“Now that the apartment is a family home, all decisions concerning it should be made together. And you should start thinking about somewhere else to stay for a while,” Nina Alexeyevna announced as she settled confidently into a chair at the living-room table. Victoria did not answer immediately. She blinked several times, staring at her … Read more
“Clear out the apartment. My son has decided that our family will be living here,” Galina Petrovna announced as she crossed the threshold, carrying herself as though she had come to collect the keys to her own property. Alyona slowly lowered her mug onto the kitchen counter and looked first at her mother-in-law, then at … Read more
“Who transferred the money?” “I did.” “From the account where I’d been sending the money for my apartment renovation?” Igor said nothing. Ksenia picked up her phone, opened the banking app, and began scrolling quickly through the transactions. Igor grew visibly more nervous. “What are you doing?” “Checking the numbers.” “Don’t do this in front … Read more
“I’m starving! I live on nothing but porridge!” Lidia Vasilyevna complained loudly to a neighbor outside the apartment building, clutching a bag of cherries. “I eat one spoonful of oatmeal in the morning, and that’s it. In the evening, I drink water to trick my stomach.” Arina stopped beside the gate and slowly raised her … Read more
“Pack your things, Olya. The apartment belongs to Sergey, and I’m not going to let you keep living here at his expense.” Galina Nikolayevna stood in the doorway with the expression of someone entering her own storage room. The freezing air from the stairwell mixed with the cloying sweetness of her perfume, making Olga’s throat … Read more
The suitcase refused to close. Tanya pressed her knee against the lid and yanked at the zipper until it finally gave in, hissing as though it were reluctantly surrendering to her anger. “Are you serious?” Vitya stood in the bedroom doorway with his arms folded across his chest, staring at her as though he were … Read more
“Sweetheart, you know how much I love you,” Igor said in the voice people usually use with small children when trying to persuade them to finish their porridge. “There’s just one document here. It’s a formality—nothing important.” Marina looked at her husband. He was standing by the window, broad-shouldered, wearing the same lazy confidence that … Read more
“After the divorce, you can start looking for somewhere else to live,” Sergey said calmly. “The apartment will stay with Mom and me. You wouldn’t use this many rooms by yourself anyway.” Irina slowly turned her head and looked at her husband. Sergey was sitting at the kitchen table, leaning confidently against the back of … Read more
“Smart boy,” Margarita Genrikhovna said proudly. “Women come and go, but real estate stays. Let that little fool of yours believe the two of you are building a family. Just pretend you’re making an effort too. Buy her some flowers on International Women’s Day so she won’t complain.” Every morning began with the same routine … Read more
Zoya sat at the kitchen table, slowly turning a teaspoon between her fingers. Dmitry stood across from her, leaning against the doorframe and looking as though everything had already been decided. Between them lay a sheet of paper—a neatly typed document he had brought home ten minutes earlier. “Have you read it?” Dmitry asked. “I … Read more