In the dim, flickering candlelight, my thoughts raced. The plan had been simple—too simple, in fact—for someone as meticulous as James. That realization gnawed at me. His attempt to drug me suggested desperation, a last-minute decision, perhaps. But why? What had changed? Why now, after 20 years of marriage?

As I sat there, the reality of our relationship laid bare before me, I began to piece together the past. The subtle changes in his demeanor, the business trips that seemed too frequent, the hushed phone calls late at night. How long had he been planning this? And why?