Claire checked her appearance once again in the mirror, making sure that the make-up she had applied earlier was still perfect, her brown hair that had been restyled this afternoon was still just as it was when she had left the hairdressers. Yes everything was perfect just as she had planned. The door bell would ring soon and it would be the perfect ending to a very special day. A day that she had been planning for a few months now. She smiled to herself and brushed her red blouse to smooth out any creases that were there. Of course there weren't any as she had made sure she looked her very best.
She walked along the hallway that she had planned so carefully when they had first moved in here. The wallpaper that she had chosen, a very subtle green, the plush carpet that covered the floor, beige to offset the walls, the golden light that hung perfectly in the middle of the ceiling, the mirror that she had chosen from the antique market, the day they had spent walking lazily around in the sunshine whilst on holiday in France. It had all been worth it. She walked into the dining room where she needed to add the finishing touches to the table that she had prepared earlier today.
The white crisp table cloth covered the table that they had chosen together, the cutlery that was set for two people was a wedding gift from her parents, a single candle stood unlit in the middle of the table and two empty wine glasses waited patiently for the champagne to fill them that was chilling in the fridge. Claire had spent months planning this day. She was the happiest she had been in a while, through all the ups and downs of their marriage they had made it through them all. Tonight was the chance for them to celebrate 20 years together.
They had never been blessed with children. After many years of trying they had gone for tests and were faced with the heartbreaking news that Claire was infertile. They had tried unsuccessfully with IVF, but all the time he had assured her that he loved her and that it was her her wanted to be with. She had cried many tears but he was always there to comfort her, to hold her, to wipe away the tears that had fallen with the hurt and pain that she would never be able to fulfill the one thing that she felt was missing from their lives. They had filled their time with holidays and spent the extra money they had on making their home perfect in every way. It had filled a gap in their lives, certainly not like a child would have done, but enough for them to realise how much they loved each other.
The door bell ringing brought Claire back to the present. She turned and walked towards the door, stopping once again to check her appearance in the mirror. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Standing there was a police officer. She wasn't shocked to see him and invited him in. He seemed a little nervous, she could understand why, after all she had called them earlier this evening. You see John had come home to tell Claire that he had met another woman and he was leaving her. She was someone that he worked with and was 10 years younger than him, she was also pregnant the one thing Claire knew she couldn't compete with. She had begged him to stay, to give their marriage another chance, but he refused and was cruel enough to brush her off by saying that all he had ever wanted was a family. Enraged she had grabbed the kitchen knife and stabbed him once in the chest. If she couldn't have him no one was going to.
After all it was their anniversary.
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