As the clock struck midnight, Mariana sat at the dining table in the vast mansion, the only source of light coming from the flickering candles that adorned the room. The aroma of the late dinner she had prepared lingered in the air, but her appetite had long been replaced by a gnawing sense of loneliness and longing. Benedict, her husband, was still not home, and the silence of the mansion echoed with her unspoken thoughts.
"Where are you, Benedict? It's past midnight, and I'm still waiting for you. I miss you."
The memories of their honeymoon trip to the Maldives flashed through her mind, the sun-kissed beaches and crystal-clear waters a stark contrast to the emptiness she felt in the mansion. Benedict had been consumed by his work since their return, leaving Mariana to wander the halls
