Olga sat on the steps of her house, stroking the worn wooden railing and feeling the pain in her back from the long hours of work in the garden growing sharper. Raising her eyes, she heard her daughter’s voice. — Mom! Where are you? Olga sighed heavily, slowly got up, slightly straightening her aching back, … Read more
Sofya adjusted the photograph on the wall—a simple wooden frame, inside which was the very first photo taken in her own apartment. Twelve years ago, right after the purchase, when there was not yet any furniture. Sofya was sitting on the window sill, happy, with the keys in her hand. — “Are you adjusting it … Read more
Elena Andreevna was staring intently at the features of her son’s face. “What’s happening to you, Maximka? You have helped so many regain their health, yet you do not strive to get well yourself?” she mused. Maxim lay motionless, his eyelids tightly closed. His face remained completely serene, not a single muscle betraying any emotion. … Read more
One day, the skinny, dirty cat disappeared. The millionaire grandmother, not finding her beloved pet, threw a fit. She screamed and flung plates onto the floor. All the waiters, chefs, and the landlady tried to calm her down and explained that her darling would appear any moment. — «I’ve lost everything I could in this … Read more
Mom left suddenly. He, Vityka, didn’t even understand how. She was just cheerful, kissing Vityka, playing with him, and then suddenly… she had lost weight, was bald, smiling quietly with her huge eyes, telling Vityka to live well, like a human being, and in an instant, she was gone. “An orphan,” the old women whisper, … Read more
Vera stood in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for the stew. Her hands worked mechanically while her thoughts wandered far away. Anna Sergeyevna had been gone for a week now. And that time seemed endless. The mother-in-law had left so suddenly—just a month after her husband. The doctors said her heart had given out. But Vera … Read more
You’re talentless,» he threw the words in front of everyone. It was then that I realized for the first time: talent is not only a gift but also a courage—a courage to remain oneself when others try to break you. Anna cautiously ran a rag over the surface of the old grand piano, recently moved … Read more
With numbers like these, it’s surprising you were hired for this position at all,» Natalya Andreyevna said with thinly veiled contempt, handing the folder back to me. «It’s astonishing how some people manage to move up the ladder with no real experience.» A chill ran down my spine, but I kept my face impassive. That … Read more
The sixth month isn’t exactly the ideal time for cozy family get‑togethers with your husband’s relatives—especially when most of them never warmed up to you. Vera knew this, yet she agreed anyway. Anton had just come back from a two‑week business trip, and her mother‑in‑law, Regina Mikhailovna, insisted on a “small family dinner.” “Come on,” … Read more
Yeseniya worked as an accountant in a modest construction firm. A nondescript office building on the outskirts of the capital. An average income. A routine life. Yet deep inside, she always held a cherished goal — to launch her own business. In the evenings, like many of her colleagues, she studied financial management software, devoured … Read more