I’m entitled to property,” Georgy declared. “What property? Are you out of your mind or something?” Polina didn’t understand.

“I’m entitled to property,” Georgy declared. “What property? Are you out of your mind?” Polina didn’t understand. “My property!” “Go sleep it off!” Polina slammed the door in Georgy’s face. “He’s definitely drunk—how else could he be talking such nonsense?” Polina fussed around the apartment in a pointless whirl, tidying up and putting random things […]

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The dress had been hanging on the hanger for three days already. Every morning I walked past it and looked at it—blue, with tiny little flowers, simple, but new.

The dress had been hanging on the coat hanger for three days already. Every morning I walked past it and looked at it—blue, with tiny flowers, simple but new. I hadn’t bought anything for myself in a long time. Somehow there was never time, and no point either. Where would I go, a retired housewife? […]

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I decided to surprise my husband and drove out to his “work” dacha. I opened the gate—and froze when I saw who was grilling shashlik on my barbecue…

The gravel under my car’s wheels rustled irritably as I turned onto the familiar country lane. I was smiling. Igor thinks I’m meeting friends in the city, but I’m racing to him instead. A surprise. He’d said there was a crunch at the dacha—he had to finish some urgent project that required total concentration. Our […]

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When Natalya came home, she found her husband Nikita in a state of extreme anxiety. He was pacing the room nervously, dialing a number on his phone over and over again.

When Natalya came home, she found her husband Nikita in a very worried state. He was nervously pacing from corner to corner, constantly dialing a number on his phone. “Hi, sweetheart,” Natalya said lightly, pretending not to notice how wound up he was. “What’s for dinner?” Nikita seemed not to hear her and kept calling […]

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My husband stopped giving me money—even for food—while I’m raising three kids

“Mom, I’m hungry!” Olya tugged at Anna’s T-shirt hem while Anna sorted through empty grocery bags in the kitchen. Anna swallowed a sigh. In the fridge there was a carton of milk and three yogurts. For three children. “We’ll think of something, sunshine,” she said, automatically stroking her daughter’s hair. “We’ll make sandwiches, okay?” “But […]

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Sweetheart, help me with some milk — money’s gotten really tight,” the grandmother said, embarrassed, turning her eyes aside.

Alevtina Petrovna unfailingly appeared at the store at exactly seven in the morning. By that time the 24-hour “Groceries” was usually empty—only night-shift workers and the occasional sleepless passerby came in. Her worn gray coat and faded headscarf had long since become familiar to the staff. The old woman came twice a week, like clockwork—on […]

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Everything started three years ago, when Artyom brought his fiancée and his future mother-in-law to meet his parents. Tamara Viktorovna, Artyom’s mother, immediately understood: the girl was a good one.

Everything began three years ago, when Artyom brought his fiancée and her mother to meet his parents. Tamara Viktorovna, Artyom’s mother, immediately understood: the girl was a good one. Katya was a student at the teacher-training college—modest, well-mannered, from a “decent family.” True, when it turned out that this “decent family” meant a single mother […]

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