by Heather Dickson

Created on: May 29, 2011

There was something about the way he slipped the ring onto my finger a little too roughly... Something in his eyes... Something in the way his lips seemed to peel back across his too-perfect teeth... It was his sinister smile as I uttered the words, “I do,” which sent my stomach churning. My only thought was, “What am I doing?”

He'd changed. The past three years had gone by without a hitch – it had been perfect. This man was patient. He looked after me, offering me the perfect life. His money and affection flowed freely. He had no criminal record (a smart woman does her research, after all), and he was widely adored.

Our marriage was a turning point. The night of our wedding, he left me alone. After the guests were gone, he told me he had urgent business and would be home by ten. By noon the next day he returned and, as if nothing was wrong, kissed me and walked on.

Later, the sick feeling in my stomach returned instantly when lying next to his briefcase I saw the papers – he had taken a life insurance policy out on me the day of our wedding. I hurried into the kitchen where I immediately armed myself with a well-hidden knife and sat hyperventilating at the breakfast bar. I nearly jumped out of my skin when he appeared behind me, saying my name with more of a firmness than usual. “Rose, what is wrong with you?”

As he approached, my fingers crawled to the handle of the knife resting on my leg under my skirt. He was not shy with his intentions as the hammer of his .38 clicked beneath his thumb. Time seemed to stop in the moment that he raised the weapon and I drove a blade several inches into his crotch.

There was a moment where I actually considered finishing the job, but the subsequent thought of prison did not appeal. I kicked the fallen weapon clear across the kitchen and headed for the phone. 911. That was my safest bet. Muting the phone for a moment, I returned his sinister smile as he writhed in shock and agony on the floor, clutching his bloody manhood. From behind my smile came the last words he heard as a free man: “Don't ever underestimate a redhead.”

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