The him i don't know

The morning sunlight spilled gently through the cream-colored curtains, painting golden patterns across the polished wooden floor of the Anderson home. It was the kind of morning Grace wished could last forever quiet, peaceful, and full of the simple happiness she had always dreamed of. She stood barefoot in the kitchen, humming softly as the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the scent of butter melting in a hot pan. Pancakes sizzled on the stove while strips of bacon crisped beside them. Every Saturday, she insisted on making breakfast herself, no matter how many times Daniel offered to take her out instead. "It's our tradition," she would always say. And Daniel never argued. Instead, he would wrap his arms around her from behind, steal a piece of bacon, and pretend he hadn't. Right on cue, a pair of strong arms slipped around her waist. "I knew you were planning to steal my breakfast," Grace laughed without turning around. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Daniel replied innocently, though she could already hear him chewing. She spun around with a wooden spoon in her hand and narrowed her eyes. "You're impossible." "And yet you married me." "I must have been out of my mind." "You were madly in love." She rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her. "I still am." Daniel leaned forward and kissed her forehead. It was a simple gesture, but it spoke louder than words. Five years into their marriage, he still looked at her as though she were the most beautiful woman in the world. Grace often wondered what she had done to deserve a husband like him. He was thoughtful, hardworking, patient, and endlessly supportive. Whenever life became overwhelming, Daniel somehow found a way to make everything feel manageable again. Friends often joked that their marriage wasn't real. "No couple is that happy," they would say. Grace simply smiled. If only they knew. After breakfast, the couple sat together on the patio overlooking their small garden. Bougainvillea flowers danced in the morning breeze, and the gentle chirping of birds filled the silence between them. Daniel reached for her hand. "I've been thinking," he said. Grace looked at him curiously. "That's usually dangerous." He chuckled. "What if we finally take that vacation we've been postponing?" Her eyes lit up. "You mean it?" "I've already checked my schedule. I can take two weeks off next month." Grace couldn't hide her excitement. "For real?" Daniel nodded. "I think we've spent enough time working. It's time we lived a little." She threw her arms around him. "I love you." "I know." "No... I really love you." He smiled. "I really love you too." For a moment, the world seemed perfect. Neither of them noticed the black SUV parked across the street. Inside, a man wearing dark sunglasses lowered a camera after taking several photographs through the windshield. He glanced at his phone. "Target confirmed," he muttered before driving away. Later that afternoon, Grace visited her mother's grave, carrying a bouquet of white lilies. Her mother had passed away three years earlier after a long illness, and Grace still came whenever she needed peace. She knelt beside the headstone. "I wish you could see us, Mom," she whispered. "Daniel still takes care of me the way Dad used to take care of you. You'd love him." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I finally found the kind of love you always prayed I'd have." Her phone buzzed. Daniel. Daniel: Are you still at the cemetery? She smiled. Grace: Yes. Daniel: Drive carefully. I'll be waiting. She replied with a heart emoji before placing fresh flowers beside the grave. As she walked back toward her car, she noticed someone standing beneath a large tree several meters away. A man dressed entirely in black. He wasn't moving. He simply watched her. The moment Grace looked directly at him, he turned and disappeared behind the trees. She frowned. Maybe she was imagining things. Still, an uneasy feeling settled deep inside her chest. That evening, Daniel arrived home carrying a small gift box. Grace looked up from the couch. "What's this?" "Open it." Inside was a delicate silver bracelet with a tiny heart-shaped charm engraved with the words: Forever begins every day. Her eyes filled with tears. "You didn't have to." "I wanted to." He fastened it around her wrist. "It suits you." She kissed him. "I don't deserve you." He looked at her with unexpected seriousness. "If anything ever happened..." She frowned. "What do you mean?" He forced a smile. "Nothing. Forget I said anything." She searched his face. There was something in his eyes she had never seen before. Fear. It disappeared almost instantly. He changed the subject, and before long they were laughing again. But Grace couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. Just after midnight, Grace woke to the faint glow of a phone screen. Daniel was sitting on the edge of the bed. His back was turned toward her. He was whispering. "No... not tonight." Silence. "I said I'll handle it." Another pause. "You promised she'd never be involved." Grace held her breath. Daniel ended the call. For several seconds, he remained perfectly still. Then he quietly deleted something from his phone. He slipped back into bed, believing Grace was asleep. She closed her eyes before he turned. Her heart pounded so loudly she feared he could hear it. Who had he been talking to? And who was "she"? The next morning, while Daniel showered upstairs, his phone vibrated on the bedside table. Grace had never touched his phone before. Not once in five years. Trust had never been an issue. But after the strange call, curiosity won. The screen lit up with a new message from an unknown number. She hesitated. Then she looked. The message contained only one sentence. "Your wife is beginning to notice. Finish the job before she learns who you really are." Grace's blood ran cold. The phone slipped from her trembling hands and hit the floor with a dull thud. Upstairs, the shower stopped. Daniel had heard the sound. And footsteps were already coming down the stairs...