Tom claimed the corporate pressure was suffocating him and that he had signed up for a wilderness camping retreat organized by their church’s men’s ministry. It felt incredibly abrupt, especially since he hadn’t mentioned the ministry in years, but Clara brushed her unease aside. She trusted him blindly. He needed space to recharge, and she was happy to give it to him if it brought back the husband she knew.
On Friday afternoon, the clock ticked toward his departure. Tom packed his canvas backpack with a strange, hyper-focused intensity. When it was time to leave, he kissed Clara with a lingering, uncharacteristic fervor that felt almost like a guilty apology. He climbed into his SUV and drove away at exactly 3:00 PM.
The house felt immediately hollow in his absence, a heavy silence settling into the rooms. Seeking a distraction from her mounting restlessness, Clara decided to run some mundane errands to keep her mind occupied. She never expected that a simple trip to the local grocery store would shatter her reality.