The Ring in the Shadows

The scent of pine air freshener and stale coffee filled the cab as you watched the city lights blur outside the window. You were finally home after a weekend away, but a familiar knot of unease tightened in your stomach as the cab pulled up to your quiet suburban street. The house was dark. Ethan had promised to be home by now. Fishing for your keys, you stepped out, the silence of the street amplifying the growing sense of dread. You opened the door to a dark, empty house. A single envelope on the entryway table. A handwritten note from Ethan: 'Work emergency. Had to step out. Be back late. -E'. Another excuse, another late night. You tried to shake off the feeling, but as you walked into the guest bathroom, your eyes landed on something in the sink – Ethan's wedding ring. He never took it off. A sharp knock on the front door shattered the silence. It was your neighbor, Rachel Bennett, standing on the porch, a lazy smirk on her face. 'Saw your lights on,' she said, 'Thought I'd come say hello.' Your perfect illusion had just shattered.