Max opened the door slowly, hoping to surprise Veronica.
"Nice," he muttered.
He followed the trail of Veromica's clothes scattered across the floor - her black lace lingerie among them. The sound of running water reached him, and images of her naked body flashed through his mind.
He gripped the handle, licked his dry lips, and took a deep breath before stepping inside.
Hot steam wrapped around him immediately. The bathroom was warm, almost too warm, built for comfort and temptation.
He moved forward and froze when he spotted a curvy woman with her back facing him. Max hurriedly stripped off his clothes and stepped into the cubicle. He wrapped his arms around from behind.
The woman flinched.
"It's me, babe," Max said against her neck.
She hummed, but her throat sounded rough, like she had been talking too much.
Max kissed her neck, his hands sliding to her waist.
What he didn't know was that Veronica was furious.
She had wanted an hour alone. Worse, she was sick of Max thinking with his lower half of his body.
Slowly, the woman turned around.
Max's face drained of colour.
"Oh, shit."
It wasn't Veronica.
"What did you say?" Veronica asked slowly.
She hated it when people reacted with disgust at her face.
Max stared at the naked woman in front of him.
" I - I... what? I mean-" Max stammered.
"Thought my face was hideous, didn't you?" she asked coldly.
"Yes - no! I mean no!" Max blurted, panic rising in his voice.
Veronica's expression hardened.
Alex's wife's disguise had been flawless. The hair, the makeup, the curves - everything had fooled him.
But now the illusion was gone.
Max rushed out of the cubicle, nearly slipping as he scrambled for the bathroom door.
Veronica beat him to the door and rushed to it. Locking it.
"A-Avery, let me out. Now." Max quivered
"Or else what?" Veronica said with her arms crossed.
"This was Alex's idea. Wasn't it?"
Veronica scoffed and rolled her eyes.
Alex.
The man who refused to touch her or give her what she wanted.
And now this asshole.
"You ugly bitch. Answer me before I regret my actions."
Max's words pushed Veronica over the edge.
With a furious scream, she grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the sink.
"Who're you calling ugly, you worthless excuse of a man?"
Bang! Bang!
She smashed his head against the mirror again and again until the glass was shattered beneath the force.
Still not satisfied, she let his limp body drop to the floor.
Then, in an instant, her expression changed.
"Max? Max? Babe. Why aren't you moving?" she cried dramatically, kneeling beside him."Don't leave me. I'm sorry."
She rushed out of the bathroom and returned less than two minutes later, wearing her bathrobe and carrying a dagger she kept hidden.
Squatting beside him, she rested the blade against his throat.
"You know... You really shouldn't have insulted me. I hate people who do that."
A smile spread across her face.
She laughed softly as she went to work.
When she was done, she dragged pieces of him to the kitchen, tossed them into the blender, and reduced the evidence to nothing.