Here’s what happened.
It was by far the coldest day of the year. As I swiftly walked to work I could feel the bitter cold air biting at my toes and fingers. I could feel my hands getting number by the second as I briskly advanced through the snow, my feet making crisp crunching noises with every step. I was praying that I would be able to go home; the school I worked at had a faulty boiler so it was possible it wasn’t working that day and I would have a day off. Sure enough, ten minutes later I was back out in the freezing cold weather, now fighting my way through hailstone. I was delighted not to be working; I had no energy whatsoever on that dull grey Monday, furthermore, my husband had the day off so it was going to be lovely to spend our third wedding anniversary reposing on the sofa, lazily watching television.
I ambled through the snow (I was in a much brighter mood after I found out I had a full day ahead of me to relax) and it was then that I heard a door shutting. I looked around but was unable to trace this noise to any house on the street – it must have been a back door I thought to myself, probably one of the children from school celebrating about their day off by making a snowman in the snow laden garden. As I opened the front door I felt a surge of cosy heat hit me like an oven and I immediately sent a sweet sickly sent of cheap perfume in my noise.
‘Jack! Guess what? I got the day off!’ I exclaimed happily through the house. I was surprised to receive a reply of ‘Aw great, on our anniversary too!’ from upstairs. I had assumed he would be watching TV or working in our office downstairs. However before I had any time to ponder this, I was overcome by the urge to make a cup of tea. I entered the kitchen, and noticed something most peculiar: the back door was slightly ajar. My mind thought of why this could be as I ran up the stairs to ask Jack. I found him in the bedroom looking flustered – his clothes were twisted and his face red. My eyes surveyed the room in front of me. Clothes were lying all over the place, at first I’d thought ‘trust him to not tidy up’ however I quickly realised that something was wrong. My eyes soon clasped on the sight that would destroy my life forever...
A bra.
It wasn’t my bra - it was fluorescent pink and it stuck out like a sore thumb in this, all of a sudden, miserable room. I looked at Jack, thunderstruck. I couldn’t believe he could be so surreptitious.
‘How could you?’ I exclaimed in disbelief.
'Please Madeline...’He said, I could hear the shame in his voice, yet it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
‘I can’t believe you could do this to me. I loved you Jack. I LOVED YOU! And this is how you repay me, after everything I have done for you, you’re my world!’ I said, my pain now evolving into anger.
‘I’m sorry.’ He replied – he couldn’t even meet my eyes.
‘No you’re not Jack!’ I could feel my blood boiling, I’d been about to explode.
‘Maddy, you are the one I love.’ He sounded pathetic, like a 3 year old.
‘Well you have a funny way of showing it.’ I replied like a moody teenager.
‘Please, you know it won’t happen again!’ he begged.
‘Too right it won’t.’
Then without properly thinking my arms had reached out a grabbed the glowing lamp on the table beside me. Then with all my might, I struck it down towards his head again and again. I didn’t even give him chance to move and I was sure he never would again.
I killed my husband.
My whole body had begun to shake. With what...Fear? Anger? Anguish? I didn’t know what to do, so I did the only thing I could think of. Run.
