Ines sat on the edge of her bed. The mattress felt too soft, offering no support to her trembling body. The smell of burnt paper still lingered faintly in the air, a sharp, acrid reminder of the news she had just destroyed.
She stared at her hands. They were empty now, but she could still feel the weight of Gladys's letter.
"We are being watched."
The words echoed in her mind, bouncing off the walls of her safe, quiet bedroom.
"Who is this?" she whispered to the empty room. Her voice was thin and frightened.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to picture the enemy.
"Why now?" she asked, a sob catching in her throat. "Why now, when I am finally getting married? When everything was going to be perfect?"
It felt cruel. It felt like a punishment for her happiness. Just when she had found love, just when she had found a way to be herself with Carcel, the shadows of her secret life were reaching out to drag her back.
