I forced myself to sound calm and picked up.
"Rose, did you miss me?"
His voice was exactly the same as always.
"Mm-hm."
My fist clenched so tight my nails bit into my palm. I fought to keep the tremor out of my voice.
"Rose, my phone's been getting a lot of spam lately. Probably because we're newlyweds, so it's all pregnancy-related stuff. I was worried you might see one and feel upset, so..."
I almost laughed. A few months ago, I would have believed he was being considerate of my feelings.
"I got one too. Figured it was spam and deleted it. After all... I'm your only wife, right?"
A brief hesitation on the other end.
"Of course you are. A wife this smart? I've only got one. Rose, my business trip's almost over. When I get back, I'll make it up to you. We'll spend some real time together."
I gave a hollow reply. "Okay."
I hung up and pressed myself behind a tree nearby.
"See? I told you. She's easy to fool. Whatever I say, she believes it."
Leo's face was smug, satisfaction written across every feature.
"Leo, man, that's easier than training a dog. But you've only been married six months and you've been 'on a business trip' the whole time. Doesn't she get suspicious?"
Leo's lips curled.