Lydia was in a hurry to get home. She had just stepped out of the house, heading to work, when she had to return — today was an open lesson at school, and she had forgotten the posters prepared for the class. High-ranking guests rarely visited the rural school. But today the deputy governor was […]
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Lyuba woke up from the icy cold. Her old jacket, a rag long since lost its shape, could no longer keep her warm. Autumn was confidently taking hold: the nights were growing longer, the wind harsher, and even under the roof of the abandoned attic, it was unbearably cold. In winter, survival here would be […]
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Thursday. Early December. The rain poured down in sheets, as if the heavens were weeping alongside the earth. Igor Sokolov was forty-two. He lived quietly, almost invisibly—alone, with his ten-year-old daughter Tamara. In their two-room apartment, laughter hadn’t been heard for a long time. Only footsteps, the ticking of the clock, and memories of Larisa—his […]
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Katya looked at Roman in stunned disbelief. She couldn’t accept his words — they seemed absurd to her. How was this even possible? “Rom, please tell me you’re joking?” she said in a trembling voice. “Say it’s just a silly game. We’ll laugh, and then you’ll hug me like always. Please say it, Romochka…” She […]
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Jangling keys in the lock, Margarita opened the apartment door. Voices came from the kitchen, and the now-familiar smell of borscht filled the hallway. Her heart beat faster, and her teeth involuntarily clenched. Again. Viktoria Pavlovna had shown up at her home without warning. “Olezhenka, what kind of pilaf is she cooking for you? That’s […]
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— What did you bring? — Lidiya Ivanovna looked at the package of cottage cheese with disgust. — Olga, can’t you buy a decent one? — Decent? — Olga put the bags on the table. — This is the nine-percent one, just as you asked. — I asked for the fat-free! — her mother-in-law’s voice […]
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Tatiana adjusted the pillow behind her back and pressed the phone to her ear with a smile. Outside the window of her spacious three-room apartment, the sun was setting, painting the living room walls in warm orange tones. “Marin, I’m leaning towards Turkey,” Tatiana said, flipping through a glossy catalog. “Five-star hotel, all inclusive.” “Tanya, […]
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Nicholas Miller had dreamed of luxury his entire life. Born in a small provincial town, he knew from an early age that he wanted more. His childhood was spent in a cramped apartment with noisy neighbors and a constant shortage of food. On TV, he saw houses with ocean views, expensive cars, carefree people—and Nicholas […]
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When Pasha was not even five years old, his world collapsed. His mother was gone. He stood in the corner of the room, stunned by confusion — what was happening? Why was the house filled with strangers? Who were they? Why was everyone so quiet, so strange, speaking in whispers and avoiding eye contact? The […]
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Hello,” Katya answered in a trembling voice. She couldn’t stand nighttime calls from unknown numbers — she always sensed something bad in them. Such calls had come only twice in her life: the first time when her mother died, the second when her husband, Nikita, passed away. “Ekaterina?” A wave of ice swept through her […]
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