As soon as the front door closed, the “sick” girl jumped out of bed, put the thermometer — which she had secretly warmed on the radiator — back in its place, and turned on her favorite shows. The day promised to be perfect: a test at school, silence and freedom at home.

But exactly at noon, a sound echoed through the apartment — like someone opening the front door. The girl immediately hit pause, her heart dropping. It definitely wasn’t her mother — she always called first and never came home this early.