By the end of the week, Mark’s confidence was visibly fraying. He began asking Linda questions about her day, his tone casual but probing. “Did you go anywhere interesting today?” he asked during dinner. “Did you talk to anyone new?” Linda laughed, brushing off his inquiries as idle curiosity.
Emily, meanwhile, noticed everything: the way Mark’s jaw tightened when Linda answered, the slight tremor in his hand when he adjusted his utensils. He was clearly nervous, though Linda seemed oblivious. Mark’s paranoia was growing, and Emily knew she had planted the seeds of doubt in his mind.