The biting night air whipped around Taylor as she stood outside the grand mansion, her eyes fixed on the driveway. It was well past eleven, and a familiar knot of worry tightened in her stomach. Five hours she'd been home from work, five hours she'd spent preparing a special meal, yet Bryan was nowhere in sight. The last year of their marriage had been a slow, agonizing hell, each day chipping away at her heart.

He never laid a hand on her, but his indifference was a weapon, slicing deeper than any physical blow. To him, she was invisible, a ghost haunting his opulent home. Today had been particularly grueling at work, and now Bryan's absence only amplified the stress that gnawed at her.

She raised her wrist, the glowing digits on her watch mocking her wait. Almost midnight. She'd tried calling, countless times, but his phone remained unanswered. A desperate plan formed: if he wasn't back by twelve, she would report him missing. It was a drastic thought, but this behavior was new, even for Bryan. He might hate her, but he'd never stayed out this late.