I'd been sitting in the conservatory watching blackbirds hop about the garden, pecking for worms near the freshly sprouted flowers that grew every year. It was quiet. Rover bounded through the grass, sending birds scattering for safety. I called out at him, tapping on the glass as he trampled through my vegetable patch. With tongue flapping, Rover jumped over the small fence separating my cucumbers from the lawn. 

Robert had retired to our room for a mid-afternoon nap. I made the most of the tranquillity, settled with a hot coffee and the latest book I'd borrowed from work - The Billionaire's Son. I was, am, a sucker for a good cliché romance and what better book than one published by Mills & Boon.

I pulled a knitted throw closer to my chest, turned the page and lost myself in a world where broken men were romantic, with eyes for one woman. So very different from the life I had been granted. What I would give to be minding my own business, stacking books on the shelves at work, for a tall, dark and handsome stranger to come and whisk me away. Oh the joy I would have. I could feel myself blush at the thought, but what woman doesn't want a man who knows exactly what it is he wants? A man that only wants her.

Rover's scratching and yapping through the glass doors pulled me, kicking and screaming, from a place I felt most at home. He was like a child at times, always wanting my attention when I was in the middle of something. I couldn't stay made at him though, he was far too sweet and innocent. 

"Alright boy, I'm coming." I said, carefully nestling a bookmark between the pages, separating the two lovers for a moment longer.

A soft breeze caressed the exposed skin of my shoulders, the scent of freshly mown grass bringing with it the promise of sore eyes and endless sneezes. Rover pushed past my legs, racing for his bowl of water in the kitchen.

Door clicking shut behind me, I resumed my position on the wicker chair and let myself drift back into myself.

It was a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Until it wasn't.

I'd started preparing dinner, the aroma of spices and tomato sauce herding Robert from our bed. He perched himself at the dining table with no offering of help.

I had just served dinner when a rapping at the door startled me. Robert and I looked at one another. We hadn't been expecting visitors. I wrung my hands together, watching earnestly as he investigated.

"It's the police." He said through gritted teeth, his head pulled back from the peephole.

Straightening my skirt and blouse, I flicked the kettle on and set four mugs on the countertop. The two officers that stepped through the door differed from the last time; both male and robust looking. Uneasiness slithered through my veins like a snake.

"Mr Collins. Mrs Collins," the first officer said, tipped his hat, his presence dominating the suddenly small kitchen. "I'm Officer Riggs and my colleague here is Officer Banks. We'd like a quick word if you don't mind."

Robert and I looked at one another, tension mirrored between us. Officer Rigg's tone was that of seriousness. Though we knew he wouldn't declare Naomi's body found, there was something I couldn't quite pinpoint that instinct told me would surface.

"Please have a seat." I said, proffering a tea. He took it with a smile and a nod, placing it on a coaster, taking care not to spill and of the boiling liquid.

His colleague took the seat opposite, copying the movements of the first male. We waited for one of the two men to speak, to rip the bandaid and tell us the news we already knew. I watched Robert cross the room, scratch Rover's ear and lean against the worktop. His body was rigid, fighting to regain the dominance the two other men had commandeered.

"I assume this is about the body you guys found," Robert said, his eyes narrowed as he glanced between the two officers.

Officer Banks nodded, bringing the mug to his lips, blowing gently before taking a sip. My breath caught in my throat, though I wasn't entirely sure why. I already knew what he would say regarding the poor child they had found.

"Dental records confirm the body we found was not Naomi. While we cannot disclose who the child is, we assure you we are going to reopen Naomi's case," he took another sip of his drink before turning his attention to me. "We believe whoever buried this body has buried another not too far away."

Robert tensed beside me, his knuckles white on the surface.

"What makes you think that?" he said, a single bead of sweat forming at his temple.

I moved closer, stroking his brow to hide the panic I witness. To the officers, I was only a grieving wife consoling her husband.

"We've found freshly dug dirt within some trees on the other side of the field. It's a large enough area that it isn't illogical to assume someone buried a small child there at some point. We also found fragments of clothing and fresh footprints in the area that are currently under analyses."

My legs buckled beneath me. I clung to Robert's arm. The officers glanced first at one another, then at me.

"I know it's unsettling news, Mrs Collins. Please know we are doing everything we can to bring you both answers." Officer Riggs says, a sympathetic smile on his face.

I prayed to a god I lost faith in so many years ago that Robert and I might just get away with this. That the footprints they had found, somehow, by some miracle, belonged to somebody else. An innocent dog walker, a school kid meeting up with friends. Anyone that would provide some believable reasoning.

"Thank you, officer." Robert said, stepping forward to shake their hands.

The two men stood simultaneously, tipped their hats and excused themselves. We said nothing until the door clicked shut behind them and their car engine quietened as it drove down the road.

I turned to Robert with my face flushed, hand slamming on the table.

"I told you we should have worn shoe covers. What if the footprints they're analysing are ours? We're screwed. Screwed I tell you!"

It took all my energy not to wring his throat, to walk away instead and lock myself in the conservatory. Rage and panic fuelled through my body, threatening to erupt. I couldn't go to prison for this; I would never survive. The couple on the cover of the book I'd started reading earlier, now three quarters of the way completed, stared back at me. Their eyes were bright, sickeningly sweet smiles spread across their faces. Their lives were so perfect, so untouchable. Everything I deserved, everything I'd worked so hard to achieve with Robert despite his many flaws. I'd be damned if all of this was for nothing. If I'd sacrificed everything for over two decades' worth of dissatisfying sex with a man who was married to his work.

I deserved so much more.

Covered by the knitted blanket, book now upturned on the side table, I listened as Robert spoke to Rover. The dog was due another walk, something Robert and I had earlier on agreed to do together that evening. Under no circumstances was I going to do so after that visit. I wanted to be as far away from Robert as was physically possible.

When the porch light went out, I folded the blanket, placed it on top of the armchair and made my way into the living room where the fireplace had created a comfortable warmth. The tv came to life, illuminating the space. I scanned the channels mindlessly, wanting something comedic to lighten my mood. Lee Evans' face sprung on the screen, the sound of his audience reverberating through my home. Despite my concerns, I chuckled along as he pranced about the stage.

I didn't care what time Robert would return, whether he would be in a drunken stupor, stumbling about the place until he passed out fully clothed in bed. That night, I would not be sleeping beside him; I had made a comfortable cocoon on the sofa that I intended to rest easy on. I would not be his maid, his verbal punching bag, at least for one night.

No. That night I was going to punish him for his carelessness and inability to take heed to anything I advised. Everything I had done, for decades, I had done to earn his love. To gain the attention from him I deserved. I had given everything to that man, had done such unspeakable things out of intense love for that man. Yet, repeatedly, he betrayed me. Packaged his attention for everyone else with a little bow on top; for his work, other women, Naomi. Everyone gifted with small parts of himself. Everyone but me.

For that, the fool would suffer.

For that, the fool would pay dearly.

He was going to pay... for everything.