— And my opinion doesn’t interest anyone? — Nika set the dustpan on the shelf and turned to her husband. There was pain in her voice. — I’m a person too, Lev. I’m tired. — You must remember that you’re a wife, not a guest! — Lev snapped, his face reddening with anger. — You … Read more
Anna hurried to the office after a business meeting with partners. To save time, she chose a shortcut through the city park. The bright sun illuminated the alleys, but a cold wind blowing from the river cut to the bone. Anna shuddered and wrapped her coat more tightly. Passers-by rushed past without noticing one another. … Read more
In the carriage of a train traveling from Novo-Uren’goy to Moscow, the heavy atmosphere was thick with the aromas of fried food and the stale air of an unventilated space. Valeriy, a man of short stature with a square jaw and tired eyes, shrouded by a murky film of sleepless nights, absentmindedly rubbed his palm … Read more
June sunshine bathed the spacious kitchen in light, where Anna was leisurely preparing her morning coffee. The foam was rising in the cezve, and the apartment was filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed drink. Igor appeared in the doorway, nonchalantly buttoning his shirt. “Good morning! It smells wonderful!” Anna poured the coffee into … Read more
You will become the brightest star, the most talented of all. You will surely be noticed, and your name will appear on all the billboards.” Sofia wept, her face buried in the plaid that had once covered her father. His hand, weak yet still warm, slid through her hair. “Don’t cry, my little girl, there’s … Read more
— Tanka, there’s a traffic jam again because of you! Your rear end is so enormous that even a plane can’t fly around it! It looks like you spend the whole day licking plates before washing them! This phrase triggered an explosion of loud laughter. Tanya squinted her eyes, wishing she could vanish into thin … Read more
A cold October wind was hurling wet snow against the windows as Anna stepped over the threshold of their shared apartment for the last time. Fifteen years of life together had been packed into two battered suitcases. Igor stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall, gazing past his wife. His eyes were fixed on … Read more
Darling, can’t you put more effort into this?” Rita said, watching as Stas, sprawled across the couch cushions, took long drags on his cigarette, deep in thought. He snorted irritably: “Rit, do you even realize what you’re suggesting? I have no desire to swap the comfort of this couch for a prison cell.” “Don’t be … Read more
Zhanna stood, staring at her cottages, thinking that yet another attempt to fix everything had ended in complete disaster. It seemed she had foreseen every detail, studied all the nuances, but, as luck would have it, events began to unfold in the most unexpected way. The village turned out to be deserted – there were … Read more
— Every movement drained his last strength, — Nikita felt as if leaden waves of weakness were crashing over his consciousness. The attempt to turn his head ended in excruciating failure — his neck muscles seemed to have melded into the pillow. Helplessness overwhelmed him; his eyelids closed on their own, unleashing a swarm of … Read more