— Olya, I’m leaving. Olga froze, a plate clenched in her hands halfway to the sink. A thin stream of water trickled from the faucet—the only sound in the heavy silence that followed his words. She turned slowly. Igor stood in the doorway already wearing his jacket, a travel bag at his feet. Not the … Read more
That morning was no different from any other. A new maid had arrived at the country estate of Mikhail Sergeyevich Artamonov. Her name was Lena—young, just past twenty, with a tired look in her eyes as if she had lived not through one sleepless night but through an entire lifetime. In her hands she carried … Read more
The doorbell pierced through the morning drowsiness of the house. Sharp, insistent. I frowned, lifting my head from the pillow. Who could possibly need us this early? Tamara Pavlovna, my mother-in-law, was already shuffling down the hallway. Her whisper was louder than any shout. — Coming, coming! No need to ring so hard… I threw … Read more
Arina wasn’t quiet out of shyness or loneliness. She chose quiet the way you choose to breathe—on purpose, with control. In her family, words were counted for weight, not volume. If silence could say it better, you kept your mouth shut. Her father, a former officer, believed in endurance, patience, precision. Her mother, a judo … Read more
“Mom, why have you started treating Denis so badly? Did he offend you in some way?” This time, Varvara decided not to stay silent. “Again you’re filling my head with nonsense,” Tamara Fyodorovna muttered discontentedly. “Don’t you have anything better to do than compare your husband with your sister’s husband?” “Oh, please, Mom. I’ve never … Read more
Outside the windows, garlands glowed with warm light, their reflections trembling in the glass where Christmas trees sparkled faintly. From inside came the muffled strains of holiday melodies. Beyond those walls, however, ruled a different world—a white, breathless silence. Snow tumbled down in heavy flakes, as though an unseen hand endlessly poured it from the … Read more
Boris Sergeyevich, on his way to his business partner’s country house with his fiancée for a barbecue in honor of the holiday, stopped by the supermarket. Initially, he had planned to celebrate March 8th in a restaurant, but Anzhela, having learned about the invitation, persuaded him that a trip to the country house would not … Read more
Nastya laid out another of Danila’s shirts on the bed and carefully hung it in the wardrobe. He had more clothes than she expected, but there was still enough space. “Where should I put your books?” Nastya asked, holding a stack of technical literature in her hands. “On the top shelf, if you don’t mind,” … Read more
“Sir… may I have lunch with you?” the barefoot girl asked timidly, addressing the millionaire. Her voice was quiet and shaky, but in the serene atmosphere of the elite restaurant it sounded like a clap of thunder out of a clear sky. Richard Evans, a well-known Chicago real-estate tycoon, a gray-haired man of about sixty, … Read more
For a long time I lied to myself. I acted as if life were still ticking along in its usual groove—same routines, nothing changing, just a bad dream I’d eventually wake from. I refused to accept that Sergey had really betrayed me. And not some careless fling, either—he was involved. With her. The woman who … Read more