— You’re still sitting at home? Seriously, Vika? — Igor theatrically raised an eyebrow, lifting his wine glass. — Startup, startup… Seven years after university, and you’re still stuck in your “promising projects.” Vika felt as if the table had moved away from her. Her parents’ apartment, the festive dinner, the smell of homemade dishes […]
Продолжение...
Anna stood by the window of her new kitchen and looked out at the yard that, just a month ago, had seemed perfect to her. A neat green lawn, young fir trees around the perimeter, tidy paths made of natural stone. But now half the lawn was dug up, turned into beds with tomatoes and […]
Продолжение...
Igor sat in his office, immersed in a heavy, almost physically tangible silence. It seemed even the clock on the wall was afraid to mark the time — its hands frozen, as if unwilling to break the silent grief hanging in the air. He stared at a single spot, the corner of the expensive dark […]
Продолжение...
Tatiana woke up early in the morning, as always. This habit had formed in her over the years, gradually, as if engraved on the skin of time. Her husband — Vladimir — was a man of strict rules and firm life principles. He didn’t like being late, couldn’t stand disorder, and always got up at […]
Продолжение...
“Mishenka, son, pass me that shrimp salad,” Svetlana Borisovna sang out to her son with the kind of tone as if he had just returned from a battlefield, victorious over an entire army. Her voice was soft, almost melodic, but behind it hid not just a request — it was a command no one dared […]
Продолжение...
Andrey remembered that day with extraordinary clarity, as if it had happened just a few hours ago. The autumn wind, chilling to the bone, drove yellowed leaves across the asphalt, as if reminding of the approaching end of the year. In the pocket of his worn-out coat lay the last bun — the only food […]
Продолжение...
A sharp smell of burning burst into sleep without warning — like a night thief who doesn’t knock but breaks in with force. Grigory suddenly sat up in bed, his heart pounding wildly as if trying to break free. The night outside was unnaturally bright — an anxious, flickering glow illuminated the room, casting long […]
Продолжение...
— Mommy, are we going to live here now? — Lisa’s small voice trembled like an autumn leaf in the wind. Svetlana hugged her daughter by the shoulders and looked at the little house. It was crooked, old, with peeling window frames, resembling a tired person whose eyes had long stopped marveling at the world. […]
Продолжение...
The phone suddenly trembled in the silence — like a frightened creature coming to life amid the calm. Zinaida Alekseevna flinched in sync with it, as if an invisible connection linked her to that sound. Straining, she reached toward the edge of the table, grabbed the receiver, and pressed it to her ear, as if […]
Продолжение...
Valentina sat staring at one spot, unable to look away. No, this simply couldn’t be! And with her too — this should not be happening. She kept rereading the message her husband had obviously sent to the wrong woman by mistake. The text was short but painfully clear. Fyodor was explaining to his mistress that […]
Продолжение...