Chapter 3. Seeds of Doubts The door shut behind us with a click that sounded louder than it should've. We walked back in silence, the chill in the afternoon air doing little to cool the strange warmth still lingering in my chest, not the kind of warmth that comes from comfort, but from unease. I wanted to say something. Just a line: Did that feel…off to you? But every time I opened my mouth, her calm face told me not to....

Chapter 5: One Week of Relief The morning sunlight pierced softly through the curtains, warm and soothing. I woke up first, turning to face her. She looked so peaceful, curled up against the pillow. I leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek—an unspoken message: I trust you. She stirred, opening her eyes slowly, and smiled. It was the same carefree smile I first fell for. I decided to take the day off. After ever...

Chapter 10: Wife's POV I wasn’t sure what woke me up, maybe the birds, maybe the rising heat, but the moment my eyes opened, I felt it. That weird heaviness in my chest again. Not fear, exactly. Not even guilt. It was something darker, messier. A mix of awareness and tension sitting low in my stomach, crawling up my spine like an itch I couldn’t scratch. I lay there a while, staring at the ceiling fan as it squeaked in la...

Chapter 13: Wife's POV The moment he fell asleep that night, after dinner and a movie that felt too normal to be real, I stared up at the ceiling, wide awake. His arms were around me, warm and familiar, but inside… inside I wasn’t the same. Not anymore. That afternoon had changed something. Or maybe the change had already started when we moved here. That accidental hug, the old man's rough fingers grazing my curves, his b...