— “And the dust is still there, just where it was,” came Alla Sergeyevna’s voice, dry and colorless as last year’s herbarium, slicing through the kitchen’s morning hush. She ran her index finger along the top shelf of a cupboard, then examined the dark smear on her fingertip with fastidious disgust. “Looks like the lady … Read more
“Why didn’t you go to my mother’s today?” Vadim’s voice—sharp and stripped of all warmth—struck Valeria in the back. She was in the entryway, just slipping off her shoes, savoring the relief of freeing her aching feet from narrow office pumps. All day she’d dreamed of this moment: coming home, changing into a soft T-shirt, … Read more
— Mom, I’m trying to explain, — Anton’s voice was pleading, but with clear notes of irritation he could barely conceal. He stood in the middle of the kitchen, the phone pressed to his ear, his back tense like a drawn string. — It’s Veronika’s sister’s birthday. A milestone one. They planned everything in advance, … Read more
The silence of the night, broken only by the soft rustle of rain outside the window, wrapped the apartment like a warm blanket. Alyona had already put on her pajamas, tied her hair into a messy ponytail, and was about to collapse into bed after an exhausting nurse’s shift at the hospital. But the phone … Read more
At the entrance of a bustling Parisian bistro, at table No. 6, sat Dmitry Levin. A lobster risotto was cooling in front of him—expensive, refined, and utterly unappetizing. Yet another glittering evening, full of society smiles and empty toasts, had left behind only a strange sense of emptiness. The silence of his inward musings was … Read more
“Sir… may I have lunch with you?” the barefoot girl asked timidly, addressing the millionaire. Her voice was quiet and shaky, but in the serene atmosphere of the elite restaurant it sounded like a clap of thunder out of a clear sky. Richard Evans, a well-known Chicago real-estate tycoon, a gray-haired man of about sixty, … Read more
Victoria was slicing bread for breakfast when the doorbell rang. Artem lifted his head from his phone. “Probably Mom,” he said, and went to open the door. A minute later, his mother appeared in the kitchen with her usual smile. Galina Petrovna always came without warning, as if this were her own apartment. “Good morning, … Read more
“Happy birthday, Mommy!”—Katya, my only daughter, pecked her mother-in-law, Alla Borisovna, on the cheek. “Here, take this!” Inside a luxurious envelope with gold embossing were plane tickets and a voucher for a two-week vacation in Dubai. Five stars, all-inclusive, a personal butler, spa treatments—the full package. I noticed the Burj Al Arab logo—the most expensive … Read more
A foggy Sunday morning rose over the village of Beryozovka, like a blurred watercolor painting. The birch leaves whispered in the gusts of wind, and in the windows of the old house with the blue door, no light was yet shining. But today Arkady Petrovich woke earlier than the roosters. He had dreamt a nightmare: … Read more
City Hospital No. 12, hidden between noisy streets and old linden alleys, had long become a symbol of contradictions. Its walls, painted in a faded beige, had absorbed decades of tears, hopes, and silent curses. From the outside, the building looked respectable: clean windows, a well-kept facade, a sign with the city’s coat of arms. … Read more