An elderly woman, Margaret, walked unhurriedly to the village shop, pondering how to stretch her money. She wanted to stock up on everything essential without wasting a penny. Her pension was decent for those days—nearly thirty-two pounds. Plus, she had a small homestead: a garden, a vegetable patch, a cow named Daisy, and some hens. So, she managed just fine! But the old woman hated unnecessary expenses and counted every cent. Whatever was left from her pension, she sent to the city—to her two daughters. What could she do? Both girls had tough lives. The elder one’s husband had been …

The old man slowly approached a large stone, warmed by the sun. He tossed his rifle onto the ground, sat down on it, and stretched out his legs with relish. Every morning after breakfast, his wife would shoo him outside. She’d hand him the old double-barrel shotgun and say cheerfully, “Why don’t you go hunting, granddad? No point sitting around the house.” There were good reasons for it. The elderly man had once suffered a heart attack. The doctors had strongly recommended daily walks. His wife kept a strict eye on it, and he understood perfectly well himself. Armed with …

Emily lay on the hospital bed, her face buried in the pillow, crying quietly, desperately, and somehow hopelessly. A tall, elegant woman in a white coat entered the ward, approached the sobbing girl, and gently stroked her head. — Emmie, my dear girl. What’s with this gloomy mood? — she asked tenderly. — Why are your eyes all teary? — Hello, Aunt Vicky, — the girl lifted her tear-streaked face. — I’m so scared. — What’s come over you all of a sudden? — Victoria Reynolds smiled. — What has upset you so much? — Aunt Vicky, but I’m going …

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 …