The air in the bank branch was cool and sterile. It smelled of money—not in the sense of wealth, but in the sense of paper: new, crisp, soulless. Alla had just put her last signature on the account-opening agreement. Her account. Not a joint one, not a “family” one, but personal—separate. The first in her … Read more
The evening was the kind when the sky hangs low like a wet blanket, and even the cat—this eternal little engine on paws—suddenly decides life isn’t all that fun and dives under the throw, pretending to be a decorative pillow. Victoria was walking home from work as if she were reporting back for duty—only now … Read more
It seemed Kirill had calculated everything: the sham bankruptcy, the divorce, the secret accounts. But he forgot that Anya was not just a “modest housewife.” Behind the borscht and baby diapers was a woman capable of turning his lies into financial ruin. When the last illusions collapsed, only one question remained: what is more frightening—losing … Read more
Where is my mother?” The question dropped into the room like a stone into still water. Larisa didn’t take off her coat, didn’t even pull the front door closed behind her. She stood on the threshold, and the cold air from the stairwell mingled with the stale warmth of the apartment. Her bag hung limply … Read more
Irina changed her ticket for the return flight at the last moment. She wanted to go home, back to her usual routine, to her husband. Five days at the sea had been refreshing, but now she longed for her own walls. She decided to make it a surprise—come back a day early without telling anyone. … Read more
The red stripe on the envelope, almost screaming, was the first thing that caught the eye. “FINAL NOTICE.” Margarita held the letter in a hand that did not tremble at all. At forty-seven, she had long since forgotten how to tremble. She, the financial director of a large holding company, was used to the idea … Read more
I always believed that love is trust. That if two people decide to tie their lives together, then what awaits them is not only passion and tenderness, but also honesty. Especially when it comes to marriage. But it turned out that my trust was just a convenient bridge for someone to reach my money. His … Read more
“Mom, what are you saying?” Olga froze with the phone in her hand, feeling a chill run down her spine. Her mother-in-law’s voice, always so confident and commanding, now rang with barely restrained anger, like a taut string ready to snap at any moment. She was standing on the veranda of her dacha, where the … Read more
— “Katenka, why were you so stingy with the dessert? One little cake for this whole crowd!” Zinaida Semyonovna’s voice—shrill and acidic, like cheap perfume—cut through the hum of conversation. The guests gathered in the spacious living room of Katya’s three-bedroom apartment fell awkwardly silent. Vitya, Katya’s husband, immediately jabbed her in the side with … Read more
— “Sveta, do you have your own apartment?” I was holding my glass and looking at Sergey. We’d met a week ago at dance night in the Rhythm club on Presnya. He’d walked me to the metro, paid me compliments, remembered that I like semi-sweet white wine. And now he was asking about an apartment. … Read more