The new apartment smelled of paint and something else—a mix of fresh tiles and cheap linoleum, even though I’d tried to choose “the more expensive, more practical kind.” The door thudded shut behind me, and silence fell. The kind of silence I’d dreamed of my whole life. No fights, no “Tanya, clear the table, Andrei […]
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Alina stared at the WhatsApp invitation for a long time. “Let’s meet like adults. Talk. No drama. Dimka.” She wanted to delete the message. Everything had already been decided: divorce, division of property, her apartment would remain with her — thankfully, the paperwork was in order. But something twinged inside. Maybe he really did want […]
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The office complex “Vershina” greeted me with the cool breath of air conditioners and the indistinct, measured hum of many voices blending into a single working chord. After the heavy autumn rain that had poured over the city since morning, my old, much-worn raincoat was soaked through, and my small umbrella had proved completely useless […]
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The autumn light, watery and cool, poured over the empty desk by the window. Sofia Dmitrievna slowly ran her finger along the smooth surface of the class register, feeling with her fingertip the tiny scratches left by hundreds of such movements. Her gaze kept returning to one surname, to the neat lines where, instead of […]
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I was standing by the table, cluttered with the remains of festive dishes, and I could feel goosebumps running down my back from all the shared merriment in which there was no place for me. My fingers were unconsciously playing with crumbs on the tablecloth, and my gaze was fixed on Irina—my new mother-in-law. Beaming, […]
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So this is where you live, son. You’ve settled in well, — the woman with dyed chestnut hair looked around the hallway appraisingly, lingering on the antique étagère. — Spacious, bright. Very cozy, just like in a magazine. I always knew you had good taste, you’ve been reaching for the best since childhood. — Mom, […]
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I had always believed that life is not a straight road, but rather a winding path full of unexpected turns. Sometimes it leads you to a sunny clearing, and sometimes into a dense, impenetrable forest. My path led me to a small, cozy café called Melody, where I worked, keeping everything clean and in order. […]
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That evening was woven from silence and autumn chill. Anna, who had stayed late at the library finishing the annual reports before a strict inspection, was walking the short way home through the park. The air was thick and damp, smelling of damp leaves, smoke from distant chimneys, and something bitter-spicy that late October always […]
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“A swamp?” Marina slowly turned away from the stove where potatoes were frying for dinner. “This ‘swamp’ fed your mother for twenty years while she was running around to doctors. Did you forget?” “What does my mother have to do with it? Don’t you dare drag her into this!” “It has everything to do with […]
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“Mum called again. She’s insisting we move in with her,” Alexey said, carefully sitting down on the edge of the sofa where Marina was reading a book. She slowly lifted her eyes from the page. In his voice she heard those same notes she’d learned to recognize over three years of marriage—a mix of guilt, […]
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