“Miss, may I help you?” the man called, noticing how the woman was struggling under the weight of two bulging shopping bags. “Sorry to come up out of nowhere, but it looks like they’re about to slip right out of your hands. Let me take them for you.” “Oh, really? Are you sure? Aren’t they … Read more
“Girl, do you even realize what you’ve done?!” Semen barked, brandishing a ladle like a weapon. “Soup on the floor, the customer’s soaked, and you’re just standing there like a statue!” Alyona’s gaze dropped to the dark stain spreading across the man’s expensive suit. Her stomach knotted. This was it—her job was over. Six months … Read more
“Recognize the voice?” — the voice on the other end of the line was nauseatingly familiar. Soft, ingratiating — the same one that had once promised me forever. I stayed silent, staring at the frost patterns on the windowpane. A call from my ex-husband, Dmitry, after nearly two years of complete silence — that couldn’t … Read more
The door to the auto repair shop squeaked unpleasantly. The smell of gasoline and engine oil hit my nose— the scent of my past, from which I had been running for so long. In the center of the room, under the “Ford” hanging from chains, stood he. Sergey. My ex-husband. The same as before— in … Read more
Who is this?” Sonya’s voice was even, almost indifferent, but Artyom flinched as if struck. He stood in the middle of their small kitchen, where only a minute ago the air had been filled with the warmth of almost-domestic bliss. Spread across the table in a fan were samples of wedding invitations—cream-colored card with gold … Read more
— What’s wrong with your face? Roman tossed his keys onto the hallway table and walked into the kitchen. Sveta was sitting at the table, resting her head on her hand, staring at a single spot. An untouched cup of cold tea stood before her. She wasn’t crying, no. Her face looked like a mask … Read more
Vasily, already pressing the gas pedal to the floor, was rushing along the highway to his dacha. He had just turned onto a secondary road, and then onto a country lane. Vasya remembered this road — every pothole, every turn, even that crooked birch tree along the roadside. His father always thought about his own … Read more
Once again, Rudolf came home from work and literally did not recognize his wife: he hadn’t seen anything like this since he was a child. Svetka, his neighbor in the village where little Rudik used to visit in summer, had bees. And one bee had stung Svetka on her lower lip, causing it to swell … Read more
— How much do you need? Don’t be shy. I’m ready to offer a decent sum if you leave my son alone. You don’t need much, right? You’re happy with any money from the trash — enough to feed all your friends a tasty dinner, rent yourself something cheap for a couple of months, and … Read more
A snowstorm covered the quiet provincial village of Yasnaya Polyana, as if throwing over it a spotless white blanket that muffled all sounds. Ice patterns spread over the window glass like embroidered lace, and the wind moaned along the deserted streets, carrying with it whispers of long-forgotten memories. The temperature had dropped to minus twenty-eight … Read more