The Stranger by Katherine Mansfield

A husband eagerly awaits the return of his wife from a trip abroad, but when she arrives, something has changed. Their reunion is polite but tense, and as they speak, a secret from her journey emerges—one that shifts the dynamic between them. The plot unfolds in restrained conversation, brimming with unspoken emotion. Mansfield captures the discomfort of realizing how little we sometimes know about those closest to us. It’s a quiet yet emotionally charged story about distance, both physical and emotional.