Chapter 3

Blaine was a young, impulsive guy with balls of steel.

After dropping out of high school, he bounced between jobs as a waiter, car washer, courier, and food delivery driver.

One time while delivering food, he was in such a rush that he forgot to take his keys out of the ignition. His entire scooter, along with the food order, got jacked.

Most people in that case would've been pissed and called the cops, but not Blaine.

Because he'd stumbled onto a golden opportunity.

This was way faster money than busting his ass at honest work.

Drawing on his experience as a courier and delivery guy, he knew which houses had money and when people were home. He quickly made a tidy sum.

But Blaine was terrible at saving. As soon as he got cash, it burned a hole in his pocket.

So he decided to go for one big score, zeroing in on a particular house.

He cased the joint for days, finding there was no one home.

In the wee hours one night, Blaine snuck in and made off with a hefty haul.

Just the jewelry he swiped was enough for him to kick back for a year or two.

But wouldn't you know it, that very night the owners came home unexpectedly.

Blaine nearly shit himself as he dove into a closet. If he got caught, his ass was going to jail.

But after a few minutes, Blaine started grinning.

He whipped out his phone and started filming on the sly.

"The man of the house was taking the mistress home?"

"No, it's quite the opposite."

The lady of the house brought a man home with her.

This guy was quite the looker, with a handsome face to boot.

Blaine thought to himself how these rich folks sure knew how to play around.

This man was barely in his twenties, while the homeowner was getting on in years, pushing forty.

An older woman dating a much younger man!

But not long after, Blaine was shaking like a leaf, his phone slipping from his grasp.

If he hadn't been in the closet, with the phone falling onto clothes, that noise would've given him away for sure.

"What just happened?"

His wife made a gesture of slitting her throat.

"A crime of passion?"

His wife nodded, then shook her head.

Just as the handsome young stud was reaching his climax, the lady of the house stabbed him with a knife.

Blood gushed out, splattering all over her face.

No wonder they say the most vicious is a woman's heart.

Blaine's grandma used to tell him that a woman's heart is the most poisonous, but he never believed it. Today, he saw it with his own eyes.

That night, Blaine witnessed a dismemberment scene firsthand.

For the next two weeks, Blaine holed up in his rental, not stepping out once, ordering takeout when he got hungry.

On one hand, he was afraid the lady of the house might notice something missing and call the cops.

If that happened, it might actually be for the best - worst case, he'd do some time.On the other hand, he was afraid the mistress wouldn't report it to the police.

After all, he had just witnessed the mistress's formidable nature not long ago.

But half a month had passed, and there wasn't a whisper of anything.

There were no reports of missing persons, no news of murders, and no stories of burglaries in anyone's home.

All was calm.

Blaine's courage had partially returned.

He toyed with the stolen goods in his hands, unsure whether to fence them locally or in another town.

If he were to sell them, it couldn't be all at once; he'd have to do it gradually.

But then, the unexpected happened.

A call came from his hometown - Blaine's grandmother was sick.

Esophageal cancer.