“Have you completely lost your mind?!” Denis burst into the kitchen as if someone had thrown him in there at full speed. “Mom just texted me. She said you spoke to her like she was a servant!” Vera did not turn around right away. She stood by the stove, stirring something in a pot, feeling … Read more
Galina was flying to Samara for three days. Her flight was canceled, so she stayed in the waiting area. And then she saw her husband with a suitcase. He was not alone. The flight to Samara was canceled at 2:07 p.m. Galina stood in front of the departure board and watched the letters change: first … Read more
My Husband Filed for Divorce — But Somehow Decided I Still Had to Support Him and His Mother The evening smelled of wilted peonies and reheated dinner. I came home exactly at seven, even though I had promised myself I would stay at the office until everything was finished. But the date demanded it. Ten … Read more
“The apartment may have been yours before marriage, but we’re one family,” Galina Arkadyevna said, placing her palm on the handle of the far room. “My wardrobe will go here. We’ll get rid of Olya’s desk. It’s old anyway. Misha, text Vadim and tell him to bring a proper one on Sunday.” Olga froze in … Read more
“Are you really a chief accountant?” Irina Viktorovna looked the young woman up and down, unable to hide her astonishment. “I thought people in the countryside only knew how to milk cows.” She was staring at Vika — slim, beautiful, dressed in a flawless sand-colored linen suit, with perfect hair and the faint, elegant scent … Read more
“Please state your surname again, ma’am,” the man in the black uniform with the word “Security” on it said, pressing a button on his electronic tablet. I adjusted the bag on my shoulder. My fingers accidentally brushed against the cold metal pin badge attached to the leather strap. The pin sat crookedly, its metal slightly … Read more
Yulia was mechanically wiping the kitchen countertop when the doorbell rang. Three short, demanding rings — she immediately recognized that “signature.” Galina Petrovna never rang just once, as if she were afraid no one would hear her. “Open up!” came the voice from behind the door. “I know you’re home!” Yulia slowly walked to the … Read more
Natasha stood in the middle of the kitchen, clutching a bank statement in her hands. The numbers blurred before her eyes, but she kept rereading the same line for the tenth time — a cash withdrawal of forty-eight thousand rubles. That was exactly the amount they had saved for their trip to the sea. “Vadim,” … Read more
Galya slowly lifted her eyes from the evening newspaper. In the living room of their two-room apartment, the usual Friday silence reigned — the television was off, and the lights of neighboring buildings shimmered outside the window. Dmitry stood in the middle of the room with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweatpants, … Read more
Anna stood at the kitchen table, methodically chopping vegetables for a salad. The sound of the knife tapping against the cutting board created a steady rhythm that helped her focus. Their three-room apartment in a new residential complex had once been their shared dream — spacious, bright, with high ceilings and a modern renovation. Sergey … Read more