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Marina frowned. A letter with the bank’s logo lay on the kitchen table—the third one this month. She reached for the letter opener, her heart beating out of rhythm. Something was wrong. “Dear Viktor Nikolaevich… payment overdue… subject to penalty… collateralized property…” Collateralized property? What property? “Vitya!” she shouted, holding the letter between two fingers … Read more

— “So you’re leaving me for another woman and decided to claim my apartment?” I asked my husband in disbelief, not trusting my ears. Alexander stood in front of me, nervously fiddling with a button on his jacket. He kept looking away, his whole posture broadcasting how awkward and ashamed he felt. But the words … Read more

Yulia sat at the kitchen table, peering out the window where a fine autumn rain was falling. A cup of long-cold tea stood nearby. She tried to understand when everything had gone wrong—when the chill between her and Boris had turned into an entire wall of ice. — Sashenka, careful there, — Yulia said in … Read more

— Lena, you don’t mind if my mom stays with us for a bit, do you? — Kirill tried to keep his voice calm, but his eyes gave him away: the decision had been made, and asking your opinion was just for show. Lena tore herself away from the laptop for a second, looked at … Read more

— Listen, I just don’t understand, — Varvara froze by the kitchen cabinet without turning to her husband. — This month we’re not putting aside a single ruble again. Do you get that? Nothing. Zero. And you’re just sitting there calmly chewing chicken. How? Yury tore himself away from his plate and exhaled. He wasn’t … Read more

“Svéta, I’ll be late today. Go to bed without me,” — that was the message Svetlana received from her husband, and her heart began to ache even more. Pyotr had his own auto repair shop; it was his life’s work. If a job was interesting, he would climb under the car himself and could spend … Read more

The wedding dress fitting was postponed to the next day because the seamstress working on it had to take her child to the hospital. Lena was a little upset, but immediately switched herself to a positive mindset. There was no point worrying over trifles—she’d try it on tomorrow. She was eager to see how she’d … Read more

Nina pressed the ring of keys to her chest and smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. The two-room apartment in a new building finally belonged to her. No loans, no debts—just the result of her own work and persistence. “Congratulations on your purchase!” the agency manager handed over the papers. “Wishing you a smooth move-in.” … Read more

I stood at the living room window, looking out at the gray roofs of our neighborhood, and couldn’t believe it… Finally! After three years of divorce, after all the courts and the splitting of property, I had what I’d dreamed of all my life—my own territory. My apartment. My rules. Light walls I picked out … Read more

The doorbell rang at exactly half past six on Sunday morning. At first, Svetlana thought it was the fire alarm—the ringing was so sharp and insistent. But no, it was the door. — Sveta, open up! — came her mother-in-law’s voice through the door. — We’ve got important business! Svetlana threw on her robe and, … Read more