It was late at night and James' office was shrouded in darkness, lit only by the faint glow of the lamp on his desk. The air was infused with the distinctive aroma of the cigars that James loved and his wife hated. In recent weeks he had intensified his addiction, just to get her away from his office. He wanted and needed to be alone. James was smoking and drinking whisky when Ava knocked on the door, looking frightened. "Sir, there's a man here who insists on seeing you," she informed him, keeping her voice calm but with a trace of anxiety. "Who is he?" asked James, taking a puff of his cigar. "Mr. Peter," replied Ava. "Let him in and make sure there are no interruptions," James instructed, keeping his expression serious. "Excuse me," said Ava before stepping aside and allowing the visitor to enter. A middle-aged man with gray hair and a wrinkled face entered the office, holding his hat close to his chest. He was wearing a dark suit that matched his serious expression and his

In the dining room, the soft light of the morning sun filtered through the lacy curtains, creating a false serene atmosphere. James grimaced and pushed his breakfast plate aside, complaining of the severe heartburn that was afflicting him that morning. He looked worriedly at Angelina and pondered aloud: "Doctor Radcliff hasn't returned from his trip yet. Perhaps you could advise your doctor to examine me." Angelina, visibly uneasy, questioned: "My doctor? I'm not sure that would be safe." She played nervously with the rim of her teacup, her eyes showing anxiety. With a reassuring gesture, James replied: "He's a doctor, isn't he? What's the problem?" However, Angelina hesitated before speaking again, explaining: "Well, he usually only sees women." James looked at her seriously and then declared: "I'm going to work." He tried to caress Angelina's belly, but she shied away. As her belly grew, she became more reserved, going so far as to sleep in separate rooms, claiming that sh

Meg was in a desperate situation, unable to accept that her life was coming to such a sad end. She was confined to a hospital, against her will, and escaping from there seemed an almost impossible task. The cold, dirty walls of the institution were riddled with doors and padlocks. The high walls and the constant vigilance of the numerous guards outside aggravated the feeling of imprisonment. With each passing day, her hope of escaping diminished. As Meg and her friends, Dorothy and Sophia, swept the vast hospital courtyard, hunger set in. "I'm hungry," complained Dorothy. Sophia sighed and replied: "We can't get bread for you anymore, Dorothy." Meg whispered worriedly: "They're watching us all the time." Dorothy, curious, asked: "Has anyone had a chance to see the new patient yet?" The three women directed their gazes towards the end of the building, in the ward reserved for pregnant women. Meg replied: "She arrived here last night." Just then, two guards approached and gra

Dorothy stocked the fireplace in Mother Superior's office with more wood. And she tried to ignore the slice of strawberry pie right in front of her. There was a table with cookies and sweets and refreshments. The wonderful smell of the goodies was torture for Dorothy, who felt her stomach growl with hunger. This was also a form of punishment, while all the patients were eating a white paste that was almost spoiled, the nuns were splurging on food upstairs. After Dorothy left, Mother went to the window to look out at the hospital courtyard where some patients, including Meg, were cleaning the floor. Everything there worked strictly to schedule like in a beehive and she was the queen bee. "Serve me some more tea," she ordered one of the novices. She examined the hospital's finances with deep concern. Expenses were high and keeping the accounts up to date was a challenge. The solution she found, apart from forcing the patients to work almost to exhaustion, was not to hire staf

The sun's rays gently invaded the room through the gaps in the curtains, while the pillows rested serenely on the bed and the hats remained organized on the shelves. Everything was exactly as it had been before. James sat on his mother's bed, flooded with a sense of nostalgia. "I couldn't keep my promise to look after Meg," he muttered, his tone heavy with regret. He picked up one of his mother's beloved hats and then opened the jewelry box. He planned to present Angelina with some family joy, something he should have done at the beginning of her pregnancy but had neglected to do. Among the precious pieces was a sapphire necklace that Angelina had long wanted. James decided to surprise his wife with this little treat. However, in a moment of distraction, the box slipped out of his hands and all the jewels spilled onto the carpet. "Damn," he exclaimed in frustration. Looking more closely, James discovered the presence of a false bottom in the box and found several yellowed envelop