I awakened to the gentle tapping on my door. My eyes struggled to open, weighed down by fatigue. Everything seemed like a haze. The burden of the pregnancy, the emotional turmoil, and being confined in this house—it all seemed overwhelming.

The knocking occurred once more, slightly louder on this occasion. I moaned and gradually made myself sit up, rubbing my eyes. A well-known voice came after the knock.

“Miss Aliana, Mr. Freddy is awaiting you downstairs,” Mercy's soft voice drifted through the door. She consistently communicated with such thoughtfulness, and for some reason, it brought me solace.

I wrapped the blankets more snugly around me, reluctant to stir. Every muscle...