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 […]
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The Crocodile Bag Saturday turned out quiet. Outside the window, a fine drizzle ran down the glass in uneven trails, and inside the apartment, the air smelled of freshly brewed tea and that special Saturday silence when you can finally relax after a hard-working week. Nika settled into the old armchair—the very one they had […]
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The road home stretched out like an old film reel stuck in a projector—slowly, with crackling sounds, with the feeling that every kilometer demanded something new from her: trembling fingers, pain in her chest, tears she did not allow herself to shed. Svetlana was rushing along UDO Street—a street that led to the past, to […]
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“I gave it to Mom a month ago,” Victoria corrected him. Artem’s face changed. His eyebrows furrowed, his lips tightened. “Why?” he asked sharply. “Mom dreamed her whole life of having her own summer house. She found a suitable plot with a cottage,” Victoria explained. “I decided to help her fulfill that dream.” “Wonderful!” Artem […]
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Elena slowly rose from the armchair, crossing her arms over her chest. There was not a trace of fear in her gaze, only cold calmness. “And what, Tamara Nikolaevna, do you intend to do? Blackmail me with your own son?” “I will explain to Andrey what a selfish wife you are,” the mother-in-law leaned forward. […]
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Lena stood by the kitchen window, looking at the gray apartment blocks outside, mentally counting down the months until the mortgage was paid off. Four more years — and this two-room flat in the residential district would fully belong to her and Andrey. Four years of monthly payments of thirty-eight thousand rubles, four years of […]
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“Oksana, we need to talk. Seriously.” His voice, stripped of its usual evening relaxation, made her stop chopping vegetables. The knife froze halfway through a crunchy celery stalk. Oksana threw a quick glance at her husband over her shoulder. Vadim was leaning against the doorframe, looking as if he was preparing not for dinner, but […]
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Svetlana pulled the last purchases out of her bag. Milk, bread, medicine for her mother. She had spent money again—money she already barely had. There was almost nothing left for her own needs. “Svetochka, where’s the cottage cheese?” her mother’s voice called out. “I asked you to buy the fat-free kind.” “They didn’t have any, […]
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— Nin, hi! Am I bothering you? — my daughter-in-law Katya’s voice rang in the receiver with a forced cheerfulness. I silently stirred the long-cold soup with a spoon. You’re not bothering me. I’m never busy when they need something. — I’m listening, Katyusha. — We have news — it’s amazing! Lesha and I got […]
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“I’ve decided I’ll go to my mom’s on Saturday. For about three months, probably.” The words dropped onto the table between a plate of fried potatoes and a salad. They fell lightly, matter-of-factly, like bread crumbs. Artyom said them without looking up from his food, carefully spearing a golden piece of chicken with his fork. […]
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