“Are you completely out of your mind?!” Elena Pavlovna slammed open the kitchen cabinet door. “Shampoo for eight hundred rubles?! What is this, golden soap? Do you even realize how much money that is? If you want such luxury, buy it with your own salary!” “That’s my shampoo, Elena Pavlovna,” Miroslava said tiredly, not even … Read more
Larisa stepped across the threshold of the apartment on Mayakovskogo Street for the first time—not as a guest, but as a daughter-in-law. The suitcase in her hand felt heavier than usual—not because of the belongings inside, but because of the weight of expectations. She had dreamed of this moment during three years of relationship with … Read more
Fourth childbirth. Nastya stood by the window, pressing her forehead against the cold glass of the hospital room, and prayed to all the saints she could remember. Let this baby survive. Lord, let him simply be born alive. Let there be a chance—just one single chance—to truly become a mother. Her previous three pregnancies had … Read more
Margareta, standing by the window in the hospital corridor, couldn’t take her eyes off the scene below. Near the entrance to the building, her husband Igor was once again flirting with a nurse named Marina. This had been happening for several days in a row. Every glance he cast, every touch to another woman, stabbed … Read more
The on-duty doctor, exhausted after a long working day, stretched until his joints cracked and, yawning, slowly walked toward the window. Outside, large, soft flakes of the season’s first snow were falling — slow, as if they lingered in the air before touching the ground. The world outside seemed different — quiet and somewhat magical … Read more
Lidia was born with a severe speech defect that shaped most of her life. From early childhood, she faced challenges that others could hardly imagine. Every word came to her with great effort; every sentence turned into a trial filled with pain and fear. But even in the toughest moments, her mother — Elena Vasilyevna, … Read more
On the exquisite restaurant terrace, decorated with white roses and golden ribbons, solemn music played. Guests raised their glasses, congratulating the newlyweds. The bride — Alina — was glowing with joy. But this happiness proved to be too fragile. When the first dance began, the groom Ilya whispered something in her ear. Alina flinched and … Read more
Marina was in the kitchen of a small roadside restaurant, holding a hot cup of tea. Outside the window, the summer morning was gradually gaining strength, and in an hour the restaurant was to open its doors to customers. Marina’s colleagues—waitresses Sveta and Olya, also young girls—were sitting nearby. “Listen, Marinka,” Sveta began, biting a … Read more
Nyurka, you little rascal! Where are you rushing on the wet floor?!” — rang out in the corridor of the orphanage. The voice of the cleaner, Valentina Egorovna, trembled with indignation. “If I catch you — I’ll tear your ears off!” Anya dashed away, dodging the hem of the housekeeper’s dress and trying to get … Read more
A warm May day wrapped the park in golden light. Lyova and Misha, both wearing identical school trousers and blue shirts, sat on the grass, and nearby, stretched out at full puppy length, lay Rex — a large, shaggy Alabai with a wet nose and kind, almost human eyes. “Look what he can do!” Lyova … Read more