I sat on the cold floor of my room, my back pressed against the wall. Hours had passed, though I couldn’t tell how many. The night had come, and the only light in the room was from the moon shining through the window. My white dress was the only clean thing I had left after the tea incident. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me I hadn’t eaten. Not a single person had brought me food, and I was too stubborn to ask for help earlier.
At some point, I fell asleep, right there on the floor. When I woke up, it was still dark outside, but the birds were beginning to sing, signaling the start of a new day. I didn’t know what time it was—everything felt like one long, miserable blur. My mouth was dry, my throat burning with thirst. Desperation kicked in, and I went to the door, knocking softly
