Nelly, her neighbor, had always been unsettling to Martha. She had hardly seen Nelly outside in three years, and her supposed baby’s disappearance alarmed her. The mystery was only made more complex by Nelly’s fear-driven retreat when Martha eventually plucked up the nerve to approach her.

Martha expressed her worry to her husband, Evan, but he dismissed it. He urged her to concentrate on their family, saying, “Not everyone is social.” However, Martha remained suspicious, particularly after another neighbor, Mrs. Freddie, promised to look into it.

When Mrs. Freddie tried to bring Nelly a pie, she was turned down, which confirmed Martha’s suspicions that something was wrong. A few days later, Martha was sorting mail when she came across a letter addressed to Nelly, which prompted her to go to Nelly’s house. Her heart pounded as she looked out the window and saw a young boy with a recognizable birthmark. Martha fell to the porch, shocked.

The neighbors were all around her when she came to, their faces filled with worry. Once she had calmed down, Martha pressed Nelly for answers. A painful truth came to light during the confrontation: Evan had conceived Tommy, Nelly’s son, during a brief affair. Living next door under the pretense of a new life, Nelly had been forced into hiding. Continues…