Elena stood by the mirror in the bedroom, adjusting her hair. Forty-five years old — an age when a woman either completely gives up or starts living anew. She ran her palm over her face, noticing the barely visible wrinkles near her eyes. No, she looked good. Regular workouts at the gym, proper nutrition, quality … Read more
Outside the windows of the houses, warm lights of garlands were glowing, Christmas trees were reflected in the glass, and sounds of New Year’s melodies could be heard. And beyond these walls—there reigned a white silence. Snow fell in thick flakes, as if someone invisible was endlessly sprinkling it from the sky. The silence was … Read more
— Natasha, daughter, where do you plan to live now? — Angelica Viktorovna, Natasha’s mother-in-law, approached her daughter-in-law. Natasha was still reeling from her husband’s funeral and did not immediately understand the question. She was mechanically packing leftover candies from the memorial into a container. — Sorry, what? — Where do you plan to live … Read more
Old Anna Petrovna regularly came to the cemetery to visit the grave of her daughter Marina—the only person she had lost too soon. This day was no different from the others: a gray autumn haze hung over the earth, a cool wind blew, and the silence was broken only by the rustling of falling leaves. … Read more
The clink of crystal shattered the silence of the kitchen. Marina slowly lowered her hands into the sink, feeling the shards of the glass—gifted on their twentieth wedding anniversary—pierce the pads of her fingers. “Are you ready to go?” Her voice sounded unusually even, as if it belonged to someone else. Vladimir stood frozen in … Read more
Anya absolutely did not understand why they needed this man in the house. She had always wanted her mother to get married and to be happy, but not with him. The girl sat on the couch, pretending to read a book, while half-listening to Arthur. He had only recently woken up and now, slowly and … Read more
My husband decided to take a time-out; he was tired of the family and the relationship. While he was resting, I found myself. He didn’t call even once. Didn’t check if there was food for our son or me, didn’t ask if I could at least pay the utility bills for the month he still … Read more
— Misha, tell your wife to turn the music down, — his sister Marina’s voice barely hid her irritation. — Mom’s got a headache because of your… well, how do you call it… avant-garde. I lowered the volume. Not because Marina asked me to, but because of my mother-in-law, who was already pressing a finger … Read more
Grigory nervously paced around his spacious room, furnished with tasteless, aggressive luxury — the kind he adored and his wife Marina despised. But now the interior was deeply indifferent to him. A scheme kept spinning in his mind — a perfect plan, as he thought, capable of making him the sole and complete owner of … Read more
Karina ran her finger over the smooth surface of the keys to their new apartment. The shiny metal reflected the evening light coming through the window of the real estate agency. The wedding was in three days, and she was preparing the most important surprise of her life. “Congratulations on the purchase,” the realtor smiled, … Read more