— Either my mother moves in here and gets registered in this apartment, or we get divorced. Artyom said it evenly, as though he were reading out the weekend weather forecast. Marina stood by the stove with the kettle in her hand. The water had boiled a minute earlier. She set the kettle down, turned … Read more
“Pasha, I barely recognize you anymore. Are you actually a man, or are you just here for decoration?” Elena Mikhailovna said it almost calmly, and somehow that calmness was more frightening than if she had shouted. She sat at the kitchen table with her arms folded across her chest, looking at her son the way … Read more
“That’s the crossover we’re getting. The main thing is making sure Lera takes out the loan tomorrow. She still thinks the money is going toward paying off the old debts.” “Once she signs, it’ll be too late for her to argue,” Maxim replied calmly. Valeria stood motionless behind the glass near the entrance to the … Read more
“Thank me? For what? You only did what you were supposed to do,” her mother said calmly, sliding the folder of documents toward the edge of the table. “I’m leaving the house to your brothers. Men need something solid to rely on in life. You’re strong. You can earn your own.” She said it so … Read more
“How could you block your husband’s card?! He’s a man—the head of the family!” her mother-in-law shouted, pounding her fist against the kitchen table. Lyudmila Pavlovna had stormed into the apartment exactly an hour after her son called her. Her cheeks were flushed, and her voice kept breaking with outrage. She stood in the middle … Read more
“Just the crib left,” Kristina said aloud, looking around the courtyard. A small open-bed truck was parked near the building. Beside the entrance stood neatly arranged boxes filled with children’s toys, a parrot cage, a dog bed, bags of clothes, and several kitchen appliances. Everything had been packed carefully and methodically earlier that morning. At … Read more
“Lena, you got your bonus today, didn’t you? Transfer two hundred thousand to me right now. The suppliers are waiting for payment, and if we don’t send it today, the contract is going to fall through,” Andrei said hurriedly over the phone. Elena stood by the accounting department window, watching raindrops slowly slide down the … Read more
“If anything happens, Olya won’t get a thing. We’ll register the apartment in my name first, and afterward I’ll transfer it to you as a gift,” her mother-in-law said, laying out the plan. Olga stopped cold on the stairwell, her hand still inches from the doorbell. Her mother-in-law’s voice—dry, practical, and confidently matter-of-fact—came through the … Read more
“Konstantin, look at this,” Natasha said, holding out her phone to her husband. Something in her voice made him put the remote aside. He took the smartphone and scrolled through the list of files in the voice recorder app. There were several unnamed recordings. “Where did these come from?” “I don’t know. Just play one.” … Read more
“Did Sveta really leave you with nothing?” Vera Andreyevna asked, looking around the kitchen in confusion. “Why would she?” Maksim replied gloomily, without lifting his eyes from the calculator. “She left and said she didn’t owe anyone anything anymore.” His mother opened her mouth to object, ready with one of her usual comments about selfish … Read more