“Zhen, haven’t you ever thought…” Katya began, choosing her words carefully as she stirred the cooling tea in her cup with a spoon. “We’ve been together for almost two years. We live together. That’s still a stretch of time. Maybe it’s time we… made it official?” They were sitting in her kitchen—cozy and bright—where every … Read more
Olga was scrolling through reports on her tablet when Maksim burst through the door with a crash. One look at his face made it clear—something had happened. He didn’t even take off his shoes; he stopped right on the threshold, and his voice cut through the apartment’s silence. “How dare you block my sister’s card?” … Read more
Galina was standing by the mailbox, flipping through the papers. The usual routine—utility bills, ads, some certificates. Then she stopped at an envelope from Rosreestr. Strange. They hadn’t filed anything. She opened it. Read it. Read it again. Her world turned upside down. “Seryozha!” she shouted, bursting into the apartment. “Seryozha, where are you?” Her … Read more
Anna stood in the entryway with a suitcase in her hand, as if struck by lightning. Her business trip to Novosibirsk had ended three days early—the contract had been signed faster than expected. She decided not to call Igor; she wanted to surprise him. And now… the surprise was hers. An unfamiliar burgundy coat hung … Read more
Staring at that computer again! Normal women go to work, but you sit here pretending to be busy. Sergey busts his back to feed you, and you’re just playing games!” Klavdiya Petrovna swept through the kitchen so hard the cupboard doors rattled. Veronika didn’t lift her eyes from the screen. The quarterly report had to … Read more
Oksana looked up from her laptop and froze. In the kitchen doorway stood Tamara Ivanovna with a huge suitcase and a triumphant smile. “Oxanochka, hello, dear! Here I am—I’ve arrived!” her mother-in-law stepped into the apartment without waiting to be invited and started shrugging off her coat. “My Egorushka asked his mom to come help … Read more
Alina stood by the window, staring at the gray sky packed with rain clouds. Behind her came a soft rustling sound—Igor was sorting through his sister’s things, neatly folding them into an old suitcase. Marina had left an hour earlier, slamming the door so hard the glass in the cabinet rattled. “Lin, maybe we could … Read more
—I refuse to buy groceries while food keeps mysteriously disappearing from our fridge and then turning up in your mother’s bag! Oleg, tell her straight: either she comes over like a normal guest, or she doesn’t come at all!” Lera’s voice—usually calm and even—rang now with pent-up irritation so sharp it made you want to … Read more
— Kirill, open the door. That click of the lock sounds like a verdict. Elena yanked the chrome handle. Useless. Inside the cabin of the brand-new SUV, it smelled of expensive leather and his cologne—cloying, with musky notes that always triggered her migraines. But today the scent felt not merely unpleasant, but suffocating, as if … Read more
— Sveta, come on, don’t start right away. Mom just asked what we’re having for dinner,” Denis’s voice was coaxing, almost pleading. He could already feel the air thickening in their tiny kitchen, turning dense and viscous, like cooling kissel. Sveta didn’t answer. In silence she stirred a saucepan of thick, dark ruby sauce where … Read more