Alice watched Anton as he carefully hung his few shirts in the spacious closet of her bedroom. They had been married only three weeks, and only now had he finally moved in with her. The apartment was truly impressive—four rooms in a new residential complex, with panoramic windows and modern finishes. Anton still couldn’t believe … Read more
Olga sank onto the sofa, massaging her temples after a long workday. First eight hours at the office, then another four—moonlighting as an accountant for an acquaintance’s small business. It had been like this for three years straight. The apartment was quiet; only the refrigerator hummed monotonously in the kitchen. The front door slammed—Sergey was … Read more
Marina was quite content with her relationship. She and Andrey had been married for sixteen years; they had a wonderful son, Kirill. And everything would have been wonderful… if not for one incident. One day at lunch with his wife and son, Andrey called his wife “Lena.” “Len, pass the salt, please!” he blurted without … Read more
They said no nanny lasted a full day with the billionaire’s triplets—not one. Ethan Carter’s mansion in Lagos glittered like a palace: marble that shone like still water, chandeliers that threw stars onto the floors, a garden trimmed with the precision of a military parade. But behind those gates lived three small tempests—Daniel, David, and … Read more
Sofiya stood for a long time at the old window, its glass lightly veiled with frosty patterns, following with her eyes the receding figure of her daughter. Wrapped in a bright down scarf, the girl waved to her from the bus window, and Sofiya’s heart clenched with the familiar—yet no less sharp—anxiety. Viktoriya was going … Read more
The quiet of our cozy Saturday morning was shattered by a sharp, insistent knock at the door. Sunbeams danced across the floor of our modest but beloved living room; the air smelled of freshly brewed coffee and vanilla croissants. My daughter, gentle and radiant Alisa, was happily building the castle of her dreams from colorful … Read more
Anna was flipping the fried eggs in the pan when Dmitry’s sharp voice sounded behind her. “More extensions? What do you mean, more extensions?” Her husband pressed the phone to his ear, pacing nervously around the kitchen. “I told you—by the end of the month… No, it won’t work any earlier!” Anna froze with the … Read more
Raisa sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the suitcase. Two years ago, Arkady had assured her it was temporary. Just a couple of months, until his mother recovered from knee surgery. “Raya, please,” Arkady had taken her hands then and looked into her eyes. “Mom is lonely. And she’s afraid to … Read more
My grandmother became a grandmother at forty-four—and in that very moment she began to live exactly as the title suggested. No, of course she didn’t wear a floral kerchief or hobble with a cane, and even in very old age she looked neat and dignified. But I remember once we sewed a bright red dress … Read more
Snowflakes slowly swirled in the light of the streetlamps, like ballerinas dancing in white dresses. Maria Andreevna, standing at the window of her fourth–floor apartment, was lost in the February darkness. Each time the headlights of passing cars lit up the courtyard, her heart began to beat faster. She knew that soon Andrei would return … Read more