Jane, out of all the ways to die, why did you have to choose the one that humiliates us both?"
I picked up a glass of liquor, the fiery burn rolling down my throat to my stomach. It almost felt like it warmed my heart.
Through the haze, I smelled a familiar scent. The fragrance of her pajamas and body wash. It was... my wife's scent.
She helped me lie down, undressing me as her soft lips pressed against mine.
Feeling a long-lost excitement, I pulled her into my arms and rolled on top of her.
My hand slid up under her nightgown, roaming upward until I reached her waist. She trembled slightly and wrapped her arms around me.
She pressed closer, kissing me and teasing me.
"Jane, you finally came home."
This must be a dream. In dreams, there's no betrayal or arguments, just warmth.
My hand moved to her waist, searching for the familiar scar. Every time I was intimate with my wife, I liked to touch the scar from when she'd been burned by boiling water as a child.
No scar! She wasn't Jane!
It felt like a bucket of cold water was dumped over me. I snapped back to reality instantly, my mind clearing.
Ashley was wearing her sister's pajamas. Her face flushed as she looked at me shyly, calling out seductively, "Eric..."
A chill ran down my spine.
"Am I a monster? What the hell am I doing!"
I slapped myself hard twice, the pain grounding me, reminding me this was all real.
I awkwardly stood up, but a slender hand grabbed my arm while the other caressed my chest.
"Ashley, do you know what you're doing?" I demanded sharply.
She smiled shyly, her hand sliding down my chest as she gazed at me affectionately.
"Eric, I like you. You like me too, don't you?"
I angrily shoved her onto the bed. She curled up, looking pitiful as she asked, "You... don't like me?"
Jane had just died, yet her sister didn't show a trace of sorrow. She was in a hurry to get into her brother-in-law's room...
"Take off your sister's clothes!"
I was furious about Jane's infidelity, but that didn't mean I'd stoop to the same level to get back at her.
Ashley hesitated for a moment, then seemed to understand.
She pulled down one of the straps, revealing her pale shoulder, seductively teasing, "Eric, you know how to play.
"How about I get my sister's photo? We can put it next to us while we do this."
"What is she thinking?
Idiot!"
I jumped up, throwing the blanket over Ashley's bewildered face.