"Don't change the subject, Carol. How did you know that?" I said, my voice laced with surprise that I couldn't quite conceal. Carol's reaction was telling; it was obvious that my observation had caught her off guard, and I could sense a shift in the atmosphere. It felt as if I had struck gold, hitting the jackpot of her secrets, uncovering a hidden layer of our connection that had lingered just beneath the surface.
Taking a moment to regain her composure, Carol began to stroll toward the window in my room, her gaze drifting outside as if the world beyond held the answers she sought. And as she did, like the petals of a flower slowly unfurling, she began to open up about the incident that had transpired just moments before. Her voice became softer, almost hesitant, as she recounted the exp
