Oleg Petrovich was a known man. Not famous, of course, but recognizable: just a regular guy who ran a restaurant downtown, drove a ten-year-old Mercedes that was neat and well-kept. His kids went to a good school, his wife Svetlana worked at a bank. Seemed like an ordinary middle-class family carefully pretending to be well-off. … Read more
Angelina ran without paying attention to the road but was too late. She stood by the fresh grave, sobbing, unable to hold back the pain: “Why?! Why was he buried without me?!” Her mother-in-law glanced at her coldly and sharply snapped: “You had no business wandering around God knows where! If you had stayed home, … Read more
Anna Fedorovna sighed heavily, placing another pot down. — What a misfortune! When will this ever end? This endless rain. Maybe up there, the roof of God’s house is leaking? And if during the previous storm she only placed a couple of basins, now she had to set out four plus a kettle. — I … Read more
The day at the office started as usual. Some people were drinking coffee, others were already eagerly glancing at the clock, counting down how much longer they had to endure being at work, and some had already started working hard to stand out in front of the boss. By the way, the head of the … Read more
Today could confidently be called a successful day. For Nina, working in the house of Pavel Sergeevich Krasnogorsky — a wealthy and influential man known throughout the city — was truly a rare opportunity. Although the young woman had two higher education degrees — in philology and journalism — no educational institution could offer her … Read more
Anna adjusted the cushion on the sofa and reached for the remote—time for the evening news. Outside, the October rain drizzled, and in the living room, only the lamp by the armchair, where Pavel usually read, was on. Today, her husband was staying late at work. The home phone’s ring shattered the silence. “Hello,” Anna … Read more
The wedding procession was speeding through the city streets. Cheerful, lively music played in the car’s cabin, and the driver kept up the mood by honking at passing cars, both oncoming and alongside. The bride was completely absorbed in anticipation of the important moment—her eyes were glowing, her hands trembled with excitement, she kept adjusting … Read more
— Where are you going at this hour? — came a sharp voice from the kitchen. — As if to some cacophonous parade! From the doorway came the familiar smell of fried potatoes and the faint scent of old resentment. Nadya appeared, dressed in her favorite apron with faded sunflowers, hands on her hips, her … Read more
— Katya, are you almost there? I’m starving, I have no strength, — came Igor’s lazy, drawn-out voice from the room as Katya, barely stepping over the threshold, tried to find the light switch in the dark hallway. The light finally flickered on, stabbing her tired eyes. She silently slipped off her shoes, feeling her … Read more
The more Slava, my husband, spoke, the more sharply I realized how terribly mistaken I had been about this man. His words stung like bees, and I was deeply disappointed in him. How could I have failed to see the rot inside him? Or do all lovers wear rose-colored glasses? Well, thank fate that helped … Read more