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Viktor was turning in front of the huge hallway mirror, smoothing the lapels of his brand-new, expensive suit. The fine wet-asphalt–colored wool fit his athletic build perfectly. He was getting ready for the corporate gala—the social event of the year in their city, a charity evening organized by the company where he held a high […]

Pasha, you promised to help me. “Son, you have to marry her for the apartment!” his mother insisted. “Then we’ll quietly transfer part of it to me, and she’ll never know.” “Mom, that’s not fair! I love her, not her apartment,” Pavel objected, nervously glancing toward the bedroom door. Pavel and Olga had married a […]

A Life Given Quietly, A Love Returned When my husband died, his little girl was only five. At night she hugged his empty pillow with those wide, wet eyes, too young to grasp why the door would never open for him again. That evening I made a promise. Blood or not, I would be her […]

Elena was returning from a business trip with a light heart. They had handed over the project a day early, and now she had a whole free evening to herself. Her husband, Dmitry, a sea captain, was on a voyage, and her daughter Alisa, she believed, was enjoying the fresh air and new experiences at […]

Rita stared at her phone screen, where a message from a colleague glowed: “I saw some girl in Artyom’s office today. They were sitting very close, laughing.” The phone suddenly felt unbearably heavy in her hands. Ten years. Ten years of life together flashed before her eyes like frames of an old film reel. Rita […]

Elvira stood by the window, looking out at the rainy October street. Three days earlier, the money from selling her late grandmother Raisa’s apartment had hit the bank account. Twenty million rubles—a sum that could change a life. The deal had been done officially through a notary; all the documents were in a folder on […]

Baby, can you transfer me five hundred? — came a voice from the living room. “I can. What do you need it for?” Alina asked, standing at the mirror and touching up her lashes with mascara. The rising sun was shining brightly outside. The young woman was getting ready for work. “I want to pick […]

“Hi, Liza!” Anton—Liza’s brother—barreled into the hallway with his whole family. “We were just passing by and thought we’d drop in. You won’t turn us away, will you?” “Hello, Anton! Of course, come in!” Liza was a warm, welcoming hostess. She was always glad to have guests: her salary let her feed, water, and shower […]