Marrying the Man in the Dark

In truth, a pang of hunger gnawed at Cherise’s stomach.

The ordeal of last night’s car ride had sapped much of her energy.

She pressed her lips together and instructed, “Pop it in the fridge for me; I’ll eat it when I return.”

With a concerned glance, Frances slipped two packets of hot milk into Cherise’s bag. fearing she might grow famished on her way.

Cherise sipped on the warm milk, exiting the manor while settling into Mr. Kolson’s car.

Thirty minutes later, the vehicle pulled up at the research institute.

Just as before, upon stepping out of the car at the institute’s entrance, Cherise noticed her colleagues‘ furtive glances and hushed murmurs.

The unresolved plagiarism issue cast a pall over her interactions.

These silent judgments weighed heavily on Cherise’s spirits.

She hastened towards Heather’s usual workspace, milk in hand.

Heather had mentioned earlier that Mr. Whitlock sought to speak with her, prompting Cherise to head straight for his office.

meters of the door, Cherise caught the sound of a woman sobbing from

barely registered the first cry.

second one jolted her to

was Heather’s

flinging open the director’s

shook Cherise to her core.

stripped to her shirt, while Yolanda, clad in white, sat nearby,

at Yolanda’s side, offering ointment

shricks that had echoed earlier had been Heather’s cries as her blisters were lanced!

are

Cherise’s usually composed demeanor cracked at the

then did Yolanda deign to acknowledge her presence, her tone

watched Heather’s distress, unable to

“Indeed,”

is the special balm Ms. Weiss

“Precisely,”

blisters with a cotton swab. “It’s better to endure brief discomfort now than prolonged agony