Paul froze, eyes flashing with both guilt and anger. “Why are you following me? Don’t you trust me?”
“Trust you?” Her voice cracked under the weight of her fear. “How can I, when you disappear into the woods without a word?”
The fight exploded. Accusations, denials, and harsh words flew until Paul stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Melissa collapsed into a chair, tears streaming down her face. All she had wanted were answers.
In the days that followed, things grew worse. Paul’s absences lengthened, his presence at home a fading shadow. Melissa, struggling with her pregnancy, found herself battling exhaustion and loneliness. Even the simplest tasks became overwhelming without him by her side.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape the question that haunted her every waking moment:
What was Paul hiding in the forest?
Paul’s long walks into the woods were driving Melissa to the edge. Each evening, she watched him disappear into the trees, dread and curiosity tightening around her like a vice. The silence he left behind gnawed at her sanity.