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Lacey adjusted her apron and straightened the fabric with the oven mitt that was covering her bandaged hand. When she had met her, the other woman, she had lost her mind and ended up smashing her coffee cup on her granite countertop. Lacey grew tired of walking on eggshells around her husband because he always would complain about her attitude or temper. The anger she had overflowed and made up for the time she had spent keeping it locked up. She would fix that now.

Rage came in waves. At times Lacey’s brain would shake and blur her vision while she debated how to confront her husband. They never fought and it was beginning to occur to Lacey that maybe it was a problem. He would be home soon and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect for their upcoming conversation.

Auburn plates rested on the black napkins they had received as a wedding present 5 years ago. The oak table was big enough for a family of six, but it was now doubtful that a family from this marriage would ever be produced. The crackled wine glasses were Lacey’s favorite item for decoration and they only made their way off the shelves for company, holidays and special occasions. Today was special, just not in a good way. She lit the large candle sticks just as Bo walked through the front door. Her heartbeat quickened as Lacey forced her tense emotions back down into the pit of her stomach. She had mastered keeping calm, she knew now was an opportune time to prove it.

She heard the closet door open because of the jingle from the bells that were hanging on the holiday wreath. After placing his jacket on a hanger, he would then sit down, take his boots off and place them under the bench. He would then make his way down the hall and give Lacey a kiss on the cheek before asking what she was up to. Sure enough, like clockwork, Bo took every step as she planned and Lacey smirked at the monotonous routine they had fallen into.

Bo had made it to the kitchen table when he finally saw the arrangement, and smelled his favorite meal of Pot roast that he enjoyed on cold days. Bo did always love Lacey’s cooking, but was very picky about the vegetables she would chose. He grew uneasy when he saw everything.

“Did I miss something?” he asked, shifting his collar on his shirt, “What is the special occasion?”

Lacey stood and smiled at him. It may have been a little too out of the ordinary, because the look of concern only cemented to his face. “I just wanted to have a good night with you. I met some interesting people today and it gave me an idea. I know you like beer, but would you please just drink wine with me tonight? There are some important things I want to talk to you about.”

Hesitating, but finally overcoming his suspicions, Bo sat down at the head of the table as Lacey began to pour him a glass of Merlot. The blood red liquid sloshed and curled on itself and stained the creases in the unique wine glass.

Bo looked around and saw his wife’s bandaged hand. “What happened to you?” he questioned.

Without looking at him, she simply stated, “Oh, I was just being careless and cut the palm of my hand. This happened a couple days ago. You just now noticed?” Lies, she thought to herself. It happened yesterday when she met his mistress Dannielle.

Bo checked his phone and began to shift in his chair. After taking a long drink of his wine, he cleared his throat, “I’m sorry. I have been distracted lately. Waiting to hear from a client that seems to have fallen off the face of the earth a couple of days ago.

Lacey turned to grab the meat and vegetables off the stove and a smile creased her face. She then turned the platter to her husband and began to serve him. He immediately began to eat before she had even moved the decorative, ceramic plate off the table.

In between bites, Bo began to protest Lacey’s plans for the evening, “Can we just talk tomorrow night? I have a lot on my mind and I don’t feel like an in depth conversation.” He was expecting his wife to say ‘of course’ like she usually does, but the maniacal smile that was still on her face implied this would not be like any other night.

“No, I think we need to talk about Dannielle, tonight.” She said in a level tone.

Bo froze and stared at his wife. It was only now that he realized she did not serve herself any food, and had not yet touched the wine in her own glass. “How do you know about Dannielle?” he asked once he swallowed the forkful of food he was chewing.

A small snicker escaped her throat, “That’s your so-called client isn’t it? Dannielle? That’s why you are so concerned and trying to avoid me tonight. Because your girlfriend has just fallen off the map. Hmmmm, I wonder where she could be.”

Bo dropped his fork and tried to stand. But his legs began to feel like lead, as his stomach churned and his heart raced. “What did you do to me?”

Lacey stood up and walked around the back of Bo’s chair and began to rub his shoulders, “Yes, I met Dannielle you see. She called you on Tuesday morning when you were in the shower, and I answered. She tried to apologize profusely but I insisted it was alright and even convinced her to come over. Stupid woman, she was. You sure do know how to pick them.”

Lacey’s hands dropped over her husband’s arms as she walked to face him. She pushed his plate and wine glass away and sat on the table in front of him, ensuring she had his full attention. By now, Bo was completely paralyzed.

Lacey placed both of her hands on her husband’s cheeks and stared blankly into his eyes, memorizing every detail and reminded herself that there was a point that they were happy. “The problem is Bo, you don’t see anything wrong with our marriage. And yet, you still thought it was ok to find yourself a mistress. Well, since you avoid me all the time, I will just tell you everything in one sitting. I had a miscarriage last month. You didn’t notice. I lost 25 pounds. You didn’t notice. I redecorated the house and hired men to build a guest house outback for our families to stay in for the holidays, and you didn’t even acknowledge it. But, I did notice that you grew distant and had someone else. So, guess what? You get to be with her forever now.”

The fabric that wrapped around her palm lightly scraped his cheek as she turned and pulled a bottle out from under the napkin where she was sitting. “You never did mind the taste of almonds.” She smiled to her husband, kissed him on the forehead and walked away.