Walter stepped into the house, greeted not by the usual warmth of home but by a piercing cry that sent shivers down his spine. Logan’s wails filled every corner, bouncing off the walls like a siren, a desperate call for help. Abby sat at the kitchen table, her shoulders slumped, her face pale with exhaustion. Her hands trembled as she ran them through her hair. The sight of her like this made Walter’s heart tighten. “Oh, honey,” he murmured, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. “How

I never thought I’d end up like this—burning with fever, too weak to stand, my body trembling as if it didn’t belong to me anymore. My limbs felt heavy, my head pounded, and even the smallest movement sent waves of nausea through me. On the floor beside my bed, my one-year-old daughter, Lily, sat playing with her stuffed rabbit, occasionally looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes. She giggled, babbling softly to herself, unaware that something was terribly wrong. I swallowed painfully and reached for my phone with trembling

I thought I had met the perfect man. Until the day he disappeared without a word. When I went to check on him, I found out he was at his own wedding. But that was only the beginning of the lies. Jake was the kind of man you read about in novels but never actually expect to meet in real life. He was a successful businessman, effortlessly charming, and had this rare ability to make everyone around him feel special. And for the past month, he had made me feel