“Honey, the baby and I are heading out,” I called, standing at the door with the stroller. I took one last look at my husband, sprawled on the couch watching a football game. Silently, I bid him farewell in my heart: Oh, darling, may you rest in peace. Chapter 1 “Honey, Xixi and I are heading out,” I called, pushing the stroller towards the door. I took one last look at Yannick sprawled on the couch watching the game. Silently, I bid him farewell in my heart: Goodbye, dear husband. Have a nice trip to hell. Back at work after maternity leave, I was missing my baby girl terribly. Unable to wait until the end of the day, I made an excuse to my manager and headed home early. As I approached our apartment door, I heard voices inside. “Don’t worry, she won’t be back for at least another two hours,” a man said. It was my husband, Yannick. “Hmph, who was it that spent half an hour putting your precious daughter to sleep last night, neglecting me?” a woman replied coyly. My mind went blank. I heard Yannick patiently coaxing her: “Once she’s dead, my daughter will be your daughter too. The baby’s too young to know any better – whoever feeds her is her mom.” Soon, unmistakable sounds of intimacy reached my ears. I stood frozen, realizing with horror that my husband was cheating on me. Yannick and I were high school sweethearts. We went from school uniforms to wedding gowns. After three years of marriage, life had settled into a quiet routine. Earlier this year, he quit his programming job to open a small shop, saying he wanted to help care for our daughter after she was born. He didn’t want me to be a “widow with a child” – raising our baby alone while he worked long hours. I was moved to tears at the time. Business at the shop was decent, and Yannick hired an assistant. During my pregnancy, he doted on me endlessly. Just last night, we were planning to move out of this apartment building next month. We had already finished renovating our new house and the formaldehyde smell had dissipated. I was full of hope for our future together. I never imagined reality would hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a scorching August afternoon, the sun merciless at 3pm. I don’t know how long I stood there before I saw a tall woman with wavy hair walk out of the building. I hid behind a car, catching my reflection in the window – my postpartum body looked swollen and out of shape. There was a time when I too was slim and took pride in my appearance. Yannick had weak sperm. He said he didn’t care if we had a boy or girl, as long as we had a child of our own. Otherwise his life would be meaningless. For that, I endured hundreds of hormone injections before we finally conceived our daughter. It was nearly 6pm when I returned home with groceries. Hearing me, Yannick shuffled out in his slippers. “You’re back, honey. I made some mung bean soup – it’s in the fridge. Want some?” “Sure, pour me a bowl,” I replied casually as I changed my shoes. But my mind was reeling from what I’d overheard earlier: “Once she’s dead.” Yannick wanted to kill me. Not only was he cheating, he wanted me dead. Perhaps the shock had numbed me, but I felt eerily calm. At dinner, Yannick mentioned his mom wanted to come help with the baby, since I was back at work and he was busy with the shop. I thought for a moment and asked, “But we only have one bed. Where would your mom sleep? Why don’t we just move to the new house in the next couple days?” To my surprise, Yannick fell silent. “I can sleep on the couch. It’s fine for summer. You two can take the bed.” I nodded. “Alright, it’ll be nice to have your mom’s help.” I’d found it strange before – our new house had been ready for a while, but Yannick kept putting off moving in. Now I understood. He was planning to move in with his mistress after getting rid of me. After cleaning up, I put Xixi to sleep. Yannick pulled out an insurance policy for me to sign. He’d first brought up insurance when I got pregnant, saying we needed to plan ahead now that we were parents. An accidental death policy would provide security for our child. So his policy and mine both listed our daughter as the sole beneficiary. It sounded perfectly reasonable. “The accidental death benefit is $100,000?” I asked, looking at the payout amount on the policy while secretly clenching my fist.
Just then, our neighbor Mrs. Wilson dropped off some peaches. She said a friend had given her a whole crate and she couldn’t eat them all. “What are you two up to?” Mrs. Wilson adjusted her reading glasses, her gaze falling on the insurance papers on the coffee table. Yannick explained, “Oh, Chloe and I are thinking of getting some accident insurance.” “Look, it says here it pays out $100,000. Is that for real?” I asked in a deliberately naive tone. “Yannick compared several insurance companies and says we should buy now before the prices go up. He’s been pestering me to sign.” Mrs. Wilson’s interest was piqued. “Oh my, insurance is painful to pay for but really comes through when you need it. My husband was diagnosed with lung cancer recently and the critical illness policy our son bought paid out $30,000!” Yannick gave me a “see, I told you so” look. “I don’t know much about insurance. He says it’ll give us peace of mind,” I shrugged. “Maybe we should think about it some more.” Mrs. Wilson agreed with me: “Accident insurance isn’t the same as health insurance. In life, you’re much more likely to get sick than have an accident.” Mrs. Wilson didn’t notice, but Yannick’s expression froze for a few seconds when she said that. “Insurance is all about protection. You never know if tomorrow or an accident will come first,” Yannick joked. “If I die, at least I can leave some money for you and Xixi.” I punched his arm. “Don’t say things like that.” “Tsk tsk, you shouldn’t joke about such things,” Mrs. Wilson waved her hand. She chatted with us a bit more before leaving. Before bed, I went to the bathroom to wash up. “Bzzt bzzt” – A faint noise came from the water heater. This water heater was quite old. We’d bought it used from the previous tenants when we moved in. Last year we’d talked about replacing it with a new one, but since we were planning to move to the new house soon, we’d been making do with it. I stood there holding my toothbrush cup, staring at the old water heater lost in thought. Back in bed, Yannick was still on his phone. When he saw me come in, he quickly flipped the screen face down on the sheets. There was a baby monitor on the bedside table so I could check on Xixi while at work. “Honey, do you really want to buy that accident insurance?” I asked, raising my voice slightly. Hearing me say that, Yannick suddenly rolled over. “That insurance is really good, let me tell you…” He launched into a long analysis of the benefits. I yawned. “Alright, it’s too late now. Let’s sign tomorrow.” “Okay!” In the dim light, I saw Yannick’s eyes gleaming with excitement. The next morning, I went downstairs and was about to ride my electric scooter to work when Yannick rushed out holding the insurance papers, urging me to sign. Just then, Mrs. Wilson and some other neighbors were returning from the morning market. Seeing us, they asked, “What’s Yannick holding there? He looks in such a hurry.” “It’s that insurance from last night. He wants me to sign it,” I said as I wrote my name ‘Chloe Sharp’. I smiled at the neighbors, “What can I do? He makes the big decisions in our family. Gotta run, I’m going to be late for work!” I rode off on my scooter. In the rearview mirror, I saw Yannick holding up the signed paper and kissing it, his whole demeanor radiating joy. At work, I sent Yannick a text: Honey, the water heater at home seems broken. Can you take a look? Ten minutes later Yannick replied: OK, got it. The perfunctory response was expected. He was probably daydreaming about moving into a big house with his new wife after getting the huge insurance payout. How could he be bothered about a water heater we’d used for 7-8 years? I typed into the search bar: “What causes a water heater to explode?” After browsing the results, I deleted all my search history.
At 5:30pm, the new intern Yonng noticed I hadn’t moved and asked with a smile, “Chloe, aren’t you in a hurry to get home to your little sweetheart today?” “My husband’s looking after her,” I said, waving my phone which showed the bedroom camera feed. Yannick was bent over the crib, playing with Xixi. “I’m going to stay late and finish the monthly report.” “Ugh, you’re making us single people jealous again!” Yonng said enviously. “I need to find a husband who’s willing to look after kids too!” I smiled without responding. From now on, I wanted everyone around me to think Yannick and I were blissfully in love. After finishing the report, I was about to leave when Sam from IT walked over and whispered, “Just a heads up – don’t use the company computers for personal stuff these days.” “Why not?” I asked. “Well, with the company’s performance down last quarter, management’s cracking down on discipline. They’ve got us monitoring the backend to see if anyone’s browsing shopping sites or celebrity gossip during work hours…” Sam shook his head helplessly. Then he seemed to remember something and asked, “By the way, what’s wrong with your water heater? I saw you searched about it quite a bit.” I froze, my whole body tensing up. Then I realized – why should I be nervous? I hadn’t done anything wrong. I was just concerned about potential safety hazards with our home appliances, that’s all. “Oh, I came across some videos of water heaters exploding. It was pretty scary. And our water heater at home is pretty old too,” I said casually. “Water heaters should be replaced after about 8 years, right?” Sam said. His phone rang and he turned away to answer it. I clenched my slightly trembling fingers and left with my bag. It was almost 8pm by the time I got home. Yannick was humming a tune and taking photos of Xixi curled up on the sofa with a camera. When he saw me come in, a flash of unease crossed his face. “Did you buy that?” I asked, pointing at the new outfit Xixi was wearing. “Yeah, just got it delivered today,” he said, putting down the camera. “Are you hungry? Want to go eat at the restaurant downstairs?” “When did you buy a camera? You never mentioned it,” I walked over to the sofa and picked up the camera, flipping through the photos. I noticed Yannick’s composition was really professional, even better than the professional photographer we hired for Xixi’s one-month photos. Yannick’s expression turned hesitant. “I… I was afraid you’d say I was wasting money… But babies change so much every day, I wanted to document her growth.” “You could have discussed it with me. Just don’t keep secrets,” I said, still scrolling through the photos. Suddenly Yannick snatched the camera away. He had me sit on the sofa and started massaging my shoulders. “Honey, you’ve had a long day at work. Don’t get upset over little things like this. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the camera, okay?” I looked at the man in front of me. “I never knew you were so good at photography.” “I just learned recently. It’s not that hard,” Yannick said, picking up the camera again. “Honey, strike a pose. Let me take a few shots of you.” Just then, Xixi suddenly started crying. I quickly went to pick her up. “Go take out the trash,” I told Yannick. “And pick up two takeout meals on the way back.” “Okay,” Yannick was about to grab his phone. “Leave it charging,” I said, pulling some cash out of my pocket. “Here’s some money. Might as well use it up.” Yannick took the money without hesitation and left with the trash bag. I watched from the window until he exited the complex, then immediately grabbed Yannick’s phone and unlocked it. The password was Xixi’s birthday. Out of trust, I had never checked Yannick’s phone before. This was the first time. He was so confident leaving his phone at home, certain that I would never invade his privacy. I opened WeChat and saw several new messages from a contact named “AAA Alina – Bloom Kidswear”.
The latest one said: “Hiking is the easiest way to create an accident. There’s no one in the mountains…” I couldn’t see the rest of the message since Yannick hadn’t opened it yet. I couldn’t click in to view the full chat history, but I could guess what it was about. The insurance policy was just signed, and they were already itching to put their plan into action. I put the phone back and picked up the camera to continue looking through the photos I’d been viewing earlier. I noticed several shots of Xixi wearing a thick baby sleeping bag. From the camera angle, it seemed the focus wasn’t on Xixi, but on the clothes themselves. Babies actually have a higher body temperature than adults. In several photos, Xixi’s hair was damp with sweat. Anger boiled inside me. Just then, Yannick returned. “Why did you take these? It’s 30-40 degrees out – what if she overheats?” I demanded, holding up the camera. Yannick froze for several seconds before walking over to explain: “The seller said they’d send another sleeping bag for free if I posted photos. Don’t worry honey, I had the AC on when I took the pictures.” I stared straight into his eyes. “You made our daughter sweat buckets just for a free piece of clothing?” Yannick’s anger flared. “What the hell, Chloe? What are you implying? She’s my own daughter – you think I’d abuse her?” “Why are you getting so defensive? Did I say you were abusing her?” I shoved the camera in his face, raising my voice. Yannick knocked the camera out of my hand and stormed out. SLAM! The door slammed shut. I closed my eyes and comforted Xixi, who was startled by the noise. Yannick didn’t return until almost midnight. He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I’m sorry honey. I shouldn’t have lost my temper at you.” I didn’t respond. Soon, he spoke again: “Let’s go hiking in a few days. Once my mom gets here, she can watch Xixi. It’s been so long since we’ve had time to ourselves.” Yannick’s tone was almost pleading, reminiscent of when we first started dating. Indeed, you can never truly know what’s in a person’s heart. Even with years of shared history, it’s impossible to see through someone’s facade to their true nature. When a man falls out of love, he can turn into a demon, wearing a mask of false kindness as he plots to take your life. “Hiking?” I feigned confusion. “I thought you didn’t like hiking.” “That was before. What programmer likes hiking? We’re exhausted enough as it is,” Yannick said wistfully. “But now that I run my own little business, I can manage my own time. It’s good to get out and exercise.” Yannick continued, “I looked it up – there’s a mountain nearby that doesn’t get many tourists. The scenery hasn’t been modernized, and it’s far from the city center. People online say the air there is amazing!” I listened silently. “You’ve really done your research.” “Of course! I upset my dear wife, so I have to make it up to her,” Yannick hugged me tight. “We can buy a tent and go camping outdoors, just like in college. We’ll stargaze and watch the sunrise. It’ll be wonderful. What do you say, honey?” “Get off, it’s too hot,” I pushed him away. “Let’s decide after your mom gets here. I’m worried she won’t be able to handle Xixi on her own.” Yannick said confidently, “As long as you want to go, my mom won’t be a problem!” I stared silently at the ceiling, inwardly scoffing. He sure was eager to get rid of me. At 2am, after feeding Xixi, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I turned on the shower. The water rushed loudly, and the old water heater emitted a low hum. Water heater explosions are probabilistic – there’s no way to guarantee an accident will happen at a specific time. Although our unit had reached its maximum lifespan, that didn’t mean it would definitely explode. But if the thermostat, overheat protection, and pressure relief valve were all damaged, who knows what could happen. I tested the water temperature with my fingertips, lost in thought.
Yannick’s mother arrived a few days later, laden with bags and a basket of farm-fresh eggs. “Look at you, just standing there,” she said to me with a smirk, then jokingly scolded Yannick: “She’s a mother now but still doesn’t know how to be helpful around the house.” I took the woven bag from her hands. “Mom, you must be tired from traveling all day. Don’t get upset over little things – it’s bad for your health.” My mother-in-law sat on the sofa with a smile. “My health is just fine. Don’t jinx me!” I was at a loss for words. My mother-in-law always had a smile on her face when she spoke, but her tone was cutting. She always left me feeling stung, not knowing how to respond. She had never approved of me, thinking her son who worked at a prestigious tech company could find a woman with better prospects. Yannick brought his mother a glass of water. “Mom, Chloe and I are planning to go hiking this weekend. Can you look after Xixi for a couple days?” “Fine, fine,” she muttered. “It’s so hot out. You two must be bored out of your minds.” That evening after dinner, Yannick insisted on taking me shopping for camping gear. He seemed unusually excited. “We’re leaving in three days! We haven’t been on a trip together since you got pregnant. I can’t wait! Are you excited too, honey?” “Me? Well…” Last night I had adjusted the water heater temperature to 50°C, but when I used it today the actual water temperature was much higher. As I suspected, the thermostat was broken. No wonder the water had been so scalding hot lately. The overheat protection had clearly failed too, causing it to keep heating continuously. Looking into Yannick’s eyes, I smiled and nodded. “I’m looking forward to it too.” When we got home, Yannick’s mom and Xixi were already asleep. The next day Yannick went to mind the shop. I dressed Xixi and started eating breakfast. “Let’s put this in the living room. I can’t sleep well with it watching me,” my mother-in-law said, moving the baby monitor that was originally on the bedroom nightstand to a shelf behind the TV. She muttered, “What a waste of money, buying useless gadgets.” “Mm, okay,” I had barely finished speaking when there was a knock at the door. It was Mr. Lee, the repairman I’d called to check our appliances. “You must be Mr. Lee,” I said, stepping aside to let him in. I led him to the cramped bathroom. “Our water heater’s been making strange noises lately and the temperature is unstable. Can you take a look and see what’s wrong?” Mr. Lee looked up at the wall-mounted unit. “How long have you had it?” “Almost 8 years,” I said.
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