A Wife's Quiet Devastation

the gardens. He came up behind me, placing a hand on my sho

and full of fake concern. "Is the project stressing you

f husbandly care. The same face that had lied to me, t

fine,"

promise you, it' s temporary. As soon as Chloe is back on her feet,

were. A life built on

nd data points. In my world, everything was based on logic, on verifi

gic to my life with Mark, a logic o

even. "We haven' t taken a vacation

this as a sign that I was willing t

erly. "Anything you want.

ouse," I said. "The one your f

ake house was remote, isolated. No cell service, no

e said. "It' s so ru

ay from everything. From work, from this

est. A final, extr

nd. "Okay," he said, forcing a smile. "Th

melling of pine and dust. It was exactly as I remembered from a

afternoon studying the house' s old, faulty wiring. It was a simple matter to create a targeted short circuit. One

l, using a satellite ph

she needed to come immediately. I gave her the address. I knew she would come. She

o Mark, who was already asleep. I stared at the

lled it. The faint,

d saw the orange glow flickering at the end o

the room and s

e up! There

ic and confusion. The smoke was th

at?

t out!" I yelled, my voice ge

hallway. The flames were consuming th

houted, pointing toward

The sound of a car screeching to a halt o

are you in t

d the front of the house. Through it, he could see them. Chloe, pregnant and hysterical, was trying

at me, his

le condition. It w

o fend for themselves outside. If he chose me, if he prioritized his wife over his mistress and his se

e smoke burning my lungs, the h

final data po