For illustrative purposes only
At that moment, the front door opened.
Kevin.
Vanessa stood abruptly. “Do not tell him I was here for this. Please.”
“Rose?” Kevin called.
I walked into the hallway, forcing myself to appear normal.
He smiled when he saw me—then his eyes shifted to Vanessa.
“What is she doing here?” he asked.
“I… she stopped by unexpectedly.”
Vanessa picked up her purse.
“I was just leaving.”
As she passed him, she said, “Take care of her, Kevin.”
He smiled—but there was no warmth in it.
“Always.”
After she left, he locked the door.
I had heard that sound a thousand times.
That night, it felt different.
“What did she want?”
I answered quickly. “She said she missed Emily.”
He reached up and gently touched my cheek.
“You know she likes to poison things.”
I nodded.
And in that moment, something inside me finally cracked.
For the first time, I realized I was afraid of my own husband.
That night, I barely slept.
After Kevin fell into a deep sleep, I retrieved the hidden phone and listened to the rest of Emily’s recordings.
One of the last ones made my chest tighten.
“He was kind to Rose tonight. That is the part that scares me. He can sound so normal when he wants something.”
The next morning, I called Vanessa from my car.
Leave a Comment