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A February morning had turned out brutally cold. Alla stood at the stove making breakfast when she caught Viktor Pavlovich’s voice drifting in from the living room. He was talking to Konstantin—her husband—and the tone immediately struck her as wrong. “ Kostya, son, let’s speak seriously,” Viktor Pavlovich said, clearing his throat. “You understand I’m … Read more

Part 1. Other People’s Plans Built on Someone Else’s Foundation Olga stood in the middle of an empty room, breathing in the smell of fresh plaster and cheap—but spotless—linoleum. The studio was small, only twenty-eight square meters, but bright and, most importantly, hers. It was the result of years of saving, bonuses, and unexpected help … Read more

Part 1. Depreciation of Family Ties Nonna sat at a broad table made of solid oak, refining a blueprint. The pencil’s graphite slid over the paper with a dry, satisfying rasp—like sand whispering along glass. The apartment was impeccably arranged, the kind of order achieved not with frantic cleaning but with an engineer’s mathematics of … Read more

Morning light streamed through the blinds, slicing the kitchen into sharp bands. Alice stood by the stove, stirring oatmeal automatically. Her long hair was pinned up in a rush, and the fatigue of a sleepless night had settled in her eyes. The click of keys in the lock made her flinch. “We’re here!” Nina announced … Read more

Raisa stood in the doorway of her apartment, blocking Margarita—her almost-ex-husband Stepan’s sister. Two massive suitcases and several boxes were piled at the sister-in-law’s feet. Under a loose tunic, Margarita’s belly pushed forward in a prominent curve—seven months pregnant, unmistakably. “What do you mean you won’t let me into your apartment?” the pregnant woman asked … Read more

Part 1. Uninvited Guests and the Smell of Dust The key resisted, turning with effort as if the lock itself were pushing back, unwilling to let the owner into her own fortress. Lidia frowned. The bolt had always moved smoothly, like it was greased. She pushed the heavy door faced with pale veneer—and stopped dead … Read more

The key stuck in the lock as if it were fighting her. Anna yanked harder—click—the door finally gave. In the entryway, the air smelled of someone else’s coffee and something sharp, like the apartment had just been “aired out” after a blowup. “Mom? Dad?” she called, kicking off her shoes. Silence. From the kitchen came … Read more

The evening sun was slowly drowning behind the glass façades of the city’s giant buildings, flooding the kitchen with a warm amber glow. Alice arranged wine glasses on the polished countertop, and the crystal chimed—thin, almost musical. That sound had always felt like a symbol to her: everything in her life now was fragile, transparent, … Read more

Warm evening light flooded the living room, painting everything in soft, honeyed gold. Marina stood at the sink and stared out the window. Across the road she could see the front of her old Khrushchyovka—the same apartment her grandmother had left her. Its windows were dark, and for some reason that filled Marina with a … Read more

— Do you even hear me? — Sergey’s voice was stretched tight, like a string about to snap. — You seriously don’t get how important this is? Mom said the windows are dirty—couldn’t you at least wipe them down? It’s… humiliating! Marina lowered her bag to the floor. Inside were rags, plastic sacks, and empty … Read more