Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is generally considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history.

The Chorus Girl tells the tale of a mistress who is confronted unexpectedly by her lover's wife. In the meantime the cheating husband is hiding in the next room. The dialogue between the two women is classic of Chekhov's genius... he captures a person's entire character and soul within a few paragraphs and then catapults them into a crisis from which they emerge changed.