I hadn't been home for three days and my husband hadn't even tried to find me. Last time we argued about Kelly, I crashed at my best friend's place for a few days. He just assumed I was mad again and didn’t want to deal with it.

Then Kelly called him, her voice trembling. "Steven, there's supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight and I'm so scared. Can you come stay with me?"

I saw Steven's grip on his phone tighten and loosen. He said, "I'm married, Kelly. It's not really convenient for me to come to your hotel."

Just when I thought he might be showing some common sense, he added, "But you can come to my house. She's not home."

Even Kelly was surprised. "Steven, are you sure? What if she suddenly comes back? We wouldn't be able to explain ourselves."

I snorted. She knew exactly what she was doing and here she was, playing the innocent.

Steven asked, "What do we need to explain to her? This is my home and you’re my friend. Don’t worry about what she thinks."

He sounded so sure of himself. "Besides, she’s not coming back."

Kelly went quiet for a moment, then asked, "How do you know?"

Realizing her tone might've been off, she quickly added, "I mean, did Sabrina get mad at you again?"

Steven nodded. "Yeah, on our 10th anniversary, I told her I was going to see you.

"It's so frustrating. Even though we're just friends, she's always suspicious! I married her, but that’s never enough for her! Unlike you, Kelly. You've put up with so much over the years and never complained. I should be apologizing to you.”

I almost laughed when I heard him. No sane person celebrated their 10th anniversary with their ex after getting married. And the day they celebrated was the day I died.

Steven, are you planning to celebrate your anniversary next year or mark my death?

***

Kelly rushed over to my place and as soon as she saw Steven, she practically leaped into his arms. "Steven, it's so dark and creepy outside, I'm freaking out!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. It's dark every night and I had never seen her this scared before.

Steven gave her a reassuring hug, patting her back gently. "Don't worry, I've got you."

He showed her the candles he bought, a bunch of emergency ones, clearly meant to calm her down. "With these, even if the power goes out in a storm, we'll still have light," he explained.

Kelly sighed, leaning against his shoulder. "Steven, you're my hero."

It was getting late and Kelly needed to freshen up and hit the bed. She headed into my bathroom, shutting the door behind her and started raiding my skincare stash without a second thought. After she was done, she left everything in a mess, not bothering to put the caps back on properly.

She chuckled to herself. "Sabrina won't mind, she's not coming back anyway."

In the mirror, I watched Kelly silently, being all transparent. Outside, thunder rumbled and when lightning struck, a figure materialized on the floor. Kelly screamed and called out for my husband.

Steven burst through the door like a hero, scooping Kelly up in his arms and shielding her. She trembled against him, muttering, "Isn't this kinda risky? What if your wife shows up...."

Steven shrugged. "I don’t know."

He glanced up, the lightning casting a cold glare on his face. "Even if she did, she's got no right to say anything. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't leave and we wouldn't have missed out on all these years together.

"You don't gotta worry about her. If she kicks the bucket out there, it's no skin off my nose."

Alright, husband, your wish is my command. I hope you're truly as indifferent as you claim to be.

At the late-night police station, the task force was still grinding away on my case. Xander called for a break and Steven went to grab a sandwich.

One of his colleagues teased him, "Hey, Mr. Craig, how's a married guy with a fan club of ladies like you ending up in the line for food with us single dudes? What about your wife? Didn't she come to deliver your midnight snack tonight?"

Steven's face darkened and his sandwich hit the table. "Why bring her up? It's gross."

Xander sensed tension. "Yeah, it's been a while since we saw your wife around. She used to show up with snacks whenever you pulled an all-nighter."

Steven shot him a look. "All those snacks end up in your belly, don't they? Still hungry?"

Xander's expression turned serious. "Seriously though, is your wife okay? Is she... missing?"

Steven snorted. "Missing? If she had any backbone, I'd respect her. She's like a pesky little dog, always underfoot. It's been quiet for two days now, so can we stop talking about her?"

Standing on the sidelines, I smirked. Husband, you wouldn't have to put up with me nagging you anymore. Must be a relief.

"Mr. Young, we've ID'd the body!" A cop barged in, waving the DNA results, but his face was twisted in an ugly mix of emotions.

Xander reached for the results, but the cop hesitated. "I think Mr. Craig should take a look first...."

Steven looked up, puzzled. "Why me? I'm not the head who is in charge to crack the case. Why show it to me?"

Xander glanced at the results and his expression turned serious. "Your wife... have you been in touch with her lately?"

"Yeah, she even sent me a voice message a few days back."

"A few days? Has it been more than three days?"

Steven's eyes widened as realization dawned. He shot up from his seat. "What are you saying?"