I'm at the supermarket when an old woman I don't know suddenly grips my hand tightly. I instinctively shield my baby bump, but she says, "Someone has placed a swap spell on you. The dead baby is about to be transferred to your body soon."

I think she's a liar, but she says, "Hurry up and try to make yourself vomit. You should try to throw up as much of that fish you just ate as you can."

I'm at the supermarket when an old woman I don't know suddenly grips my hand tightly. I instinctively shielded my pregnant belly, but she exclaimed, "Someone's cursed your pregnancy with a swap spell, and the stillborn fetus inside you is about to start feeding off your body."

Just as I thought she was another scammer, she added, "You should try to throw up as much of that fish you just ate as you can."

...

"Fish?" I blurted out, covering my mouth in shock.

I had indeed eaten fish just moments ago, and my mind raced as I wondered how she could possibly know that. I took a cautious step back, glaring at her as I felt she was just some con artist targeting me.

Before I could say anything, she placed her hand right on my stomach, ignoring my reaction. I tried to push her away, but somehow, I could not move—it was like I was frozen in place, forced to let her bony fingers search over my belly.

"Oh my! What blasphemy! This is unbelievable!" she exclaimed, jerking her hand back as though burned.

Her face turned ashen as she muttered, "Whoever did this is truly vicious. Not only have they replaced your healthy baby with a stillborn, but they're also feeding it cursed insects."

She continued gravely, "That dead fetus will keep feeding off your body. And when it's finally removed, it'll take your life along with it. This is nearly impossible to undo!"

Even though I did not understand half of what she was saying, every word made my skin crawl. My mind was buzzing, and I refused to believe my baby was stillborn.

Just two days ago, I had a checkup at the hospital, and everything was perfectly fine. I grabbed her wrist in panic, my voice trembling.

"What are you talking about? My baby is fine! You've got to be mistaken!" I nearly shouted, desperate for an answer.

The old woman shook her head, looking at me with urgent eyes. She asked, "Feel your belly yourself. Has this baby moved at all in the past few days?"

Her words hit me like a truck, and I froze. It finally dawned on me that my stomach had indeed been unusually still lately. I had asked my doctor about it, but she had only said the baby was a bit small for my stage of pregnancy.

As a cold fear gripped me, my stomach churned violently from the stress. Before I could stop her, the old woman suddenly shoved her fingers into my mouth, gagging me.

She yelled, "Throw it up—whatever you can, now! You've got to stop this thing from feeding off you any further!"

My whole body jerked as I retched. I tried to push her away, but her grip was impossibly strong. Finally, I vomited onto the floor, gasping as I noticed streaks of blood and clumps of something black and unidentifiable in the mess.

I was horrified, but her next words sent a chill running down my spine.

She explained grimly, "Whoever did this used a highly poisonous spell from Mandoville. They've been feeding the curse with their own blood.

"Once the time was right, you both ate it. That's when the swap happened—your baby was replaced with theirs."

"R-Replaced…" I mumbled, my head spinning. My knees went weak as I stumbled back, almost losing my balance.

I finally realized the gravity of the situation and burst into tears. "What do I do now? Please tell me!"

The old woman sighed heavily, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. She said, "After they swapped their baby into your womb, they left the curse active.

"They've been feeding you cursed food to control the stillborn inside you. That baby now listens to them, not you."

Her piercing gaze locked onto mine as she warned, "Be careful of whoever gave you that fish. That's the person who cursed you."

My heart sank. The person who had brought me the fish was not a stranger—it was Vanda Watson, my sister-in-law and obstetrician. She had been my best friend before I married my husband, Hector Watson.

Vanda had handled every single one of my prenatal checkups since I got pregnant. Moreover, she was also pregnant herself, at the exact same time as me.

Not only that, but her husband was also from Mandoville. I recalled how she had taken a trip back to visit her husband's hometown after finding out she was expecting.

As I recalled the bits and pieces of the past, I could not help but become suspicious. Was it really just a coincidence?

My face turned pale, and I started dry-heaving again. The thought was too horrifying to process. Could Vanda really have done this to me?

Nonetheless, this was my baby, my child. There was no way I would let anything happen to it. I did not want to believe it, yet I could not ignore the fear creeping into my heart.

I stumbled to my feet and headed straight to the hospital to confirm if any of this was true. Just as I was leaving, I hesitated and turned back to the old woman.

"If I need to find you again, how do I contact you?" I asked desperately.

She pulled a small red envelope from her pocket and pressed it into my hand. She said, "My number is inside. Call me if you need help."

I opened the envelope as she walked away, finding a handwritten phone number and a strange yellow triangular charm folded neatly inside.

I shoved everything into my bag, said a rushed goodbye, and flagged down a cab.

An hour later, the doctor returned with my ultrasound results. He seemed troubled, as if he was trying hard to find the right words to break the news to me.

My heart sank as I snatched the report from his hand. Boldly printed at the top were the words: "Embryonic Demise."

"Ms. Sinclair, it seems your pregnancy stopped progressing about a week ago. At five months, it would be best to…" he began, but I could not hear the rest.

My mind buzzed loudly, drowning out his voice. I stumbled out of the room and ran to the street, collapsing onto the curb as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

I could not believe that my pregnancy had stopped a week ago. Just two days ago, Vanda had told me my baby was perfectly healthy.

I refused to believe this was happening to me. There was no way I lost my baby just like that.

How could Vanda be so cruel and do this to me?

Suddenly, I thought about what the old woman had said. Believing she might have a way to help me, I quickly rummaged through my bag and pulled out the envelope she had given me.

My hands trembled as I dialed her number. When the call was connected, I immediately said, "Hello, Ma'am. I'm—"

Before I could finish my sentence, she interrupted me. "Prepare 28,888 dollars in cash and bring it to 21, Block 3, Harmony Street."

When I heard the amount she was requesting, I was speechless. I feared the old woman might be scamming me, but I had no choice. For the sake of my baby, I had to give it a shot.

I wiped my tears and rushed to the nearest bank. Once I withdrew the money, I carefully placed it in the red envelope. Then, I flagged a cab and gave the driver the address.

My heart was pounding during the entire ride, feeling uneasy all over. I silently prayed that the old woman could really save my child.

Before I even reached the destination, my phone buzzed. Seeing that it was Hector, I quickly picked up the call.

"Luna, why did you withdraw so much money?" he asked as soon as I answered.

I froze, suddenly remembering that Hector's banking app was linked to my account. Of course, he would have been alerted about the withdrawal.

I hesitated, torn over whether to tell him the truth about Vanda. After all, she was his sister. They had lost their parents at a very young age and had been inseparable since.

Instead, I stammered, "I—uh, a friend needed to borrow money. I was already near the bank, so I just got it for them."

He let out a long sigh of relief. "Alright. But where are you? Vanda said you've been gone for hours, and she's getting worried."

Just hearing her name made my hands shake. My grip on my phone tightened, and I forced myself to stay calm as I replied, "I'll be home later. I'm just dropping off the money."

Then, I immediately hung up, not giving Hector a chance to ask more questions.

After that, Hector began texting me every ten minutes, asking where I was. It was strange—he had never been this overbearing before.

Eventually, I arrived at the address, a three-story building tucked away on a quiet street. I approached cautiously, each step heavier than the last.

As I entered, the overwhelming scent of herbs hit me. The dim light revealed shelves crammed with jars, some labeled with strange symbols on yellow paper, giving the place an eerie vibe.

"Ma'am, the doctor said my baby's been gone for a week…" I began, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I quickly recounted the events of the day.

The old woman listened, taking the envelope without even opening it. "This money is necessary—it offsets the backlash from breaking the curse."

"Casting and undoing a curse both come at a cost," she added solemnly.

I nodded nervously, my voice barely above a whisper. "Is there still a chance to save my baby?"

She placed her hand on my stomach, her expression growing darker. "The spirit of this stillborn has been feeding on the curse for days. It's deeply rooted, but not impossible to fix."

Afterward, she turned and pulled a black clay jar filled with dark soil from beneath a small altar. Before I could ask what she was doing, my phone buzzed again—it was a text from Vanda.

"Luna, where are you? Come home now; I made you fresh fish soup!"

Another message came seconds later. "Why aren't you replying? This soup is great for pregnancy—you have to have it!"

However, I did not dare to respond. A few minutes later, another message arrived, sending chills down my spine.

"Luna, I know you're on Harmony Street. I'm coming to get you."

I froze, clutching my phone as I slowly lifted my head.