An orphan who grew up in an orphanage got a job as a waitress in a prestigious restaurant. But after she accidentally spilled soup on a wealthy customer, her fate changed drastically.

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 Girl, do you even realize what you’ve done?!” Semen shouted, waving a ladle. “Soup on the floor, the customer splashed, and you’re just standing there like a statue!” Alyona looked at the dark stain on the man’s expensive suit and felt her insides tighten. This was the end of her job. Six months of effort … Read more

“You’re a cleaner, not a pianist!” — spiteful giggles rang out behind her back. But as soon as she sat down at the grand piano and touched the keys, the room fell silent.

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I had always believed that life is not a straight road, but rather a winding path full of unexpected turns. Sometimes it leads you to a sunny clearing, and sometimes into a dense, impenetrable forest. My path led me to a small, cozy café called Melody, where I worked, keeping everything clean and in order. … Read more

I’ve been divorced from your son for three years now, so let his new wife help you from now on. I won’t lift a finger,” I told my former mother-in-law.

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“For three years I’ve been divorced from your son, so let his new wife help you now. I won’t lift a finger,” I told my ex-mother-in-law the day before and hung up. My hands were shaking with anger. Nadezhda Petrovna had already called me three times that week, each time with the same request—to help … Read more

Get out of my apartment,” she said, but the only answer was the laughter of her husband’s aunt and her daughter; a moment later they seemed to recall an entire encyclopedia of swear words.

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Valentina was standing in the middle of her own living room, clutching a bunch of keys in her hand. Her gaze darted between the two women sprawled on the sofa like full-fledged homeowners. Her husband’s aunt, Zlata Feoktistovna, a hefty woman in her sixties wrapped in a leopard-print dress, was swinging one leg in a … Read more

Strolling through the park, Kira suddenly spotted her sister-in-law’s daughter and froze. The little girl was standing all alone by a strange cardboard box.

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  Kira worked as an interior designer in a small but successful studio, and weekends were sacred to her.   Today she had planned to meet Vera, who had come from Perm for a few days on business. Her friend had promised to bring gingerbread from Perm and tell her about a new project to … Read more

Hearing that his parents were coming to visit, the rich man begged a homeless girl to play the role of his fiancée for just one evening.

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  And when she entered the restaurant, her mother couldn’t believe her eyes…” “Have you completely lost it?” she almost shouted, recoiling as if caught red-handed. “Me? In this? Playing your fiancée? Yesterday, I was digging food out of the trash!” He calmly clicked the lock, closing the door, and, tiredly leaning against the wall, … Read more

I found out my husband had taken out a loan in my name – and went to the bank

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 “An overdue loan payment? What loan?” Zinaida pressed the phone between her ear and shoulder, trying with her free hand to catch the cash register log as it slid off the desk. “Credit agreement number seven-three-four-eight, dated November twenty-second of last year,” the woman’s indifferent voice droned in the receiver. “Issued in your name as … Read more

My mother-in-law posted a photo from Turkey. But she forgot that, in the background, my husband… was there with my own sister.

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Phone buzzed on the table, lighting up a social media notification. Tamara Igorevna, my mother-in-law, had posted a new photo. “Enjoying the Turkish sunshine!” the caption read. In the picture she was smiling happily with a cocktail in hand against a backdrop of azure sea. I zoomed in on the background. Just automatically. There, at … Read more