Finally, Friday arrived. Ethan and Olivia had planned to have a great time. They headed straight from the office to a restaurant, then continued their fun at a nightclub. The next day, the man woke up with a pounding headache, cast a casual glance at the sleeping Olivia, and yawning, made his way to the kitchen. On the way, he bumped into the table, hitting himself painfully, and started cursing loudly: — Damn it all to hell! — Darling, what happened? You scared me, — Olivia said tenderly. — I’m dying of thirst, I feel awful, my head’s splitting, — …

Feeling completely helpless, the crying Lily had been wandering the streets for half the day. A light drizzle had not stopped since morning, and the cold pierced to the bone. Why such a fate for her? Nowhere to go, no one to talk to, no place to warm up. Lost in thoughts of her misfortunes, the girl had completely forgotten about the dacha. And yet, that was salvation! The old country cottage had long fallen into disrepair. But even if dilapidated, it was still shelter. Calming down a bit, Lily arrived at the train station. About fifteen minutes later, the …

Against the backdrop of the spring sky, heavy clouds were gathering. Vitalina, quietly creaking the old rusted gate, entered the village cemetery. Firmly holding a small bouquet of snowdrops in her hands blue from the cold, she hurried noticeably, passing row after row of gloomy graves with wooden, iron, and marble crosses. Finally, she stopped. From the marble slab, a beautiful young woman smiled at her. It seemed that even on this cold slab, her eyes were filled with warmth, and her smile radiated joy and tenderness. – Hello, Mommy! – said Vitalina and bent down to kiss the woman …

It was already time to prepare for Easter, but spring was still lingering. The ice on the river hadn’t broken yet, though it had darkened. And there was nothing surprising about it—frosts came at night, and there was no real warmth even during the day. Clutching her lower back with one hand, pregnant Olivia waddled toward the riverbank. Walking was hard; her tired legs ached. At least Michael had helped carry the basket of laundry. Childbirth wasn’t far off, and her husband never left her side. He took care of her and tried to help. “Definitely another boy,” all the …

Twists of fate can be utterly unpredictable. I could never have imagined that I’d feel grateful to the woman who shattered my family. Before, life with my husband seemed perfectly content. But now, looking back, I realize just how flawed that short-lived marriage truly was. I first met my future husband at a friend’s wedding. It wasn’t love at first sight. He was just an ordinary guy, nothing striking about him. We were both in our twenties, and I didn’t pay much attention to guys my age back then. I was drawn to older men—they seemed more intriguing and mature. …