My Wife's Deadly Deception

"Honey, the washing machine's making that buzzing sound again. Can you fix it please?" my wife, Felicia Odell, asked.I stretched my stiff limbs from sitting too long and saved the design I'd just finished. The client had paid a good amount for these designs. Once I received the final payment, combined with my savings, we'd be able to buy a house of our own. A place just for the two of us, not some rental apartment.Felicia's gentle voice called out again, and I got up from my desk with a smile. When I reached the bathroom, I found the old washing machine shaking and making a noise. It was an older twin-tub manual model, yellowed from years of use. It was clearly time to replace it. We'd get a brand-new automatic one when we moved into our new home.Felicia stood behind me, wearing rubber gloves and boots, considerately handing me a screwdriver. But as soon as I put my hand on the machine, a jolt of electricity surged through me. My whole body tensed up, my heart pounded, and I conv

Derek welcomed me in without missing a beat, joking, "Felicia, your husband really cares about you. He showed up personally to pick you up. He must really worry about you."Felicia subtly frowned when she saw me. "What are you doing here?""I came to check on how your lessons have been going these past two months. I've been too busy lately to spend time with you," I answered.Derek chimed in, "Felicia has made a lot of progress. She's the most talented student I've ever had."Felicia blushed and said playfully, "Oh, come on, Mr. Hoole. You're exaggerating."Derek turned to me. "It's true. Would you like to see some of Felicia's work?"I agreed immediately. I had spent over 1.5 grand on these lessons, and I wanted to see what Felicia had managed to accomplish.Derek's smile faltered for a split second, clearly not expecting me to actually agree. He turned and headed into his studio, saying, "Give me a moment. There's a lot of stuff in there, and I need to find the right piece."

Felicia's voice came through my earpiece. "It's all Marcus' fault. If he hadn't asked to see the painting, you wouldn't have tripped and hurt your arm. You rely on your hands to make a living. If you can't paint anymore because of this, I'd feel so guilty."Derek replied, "It's fine. It's just a minor injury. Don't worry about it."As I walked farther away, my stomach churned like I had swallowed a fly.Felicia continued, "Derek, you got hurt because of him. It makes me so sad.""Felicia, it's really okay. I was the one who wanted to show your best work to Marcus. It was just an accident. Don't blame him..." Derek assured."You're so understanding, Derek. Marcus doesn't get me at all. Only you really care about me," Felicia continued to whine.I let out a bitter laugh. I'd never let Felicia lift a finger at home. I worked hard to provide for her, and she was saying I didn't understand her? What would understanding her look like? Painting her in that way?I wondered how she'd fee

Felicia was so shocked that she dropped her phone. "Mr. Hoole?" She hurriedly ushered the women out the door. "I must've made a mistake. This is my cousin who's staying over for a bit. We were drinking and playing truth or dare." She offered them some cheese and fruit. "Please don't mention this to anyone, okay?"The women took the offerings and walked away, saying, "Sure, we won't say a word." Before they even rounded the corner, they huddled together. "Wasn't that the art teacher who lives nearby?""I think it was! She said his name too.""That art teacher's last name is definitely Hoole."I leaned against the wall, smirking at Felicia. "See? You only made things worse for yourself," I taunted.Felicia glared at me resentfully. "Why is it Mr. Hoole in bed? I saw you drink the milk with my own eyes." Her voice grew shrill. "Why weren't you the one in the bed?!"I sneered back. "What would you have done if I had been in bed? Were you planning on 'catching me in the act?' Felicia,