— Do you think she’ll ever be able to love me as her own daughter?” I asked Maxim, catching another chilling glance from his mother across the table. “Give her time, Ira. She just cares about you,” Maxim said, lightly squeezing my hand under the table, but even that warmth couldn’t dispel the icy indifference … Read more
— Do you really think I built all of this only to hand it over to strangers?” Alexey scanned the room as if only now noticing every little detail in the house we had built together. “— I never imagined our home would become a battleground for quarrels,” I replied softly, shrugging my shoulders. The … Read more
The restaurant was expensive, and the cooks were excellent. Its reputation was long established, so there was always a line, and tables had to be reserved a week in advance. Her salary was small. She was “stuck on salads” – a phrase used for those trusted with only one thing: making salads. So she took … Read more
— You always forgave me for everything! So what have you done now? — Ignat shouted at her with a stranger’s face. — Forgave? No. I trusted you… — Nastya whispered with one lip, watching in confusion as the slender stranger slowly pulled a short dress—more like a T-shirt—over her flexible body. Nastya stopped breathing; … Read more
— Our boy was born deaf? Leave him at the hospital, I’m not ready to raise such a child!” — my wife’s voice rang with a fury I had never noticed before. “— Olga, what are you saying? This is flesh of our flesh,” — I looked at her as if seeing her for the … Read more
Vadim, with utmost caution, like a professional thief, inserted the key into the lock. The mechanism made a nasty screeching sound, as if deliberately trying to attract the attention of everyone in the house. The man froze in place, listening intently. In response, there was only the deathly silence. “That was close,” he exhaled with … Read more
Are we going somewhere?” Ira asked in surprise when she walked into the room and saw Maxim packing his things. She had just returned from work, and he hadn’t warned her about anything. “Maybe he wants to surprise me?” “No, we’re not going anywhere,” Maxim replied without even turning his head. “I’m leaving you.” “I … Read more
He promised to return, and Masha believed him, even though everyone laughed at her. As a farewell, he gave her earrings – two golden doves, and she wore them without taking them off. “You’re so naive, Masha,” sighed her friend Tanya. “Why would he want you now? You saw how he is, they even showed … Read more
Kristina had dreamed since childhood of marrying a wealthy man, so when she started working at an elite fitness club, she immediately realized that the owner, Dmitry, was someone she needed to “take control of.” Dmitry was twenty-five years older than Kristina and came to the gym more for the “checklist” than anything else, but … Read more
Anna rearranged the figurines on the shelf, wiping the dust off with her sleeve. Every Friday, she performed her ritual of a deep cleaning—whether guests were coming or not. Cleanliness had become a habit, one that turned into an obsession. At fifty-eight, she felt that control over her home was the last thing that truly … Read more