Vera sat by the window, absentmindedly watching the rare snowflakes lazily fall outside the glass. The room was filled with the scent of flowers—friends and acquaintances had brought armfuls of white roses, as if their sheer number could drown out her inner doubts. But the anxiety inside only grew stronger. “You’re happy, right?” came a … Read more
Katya opened the banking app and immediately closed it. It was unclear what she expected to see in her account, perhaps some New Year’s miracle. But no, the money was still scarce. Yes, she had received her salary a few days ago. But most of the money was already spent. She paid the utility bills … Read more
Is it that hard for you?” asked her husband. “It’s not hard!” Svetka replied. “Are you afraid of spending money?” “No, I’m not!” “Then what’s the problem?” “I don’t want to!” the girl replied, quoting the beloved professor Preobrazhensky when he was asked to donate magazines for the children of Germany. But they turned to … Read more
Tatiana watched sadly as the workers from the funeral agency tidied the grave—she had just said goodbye to her only close family member. Tatiana understood that it had not been easy for her grandmother to live with her illnesses and at such an age, but the tears still flowed relentlessly. Her grandmother had always hoped … Read more
Christina placed the cup on the table and calmly said: — I’m leaving, Alyosha. Silence fell in the room. Even the TV, which usually hummed in the background, seemed to go quiet, sensing the tension. Alexey slowly turned around, as if in slow motion. — Have you lost your mind? Who’s going to cook? — … Read more
Something’s wrong with me,” Lena said as she stood up from the table, clutching her right side and covering her mouth with her hand. “You always have some problem,” her husband, Boris, snorted, methodically working his spoon. The omelet on his plate was disappearing at the speed of light. “Better pour me some coffee. You’ll … Read more
Tanya was going through documents in the drawer of her desk, trying to tidy up the papers that had been accumulating over the years. Among the old receipts and instructions for long-broken appliances, she found the divorce certificate. December. Four months had already passed. The divorce from Misha felt rather mundane. No shouting, no breaking … Read more
Kira froze in front of the door, as if rooted to the floor. The key in the lock felt as painful as a splinter in her finger. Sounds came from the apartment, telling her only one thing: they were taking over. And that voice… of course, it was her mother-in-law. Who else could it be? … Read more
— Dasha? What are you doing here? — Svetlana was so shocked she could hardly speak. Her thoughts were tangled, and jealousy and resentment bubbled up inside her. Why were they treating her like this? Hadn’t she loved her husband? Was she a bad wife and mother to their son? But what happened next was … Read more
At the cafeteria of Lyceum No. 6, there was always the smell of burnt pea soup and stale bread crusts, as if the air itself absorbed the same scent as the meat patties. The long tables rattled with trays, someone was banging their spoon against a glass, grumbling that the compote was more sour than … Read more