Larisa was sitting by the window. Three months in the new apartment were gradually erasing the painful memories of her divorce. An unexpected knock at the door made her start. Standing on the threshold was the upstairs neighbor—Natalya, a brunette whom Larisa occasionally met in the elevator. Usually impeccably dressed, she now looked somewhat disheveled. … Read more
Marina observed her son, Ilya, as he tried on his new suit. He was tall and dark-haired, and seeing him dressed so elegantly made it hit home: her boy was getting married tomorrow. Ilya examined his reflection, pleased with the impeccable fit of his attire. “It’s quite the stylish suit,” Ilya commented, admiring the rich … Read more
Inna sighed heavily as she flipped through the newspaper yet again. Not a single job listing suitable for part-time work. Besides, she had been thinking about changing jobs for a while. Her continuous shifts left her children alone for entire days, and her salary barely covered the essentials. The doorbell rang. Denis hurried to open … Read more
Lisa was so often in the hospital that her husband lost count. Of course, he visited her, bringing all sorts of tasty treats and the necessary medications. His mother did not like her sick daughter-in-law. “She’s given birth to all these children and now she’s bedridden. You should have used your head first, then have … Read more
Veronika was returning from the dacha, which she had been unsuccessfully trying to sell for two months. As she drove onto the highway, she slowed down, noticing a pair of rural vendors sitting by the roadside. Reversing, she was surprised to discover that the vendors were girls around ten years old. They had arranged a … Read more
Valeriy walked through the restaurant one more time. Today, he had dismissed all the staff, and all that remained were some leftover supplies. He decided he would return in a few days to gather everything to donate to a shelter. His restaurant had been open for only five years. Initially, business was booming, and the … Read more
“Guess what?” Marina gripped the gift bag so tightly the plastic emitted a pitiful crinkle. “You… you just…” “Is there a problem?” Andrey barely glanced up from his laptop, his screen alive with graphs and data. “Problem?!” She flung the bag onto the sofa. “Your mom appeared yesterday wearing a mink coat worth two hundred … Read more
“Nina, what’s the reason for all this?” Nina Grigorievna settled beside her husband, exhaling deeply. “Kolya, to be honest, I’m not sure myself. Everything seems fine, but I just can’t trust him, I doubt his sincerity. Clearly, Katya is smitten and blind to any faults.” “I get it. I have reservations too. Guess it’s just … Read more
Nastya hated Mondays, especially ones like today—when the printer jammed an important report, the coffee machine decided to strike, and her boss nitpicked every comma. “A typical day in the life of typical office plankton,” she thought, inserting the key into her apartment lock. “Why wasn’t I born a millionaire?” Nastya muttered, kicking off her … Read more
Alexey looked around again. He was terribly worried that someone would notice him getting back into the shabby suburban bus. Now his surroundings were completely different: acquaintances might snicker if they found out he was from the backwoods where his mother lived, whom he visited from time to time. It would undoubtedly be calmer if … Read more