— “My son will take everything from you—you’ll be left without a penny!” Lena’s mother-in-law shouted in the courtroom.

by

Lena had long realized that marriage had turned into hard labor. Five years ago, Andrey had seemed like a caring man who wanted to build a strong family. But after the wedding it was as if he’d been swapped for someone else. He quit his job three months in, blaming back problems, though doctors found … Read more

“Forget about your freedom—you live by our rules now!” the husband declared, closing the bedroom door on their wedding night.

by

Tatiana slowly twirled to the lilting waltz, feeling the white silk of her wedding dress flow around her legs. Igor held his wife firmly by the waist, his eyes full of tenderness and promises of a happy future. The hall was decorated with roses and golden ribbons; guests smiled, raising their glasses of champagne. “You’re … Read more

The new maid wanted to find out why the owner’s daughter cries at night in her room. But when she entered the teenager’s bedroom…

by

Trying not to make any noise, 27-year-old Elizaveta Andreevna Malinkina cautiously moved down the corridor toward the room of Alisa — the 14-year-old daughter of the house owner. She needed to check if the girl was asleep so she could finally go to bed herself. For two weeks now, Liza has been working in the … Read more

From this day on, you’re a homeless nobody!” my husband smirked, not knowing I’d already transferred all the property.

by

Liliya bought an apartment at twenty-six. She’d saved for five years while working as a manager at a trading company. Every kopeck went into savings: she gave up entertainment, wore old clothes, economized on everything. When she finally signed the purchase contract, her hands trembled with happiness. A one-room place on the edge of the … Read more

Her husband left Vera with a child in her arms and no means to survive, living in a rented apartment. Three years later, when he decided to mock her — he froze in silent astonishment.

by

— Is that you?.. Vera? — Hi, Kostya. Didn’t expect me? A woman stood before him — confident, with a straight back and a slight half-smile on her lips. There was no pain or pleading in her eyes like before. He noticed: she had changed. Her clothes were simple but clearly not cheap. Her hairstyle … Read more

— Your sister got married. She and her husband are living in our apartment now, and I’m moving in with you.

by

The rain drummed against the windows of the St. Petersburg apartment when the doorbell rang. Anna lifted her eyes from her laptop and glanced at the clock in surprise—half past eleven at night, on a Wednesday. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Through the peephole she saw a blurred figure with a suitcase. Her heart tightened unpleasantly—something … Read more

Mother-in-law burst into my home to wreck our plans to buy an apartment and seize our savings—but she didn’t expect this response

by

When I opened the door and saw Valentina Petrovna on the threshold with two enormous bags, my heart sank. My mother-in-law stood there in her unchanging beige trench coat, hair pulled into a tight bun, lips pressed into a thin line. Her gaze slid over me with that all-too-familiar expression—a mix of disapproval and righteous … Read more

She got pregnant early, at sixteen. It came to light by accident: during a routine school medical exam, the girl flatly refused to go into the gynecologist’s office, and the teacher informed her parents.

by

The shadow of the tall poplar outside had already fallen across half the yard when the worst thing in all sixteen years of the Beketovs’ life together began. The air in the living room—thick with cigarette smoke and mute tension—felt like you could slice it with a knife. Artyom Viktorovich, a man with hands etched … Read more

“Sorry, but your present will go to my sister—she needs to drive the baby,” my husband decided to give away my car—but not so fast.

by

Larisa stood by the kitchen window, watching the neighbor load a stroller into the trunk of her car. Forty-one years old, and still dependent on public transport and the rare chance to use her husband’s car. Design projects were scattered all over the city, clients wanted meetings at inconvenient times, and there she was, suffering … Read more

You’re nothing without me—a penniless housewife!” the husband declared during the divorce. But he didn’t know my “hobby” was a company with seven-figure turnover.

by

— “The apartment obviously stays with me. The cars too,” my husband Kirill’s voice cut like a knife, bouncing off the polished walls of the lawyer’s office. He wasn’t talking to me, but to my representative—a young guy in a perfect suit who, until then, had only been nodding silently. “I’ll toss you a little … Read more