Thad denied cheating, but Shirelle knew. The abusive, never-employed louse's eyes had wandered from the very beginning of their relationship, and there was no telling how many times he'd dishonored their marriage vows. But that wasn't his own failing. He was mean as all get out, and his mouth wasn't the only thing he spoke with. He did with his fists, too, and she'd lost count of her split lips, black eyes, and broken bones. Her love for him had died long ago and she longed to get as far away from him as humanly possible, not just for her own sake but for her precious kids. They were everything to her. But if she began divorce proceedings, he might get custody of them, along with ending up with everything she'd worked so hard for.

Taking a leisurely sip of his wine, Thad felt it roll over his tongue and a satisfied "ahh" escaped his lips. The liquid was chilled to perfection, and the best money could buy. Remembering how he'd had to search for the hundreds currently in his wallet, though, he snorted. That brain-dead wife of his thought she was so smart, hiding the bills from him, but he'd found them. He always did. Her being the only employed one in the family couldn't have bothered him less, and he was quite content for things to stay exactly as they were.

He studied the women around him in the bar and contemplated which one to pursue tonight. Given his handsome face, winning smile, and muscular body, he had dozens of choices, as usual. Even now, some of the possibilities devoured him with their eyes and radiated availability. The redhead mere feet away caught his eye but her voice was strident and could've shattered glass. One of the men next to her tossed back his shoulder-length, coal-black hair, and winked at him, but Thad curled his lip. He wasn't into men. Twins stared at him meaningfully, commented on his looks loudly, followed by bursting into childish giggles, but their simpering turned his interest to ice. A brunette looked him up and down, flashed her pearly whites his way, but he'd already looked beyond her to another female who stood alone, swaying back and forth to the music. Blonde and stunning, her tight dress highlighted her sexy, perfect body. She stood out like a beacon, all the other women's looks paling in comparison to hers.

However, once he got her alone in an empty back room, she slipped from his arms like quicksilver and transformed into a mummy.

His mouth fell open, eyes widening. But he trembled when she caught on fire, rapidly becoming a flaming conflagration.

Thad sprinted away as fast as he could, but she moved like lightning, catching up and hugging him tightly. He screamed in agony, but she shoved her bandages into his mouth, muffling the sounds, and watched him burn to death.

The next day, headlines raved about "The Flaming Mummy" who'd killed yet one more unfaithful husband. Her count had grown steadily over the past months, now standing at twenty-seven.

Shirelle turned on the news and couldn't believe her eyes when her husband's face appeared on the screen. Her legs turned to jelly beneath her as she listened, and she shuddered at the thought of someone dying that way. But she couldn't keep the tears of joy from filled her eyes also. She didn't know how this was even possible, but it was the best news of her life. No more verbal abuse. No more pain. She was free.

The end.

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