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I was standing by the stove, stirring tomato sauce, when Dmitry burst into the kitchen. His loud footsteps echoed on the old wooden floors of our rented one-room apartment. In his hands, he had a worn backpack, which he immediately threw on a chair. The smell of gasoline and tobacco smoke followed him—he had obviously … Read more

Alyna, Alyna, it can’t be, is it really you?” – a male voice sounded. She flinched and slowly turned around. Standing before her was Andrei. The same Andrei, her first love, the one who had nearly gotten her stepfather to kill her. Alyna glanced at her husband, who was talking to the doctor at that … Read more

You’re not seriously expecting my Nikita to take care of someone else’s child, are you?” Svetlana Petrovna delicately placed the porcelain cup on its saucer. “The boy is already grown. It’ll do him good to learn independence.” Irina felt the air freeze around her. The perfect silver hair, manicured nails, expensive jewelry—everything about her mother-in-law … Read more

Len, are you out of your mind? We just had our own baby!” — Alexey slammed the cupboard door in irritation. “What adoption are you talking about?” Elena stood by the window, looking at the grey February day. The maternity hospital was on the outskirts of their small town, and the view from the room … Read more

Who is a child without roots? No one. A ghost that accidentally found a physical shell.” “Does that mean you always felt like a ghost?” Mikhail asked as he stirred his coffee in my stylish kitchen. I looked at him—my only friend who knew the whole truth. The man who helped me find her. The … Read more

Alina squeezed into the crowded bus with difficulty. She hadn’t been to these parts in a long time — ever since her grandmother passed away, she’d only visited the village once. After that, it just never worked out — studies, fun, life. Honestly, even that one visit she would rather erase from memory. That was … Read more

The tap water trickled sluggishly—rust‑colored and foul‑smelling. Lyuda set the kettle under the spout. Outside, dusk was falling, the April evening invading the city earlier than usual. She watched the kettle fill and thought, “Eighteen years… Eighteen years I’ve been drinking this stinky water—wish someone would install a filter.” “Lyudka, where have you disappeared to?” … Read more

Nadezhda had always known how to work. At twenty‑two, after earning her degree in economics, she got a job at a small company. Five years later, she was already heading the finance department at a large firm. Her schedule—six days a week, often staying late into the evening—never elicited a single complaint from her. Everyone … Read more

White hospital tiles floated before Viktoria’s eyes. Consciousness returned slowly, as though making its way through a thick fog. The beeping of the monitors, the sharp scent of disinfectant, the cold touch of a starched sheet—she realized she was in a hospital. Her eyelids felt unbearably heavy, and Vika decided not to open her eyes … Read more

Marina woke up earlier than usual: the sounds of passersby could be heard outside the window — the night had been warm, and people had been out walking almost until morning. She sat up in bed and looked at her sleeping husband, Andrey. His steady breathing revealed he was in a deep sleep, but he … Read more