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Galina adjusted the tablecloth for the third time. The snow-white fabric, embroidered with tiny flowers, lay smooth without a single wrinkle. She took a step back and surveyed the set table. Two porcelain place settings — the kind reserved only for special occasions. Tall glasses reflecting the soft light of the antique chandelier. And candles … Read more

“Zhenya, why are you lying in front of the TV again? Is there really nothing else to do? Just lying there, rubbing your belly, you lazybones,” Margarita Lvovna said in her usual manner. What lazybones? It’s Sunday today, you know? Can’t I at least peacefully lie down on my rightful day off without being disturbed? … Read more

Agata stared at the computer screen, trying to make sense of the code. The lines flickered before her eyes. At 22, she was just starting her career as a programmer. Every project opened new opportunities. The small room on the second floor of her mother-in-law’s house had become her workspace. Moving here seemed like a … Read more

Elena ran her palm over the dusty surface of the old dresser, leaving a light streak on the dark wood. Grandma Klavdiya’s little house seemed frozen in time — the same faded wallpaper with a small floral pattern, the same heavy furniture covered with white sheets. “Can you imagine, Andrey, how cozy it could be … Read more

— Please give me a ride! And I’ll sing for you! A girl of about ten stood right in front of the car — thin, wearing an old coat that had clearly seen better days. A gray scarf wrapped her up to her eyes, and from beneath it peered big blue eyes. My God, where … Read more

— What is this even?! — Karina exclaimed, unable to hide her irritation, standing in the middle of the living room. Her voice trembled with outrage. She looked around the room, as if hoping to find an answer to her question among the furniture or walls. — Again?! The third time this month! How much … Read more

While working as a cleaner in a luxurious mansion, Maria unexpectedly came across an old photo and a medallion—items that belonged to her late grandmother. But instead of explanations, she was met only with rudeness and accusations of theft. “I knew it — you can’t let poor people into the house! Soon they’ll tear the … Read more

The call caught Natalia at the moment she was trying to hang a picture. Five months of solitude in her small apartment were gradually becoming cozy. This painting—a mountain landscape—she and Andrey had bought in Crimea back in the nineties. During the division of property, it had almost accidentally ended up with her, and now, … Read more

Oleg Petrovich was a known man. Not famous, of course, but recognizable: just a regular guy who ran a restaurant downtown, drove a ten-year-old Mercedes that was neat and well-kept. His kids went to a good school, his wife Svetlana worked at a bank. Seemed like an ordinary middle-class family carefully pretending to be well-off. … Read more

Angelina ran without paying attention to the road but was too late. She stood by the fresh grave, sobbing, unable to hold back the pain: “Why?! Why was he buried without me?!” Her mother-in-law glanced at her coldly and sharply snapped: “You had no business wandering around God knows where! If you had stayed home, … Read more