’t have children at all,” my sister-in-law said after finding out I was pregnant. I slowly placed my palm on the countertop and looked at Svetlana so steadily that, for a second, even her smug smile disappeared. “Say that again,” I said quietly. My husband, Pavel, froze by the refrigerator … Read more

“Money disappeared from the card? The report has already been filed. You can deal with it now,” Daria said calmly.

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“Money disappeared from the card? The report has already been filed. Deal with it,” Darya said calmly. Only after those words did Artyom finally stop smiling. Until then, he had been acting confident. Too confident for a man who had just been shown a list of transfers from someone else’s bank card. He sat on … Read more

“We’re coming to your place for the May holidays with the whole group!” a cheerful voice rang out from the phone, as if Olga had just been told something pleasant, long-awaited, and already approved by her.

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— We’re all coming to your place for the May holidays! — the cheerful voice burst from the phone, as if Olga had just been told something pleasant, long-awaited, and already approved by her. She stood by the kitchen table with a towel in her hands, staring at the screen so intently that it seemed … Read more