“Liza, We Won’t Take Much”: A Story About Family, Labor, and Boundaries “Liza, we won’t take much. Just pack us your signature pie and a couple jars of jam for the road,” Gleb stretched lazily, a smile on his face. Liza stared at the guest, unable to believe the audacity. How could he ask so … Read more
A gray winter morning wrapped the city in a misty veil, as if nature itself had frozen in expectation of a miracle. The sky, draped in leaden clouds, hung low over the streets, and the frosty air crunched beneath the soles of passersby. On this day, which at first seemed ordinary, something was to happen … Read more
Mikhail Artemiev—a billionaire whose name in business circles was synonymous with success, cold calculation, and impeccable control. His name graced glossy magazine covers, his business empire stretched from Europe to Asia, and his mansion on the outskirts of the city seemed carved from marble, glass, and perfect order. He was a man people respected, feared, … Read more
“Lena, we’ll have to part ways.” Gennady said it with that fatherly gentleness in his voice he switched on whenever he was about to pull another nasty trick. He leaned back in his massive chair, fingers laced over his belly. “We’ve decided the company needs a fresh look. New energy. You understand.” I looked at … Read more
“I asked you,” he began irritably, following his wife into the kitchen. “To set a proper festive table. And what’s this? You had the time. Mom isn’t pleased.” “Your mom is never pleased. It’s impossible to satisfy her,” Milana replied calmly. It was Sunday. As usual, Kirill and his wife, Milana, were visiting his parents. … Read more
— Sashenka just told us that behind our backs you want to buy an apartment. What do you call that? Going it alone? — Not at all. Sasha and I want to buy a place together, in both our names. Why “going it alone”? Sasha and Lena were twenty-four when they got married—young, in love, … Read more
“He’s with Liza now. And I’ll tell you a secret: she suits Vitya very well. Beautiful, well-groomed, and ambitious. And you… well, you understand—just a schoolmarm, in a word. You’re not what my son needs. So it’s time for you to pack your things and move out of the apartment. That’s what’s right,” the mother-in-law … Read more
Nastya laid out another one of Danila’s shirts on the bed and carefully hung it in the wardrobe. He had more clothes than she’d expected, but there was still enough space. “Where should I put your books?” she asked, holding a stack of technical manuals. “Top shelf, if you don’t mind,” Danila replied, folding socks … Read more
Alena loved the quiet of morning. The kind when the kettle only just begins to tremble on the flame, the coffee smells so good it feels like you’re breathing in flavor, and the sun lies softly across the old tiles, lighting up every scratch like a biography of the kitchen. In those moments she felt … Read more
The week Lida left the orphanage, she acquired an inheritance that felt more like a riddle than a gift: a squat, sagging house at the far edge of nowhere, bequeathed by a grandmother long since gone. The place sat by itself at the forest’s hem, half-collapsed and half-forgotten, as if time had walked past and … Read more