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The first thing was the smell. A light, barely noticeable trail of someone else’s perfume — “Red Moscow,” I think. I came home after a 24-hour hospital shift, dreaming only of a hot shower and my own bed. Andrei met me in the hallway, gave me a routine peck on the cheek. “Mom dropped by, […]

Alina, we need to have a serious talk. Rita needs a residence registration, and you now have your own apartment,” Tatyana Vitalyevna placed her hands on the table, as if marking the importance of the moment. Semyon sighed hopelessly. Sunday lunch at his parents’ had suddenly turned into a family council. He had a feeling […]

The morning started with Sergey’s kettle breaking again. Or rather, it didn’t so much break as burn — because Sergey somehow managed to put it on the stove. Yes, an electric one. And yes, this is a thirty-year-old man with two degrees. “So what now?” he grumbled, scratching the back of his head guiltily while […]

A quarrel broke out in the house, and everyone was sure that the truth was on their side. But one unexpected decision turned everything upside down. Chapter 1. The Announcement at Dinner The bang of a fist on the table was so loud that the plates of still-warm borscht jumped. The rich smell that just […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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, […]