Contests: Short Stories - An Affair - If I Catch Him Cheating, I'll Kill Him

It was 9pm and I was driving through unfamiliar roads. I would not let Axel’s car out of my sight. No more would I go to bed, blindly believing his lies. I was going to find out the truth.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QR8ESZJ7D

He turned into a car park. I drove around a roundabout, watching as my husband parked his car. I pulled my car into a car bay on the side of the road near the car park. Quietly, I got out of the car and followed Axel. I wondered what type of woman he’d be seeing, in this seemingly-abandoned warehouse.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ofnNVnaLW

‘I need to work overtime. Loads of work to do,’ he’d said, whenever I asked him why he was leaving in such a hurry after only a few minutes of dinner. 902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyowHLL8yzy

‘I was at the post office. I left quietly about half an hour ago while you were asleep,’ he’d said, whenever I asked him why he came home 6:30 in the morning. It didn’t make sense, but I knew I hadn’t imagined the smell of burning candles whenever he came home in the morning.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabXZGIh690

Two week ago, I began to set alarms at 1am, 3am and 5am. It made me bone-tired in the day, but at least it showed me the truth. Axel was gone for whole nights. In a row. For the past month. I even got up and checked the spare bedroom when I had enough willpower. 902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPUNMglVs6

He was having an affair. And I wanted to know who with, and why.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIrbjiTzC0

I knew before I even entered, that this was where Axel’s been all those nights. I knew the smell. Burning candles.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWQ0mZPMSe

The warehouse was dark, save for a few candles illuminating the face of a woman sitting by a Victorian-looking table. I hid myself in a patch of darkness next to a pile of junk. 902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90f02rSQyj

‘So, Axel, how many has it been now?’ the woman spoke in a business-like voice.

‘Nine, almost ten,’ he replied coldly as he walked up to the woman.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8t16S5GEy

‘Good, good. Did the potion I gave you get rid of the traces of bodies?’902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzv82JDlUmq

Bodies? What was she talking about? What sort of affair was this?!902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8O41b7iFF

‘It worked perfectly, Mrs Darkwill. The wives don’t suspect a thing and the police are as dumb as a box of rocks anyway.’

Mrs Darkwill? I thought this was an affair!902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZRm7vFjzh

‘Of course.’902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYkmsmyINz

Mrs Darkwill reached into her handbag. She produced a small orange bottle of some liquid and something shiny. A knife. Oh god. Please. No. No. This is not what I think it is.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6wN9PcID4

‘Go home now. Make your tenth kill. Make me proud.’

‘But I don’t need to go home.’ Axel held the knife by the blade, with the ease of someone who’d handled weaponry all their lives. I was all I could do not to scream then and there.

Then he moved. A swift motion I couldn’t quite see.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxmdU73Wpj

A flash of silver. Laughter. Something warm and metallic in my mouth.902Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiimQQUZORe

The scream didn’t even make it to my throat.

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