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Fyodor Aristarkhovich called for the third time in a row, and only on the third ring did Vera think to pick up. “Miss, are you at home? Some people have come to see you. With tools. They say you lost your keys, and your mother-in-law sent them.” Vera froze with the phone pressed to her […]

— “Katya, when do you get paid? On Friday, right?” Katya stopped in the doorway of the entry hall, her keys still in her hand. Pasha came out of the room; his phone glowed in his palm. It was December 20th, eight in the evening. A blizzard raged outside, but inside it was warm and […]

Lyuba stood at the mirror, brushing a client’s hair. Edik was supposed to come at six. With rings. Finally. “All right, Maria Ivanovna,” she smiled, taking the cape off the elderly woman. “Goodbye.” The client left, and the salon emptied out. Lyuba stayed alone with the mirrors reflecting her from every angle. Half past six. […]

Anya placed a large platter of roast chicken on the table. The skin was golden, and the air smelled of garlic and herbs. Svetlana Markovna, her mother-in-law, immediately gave an approving little snort. “Now that’s what I call a proper homemaker! The smell fills the whole apartment! Not like our Marina—hers is always either burnt […]

Get your rags out of here—this is junk! We need to clear the room for Lenka!” the mother-in-law demanded, and the husband nodded. But they weren’t expecting the answer they were about to get. Anna was working on lace cuffs. A thin needle obediently dove through the weave of threads, leaving behind a barely visible […]

A sharp, irritated slam of the front door echoed through the apartment, making Vera flinch. She set aside the book she’d been reading, marking the page with her finger. Sergey was back—and from the sound alone it was clear: today was another one of his “Groundhog Days,” when any little thing could set him off. […]

So what exactly are you trying to tell me? That I should give up my apartment so you and your mommy can keep diving into scams together?” “Come on, don’t get so worked up, Sasha, it’s my MOM… She didn’t mean any harm…” “And who am I then, Maksim?! Some random passerby?!” Alexandra stormed into […]

My husband was standing in the hallway. His tie was undone. His face was red from the cold. Or from that conversation with his boss. I don’t know. “I got promoted!” I turned away from the stove. The pasta was boiling. Foam was creeping over the edge of the pot. I really should have turned […]

When jokes turn into weapons and laughter becomes a shield, a woman begins to understand the true cost of her marriage. Sometimes the awakening comes through pain. Chapter 1. The Anniversary The cake with fifty candles shimmered in the dim light of the restaurant hall, and I felt something inside me tighten into a hard […]

Ekaterina stepped out of the shower and wrapped her hair in a towel. The apartment was quiet—Maxim was probably at the computer in the other room. She walked into the kitchen, poured herself some water, and only then noticed that the bag on the chair was slightly open. Strange. She was sure she had zipped […]