“Snowy!” Charles called again.
Madison stood on the porch, her hands clutching the edge of her coat. “Still haven’t found her?”
“Not yet.”
Madison lowered her head, tears beginning to flow again. When Charles saw this, he stepped closer. “Don’t cry.”
“I can’t help it.”
“Madison.”
“I’m really scared.”
Charles sighed. “Tomorrow, we’ll put up notices. I can also ask my friends at the fire station.”
Madison looked up. “You’ll help me?”
“Of course.”
“Even tomorrow?”
Charles was silent for a moment. “I might be busy tomorrow.”
Madison immediately lowered her head. “Oh.”
Seeing her expression, Charles quickly added, “I’ll come after work.”
Madison smiled. “Thank you.”
That night, Charles didn’t look at the clock or his phone even once. He only watched Madison. He had forgotten that his wife was waiting at home.
Madison walked inside, and Charles followed her, worry written across his face. “Let’s look one more time.”
They went into the bedroom. Charles opened the closet while Madison stood behind him. “She’s not here.”
“Try the storage room.”
Charles opened the storage-room door, but all he could see were boxes stacked nearly to the ceiling.
Charles turned on the light, but there was nothing there. He crouched to look beneath the shelves, and suddenly, a small sound rang out.
“Meow.”
Charles froze. So did Madison. “Listen.”
They looked at each other, and then the sound came again.
“Meow.”
Charles followed the sound to a small door at the end of the hallway—a rarely used storage door. He opened it, and a white cat emerged from behind the boxes.
“Snowy!”
Madison ran over at once, crouched down, and hugged the cat. Her sobs broke free. “Oh, God ... Snowy.”
Charles smiled in relief. “We finally found her.”
Madison hugged the cat tighter. “You scared me half to death.”
Snowy meowed. Madison kissed her head affectionately. “Why did you come in here?”
Charles frowned as he looked at the little door. “How did she get in?”
Madison shrugged. “Maybe I forgot to close the door this afternoon.”
Charles nodded and stood up. Madison, still beside him, looked at him. “Charles.”
“Hm?”
“Happy wedding anniversary.”
Charles fell silent. Only now did his expression change. He looked at his wristwatch, whose hands pointed to 9:17 p.m.
Madison gave him a small smile. “You forgot?”
Charles rubbed his face and shook his head, but the lie was too easy to read. Madison stepped closer and handed Snowy to Charles.
“Go home.”
Charles looked at the cat, then at his phone just as Ella’s name appeared again. Even so, he still didn’t answer right away.
Madison saw the screen and said softly, “Your wife is waiting. Go home.”
Charles nodded, then walked to the door and picked up his jacket. “Thanks. If anything happens, call me.”
Madison nodded. “I will.”
As soon as the door closed, Madison’s smile slowly faded. She waited until the sound of Charles’s car disappeared from the yard.
Only then did she walk back toward the bedroom, Snowy still in her arms. Madison closed and locked the door.
She set Snowy down, and the cat immediately ran to a corner of the room. In front of the mirror, Madison wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks.
There was no fear or sadness left. Madison opened the desk drawer and took out a photograph—the wedding picture of Charles and Ella.
Ella wore a white dress, and Charles stood beside her with a happy smile. Madison stared at the photograph for a long time.
Her finger touched Ella’s face, then slowly moved to Charles’s. A smile appeared on her lips—thin and cold.
She turned the photograph over. On the back was faded handwriting.
Charles & Ella — Forever.
Madison read the words, then tore the photograph apart right between Charles and Ella’s faces. She stared at the half that showed only Charles’s face.
“I don’t like sharing.”
She threw Ella’s half into the trash. But before turning away, her eyes fell on the calendar hanging on the wall.
Today’s date was circled in red, with ANNIVERSARY written beside it. Madison smiled, her expression completely different from the one she had worn while Charles was still there.
Outside the window, the night sky looked peaceful. No one knew that the woman who had just destroyed a wedding photograph had already prepared something far more vicious.
This time, however, her target was no longer Charles and Ella’s marriage.
It was Ella herself.