Under the shimmering glow of the white moon, its light pierced through the tangled branches and spilled onto the balcony. In the dimly lit room, Suzanne tossed and turned restlessly before succumbing to sleep. Yet, her slumber was far from peaceful. Beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead as her breaths quickened. Within the darkness, she found herself lost and unable to discern her surroundings. The chilling wind scraped against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.Amidst the eerie silence, the voices of a man and a woman reverberated, their whispers akin to ghostly murmurs in the abyss."Suzanne, save us! It's so cold... Run away, Suzanne! Don't look back!" their voices pleaded, wrenching at Suzanne's heart with each desperate cry.Suzanne sprinted aimlessly through the pitch-black surroundings, her senses consumed by fear as an ominous presence loomed over her. The sinister voice echoed through the void like a haunting chant, "Kill her... Kill her, and the money is

Before heading to the hospital, Suzanne made a brief stop at the nearby grocery store and picked up a fruit basket as a gift. She then navigated her way to the oncology ward, guided by the address Sienna had provided. Upon reaching the ward, Suzanne took a moment to compose herself before softly knocking on the door. When there was no response, she gently pushed the door ajar.Inside the narrow room, six occupied hospital beds filled the space. Suzanne scanned the room, uncertain which bed belonged to Sienna's father. Suddenly, a sweet-looking woman sporting black-rimmed glasses and clutching a water bottle popped up from the corner.Observing her youthful appearance, Suzanne deduced that the woman must be Sienna. She approached the woman with a warm smile. "Are you Sienna?"Dumbfounded, Sienna nodded slowly. "Yes, I am. And you are?""I'm Suzanne," came the reply.Hearing that, Sienna studied Suzanne's face for a long moment. Meanwhile, Suzanne placed the fruit basket on a

The clock struck noon as Suzanne made her way back to the Morrison Residence. She deliberately arrived late in hopes of avoiding any encounters with Sally. Yet to her surprise, Sally was still in the house.Upon entering, Sally approached with a feigned smile. "Welcome back, Suzanne."Suzanne cringed at the sound of her name on Sally's lips but maintained her composure, considering Nathan's family was present."Mind joining us for a moment, Suzanne?" Florence beckoned.Suzanne exchanged pleasantries with her in-laws before Wendy ushered her to the couch with Sally trailing behind.The air crackled with tension, evident in the troubled expressions of Florence and Gary, and the hesitant speech of the others. Sensing something amiss, Suzanne had a bad hunch.When Florence hesitated once more, Suzanne decisively asked, "Is there something you need from me, Florence?"Forced to respond, Florence wore a strained smile and deferred to Gary. "I'll let Gary speak for me."Shocked, Gar

People often claimed that unrequited love was an internal battlefield. Right at this moment, Suzanne couldn't agree more. She clearly missed Nathan so dearly with her entire being, but she was conflicted and afraid. She dared not even look at him openly, yet she stole countless glances at him from the corner of her eye. She clearly knew that he held another woman dear in his heart, and it pained her to know that. She hated and resented the fact, yet she could not bear to let him go. She clearly yearned for him to be back, and she was both elated and anxious that he was, yet she feigned calmness and nonchalance. She put so much effort into it so that he wouldn't notice any trace of her feelings for him, as though that would make her unrequited love less painful.The moment Nathan stepped into the living room, Sally rushed over excitedly. "Nate!"Caught off guard, Nathan was trapped in her embrace. Sally clung tightly to his waist, frustrating him. Nathan's brow furrowed as he

Nathan slowly walked toward her and sat down on the other side of the bed. They had their backs toward each other, and Nathan rested his elbows on his thighs. He supported his head on his hands, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath.The tension in the room was high, and he couldn't help but feel exhausted. Suzanne only asked him one question and didn't say any more. A while later, Nathan asked, "Why did Sally move in?"Suzanne smiled wryly. "She's moved in for more than half a month now.""And you didn't stop her?""I have no right to do that."Nathan fell silent. Moments later, he asked again, "Are you planning on taking a qualification exam?""No.""Are you comfortable staying here?""It's alright.""Did Sally make things hard for you?""No."After asking all he had to ask, the room fell into a deathly silence once more. The tension in the room was palpable.Nathan had tried to strike up a conversation with her by asking her so many questions, but she only gave hi