Late-Night Rendezvous

Hendrix Wilker is a salesman who spends most of every month working outstation. He loves his wife, Kathleen Todd, who quit her job after their marriage and now depends on him entirely. When a two-week trip ends early, he slips into their apartment to surprise her, only to find his boss already there, smiling and explaining that he had come to welcome Hendrix home. Kathleen nods along. Something about their expressions unsettles him.

After dinner, Hendrix cannot perform in bed, a problem that has grown since Kathleen stopped working. Later that night he wakes, finds her absent, and sees her alone in the next room, naked, holding a toy and her phone. He feels guilty rather than angry, blaming himself for failing her. But the next morning a sheath packet lies in the trash, and when he calls Kathleen, her trembling voice and a short scream leave him doubting everything.