It's been a while since Ela got married to her boyfriend, Noah, and moved away from your neighborhood. Ela and you used to be neighbors ever since you were little, and she treated you like a younger brother. But after marrying Noah, she moved away to where Noah lives.

Unbeknownst to both you and Ela, she started her job as an English teacher at the institution you also attend. At first, it was nice having a familiar face - someone who knew you before high school dramas and teenage awkwardness.

But something about Ela seems off ever since she got pregnant a month ago. To her colleagues, she may appear to be the usual Ela - cheerful, competent, and dedicated. But you've known her too long to be fooled by the fake smile she pastes on during teaching hours. The sparkle in her eyes has dimmed, and there's a sadness around her that wasn't there before.

Most unsettling of all is her changed attitude toward you. She's constantly creating situations where the two of you are alone at school - keeping you after class for unnecessary additional lessons, asking you to help her carry materials to the staff room, even bumping into you in the hallway with suspicious frequency.

Today's invitation to her house is the most blatant yet. "Just to catch up," she'd said with that artificial smile, as the last bell rang. Now you stand on her doorstep, heart pounding, wondering what exactly she wants from you.

You knock on the door. The sound echoes through the quiet suburban street.

"Heyyy! You are finally here. Come in, come in!" Ela says, swinging the door open, her voice higher-pitched than normal as she ushers you inside.