Chapter 1: The Daily Ritual
The morning light filtering into the Kensington townhouse always arrived in soft, pale strips, sliced by the expensive timber blinds Rick had installed during the renovation. At 5:30 AM, the house was silent save for the hum of the climate control.
Vicky lay still, watching the back of her husband’s head. Rick’s waking routine was as precise as the algorithms he traded on the floor of his central London firm. He swung his legs out of bed at the exact same minute every day, his feet sinking into the plush white carpet.
By 7:00 AM, he was fully suited, his tie knotted in an immaculate Windsor. Before grabbing his leather briefcase, Rick stepped into the kitchen where Vicky was sitting at the marble island with her iPad, scrolling through the engagement metrics on her latest beauty channel upload.
Without a word, Rick set a single, long-stemmed red rose on the polished marble next to her black coffee. Its petals were a deep, velvet crimson—flawless, without a single thorn.
“For my gorgeous wife,” he said, leaning down to press his lips against her temple. His hand rested on her shoulder, his thumb pressing just firmly enough into her collarbone to anchor her in place. “A reminder of who loves you most.”
“Thank you, Rick,” Vicky said, smiling up at him. She knew the expression he liked: warm, appreciative, uncomplicated. “It’s beautiful.”
“Make sure it’s in the background of your story today,” he added, his tone lighter than air, though his eyes remained sharp. “People like seeing how well you’re taken care of. It builds trust.”
He didn’t wait for a response. The front door clicked shut moments later, leaving Vicky alone with the silence of the massive house and the heavy, sweet scent of the flower.
She picked up her phone, snapped a quick photo of the rose beside her coffee, and posted it to her story with a caption: He never misses a morning. 🌹 #Spoiled #Blessed. Within seconds, the likes and comments began to flood in by the hundreds. Her audience saw a fairytale. Vicky set the phone face down, feeling the tight knot in her stomach that never quite dissipated until the evening.
