The first sound forced its way through the thickness of a heavy, dead sleep like a rusty nail through rotten wood. Faint, thin, it was barely distinguishable from the creak of floorboards or the wind moaning in the stove pipe. But a mother’s heart—that tireless, eternal watchman—answered it instantly, clenching tight in her chest. Arina … Read more
Elena closed the last drawing of the project and stretched in her chair. Three years ago, this spacious apartment had been only her refuge. Now Oleg lived here. Her husband was flipping through student papers at the dining table. “Working late again?” Oleg asked without looking up from the notebooks. “The project is on fire,” … Read more
That evening, I stayed in the kitchen longer than usual. Sergey was already asleep, but I couldn’t tear myself away from the phone—I was scrolling through the statement of our joint card. Something was wrong here. “Seventy thousand… Another fifty… And here,” I muttered to myself, taking a sip of cold tea. “What does this … Read more
Svetlana stood by the stove, silently stirring the soup. Steam from the pot hit her face, and her eyes stung not only from the onions. She no longer heard exactly what her husband was saying — the usual tone, the usual intonation: irritation, dissatisfaction, reproach. Lately, Vadim seemed to be looking for any excuse to … Read more
Her own son had turned her away… but she was quietly holding onto $1.5 million. That morning was dull and quiet, broken only by the soft thuds of two heavy suitcases rolling over the garden stones. Margaret Walker, 76 years old, said nothing as she stepped away from the house she had called home for … Read more
Vera was washing the dishes after dinner when her husband hugged her from behind. Usually such a gesture was pleasant, but today for some reason it made her uneasy. After seventeen years of marriage, she had learned to sense when Igor was up to something. “Verochka, remember when I talked about the vacation?” His voice … Read more
— Yes, Mom, don’t worry… I’ll take care of it right after the wedding… I’ll say it’s for the mortgage, or think up something else… Yeah, we’ll put it in your name, that’ll be safer; she won’t be a stranger anymore. Yana froze in the entryway, barely managing to pull the front door shut behind … Read more
— Mom, open the door. It’s me. And I’m not alone. Kiril’s voice on the other side of the door sounded unusually firm, almost official. I put my book aside and walked to the hallway, fixing my hair as I went. An uneasy knot had already formed somewhere in my gut. My son was standing … Read more
Elena had been racking her brain for a long time trying to come up with a gift for her husband. No idea seemed good enough. In desperation, she asked him directly. Artem’s answer was abrupt and unexpected: — “A premium gym membership.” — “But you hate working out?” she asked, genuinely surprised, her brow furrowing. … Read more
For a long time, I lived in denial. I told myself nothing had changed — same routine, same life — that all of it was just a bad dream. I refused to believe Sergey had truly betrayed me. And not just a meaningless fling, but a full-blown affair. With her. The woman who now worked … Read more