You withdrew our savings to buy your sister an apartment? Pack your things and go live with her,” I exploded, throwing the printed bank statement onto the couch. Denis froze in the doorway with a mug of coffee in his hand. His bewildered gaze darted between me and the cursed piece of paper. “Anya, wait, … Read more
I was calmly wiping dust off the bookshelves, enjoying the silence. The renovation in the apartment still wasn’t finished—stacks of wallpaper were piled in the corner, and the kitchen smelled of fresh paint. My husband Sergei had gone to work, leaving me a list of things that had to be done by evening. Suddenly, the … Read more
Mom, open up. It’s me. And I’m not alone.” Kirill’s voice from behind the door sounded unusually firm, almost official. I put my book aside and went to the hallway, fixing my hair on the way. Anxiety had already taken root somewhere in my solar plexus. My son was standing on the doorstep, and behind … Read more
Mommy, live to be a hundred!” my son Dmitry raised his glass, and the crystal answered with a thin chime. His wife Lilia gazed at him devotedly, silently mouthing the same toast. My daughter Olga, propping her cheek in her fist, gave a lazy smile from the other end of the table. “Yeah, Mom, to … Read more
Exactly at 11:00 all the relatives were sitting at the table of the already old, hunched, ninety-year-old granny, who really needed someone to look after her, not the other way around. The old woman barely understood what day it was or why she’d been sat at the table and given a shot of wine. She … Read more
Kirill walked into the apartment and immediately heard his six-month-old son Artem crying. The place was dark and quiet; he had no idea where his wife Alisa was. Quickly shrugging off his coat and shoes, he headed straight to the baby’s room. “Easy, easy, Daddy’s here,” he soothed the little one, picking him up. “Where’s … Read more
Ira lifted her eyes from the screen—the program code once again stabbed at her with errors. Three days were left until the project deadline, and the client had been calling since morning no less than once every half hour. This contract meant financial stability for them for the next two months. —Ira! — a loud … Read more
Maria Andreyevna, there’s a phone call for you,” the nurse poked her head into the office, cautiously peeking around the door. “Some woman, says it’s urgent, a family matter.” Maria tore herself away from the medical record with difficulty. She had been sitting with this file for two hours already. Outside, it had long since … Read more
“Three thousand,” Pavel suddenly said, still not lifting his eyes. “Got it with a discount, at Sunlight.” “Thank you,” she said quietly. “It’s pretty.” Something jabbed in her chest. It wasn’t that she’d been expecting diamonds—what diamonds at their age, really? But this matter-of-fact tone, this accountant’s precision. As if he were reporting on buying … Read more
Mom, these trousers are just gorgeous, but… they’re several times more expensive than the ones we saw at the last display!” exclaimed Yevgeny, glancing at the stylish fine-wool trousers that Liliya Dmitrievna was handing him with an elegant smile. “It’s not like I’m going to walk around with the price tag on my back anyway, … Read more