Valentina stood at the stove, mechanically stirring the vegetable stew. The kitchen smelled of braised eggplant and spices. Outside, the October day was slowly fading, painting the sky in pale lilac tones. From the living room came Sergei’s loud voice—once again he was telling someone over the phone what a “spineless” wife he had. “Can … Read more
Raisa sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the suitcase. Not opened, not packed — just standing there like a silent reproach. Black, worn, with one crooked wheel that had gotten stuck in a cracked tile back in Turkey and since then rattled like a pot full of peas. For two years … Read more
“Let’s get divorced. That’ll be fairer. I’ll take out the mortgage in my name, and you can be added later when you come back from maternity leave.” Anya was sitting by the window, gently stroking her rounded belly, when her husband Dmitry said these words. In one hand he was holding a cup of tea, … Read more
Katya put the kettle on and, while it hummed, leaned her shoulder against the cool doorframe. The evening dragged lazily on: from the window came the voices of kids in the yard, someone was kicking a ball around and arguing whose turn it was to stand in goal. Mint in a mug on the windowsill … Read more
Maybe we should just hand her your bank card too?” Kira threw the bank envelope onto the table, the one she had just picked up from the little stand in the hallway. Denis froze in the kitchen doorway, tugging off his scarf. Outside, November rain drummed on the window ledge; the apartment smelled of braised … Read more
Tamara worked as a cashier in a supermarket. By lunchtime her head started spinning, she felt nauseous. Probably her blood pressure had spiked. “Tom, go home,” said the shift supervisor, Sveta. “Anyone can see you’re not well.” “Thank you,” Tamara nodded gratefully. “I’ll lie down for an hour, it’ll pass.” She got home by two … Read more
I never thought it would come to this. That one day, on an ordinary Tuesday, I’d sit down in business class on a plane to Dubai, heading there to stage a scene I wouldn’t have had the guts to pull off even a year ago. But life is a strange thing. For years it can … Read more
“Lena, you bought some nonsense again!” Maxim shook the grocery store receipt like it was evidence of a crime. “Expensive yogurts, the wrong cheese… We have a savings plan!” “The savings plan is only for me,” Lena said quietly, taking off her jacket. “And yesterday you spent three thousand at the bar with your friends.” … Read more
Tamara Ivanovna was chopping salad for dinner when her husband laid a folder of documents down in front of her. An ordinary Friday evening—cucumbers, tomatoes, sour cream. The potatoes were finishing up on the stove, the open packet of dill scented the air. “Sign here and here,” Vitaly jabbed a finger at several spots. “What … Read more
Alice’s universe split into “before” and “after” three years ago. It didn’t happen gradually, but in a single instant — with a phone call that shattered the darkness of the night. The voice on the line was unfamiliar, official, coming from that other side where her former, calm life still remained. The words were pronounced … Read more