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The sterile whiteness of the hospital room made his eyes ache. The sharp smell of bleach and medicine—the constant companion of any state-run clinic—seemed to have soaked into his very soul. Dmitry sat on the edge of the bed beside his ten-year-old son, Kirill, forcing the most carefree smile he could. This year the spring … Read more

The next contract for the delivery of medical equipment blurred in front of her eyes. The numbers and clauses had long since merged into a monotonous mush. Elena rubbed the bridge of her nose and leaned back in her chair. The phone call from her husband came at just the right time. “Len, hi. Listen, … Read more

— “Are you seriously saying this right now?” Raisa set down the comb she’d been threading pearls into and slowly turned toward her husband. Her voice was quiet, but there was steel trembling inside it. “Sell my apartment to pay off your mother’s debt?” — “Well what else are we supposed to do?” Andrey stood … Read more

The tea at their place was always suspiciously strong. It wasn’t that Dmitry knew how to brew it—he simply believed you had to soak the bag until it turned into dark crude oil, and then boil it again “so the flavor opens up.” Olga usually added lemon to somehow neutralize that “inky brew.” But this … Read more

Misha slammed his cold cup of coffee onto the table and clicked the button on the coffee machine. Five minutes until he had to leave. Their old apartment had become a cramped box for him, where every corner reminded him of twenty years of marriage— a marriage he’d decided to end three months ago. “Did … Read more

“Mom, why are you just standing there? Everyone’s already in the hall.” Valentina Sergeyevna adjusted the pearl necklace—a gift from Viktor for her sixtieth birthday—and gave a smirk. “I’m wondering whether Roman will come.” Viktor snorted. “Why did you even invite him? You stayed silent for eleven years and everything was fine.” She shrugged. She … Read more

I came into the apartment after work, kicked off my shoes, and immediately knew—something was wrong. Dmitry stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, his face tense. “We need to talk.” I froze with my bag still in my hand. “I had dinner with Andrey today,” he said without waiting for an … Read more

“I always believed that love was trust. That if two people decide to tie their lives together, what lies ahead isn’t just passion and tenderness, but honesty too—especially when it comes to marriage. But it turned out my trust was simply a convenient bridge for someone to get to my money. His name was Mikhail. … Read more

Marina first sensed that something was wrong the moment she noticed Igor hiding his phone. He did it subtly, almost reflexively—the screen would go dark instantly the second she walked into the room. Five years earlier, when they had just gotten married, he left his phone anywhere: on the kitchen table, on the couch, in … Read more

Tatyana closed out the register at the shop and handed the day’s takings to the administrator. It had been a good day—several expensive winter snowsuits had sold, along with a batch of dressy outfits for New Year’s school matinees. Ten years earlier she had opened her first children’s clothing store in a residential district, investing … Read more