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“Alexey, can you hear me or not?” Maria Ivanovna clicked the phone as if it were not a smartphone but a cockroach on the wall. “Tomorrow. I said — tomorrow. Not the day after, not whenever your fancy ‘deadlines’ are. My potatoes are sprouting. If you don’t come, then forget it — you’re no longer … Read more

Alina stood in the middle of her brand-new two-room apartment with gray walls and windows overlooking an equally gray new building opposite. The apartment still smelled of concrete dust, but she already loved it. Here would be a kitchen with a blue set, a living room with a large sofa, and a bedroom — finally … Read more

Sometimes relatives think they can just walk all over you simply because you’re related by blood. That’s exactly what my sister Veronika decided — since I was lucky enough to get a summer house (which, by the way, I worked my butt off for five years without any vacations to afford!), now this summer house … Read more

“Syoma, are you sitting down?” Lida began, stepping over the kitchen threshold and pulling off her scarf. Having just returned from the notary’s office, she was still in a slight daze — her face showing a mixture of surprise and childlike joy, as if she had found an unexpected gift where she least expected one. … Read more

“Marina Ivanovna, how can you say such things? Smelov and I have our wedding tomorrow!” Renata was shocked to hear the accusations from her mother-in-law, who suddenly showed up at her workplace. Colleagues froze in confusion, watching the scene unfold before them. It felt as if a play was being acted out right in the … Read more

Valeria closed her eyes and slowly inhaled, trying to calm the storm inside her. In her chest, it felt as if a conflicting sea was boiling: pity for her family, resentment toward her mother, heavy disappointment in her own future, and bitter fatigue from constant decisions she had made not for herself. With every breath, … Read more

Maxim sat at the computer, not taking his eyes off the monitor. One line of code replaced another on the screen—an endless stream of characters, understood only by him. The workday was coming to an end, but that meant nothing. Time had long lost its meaning for him—days, weeks, months had merged into one gray, … Read more

Irina brushed crumbs off the windowsill, set down a cup of green tea, and sat at her laptop. Everything in this house followed a schedule: Friday evening was “paperwork time.” Opening bills, sorting receipts, balancing expenses — a familiar ritual for an experienced accountant. “I need to file the declaration next week,” she thought, opening … Read more

Anna sat in the car, fastening the collar of her coat with trembling fingers. It was May outside, but inside felt like February: her heart raced, her mouth was dry, and her hands were cold. She knew this evening would end badly—she just didn’t know how badly yet. Outside the window was a sign: “Avtotechnik … Read more

“What is this? A souvenir from the Soviet past?” Valeria asked irritably as she stepped over the threshold after a hard day at work. “Where did you drag this from? A dumpster? I bet it’s already crawling with cockroaches,” she added, critically eyeing the old mattress in the hallway. Sasha came out to meet her … Read more