Mother-in-law came to ask for money with a key to our apartment, but she didn’t expect to find my husband

— Oh, it’s so nice here! So spacious! — Tamara Pavlovna’s voice rolled through the hallway like thunder out of a clear sky. — Not like my little den.   Lord, her again. Marina froze with a rag in her hand. The kitchen cabinet already shone, but she kept scrubbing—maybe if she didn’t react, her … Read more

— You think I’m a spendthrift? Fine! From today on, we’ll have separate budgets, and let’s see which one of us runs out of money first.

— And what is this? Igor carelessly tossed a pitiful, crumpled scrap of paper onto the kitchen table in front of Sveta. A receipt from a cosmetics store. He held it between two fingers, as if he were disgusted to touch the evidence of a monstrous crime. His voice was calm, even tired, which infuriated … Read more

— “Oh, and who are you?” a low male voice called from the bedroom as Anastasia opened the door to her apartment.

The Fiancé, the Keys, and the Sister-in-Law: Unexpected Decisions in Love — Who are you? — a low male voice sounded unexpectedly from the bedroom as Anastasia flung open the door to her apartment. — That’s more my question, — she replied coolly. — What are you doing in my bedroom?     Advertisements A … Read more

“Yes, it’s my apartment. No, my mother-in-law’s debts are not my problem. And yes—I’ve filed for divorce. I’m done being your ‘insurance policy.’”

— “Are you trying to give Mom a heart attack on purpose?” Nikolai flared up, tossing the TV remote onto the table like it was a grenade. — “Don’t be dramatic,” Elena replied wearily, not pausing from washing the dishes. “Let her at least stop rummaging through my cupboards first.” — “She wants what’s best … Read more

— Get to the kitchen right now! — the husband shouted at his wife. But he didn’t expect what happened next.

  “Katya, where is my blue tie?” Dmitry shouted from the bedroom. Ekaterina was standing in the kitchen, stirring oatmeal. Seven years of marriage, and every morning felt like Groundhog Day. He rushed off to the office chasing success and money, while she stayed between the stove and the washing machine. “In the closet on … Read more

“After the wedding, the apartment will be mine!” – I accidentally overheard my fiancé’s conversation.

Lyuba closed the door and leaned her back against it. The apartment greeted her with its familiar quiet and the scent of fresh renovations. Her parents had done their best—the two-room place in a modern neighborhood was any graduate’s dream. “Finally home,” Lyuba whispered, kicking off her shoes in the hallway. The doorbell rang unexpectedly. … Read more

Artyom, my husband, warned me almost a month in advance about the upcoming jubilee of his most respected colleague.

Artyom, my husband, warned me almost a month in advance about the upcoming anniversary of his most respected colleague. The celebration was scheduled for Saturday, in the luxurious banquet hall of “Eden,” the most pretentious restaurant in the city. For the world of big finance and champagne toasts, it was just another event, but for … Read more

Wow, you really built yourselves a ‘palace’! And which room will be mine? And your sister’s?” the mother-in-law blindsided them.

Andrei set the last box of dishes on the kitchen table and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The move was finished—at last he and Lyuda were the full-fledged owners of their own country house. Two years of construction, endless weekend trips out to the plot, arguments with contractors, choosing materials, sleepless nights over the … Read more

On the aircraft, Ethan Cross—self-made billionaire, thirty-something and allergic to chance—caught a silhouette that detonated memory a few rows ahead:

Ethan Cross, a self-made billionaire pushing forty, almost never flew commercial. Today, he didn’t have a choice. A sudden mechanical fault sidelined his jet, and the keynote at a global tech summit in Zurich wouldn’t wait. He grudgingly took a first-class seat. The trappings were fine—champagne, legroom, hush—but he hated sharing air with strangers. In … Read more

Pack your junk and get out of here!” — the mother-in-law came to throw Vika out of her own apartment

 Vika picked up the grocery bag and unhurriedly climbed to the fifth floor. September rain tapped against the stairwell windows, and her heart felt calm. In the six months since the divorce, life had finally fallen into place. No one demanded explanations about where she’d spent money, no one criticized her cooking or fumed about … Read more