I woke up the next morning with the taste of cotton still lingering on my tongue from the night before. My body ached in places I didn't want to acknowledge, yet between my thighs there was that familiar, shameful wetness that had become my constant companion.

Sarthak was already gone to work, and Priya was getting ready for College. I moved through the morning routine like a ghost, smiling when expected, packing lunch, kissing my daughter goodbye. But inside, my mind was a battlefield of conflicting desires.