“I’ve been sick of you since our wedding night! You disgust me! Leave me alone!” my husband spat out right at our anniversary dinner.
Id spent ages picking the perfect restaurant for our second wedding anniversary. I wanted something specialnot just a pretty place with nice food, but somewhere where every detail would make the night unforgettable.
In the end, I settled on *The Golden Pheasant*a new spot in an old manor house with stained-glass windows and antique chandeliers.
Anthony wrinkled his nose when I showed him the pictures.
“Why the fuss? We could just grab a quiet dinner somewhere. Who needs all this tacky showiness?”
But I stood my ground. I invited sixty guests, booked live music, even hired an MC. After that awful car crash six months ago, I needed a proper celebrationsomething bright, joyful, like the old days.
The planning took weeks.
I double-checked everythingthe decorations, the menu, the evenings schedule, even the favours for the guests. I wanted it perfect. Maybe because it was my first big event since leaving the hospital, or maybe because I just wanted this anniversary to be unforgettable in every way. Even the setting had to be flawless.
I smoothed the deep violet folds of my dress and glanced at the clock. Guests would start arriving any minute. Anthony stood by the window, staring blankly at the street outside. In the glass reflection, I caught his tense expression.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked, stepping closer.
He shrugged. “Just not my thing, all this. So much fuss over nothing. Who even cares?”
I didnt reply. Two years of marriage had taught me to ignore his little jabs. Especially tonightthe night Id spent months planning.
***
Mum and Dad arrived first. Dad, ever the sharp dresser, looked as polished as ever. Mum wore a new dusty-rose dress that suited her perfectly. She pulled me into a tight hug the second she walked in.
“Im so glad youre here, sweetheart. After the accident, I thought Id lose my mind”
“Mum, not now,” I said gently. “Only happy thoughts tonight, remember?”
Next came colleagues from Dads company, where Anthony and I both worked, followed by friends and family. I greeted everyone with a smile, but I kept an eye on my husband. He stayed distant, sipping whiskyodd for him, since he usually avoided alcohol even at big events.
Margaret, our head accountant, came over to say hello. I noticed her blanch slightly when I turned to her. Probably remembering how Id looked in the hospitaltubes everywhere, doctors unsure if Id make it.
“Caroline, you look radiant,” she said with a stiff smile. “Stunning, especially after everything!”
“Thanks! You look lovely too.”
Something in her expression felt off, but I brushed it aside. No point dwelling on itnot tonight.
The evening unfoldedspeeches, music, dancing. From the outside, it mustve seemed perfect. But I could feel the tension thickening.
Anthony lingered on the edges, occasionally chatting with colleagues but mostly avoiding the crowd. Now and then, hed shoot Margaret a look, and shed pretend not to notice.
I sidled up to him. “Dance with me? It *is* our night.”
“Not now,” he muttered, waving me off. “Heads a bit fuzzy.”
“Youve been acting strange all evening.”
“Just tired. You know I hate big gatherings. Stop reading into it.”
***
As the night wore on, the MCa young bloke in a sharp suitkept the mood lively.
I watched it all, careful not to let my nerves show. Only I knew just how special this night would be. I just had to wait for the right moment.
Anthony kept his distance, forcing smiles when necessary. I caught his glances at Margaret but pretended not to notice. Each one twisted something inside me, but I kept smiling, kept nodding at well-wishers.
“Caroline, were so relieved youre better!” gushed the wife of Dads deputy. “That accident was just awful.”
“Horrible time,” her friend chimed in. “But thank goodness its behind you!”
I nodded, thanked them, but my mind drifted back to the hospital. A blur of pain, half-remembered voices, footsteps in my room
“Darling, everythings wonderful!” Mum squeezed my shoulders, pulling me back. “You look absolutely magical tonight!”
“Thanks, Mum.”
“Only” She hesitated. “Anthony seems tense. Is everything alright?”
“Fine,” I said lightly. “You know how he is with crowds.”
Just then, Dad joined us, wrapping an arm around Mum.
“Whatre you two whispering about?”
“Oh, just girl talk,” I deflected.
“Sweetheart,” Dad said, squeezing my shoulder. “Im so proud of you. The way youve handled all this Youre a fighter.”
I hugged him tight, burying my face in his shoulder. He didnt know half of what Id been through. And I hoped he never would.
A slow song startedthe same one Anthony and I had danced to at our wedding.
I hurried over to him. “Dance with me? Like we did two years ago?”
He flinched. “Caroline, I *said* I dont want to dance. Are you trying to humiliate me?”
“Why would you think that?” I searched his face. “Whats wrong?”
“Nothings *wrong*. Just leave me alone!”
His harshness froze me in place.
A moment later, I noticed Margaret slipping out of the roomAnthony right behind her. After a beat, I followed.
They stood in the empty hallway, whispering urgently. They fell silent when I appeared.
“Whats going on?” I asked calmly.
“Nothing important,” Margaret said with a forced smile. “Just work talk.”
“At our anniversary?”
“Caroline, drop it!” Anthony snapped.
“*Me* drop it? *Youve* been acting weird all night. I dont understand you!”
We returned to the party. Music blared, guests danced. Dad was delivering another toast. Margaret avoided my gaze, but her hands trembled as she sipped her wine.
“Anthony, talk to me,” I tried again. “Whats really going on?”
“I dont *want* to! Enough!” His voice rose.
“But I just”
“Back *off*!” He spun on me.
The music cut out. Silence fell. And in that quiet, his words hit like a slap:
“Ive been sick of you since our wedding night! You disgust me! Leave me alone!”
***
His words rang in my ears. The room swayed. For a second, everything frozeshocked guests, Margarets pale face, Anthonys smug glare.
I exhaled slowly. *There it was.* The moment Dad and I had waited for. Strangely, instead of pain, I felt relieflike a weight slipping off my shoulders. A faint smirk tugged at my lips as I nodded at the MC.
The lights dimmed. The projector screen flickered to life.
Black-and-white footage of a hospital roommonitors beeping, the faint glow of machines. Me, unconscious, tangled in wires. The date in the cornerthree months ago.
I remembered the first time Dad showed me this. A week after Id left the hospital. Hed hesitated, unsure when to tell me.
“Sorry, love, but I had to keep an eye on who came to see you,” hed said, pressing play.
On screen, the door creaked open. Two figures slipped inAnthony and Margaret, moving like thieves.
“Quiet,” she whispered. “What if she wakes up?”
“She wont,” Anthony said, almost smug. “Doctors said shes not coming back.”
The room was dead silent. I saw the horror on our guests faces. Saw Anthonys knuckles whiten as he gripped a chair.
On screen, he pulled Margaret into a hungry kissright beside my hospital bed.
“Everythings falling into place,” he murmured between kisses. “Soon, we can be together. Just wait a little longer”
“Anthony, wait,” Margaret pulled back. “What if your wife *does* wake up?”
“She wont. No one survives that kind of crash. Its all gone exactly as planned. You know I always think ahead.”
The footage rolled ontheir secret meetings by my bedside, their hushed talks about my shares in the company, their long-running affair. Apparently, it had started *before* our wedding.
I remembered Dads shaking hands when he first showed me the video. How hed apologised for not seeing Anthonys true colours sooner. How wed planned this night together, waiting for the right moment.
More clips playedthem sneaking into my room, whispering over my unconscious body, so sure theyd never get caught.
Every second was another nail in their coffin.
I clicked the remote. The screen froze on the worst shotthem tangled in each others arms, my hospital monitors glowing in the background.
The silence
