text: The tables were beautifully decorated. The smell of fresh flowers filled the air. Waiters walked around gracefully to each guest attending to their every need. This party was surely the event of the season. Ted and Marcy were known for their great parties. Everyone who was anyone was there. Rich classical sounds coming from the band made everyone want to dance. Champagne flowed like liquid gold. Kelly was thrilled to be apart of such an event as this. After all, it was Ted and Marcy’s fifteenth wedding anniversary. Kelly made her way around the room, speaking to everyone she knew and introducing herself to those she didn’t. She sat down at the table to sip her champagne, when she notices her hand was wet and red. It was blood. How? Whose? When? Kelly ran to the bathroom but found Ted and Marcy arguing the hallway. Ted’s hand was bleeding, and Marcy was holding a bloody knife. Kelly screamed. Everyone ran to see what was wrong. Ted and Marcy didn’t notice they had an audience. Susan, Marcy’s sister appeared in the background. She ran to Ted with a towel to wrap his hand. She snarled at Marcy as she flew past her. A thousand questions ran through Kelly’s mind. She didn’t know what happened, or why. She wanted to know why Marcy’s sister ran to Ted first without a word or concern for her sister. “Go ahead. Run to him like you always do.” Marcy yelled. Then Marcy turned to the crowd and explained. “My dear husband has been sleeping with my sister for years. They thought I wouldn’t find out.” The gasps from the crowd were electric. The guests did not know what to say, how to feel or what to do. You could feel remorse in the air. Kelly wanted to run to Marcy and give her a big hug. She wanted to comfort her. Just as Kelly begins to take a step towards Marcy, Susan turned to make an announcement of her own. “Yes, I’ve been sleeping with my sister’s husband. BUT little do you all know that my dear sister Marcy has been sleeping with my husband for over 10 years. As a matter of fact, my oldest nephew is also my stepchild. So, if anyone is the victim here, it’s Ted and me!” Once again, the crowd gasped. Kelly was so confused. She didn’t know who to feel bad for or who to comfort. At this point guests were starting to leave the party. Confusion on the face of all those in attendance. Kelly turned to leave as well when she heard Susan scream. Marcy had stabbed her in the back with the same knife that she cut Ted’s hand with. Kelly ran to Susan just in time to catch her as she fell to the floor. Marcy dropped the knife and ran towards the door. Ted followed her dripping blood along the way. Kelly pulled out her phone and called the police. Ted caught Marcy and threw her to the ground. He was trying to hold her there until the police arrived. Then a tall, muscular framed man appeared in the cool night air. It was Jason, Susan’s husband. He ran to Ted and Marcy, pulled out a gun and shot Marcy in the chest. “Why did you shoot her?” Ted asked. “I hated that B-. She’s been blackmailing me for child support for years. I would’ve taken care of my son had she told him that I was his father. Instead, she wanted him to believe that you were his dad.” Ted fell to his knees in tears. He couldn’t understand how things had gotten so far out of control. He wondered what his kids would do without a mother. What would he do without a wife? Ted had no idea that his son wasn’t his. All these years Marcy had led him to believe the child was his. As far as Ted was concerned, the child was his. He’d fed him, cared for him, and raised him as his own. He would continue to do so. Regardless of who his biological father was. The police arrived and tried to wrap their minds around the madness that lay before them. They were confused and unsure who to arrest for what crime. By this time, Jason had disappeared as fast as he arrived. The police searched for him in nearby areas and neighborhoods, but he was no where to be found. The ambulance arrived and took Susan to the hospital. Ted rode in the ambulance with her. They both needed medical attention. He also wanted to break the news to her about what Jason had done. They arrive at the hospital. Susan was taken to one room and Ted was taken to another. Susan was in too much pain to speak but she could nod her head in acknowledgment. They rushed Susan to surgery to repair the knife wound. After surgery Susan was resting with Ted by her side. His arm and hand were both bandaged, but he still managed to comfort Susan. He felt he needed a little break to wrap his mind around things. He whispered to Susan that he would be back shortly. Susan was in and out of consciousness, but she noticed someone else in her room. The tall man looked familiar, but she could not focus enough to see exactly who he was. Then the man leaned into to her and whispered in her ear. “You didn’t think I would kill Marcy and leave you alive, did you?” Susan’s eyes popped open. It was Jason. “Now honey, don’t you recognize your own husband? Ted was so quick to comfort you. The two of you made a fool of me. I will not stand for it. You will meet the same fate as Marcy. You both are horrible excuses for wives. Ted and I will be better off without either of you.” Susan tried to move around in the bed to make some kind of noise. She wanted to knock the IV pole over, but she couldn’t reach it. She tried to ring the nurse, but Jason moved the call button away from her. She prayed Ted came back to the room, but he hadn’t. Jason took a pillow and put it over Susan’s head. He held it there tightly until she stopped moving. He rushed out of the room and down the stairs before anybody noticed he was there. Jason hurried down six flights of stairs and ran out the door to find Ted waiting for him. “Is it done?” Ted asked. “Yes, it’s done.” Jason confirmed. Ted hugged Jason and whispered in his ear, “Now we can finally be together.”