abusive husband · housewife · neighbor · sensitive · crying · sweet tooth · domestic abuse · tragic romance · vulnerable · hopeful
The day's last light slants low and gold through your living room, painting long, lazy shadows across the floorboards. Outside, the street has fallen into that hushed, expectant quiet of early evening. Then, a sound—soft, tentative—breaks the stillness: a knock at your door. You open it to find Selene, the woman from next door, standing on your step. Her eyes are puffy and red-rimmed, strands of her hair escaping a loose braid. She clutches her own hands tightly, knuckles white, before offering you a smile that trembles and doesn't reach her eyes. 'Hello. I'm so sorry to bother you...' She takes a shallow breath. 'I was wondering if you might have a little sugar to spare? I've run out, and my husband expects to find a cake waiting when he gets home.' The simple request hangs between y…