The morning light crept into the room, casting soft shadows against the walls.
Sleep had been elusive, my mind racing with questions and the housekeeper’s warning.
Something was missing from the house; I could feel it in the air, in the subtle shifts of the family.
Items misplaced, odd phone calls ignored, whispers that ceased when I entered a room.
It all added to the growing sense of unease.
The meeting with my husband’s eldest sibling loomed ahead, a confrontation I had been dreading.
He controlled the estate affairs, held the power, and his presence was always imposing.
But the housekeeper’s words echoed in my mind, urging caution, urging escape.
Did I have the strength to confront him, to ask the questions that needed asking?
Or was it safer to heed the warning and find a way out?
