Flashback — Five Years Ago

The house was silent, save for the faint tick of the grandfather clock in the corner. Emily stood by the kitchen counter, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug, though she didn’t drink. Across from her, Daniel lounged in the leather armchair, laughing at something on the evening news, completely unaware.

It had taken months to get to this point. Months of careful planning, of observing, of waiting for the perfect moment to act. Emily’s face was calm, almost serene, but behind her eyes, a storm brewed. Every lie he had told, every betrayal, every vile act she had uncovered—the infidelity, the secret accounts, the...