The cold wind whipped against Richard’s face as he stood outside the small cottage again. He hadn’t slept. Not a minute. All night, he replayed her words in his mind. “You let them humiliate me.” She was right. He had been a coward. Now, he was trying to make things right. But Ann didn’t want to hear it. She had shut the door on him literally and emotionally. He hadn’t seen her since. But today, something felt wrong.
The curtains were closed. The air around the cottage was too still. Richard’s stomach twisted. He knocked. No answer. Knocked again. Louder this time. Still nothing. “Ann?” he called. Silence. Fear gripped him. He ran to the landlady’s house. Mrs. Gray opened the door, surprised. “Oh, it’s you again.” “Where’s Ann?” he asked quickly. “ I have been knocking at her door, She’s
