Story 20/1001

• reflect
• fear
• champagne

Katherine took a glass filled with champagne from the platter. She smiled and raised it a bit above her head.

“Happy New Year, Henry.” He raised his glass and clinked hers. Henry gently took her hand and guided her to the terrace.

“It is a beautiful view.” Katherine said. “Jay always wanted to see New York.”

She caught his eyes and blushed.

“I’m sorry. I’m here with you, and I’m blabbing about Jay.”

“No, it’s alright.” He smiled. “He was your husband. What happened to him-“

“He was also your friend. Your best friend. This is also hard on you, and here I am, just making it worse. “

“Katherine, you can only make this better.” He lifted her chin up and brushed his lips against hers.

“It’s just – it’s been almost a year now.” She whispered.

He moved away and gulped the champagne in one go. Katherine carefully watched him.

“You are the reason I’m here, you know.” His voice changed into a menacing one.

 “I’m sorry, Henry. I didn’t mean to bring him up. It’s just-“

“It’s just all you can think about. No matter what I do, he is all you think about.”

 “Henry, I-“

“I met you first. Ten years ago, it was me who met you first. It was me who loved you first.” He leaned closer, grabbing her arm.

“What are you – you never told me.”

“Really? You smiled at me all the time. You wanted to ‘get to know me’.”

“That was because you were Jay’s friend. And that was back then. Now, it’s-“

“Now Jay is dead.”

She couldn’t avert her gaze. An unsettling feeling grew in her chest. Fear showed in her eyes. Henry smirked.

“What did you do, Henry?” Her voice trembled.

“You know what I did, Katherine. You told me to do it.”

“What did I tell you to do?”

“That night when you came crying. You told me how you think he is cheating, you told me how that would be the end.”

“The end for Jay and me. Not the end of his life, Henry.” She tried releasing her hand from his grip, but that only made him tighten his grip.

“You said you wanted him dead.”

“What did you do?”

“I killed him for you, Katherine. It was me. I’m always here to protect you.”

For a minute, she only looked at him. His eyes were expecting something, she could tell. But they weren’t expecting this.

The fear in her eyes disappeared. Her face turned cold, and his turned a pale blue.

“Katherine, what have-“

“I’ve known for a while now, Henry.”

“What- How-” Henry coughed and released the grip on her arm.

He fell on the floor and she crouched next to him.

“In these last moments, I want you to do something for me.” Katherine whispered in his ear.

Henry looked at his champagne glass on the floor, and Katherine smiled.

“I want you to reflect on everything you lost. The one you claimed to be your best friend, the one you claimed to love, and last, but not least – your life.”

She looked at him one last time.

“You took my life from me, so now I’m taking yours.”