The silence hung heavy in the air that night.

Lucinda groggily sat up to the annoying beep of her alarm clock, fumbled for her phone to shut it off, and flopped back onto the bed, hoping for a few more precious moments of sleep.

But barely a minute had passed before she was sitting up again, this time fully awake.

Stefan, her husband, was nowhere to be seen.

Usually, it was he who killed the alarm, letting her sleep in those few extra minutes.

The sky outside was a dreary gray; it looked like rain was on its way.

"Stefan's always up with the birds," Lucinda grumbled. But she didn't fall back into the arms of slumber. Instead, she slid out of bed, her feet hitting the cold floor.

Her clothes for the day were already laid out by her meticulous husband, even down to the simple bracelet he'd chosen for her to wear. Since she was now just another face in the corporate crowd, her daily jewelry was limited to a single, unassuming piece. Truth be told, Lucinda would rather go without, but Stefan disapproved of her bare wrists. To keep a low profile, she had even removed her wedding ring, much to his chagrin. If she didn't wear at least the bracelet he gifted her, he'd be as long-faced as a horse.

Dressed and freshened up, Lucinda stepped out of the room.

As she made her way downstairs, she could hear the muffled voices of Stefan and Liam, speaking in hushed tones, probably not to wake anyone upstairs.

She caught snippets of Liam's distressed voice: "Stefan, I don't know what to do anymore. Tiffany's lost so much weight. Most expectant mothers gain pounds, but she's shedding them like crazy."

"The doc says morning sickness is normal, but seeing her throw up like that breaks my heart. I wish I could take her place."

she won't eat

replied, "Liam, what do you expect me to do? The doctor said it's normal. It'll

kids yet. We always come to

times of crisis, but this was one area where Stefan was at a loss. He and Lucinda

What if we borrow him for a while, see if

with an ulterior

chef in the family, you know.

sighed, "I haven't seen that kid around in a while. With my wedding coming up, he's avoiding the family gatherings-probably doesn't want to be nagged about settling down. I went

Downstairs, Lucinda emerged.

at the sound of her

to greet

couple with a touch of envy. Even after years of marriage, they still acted like lovebirds. He was about to tie the knot with Tiffany, but he couldn't

with a warm smile, reaching out to assist Lucinda

went off, so I got

turning it

couple continued their display of affection, seemingly alone in their

and greeted his

replied without sitting, her attention on

lack of appetite; it's that she throws up anything she eats. She'd rather starve or

throws up

how Tiffany would even vomit first thing in the

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