'"It seems like you're trapped in a toxic marriage, Olive," she said, her voice filled with concern. "This despicable man cheated on you with that wretched woman, didn't he?"
I nodded, my gaze fixed on the ground, unable to meet her eyes. "Yes," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "He brought her into our home as a maid, and every midnight, he would sneak off to her room."
"What a vile man," she exclaimed, her voice dripping with disgust. "Why on earth are you still in that marriage?"
The words caught in my throat, the fear and desperation making it difficult to speak. How could I tell her that I was being threatened, forced to stay against my will? Would she judge me too? But she was just a stranger, someone I had met for the first time. Perhaps it was safe to confide in her, to tak
