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Alexandra slipped the key into the lock and froze. From behind the door came voices — male voices, loud and cheerful. Laughter. The clinking of glasses. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. Again. Guests again. She pushed the door open and stepped into the apartment. In the kitchen, three … Read more

“What is this mess in your kitchen?! Pans belong in the cupboard, not on the stove! Who even stores cookware like this?” Tanya stood in the kitchen doorway, watching Galina Petrovna — her mother-in-law, whom she and Andrey had taken in six months earlier “temporarily, until things got better” — rearrange their belongings. Silently. With … Read more

“You’re a fool, Marina. A complete fool.” Her mother-in-law said it calmly, almost tenderly — the way people say something they believe has long been settled. She sat in the armchair by the window, holding her cup with both hands, looking at her daughter-in-law as though Marina had just failed some basic exam that every … Read more

“Who gave you permission to wear that dress?! You look like some cheap roadside tramp! Go wash that plaster off your face right now, or I’ll scrub it off with a rag myself! You’re not going anywhere dressed like that. You’re staying home!” Vadim raged, spit flying from his mouth. His voice cracked into a … Read more

“Come on…” The lock didn’t give way at once. As usual, the key jammed on the second turn, but even that familiar irritation of the old door couldn’t spoil Natalia’s mood today. She practically flew into the apartment, bringing with her the scent of expensive perfume and fresh evening air into the stale hallway. Thick … Read more

“From the look of that piece of meat, it isn’t even cooked properly. Blood on the plate is a direct path to parasites, Zhanna. Or have you decided that since you don’t cook at home, you might as well poison yourself here too?” Zhanna froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. She would have … Read more

Olga woke to the sound of the alarm and stretched carefully, trying not to wake her husband. Outside the window, dawn was only beginning to break. It was six in the morning — time for her to get ready for work. Dmitry was still asleep, his face buried in the pillow. He didn’t need to … Read more

“Do you even understand what you just said?” Marina didn’t raise her voice. On the contrary, she spoke almost in a whisper. That made the sentence hit even harder. Alexey froze in the hallway with his jacket in his hands, looking as if he had been caught stealing and people were still deciding whether to … Read more

“We’re going on vacation together! Just the two of us! Do you hear me?! Why did you buy a ticket for your sister?! I don’t care that she’s tired and sad! This is our anniversary. I wanted romance, not to listen to your sister whining on the lounge chair next to me! Return her ticket! … Read more

Andrey slammed the refrigerator door so hard that the jars on the shelves rattled. Lena flinched, but she stayed at the stove, stirring the soup with a wooden spoon. Her back was tense, stretched tight like a string. “I only said we don’t need a new TV,” she said quietly, without turning around. “The old … Read more