Chapter 2: The Walls Close In
Outside, the distant flashing lights reflected off the floor-to-ceiling windows, growing brighter and more frequent. Police sirens wailed, cutting through the silence of the exclusive neighborhood.
The wife, Sarah, stood by the far wall, her posture no longer slumped or timid. She looked like a woman who had been waiting for this exact moment for years. She adjusted the kitchen towel around her hand, her movements precise and calm.
"You said lessons take longer to understand, Elena," Sarah said, her voice cutting through the audio playback. "But you’re wrong. I learned mine perfectly. I learned that you don't fight a parasite from the inside. You wait until it’s attached to everything, and then you cut off the host."
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"Sarah, honey, listen," Elena gasped, her voice shifting from imperious command to pathetic pleading. "This is a misunderstanding. We were just joking—"
"The police are pulling into the driveway," Sarah interrupted, tapping her phone. "The encrypted files were sent to the DA’s office ten minutes ago. Every transfer, every forged signature, every conversation about gaslighting me into a breakdown. It’s all there."
