Chapter 5 - The Tables Turn: Stepping Out of the Shadows
Neither Jennifer nor Emma had noticed my silent approach yet. The roaring music and laughter from inside the mansion muffled my footsteps on the concrete patio.
"Jennifer," I said.
My voice was not loud. It didn't boom or echo. But it carried the chilling, flat resonance of an executioner's blade slicing through the night air.
Jennifer froze mid-step. She turned around, an annoyed scowl twisting her painted face, fully expecting to snap at another servant or catering staff member. But the words died in her throat the moment her eyes locked onto mine.
Her jaw dropped open. All the color drained instantly from her face, leaving her looking like a ghost in broad daylight.
"L-Liam...?" she stammered, stumbling backward half a step. "What... what are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be back for another month! Your itinerary said—"
"My itinerary changed," I whispered coldly, taking a slow, deliberate step forward. Every muscle in my body was coiled tight like a steel spring. "I wanted to come home early and surprise my wife. And by God, Jennifer, you and mother certainly provided a surprise I will never, ever forget."
Emma froze at the sink. Hearing my voice, she slowly dropped the sponge into the soapy water and turned around. Her eyes, wide, exhausted, and hollow, locked onto mine. When she saw me standing there—real, flesh and blood, home early—her lower lip began to tremble violently. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over her flushed cheeks, cutting clean tracks through the dust and sweat on her face.
"Liam...?" she whispered, her voice cracking with pure emotion.
Before Emma could take a step toward me, Jennifer recovered enough of her arrogant bravado to try and salvage the situation, her voice pitching up in a frantic, defensive shriek.
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"Liam! Listen to me, don't look at her like that! She's just... she's just pitching in around the house! You know how unstable she gets, right? Mother and I were just keeping her busy so she wouldn't lose her mind while you were gone! It's therapeutic!"
I stared at my sister, feeling a profound, terrifying calm wash over me. The illusion was shattered. The parasites were about to find out exactly what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you.
