Anna opened the door and froze. On the threshold stood her mother-in-law with two strangers and a bouquet of wilted chrysanthemums. — Anna, meet them! — Elena Petrovna beamed. — This is Roman and Svetlana, Sergey’s first cousins. They’re passing through the city, and I decided… — Hello, — Anna replied coolly, not moving from […]
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— Here. Mom wants this one. Andrey’s voice—lazy and self-satisfied—burst into the cozy quiet of the evening, ripping it apart like a blunt needle piercing thin fabric. Yulia slowly lifted her eyes from the book. He was looming over her chair, thrusting his phone at her, the screen glowing with a cold, deathly light. She […]
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“Mom, I need to talk to you. It’s important,” Oleg said the moment he stepped into the living room. Alina Ivanovna didn’t look away from the television. “What now? You’re so serious, it’s almost frightening.” “I’ve taken an important step in my life,” he began. “I have a fiancée. Her name is Vika. We’ve already […]
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It all began in the noisy hallway of an elementary school, where children’s laughter bounced off the walls and the air carried the mingled scents of hot lunches — cutlets, burnt bread, and something sweet. Amid the chaos of chatter, footsteps, and games, a little girl named Lilia noticed what no one else seemed to […]
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“Katya, come here, quick! Look at this machine! This isn’t a motorcycle, it’s a dream!” Denis’s voice, full of boyish, genuine excitement, burst into the kitchen, cutting through the steady hum of the extractor fan and the soft clink of dishes. Without turning, Katya finished rinsing a plate and set it in the rack. She […]
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— “Ver, I’ve got news! Fantastic news!” Anton burst into the kitchen, beaming as if he’d just won the lottery. Like he owned the place, he lifted the lid and peered into the pot where the soon-to-be stew was gently bubbling, then loudly inhaled the aroma. “Whoa, smells amazing! Listen, you won’t believe what I […]
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A dark night, shot through with cold and a storm wind, seemed to have stepped off the pages of a grim fairy tale. The sky, shrouded in clouds, appeared to be hiding the moon on purpose, leaving the world at the mercy of a relentless rain that lashed the asphalt as if trying to wash […]
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Zhanna sat in the kitchen; her eyes were puffy from tears, her hands shaking. Yesterday her husband, Andrey, had come home acting strangely—silent, avoiding her gaze, nervously fingering something in his pocket. And this morning he announced, as if handing down a sentence: “I’m leaving, Zhanna. I need to be alone. But I can’t leave […]
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Violetta turned off the ignition and grabbed her phone on the second ring. “Mr. Grigory Sergeyevich?” “My golden goose, turn around!” her boss sounded deflated. “The deal fell through. Business trip is canceled.” Violetta looked at the airport board through the windshield, then at the suitcase on the back seat. “What do you mean, fell […]
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“I definitely wouldn’t marry a man like that!” rang out a clear, bright child’s voice in the silence—surprisingly confident for someone so young. Marina flinched and turned sharply. In front of her stood a little girl—about six, with a long fair braid, a worn jacket, and eyes that held a strange, beyond-her-years clarity. The bride […]
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