Samantha's eyes widened in pretend shock.
Others might call her paranoid, but Samantha had always possessed an uncanny ability to sense when a young, ambitious, but poor woman had her sights set on a potential target. After all, she had been one of those girls herself once. The realization sent a shiver down her spine, stirring up a familiar blend of jealousy and fear.
'Richard is growing more distant from me with each passing day,' Samantha thought, digging her nails into the soft skin of her palms. 'Nothing is stopping him from turning to someone else. And that wench… she's just too beautiful.'
The thought gnawed at her, an unwelcome reminder of the cracks that had begun to appear in her marriage. Richard had become a stranger in their home, his attention always elsewhere, his affection nothing but a blurred reflection of what it used to be.
