Theirs was a match made in heaven by all standards, Dare and Jade had qualities that complimented the other perfectly, and everyone thought they were indeed soulmates.
It was wet and cold.
It was 8:03am.
And it had rained all through the night, but this morning, it only tapped gently against the delicate windows of the penthouse apartment. Dare had the phone to his ear as he adjusted his tie in the mirror, Jade's image flickering behind him like a ghost.
"I'll be in the office shortly, you hold forte till I come Alex." And with that, Dare hung up.
Jade sat curled on the velvet couch, frail and pale, a cup of untouched green tea trembling in her hands.
He turned and gently offered her a smile, taking a seat next to hers. “You should eat, my love, c'mon .”
Jade tried but her hands shook. “I haven’t been able to keep anything down all day. The new pills… they’re making it worse.”
“Don't worry, I’ll call in Doctor Raymond tomorrow,” he replied softly as he took the cup from her and fed her like a baby. “We’ll switch them again.”
She smiled weakly, her once radiant eyes, almost lifeless and her breathing, irregular.
“You’ve been so patient with me, Dare, and so loving... I couldn't have asked for a better husband, I’m… sorry I've not been myself lately.”
He knelt before her, brushing a strand of stray hair from her face. “Don’t be, my love. I vowed to care for you, didn’t I?”
Then he kissed her forehead and her lips and held her hand to his chest.
Inside, his heart was ice.
—
By 12:20 PM that afternoon, Dare was on his weekly Zoom call with his financial advisor, Mr. Maurice. They were finalizing the restructuring of Jade’s assets, transfers she had signed while drowsy and unaware.
“All the documents are in place,” Maurice said. “The estate will fall under your sole control in the event of...er...well, if her condition worsens.”
Dare nodded solemnly. “God forbid, nothing will happen to my wife..... nothing.”
“Of course not,” Maurice echoed.
The call ended or so Dare thought.
Dare didn't realize the connection hadn’t closed, the screen had only frozen momentarily, then resumed without a sound, still recording, still transmitting.
Rosa entered the office, wearing a sexy satin robe. She poured herself a drink and perched on the edge of his desk, stretching out one leg on his laps.
“You missed your calling baby, you should’ve been an actor,” she teased in her sultry voice. “The caring husband role suits you.”
Dare chuckled. “It’s working because she suspects nothing, even her family too. A few more doses of the atropine, and her heart won’t be able to hold.”
Rosa raised her glass. “To freedom and fortune.”
He raised his glass too. “To a new life, just you and me, my sweetheart.”
From the other end, Mr. Maurice stared at the screen, eyes wide, unmoving, watching the kiss and the embrace that were ardently exchanged between them. His face paled as the realization dawned on him.
—
Later that night, Dare found Jade sitting in the balcony, wrapped in a shawl and staring at the city lights. Her voice was very faint, void of vitality.
“Do you remember the day we met?”
He smiled, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Of course I do.”
“You brought me flowers, red roses, they were so beautiful. But they had very sharp thorns too,” she said, smiling weakly.
He laughed softly. “Yes, you got pricked by them, yet you still said yes to me.”
“That was because I had fallen so hard, for you,” she whispered.
Dare’s smile faded.
“And I still love you,” she said suddenly, turning to look at him, her eyes glistening. “Even now, even now when I feel like I’m dying.”
"No....no." He reached out and silenced her with a kiss.
—
The knock came just past midnight.
Two officers and Mr. Maurice stood at the door.
“Mr. Dare Woknor?” the officer asked. “You’re under arrest for attempted murder.”
Dare blinked. “What, what is the meaning of this?” He stuttered.
Maurice stepped forward, his voice low and shaken. “The call never disconnected Dare, I heard everything.”
—
Jade was moved to a hospital, away from Dare and his poison. She began to heal slowly as the toxins slowly left her system and her strength began to gradually return.
She mourned day and night for the love she thought she had found and how almost fatal it had proven to be.
—
In his prison cell, beneath cold steel and concrete, Dare stared at the ceiling, haunted by the echo of her words.
“And I still love you…”
"I had won everything, and lost everything, because I thought I was on mute."
But the truth had been listening all along.
All images are generated by AI
Thank you for reading.