— What, we’re going to pay someone when my cousin lives by the sea? — Marina snapped irritably, stuffing summer clothes into the suitcase as if the very thought of renting were a personal insult. — That’s absurd!

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— “Why should we pay someone when my cousin lives by the sea?” Marina snapped irritably, stuffing summer clothes into the suitcase as if the very idea of renting a place was a personal insult. “It’s absurd!” Oleg, her husband, sat on the edge of the bed with his laptop, browsing travel sites. He slowly … Read more

— There will be no wedding, I’ve withdrawn our application, — the groom stunned her just three days before the registration.

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The July heat was melting the asphalt in the courtyard of the nine-story building. From the seventh floor balcony, clothes were flying down — lace lingerie, jeans, dresses. They drifted like autumn leaves, settling on the scorching asphalt in a patchwork carpet. “There won’t be a wedding!” Igor’s voice carried across the entire courtyard. “I … Read more

After being betrayed by his wife and closest friends, a man who had once built a fortune returned to his hometown. At his mother’s grave, he froze, struck by a sudden realization.

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Alexey stopped the car. So many times he had planned, intended to come, but never found the time. While his mother was alive, he wasn’t there. After she was gone—still, he wasn’t there. The memory filled him with disgust toward himself. It would have taken so little—just one jolt to make him realize that the … Read more

“I don’t care that your precious sister has financial problems again! I’m done bailing her out and cleaning up her messes! Let her figure it out herself and finally get a job!”

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— Katya, urgent! I need money. Fifty thousand. By tonight. Slava burst into the apartment without taking off his jacket or shoes, leaving wet traces of melted street snow on the clean laminate. The hallway instantly filled with the smell of cold synthetic fabric and tension. Ekaterina didn’t even turn her head. She was sitting … Read more

— I said I’m going to sell your second apartment, so I will! So, my dear, shut your mouth and sign it over to me the easy way! Or you’ll regret it.

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— I’ve found a buyer. For your one-room apartment. The words landed on the kitchen table along with a thin folder made of cheap plastic. The slap was quiet but definitive, like the crack of a starter pistol. Larisa didn’t flinch. The knife in her hand, which had been methodically slicing a juicy stalk of … Read more

“No! You will never be the one in charge here! This is MY apartment! It was given to me! And you’re just… merely my husband here, which means you’re nobody.”

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— “I told your sister not to come today. The guys are coming over—we’ll play poker.” The morning was perfect. The kind that happen only in a new apartment, when the smell of fresh paint hasn’t fully faded and the sunbeams, slipping through perfectly clean glass, seem especially bright and full of promise. Liza sat … Read more

“I need to talk,” he said, standing in the doorway. There was uncertainty in his eyes, a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in his hand.

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“I need to talk,” he said, standing in the doorway. Uncertainty in his eyes, a bouquet of white chrysanthemums in his hand. Alisa didn’t move. She just looked at him—long, slow. “You walked out that door yourself, and now you want to come back like nothing happened?” He stepped into the kitchen and sat down. … Read more

Tatiana set the heavy bags down on the hallway floor. Her back ached after a long day at work. She slipped off her shoes and massaged her aching feet. The sound of footsteps coming from the bedroom made her look up.

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Tatiana set the heavy bags on the floor in the hallway. Her back ached after a long day at work. The girl took off her shoes and massaged her sore feet. The sound of footsteps from the bedroom made her lift her head. — Tanya, why isn’t dinner ready yet? — Nikolai’s displeased voice cut … Read more