When my new neighbor, Claire, moved in six months ago, I assumed she was just a regular person. A quiet woman who would keep to herself and not stir up any trouble. She was in her forties, lived with her sixteen-year-old son, Adam, and at first, everything seemed fine. She was friendly enough. I lent her a ladder when she needed one, a garden hose when hers wasn’t working, and even let her use our outdoor grill station whenever we weren’t home. It was just a neighborly thing to do.

Stolen Memories, Shattered Trust Now That morning, I went to the store for milk, chicken, and raspberries—an odd mix, but each item served a purpose. The milk was for my coffee and the kids’ cereal, the chicken for dinner, and the raspberries for the white chocolate muffins my husband loved. I had expected a routine shopping trip. What I didn’t expect was to stumble upon a truth that would shatter my world. She was standing in the dairy aisle, our neighbor—young, blonde, recently divorced. Mel. She was browsing the yogurt

Janice’s heart pounded every time she received a message from Colin. Their connection felt so real, so effortless, yet one truth lingered over her like a shadow: she was blind. And as their first date grew closer, fear wrapped around her chest. How long could she keep this secret? How long before Colin realized that the world she moved through was one he couldn’t even begin to see? The dim glow of the computer screen barely illuminated the dark room. Janice sat at her desk, fingers hovering over the keyboard,