Dima had wanted to be a doctor for as long as he could remember. But life, it seemed, was determined to test him. First came the sudden death of his father — a blow that shattered the ground beneath him. Then his mother’s health began to fail, worn down by nerves and the grind of […]
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He sat hunched on the cold metal bench, the wind biting at his face, his shoulders wrapped in a threadbare cloak—the same one he once wore proudly as a master at the housing office. His name was Nikolai Andreevich. A pensioner. A widower. A father to one son. Once—he had believed—a happy grandfather. All of […]
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— Lena, hi! Listen, there’s something urgent! Anton’s voice on the phone was brisk and a little hurried, like someone taking care of important matters on the go, certain of being in the right. Lena didn’t take her eyes off the frying pan, where finely chopped carrots and onions sizzled in hot oil, turning a […]
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— Mom, open the door. It’s me. And I’m not alone. Kiril’s voice on the other side of the door sounded unusually firm, almost official. I put my book aside and walked to the hallway, fixing my hair as I went. An uneasy knot had already formed somewhere in my gut. My son was standing […]
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“I’ll tear every last hair out of your wife’s head if she doesn’t learn how to speak to me properly, son!” The voice on the phone wasn’t just yelling — it rang with barely restrained fury, cutting through the monotone office buzz like an ambulance siren. Maxim instinctively pressed the handset closer to his ear […]
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— Lena, we’re going to have to part ways. Gennady said it with that fatherly softness in his voice he always used when he was about to pull something nasty. He leaned back in his massive chair, fingers laced over his stomach. — We’ve decided the company needs a fresh perspective. New energy. You understand, […]
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Alexander Mikhailych and Avdotya Pavlovna had already lived most of their lives neither in peace nor in harmony, but somehow they lived together — they never divorced. “Well, what, mother, it’s been 50 years since you married me, huh?” Alexander Mikhailych suddenly remembered the memorable anniversary of their wedding celebration. “Remember? And I thought you’d […]
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Negotiations with the client ended an hour and a half earlier than expected. That sometimes happens—when people immediately understand each other, there’s no need to waste time on idle chatter. Irina stood in the middle of the parking lot, twirling her car keys in her hands. Where to go? It was too early to go […]
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Angela headed to her shift with a light step and a sparkle in her eyes. What else could she do, since she madly loved her job? Her colleagues teased her, saying that Angela lived in the clouds. How could someone be so devoted to a profession with so much responsibility and such a poor salary? […]
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“Alinochka, I need to open my heart to you… I feel that my end is near. You must know the truth, even if after this you hate me,” began the mother-in-law, squeezing Alina’s hand. Alina froze. When had she become “Alinochka” to her? Usually, the mother-in-law called her “a viper,” “a witch,” or some other […]
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