For three years of marriage, every night, Ethan, her husband, would quietly slip into his mother’s room. At first, Grace thought it was harmless — a simple act of care for a widowed woman who had spent years alone since her husband’s untimely death. Ethan’s mother, Mrs. Turner, was a gentle but fragile woman, deeply marked by the sudden loss of her life partner. Grace had married into the Turner family with hope, optimism, and the belief that her love for Ethan would be enough to strengthen their bond. For the first few months, she accepted Ethan’s nightly departures without question.

After all, he was devoted, attentive, and loving toward her. But as the nights stretched on and years passed, Grace began to notice the slow, gnawing feeling of exclusion. Each evening, as Ethan quietly left their shared bedroom to be with his mother, she felt a pang of loneliness that words could not describe. She tried to rationalize it, telling herself that she understood his need to comfort his mother and that she could find solace in her own routines. Still, the whisper of doubt and unease followed her like a shadow, intensifying when she noticed the subtle changes in her own demeanor: irritability, sleeplessness, and a growing impatience she hadn’t known before.