Why are you so gloomy?” Ira looked into Sergey’s eyes. “Nothing.” He answered curtly. “Come on, I can see you’re not yourself! Sergey, what happened?” Irina asked insistently. “I got fired.” Sergey grabbed his head with his hands and leaned his elbows on the tabletop. Sergey had long been afraid of getting fired, and his […]
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Spring in the garden is especially wonderful. The apple trees are in bloom, the birds are singing, and the air is so fresh it takes your breath away. You hear the buzzing of bees, breathe deeply — and realize: living outside the city is a great blessing. Especially when it’s only twenty minutes to the […]
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An icy storm had covered the provincial town of Lesogorsk. In the dim light of the hospital lamps, in the realm of nighttime silence, Marina Borisova — an experienced administrator, former social worker — was enjoying a rare pause behind the registration desk. But at 9:47 PM, the hospital door creaked open, letting in a […]
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No, not that!” Margarita Petrovna exclaimed irritably, throwing her fork down beside the half-eaten lasagna. “Kira, apparently you need to be taught everything from scratch. This isn’t food, it’s a nightmare. Sorry, but Vlad would be better off marrying a woman who knows how to cook and run a household. And you… between you and […]
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Andrey sat across from Olga, tapping his fingers on the tabletop. His feigned nonchalance only emphasized the tension in the room. Behind him, leaning against the kitchen cabinet, stood Valentina Petrovna—his mother—with her usual expression of concerned benevolence on her face. “So here’s the deal,” Andrey finally broke the silence, his voice sounding almost casual, […]
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Katya seemed to have opened her eyes. Everything suddenly and unexpectedly fell into place, as it only happens in moments of revelation. Now she knew exactly how she would spend this day. The decision was made firmly, definitively, irrevocably. Nothing else mattered to her anymore — neither her husband’s resentment, nor the children’s confusion, nor […]
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Marina stopped at the kitchen doorway and felt the unspoken words stuck in her throat. Her hand involuntarily clenched the phone — still warm from the message from her boss about the bonus. Three voice messages from Lena, her friend, with whom they had almost already bought tickets for a two-week vacation in Turkey. “What?” […]
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— No documents? No name, no address? Elena frowned as she looked through the patient’s medical chart. Her voice was calm, but worry showed in her eyes. — No, — the elderly orderly replied, shaking her head. — They found him in the park, on a bench. His body temperature was almost below zero. A […]
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Mom, Mom! There’s some man lying with a girl in the bushes!” Marina exclaimed, frightened, tugging on Elena Vladimirovna’s jacket sleeve. It happened during their peaceful walk in the park. For Elena, this day was special: for the first time in a long while, she had a genuine day off without work or fuss. Just […]
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Reflections of light played on the marble tiles of the shopping center, shimmering in the boutique windows and creating an illusion of celebration. The Sunday filled the vast space with the hum of voices and the sound of footsteps. In this crowd, she moved especially effortlessly—like water flowing around stones, easily and naturally finding her […]
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