Gemotions

A cold sweat slicked down Elias’s back as he listened to Chloe, his wife, effortlessly navigate a conversation in Mandarin with her parents on the phone. They hadn’t spoken Chinese in years, so he'd assumed they’d stopped. She’d always belittled his attempts to learn, mocking his pronunciation. He felt a deep, twisting ache in his gut.

He slowly walked into the kitchen, where she stood preparing tea. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine.

“That sounds like a beautiful conversation,” Elias stated, his tone carefully neutral.

Chloe turned, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "Oh, it was nothing much," she said.

He picked up the sugar bowl. He knew exactly where the rat poison was hidden. It wouldn't kill anyone, just make them very, very sick.