It's always the quiet ones.

"We have plenty of time, love. Don't worry." Mr. Macintosh yelled from his room to his now impatient wife. 

Peter Macintosh had stared at himself in the mirror, looking at the white suit jacket and black vest on him. Looking every bit the CEO of the most notorious insurance company that Texas had to offer. "You're not going to say that when your brother scolds us for turning up late to his party.” the woman yelled back, igniting a chuckle from him. His wife Lilah always kept him on his toes, always sensing whenever a sense of danger would come near them. It was why she was his Vice President, why he trusted her the most with his money, his company, and his life.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity with picking a suit, he sauntered down the stairs to where his beautiful wife was standing by the front door in her golden floor-length dress, waiting for him. Her long  red hair, usually tied into a secure bun, was finally let down. A sight to see. Peter stalked over to Lilah and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I thought I looked perfect, and then I saw you darling. You’re stunning.” he planted a kiss on her forehead. She let out an exasperated sigh, but then squirmed out of his hold. “We should go now. Your brother’s waiting.” she said in an agitated voice. 

Not normal for his usually calm and collected wife. 

“Are you alright Lilah?” Peter’s eyebrows furrowed when he turned his wife around. She stopped him from turning her around fully, and looked down at the floor. Lilah sniffled, trying to hold back what seemed like tears. “Yes, I am alright. Let’s just go.” She turned her back on him and opened their front door. 

Peter stifled a roll in his eyes. His brother Alistair was holding his annual cocktail gala. As much as he loved his younger brother, he always found his cocktail parties quite boring. Maybe his wife’s rampant mood swings could be a good excuse for once. 

He had gotten used to his wife being moody like this since they started two weeks ago. It had been after a meeting over the dealing with an important client. While Peter had said he wanted to go with the deal, Lilah didn’t, warning her husband of trouble that might succeed should they sign the deal. Peter, the ever stubborn man, didn’t heed his wife’s warnings and signed it anyway. The result dealt in a loss of four million dollars. Lilah had been angry with him since, as she should have been. 

But for two weeks, she kept her anger with him. Two weeks. He knew he couldn’t make up for it, but couldn’t she see he was trying to be a good husband to her? 

“Are you sure you want to go?” he asked as she made her first steps outside their mansion. But Lilah just ignored him and made her way to their car. Peter trailed after her like a neglected puppy and dropped into the passenger seat. 

The ride to Alistair’s house was even worse. Lilah didn’t talk at all, which was starting to irritate him. 

She usually talked in the car, about anything. Peter really thought that there was something wrong with his wife. He realized that he may have not been forgiven by his wife for losing four million dollars in their deal; but he could make it up by being a good husband. 

“So,” he started off sheepishly. “Are you excited to see my brother just as I am?” he could feel Lilah suppressing an irritating sound. “I heard that his house has been adorned by the best decorations, and he has ordered the best drinks to make cocktails with.” he exclaimed, trying to make small talk with his wife. Lilah still didn’t say anything, she just kept her eyes on the road. Peter had bitten his lip to hold back a groan. He wanted to shake his wife, and understand why she’s acknowledging his effort to make up for his past blunder. 

She replied with a halfhearted ‘yes’ and then continued to drive in silence. The only time Peter heard his wife’s voice was when her phone rang. Which happened many times. At least with whomever she was talking to, she had the common courtesy to speak in one or two sentences. As soon as she put the phone down and settled her eyes on the road, Peter finally stomped his foot on the car. “So you talk normally to someone on the phone, but you speak to me as if I am some random stranger?” For the first time, he raised his voice at his wife. “Don’t you see I am trying to make this right? I messed up one time, and I am trying so hard; so hard to be a good husband, even if I was an idiot and lost four million dollars in that investment deal. I should have listened to you and I am sorry that I didn’t-” Peter yelped at the swerve of the car on the highway. He looked back at Lilah, whose eyes were still on the road, keeping that stern gaze. “Lilah, what are you-”

The car hit the side of the highway bridge, and it spun around. Peter continued to shout at Lilah to drive properly, but she ignored him.

The car left off the side of the bridge, and into a forest until the car hit a stump of the tree. 

Lilah Macintosh, got out of the car, blood trickling down her shoulder. Her perfect dress was torn in pieces, her hair disheveled. She looked like she arrived from hell. She walked over the branches to the passenger side of the car where her simple minded husband sat unconscious from the crash. Her phone rang again, it was him checking again. She picked it up. “Is it done?” Alistair Macintosh’s voice rang clear from her phone, and she could not have been more relieved. “Yes, it is. And the money?” she smiled. The four million dollar and partnership loss had gone to Alistair himself, with the help of switching the signing documents from Lilah herself. Her poor husband just signed the document, and unintentionally made his little brother the new CEO of Macintosh Insurance.

 “The money is all packed up and ready. As is your new CEO.” Alistair laughed. Lilah chuckled mirthlessly while still keeping an eye on her husband now gaining consciousness. “I just need to get rid of the excessive waste, and then you’re all set brother-in-law.” she smirked. “You do that, I’ll see you at the gala?” 

Lilah chuckled again and looked back at her and saw her husband’s eyes flitting open. “I don’t think we were ever going to make it.” She looked coldly at her husband. Her face telling him exactly what her late night plans were today.