Everyone always said my husband, Jason, was the perfect guy.
That illusion shattered when the police found him naked and dead—beside another woman—in an apartment two blocks from ours.
“Carbon monoxide poisoning,” the officer told me softly, eyes sympathetic. “Looks like an accident.”
But then she added quietly, almost as if to herself, “But nothing’s ever truly an accident.”
Today was our fifth wedding anniversary. I had his gift wrapped and ready, smiling to myself as I entered our apartment. My phone buzzed sharply.
“Hello, is this Kate Reynolds?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“Officer Mia Carter, Northside precinct. Your husband, Jason Reynolds, was found dead at the Evergreen Apartments—”
The gift slipped from my hands, hitting the floor with a dull thud.
By the time I arrived at Evergreen, a crowd had gathered outside apartment 7C.
“Such a tragedy, both died from gas poisoning,” a woman muttered.
“They looked so in love,” another sighed.
“Love? They weren’t even married—this guy had a wife!”
I stood frozen, disbelief roaring through my veins.
Jason and I had been college sweethearts. He pursued me tirelessly, showering me with affection and gifts until I fell completely. When my parents died suddenly in a car crash shortly after our wedding, Jason was my rock, promising he’d always protect me.
And now he was dead, in someone else’s bed?
“Mrs. Reynolds?”
Officer Carter approached, holding up a photo. Jason’s DMV portrait stared back at me.
“We believe they passed away from a gas leak.”
My knees buckled.
Later, waking in a hospital bed, I overheard Jason’s mother, Patricia, screaming outside.
“I warned him she was bad luck! First her parents, now my son!”
She stormed into the room, slapping me viciously. “You refused to have kids! No wonder he looked elsewhere!”
Officers pulled her away as tears streamed silently down my cheeks.
Officer Carter returned to question me.
“Did you know about Jason and a woman named Emma West?”
“Emma from his office?” I whispered, recalling her sweet smile and innocent eyes. “Not until now.”
“They were together for years,” Carter said gently. “You noticed nothing suspicious?”
I shook my head numbly. “Jason was always kind, gentle…perfect.”
Carter glanced down at her notes. “Why did you recently quit your job?”
“To help care for Patricia,” I explained, heart sinking as doubt filled her gaze.
“And yet you never visited her?”
“Jason didn’t want her to upset me,” I admitted softly.
“You stopped your gym routine today. Why?”
I laughed bitterly. “It was our anniversary.”
“We found Emma’s journal,” Carter said slowly. “We believe their deaths weren’t accidental.”
“Not accidental?” My voice cracked, disbelief rippling through me. “Are you saying Jason was murdered?”
Officer Carter’s expression hardened. “Mrs. Reynolds, Emma West kept detailed records. According to her journal, she feared for her life. She wrote repeatedly about threats and mentioned someone watching her.”
“Watching her?” I repeated, feeling a chill spread down my spine. “Did she say who?”
“She didn’t,” Carter admitted slowly, studying my reaction carefully. “But she wrote that Jason was scared too.”
My stomach churned violently. Jason, scared? Jason, who’d always appeared invincible?
“Did Emma mention Patricia?” I asked hesitantly. I knew Jason’s mother despised me, but would she harm her own son?
“Not explicitly,” Carter replied cautiously. “But they had meetings she described as ‘tense.’ Patricia seemed obsessed with controlling Jason’s choices.”
Carter paused, tapping her pen thoughtfully. “You weren’t aware of any tension between Jason and his mother?”
I shook my head, heart racing. “I knew Patricia disliked me, but I never thought—”
“Kate, people often hide secrets,” Carter said softly, her eyes empathetic. “Secrets even spouses don’t know.”
After Carter left, sleep was impossible. I paced our empty home, memories tainted with suspicion. Every loving gesture from Jason now felt like betrayal. Emma’s sweet smile replayed in my mind, morphing from innocence to cunning.
Driven by a gnawing anxiety, I found myself outside Patricia’s home hours later. I hesitated before ringing the doorbell, my pulse pounding.
“Kate,” Patricia’s voice was brittle, eyes cold. “You dare show up here?”
“I need answers,” I stated firmly, surprising myself.
She laughed bitterly. “Answers? You’re the one who should answer. Jason was fine before he met you.”
“Emma’s dead too,” I snapped, watching her face closely. “Did you hate her as much as you hated me?”
Patricia’s face drained of color. “Emma? That tramp was nothing. A temporary distraction.”
Her eyes flickered briefly, revealing something deeper—a twisted hurt. “But you—you took everything from me.”
My skin prickled with alarm. “Took what exactly?”
She smiled coldly. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
The next day, I found myself digging through Jason’s belongings, desperate for answers. His meticulous office held nothing suspicious until I found an envelope tucked in the back of a drawer.
Photos spilled out, each image more horrifying than the last—Jason and Patricia locked in intimate embraces, kisses meant for lovers, not family.
Bile rose in my throat. The dates stamped on the photos stretched back years. This wasn’t just recent—this twisted relationship had been ongoing.
My hands shook uncontrollably. Had Emma discovered this? Was this the secret that got her killed?
Driven by dread, I flipped open Jason’s laptop, hacking into his cloud storage easily—I knew his password by heart. Among financial files, I found hidden recordings. Shaking, I clicked play.
“Jason,” Patricia’s voice murmured intimately. “Kate must never find out.”
“She won’t,” Jason replied tensely. “But her parents suspect something. We need to be careful.”
“Handle it,” Patricia said coldly. “I won’t let them ruin everything.”
The audio cut off abruptly, leaving me gasping. Handle it? Did Jason kill my parents?
Tears blurred my vision, turning rapidly into fury. My entire life had been a lie.
A sudden knock at the door jolted me. Officer Carter stood outside, her face grave.
“We found something else,” she began cautiously, holding out another photo. “Patricia was seen near Evergreen Apartments just before Jason’s death.”
I stared at the grainy security footage image of Patricia, her gaze dark, determined. It wasn’t grief—it was calculated, purposeful.
“Kate,” Carter lowered her voice urgently. “I think you’re in danger.”
“Patricia?” I asked faintly, already knowing the answer.
Carter nodded. “She had motive. Control, jealousy—possibly more.”
“She and Jason—” I choked on the words. “They were involved.”
Her eyes widened slightly, then sharpened. “How long have you known?”
“Minutes,” I whispered, handing her the damning photos. “They killed my parents.”
Carter’s face darkened with anger and resolve. “We’ll handle Patricia. Stay here, lock your doors.”
But I couldn’t just sit back. Patricia destroyed my life—now it was my turn.
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