The Perfect Husband: A nail biting gripping psychological thriller

He was the perfect husband. Until he wasn’t.

When Shelly’s marriage ends in divorce, she’s left completely devastated and feeling like she’s never going to find love again.

Until she meets Eric.

Shelly can't believe her luck. The first person she meets after (reluctantly) joining online dating, and he’s handsome, caring, everything she ever wanted and more. From romantic dates to expensive gifts, it’s as if she’s in a dream.

But just when Shelly thinks she’s finally found her happily ever after, she begins to realize that all is not as it seems. As the cracks start to develop, perhaps Eric isn’t the perfect man she thought he was. Will her dream become a nightmare?

Also by Buffy Andrews

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The Moment Keeper

Our Fragile Hearts

A Year of Second Chances

The Perfect Husband

Buffy Andrews

ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

Copyright

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018

Copyright © Buffy Andrews 2018

Buffy Andrews asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © June 2018 ISBN: 9780008254421

BUFFY ANDREWS

lives in south central Pennsylvania with her husband, Tom, and Wheaten Cairn terrier, Kakita.

By day, she works for USA Today Network as its Regional Engagement Manager for the Northeast.

By night, she writes middle-grade, young adult and women’s fiction.

Some of her fiction ideas pop into her head at the most inopportune times, such as during a sermon or in the shower or when she’s supposed to be listening in a meeting. She’s written all over church bulletins, jumped out of the shower more than once to write down an idea and turned meeting handouts into storyboards.

If you see her out and about, don’t be surprised if you see her pull out the notebook she keeps in her purse. She’s forever taking notes she’ll use later. After all, life is full of wonderful details to capture.

To those caught in a psychopath’s web of lies and deceit, I pray that you’re able to escape and find peace, heal and be happy. You matter.

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Title Page

Copyright

Author Bio

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Excerpt

Endpages

About the publisher

Chapter 1

I looked in the mirror and no longer recognized myself. I hated my life and had thought about taking it.

No one would miss me.

I was a zero.

Nothing.

Zilch.

Chapter 2

A Year Ago

I couldn’t believe Jackie had talked me into this. After a bitter divorce, brought about by my husband’s affair five years ago, I swore I’d never date again. But here I was going through profiles on an online dating website. I must be insane! Did I really want a man in my life? I’d been on a couple of blind dates since my divorce and both ended in disaster. The first guy spat spaghetti sauce in my face when he laughed during dinner and the second paid the bill with three different gift cards. If I ever dated a guy again, he’d have to be exceptional.

I sat on the couch with my cat Izzy curled up next to me. I started laughing and Izzy’s head popped up. ‘Sorry, girl. Didn’t mean to scare you but this guy apparently thinks wearing a blue work vest with “May I Help You?” printed on the front is sexy.’ She purred and I scratched her neck. ‘Yeah, I know. No man is better than some man.’ I looked at a few more profiles, including one bare-chested guy wearing a baseball cap with the tagline: Cowboy seeks his cowgirl. Uh, no. Not for me. Nor was the guy whose plan it was to find a ‘good woman and build an empire around her’ or the guy who noted ‘I have a washer and dryer at my house so a first date at the Laundromat is out.’

‘Good God, Izzy, are all men jerks?’

Just when I was about to give up I stumbled upon a profile that seemed normal: EricT. He liked the outdoors and considered himself to be adventurous, spontaneous and fun-loving. He looked handsome. Unlike most of the profiles I’d seen, EricT had a full head of hair and straight teeth. Drats! He lived two hours away. Long-distance relationships rarely work out. And I certainly had no intention of moving.

I’d spent the past five years focusing on my real estate career. I’d regained some of the confidence I’d lost when my ten-year marriage to Scott ended in a firestorm after I caught him cheating.

I was thirty-two when I married Scott. My sorority sisters teased me about being the last one married. Most of them were married before they hit the quarter-century mark, but I wasn’t in a hurry. I didn’t plan on getting married more than once so I wanted to make sure I made the right decision. Turned out it was the wrong one!

I was now forty-seven and while I didn’t need a man to make me happy, I missed the intimacy and companionship.

When Scott and I started to have problems in our marriage, I wondered if things would have been different if I could’ve given him children. But over time I realized he was the problem, not me. I was the one who battled cervical cancer a year after we got married. He should have been there for me instead of rolling between the sheets with what I now believe had been a long list of women. He was a cheat, and I was better off without him.

I sat my laptop on the coffee table and went into the kitchen to make a salad for dinner. I’d been trying to eat healthier. The change of life had knocked on my door, and it had brought unwelcome guests: Weight and High Blood Pressure!

I was loading the dishwasher when my best friend Jackie called.

‘Hey, Jack. I was just going to call you.’

‘Sure, sure.’

‘No, honest. I just finished eating.’

‘Have anything good?’

‘The usual. A—’

‘No, wait! Let me guess. A salad topped with chicken, cucumbers and vinaigrette dressing.’

I laughed. ‘Am I that predictable?’

‘Yes. You need to learn to be more adventurous when it comes to eating – and dating.’

‘Whoa! Wait a minute. Who says I’m not adventurous when it comes to dating? As a matter of fact, I signed up for that online dating site you’ve been bugging me about.’

‘When?’

‘The other day.’

‘The other day!’ Jackie’s voice was so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. ‘And you’re just telling me now?’

‘I was going to tell you. Honest. I just wanted to see if I saw anything interesting first.’

‘And did you?’

‘Not really. Well, maybe one. At least he had straight teeth and hair.’

Jackie laughed. ‘Is it really that bad?’

I walked to the sofa and sat down. ‘Shopping for a guy online feels weird.’

‘But you do almost all of your shopping online,’ Jackie said.

‘This is different. It’s not like I’m buying a new blazer or blouse.’

‘But it’s efficient. Much easier than striking up a conversation with a stranger at the gym or in the produce section of a supermarket. Dating websites bring like-minded people together.’

‘I guess I just don’t have a lot of faith in a dating website algorithm. In some ways, I think technology makes getting to know someone harder. Let’s face it, most people probably lie on their profiles, and it’s difficult to gauge sincerity when you don’t see facial expressions or body language.’

‘But if it goes well online, you eventually meet and see all that,’ Jackie said.

I noticed a loose thread dangling from my shirt sleeve and ripped it off. ‘Yes, and what happens? People want to know if the person they go out on a date with is “the one” within ten minutes of meeting them. I mean, seriously. How much can you get to know someone in a couple of hours when you’re both nervous and on your best behavior?’

‘I agree that some guys might want that instant gratification,’ Jackie said, ‘and if they don’t get instant results will think the date is a bust and move on. But I’m sure they’re not all like that.’

I sighed. ‘I guess all of this is making me feel like an option instead of a priority. Besides, I’m not very good at selling myself. It takes skill to write a compelling dating profile.’

Jackie cleared her throat. ‘You’re selling yourself short, Shelly. You’re a great writer. Always have been. I’m sure your profile is perfect.’

‘Thanks. I’m just not sure that a perfect partner is a click away.’

‘Well, what about the profile you just mentioned. Is he a possibility?’

‘EricT?’

‘It has a nice ring to it. Eric T. Have you messaged him?’

‘Uh, no.’

‘You totally should.’

‘No way am I texting a guy first. I don’t want to seem desperate or too anxious.’

‘Ugh! You’re impossible,’ Jackie said. ‘I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Remember, tacos at Tony’s.’

‘I wouldn’t miss it for anything. I swear my skin is turning green from eating so many salads. A greasy Tony’s taco is just what I need to get my color back!’

A few minutes after I hung up with Jackie, my phone beeped. It was a text from EricT.

Hi! What’s your cat’s name?

I realized he’d seen the photo of me holding Izzy online.

I laid down the book I’d picked up to read and typed my response.

Izzy.

Cute name.

Thanks. Do you have any pets?

No. I had a dog growing up, though.

What kind?

Golden retriever.

Golden retrievers are sweet. Good with kids.

Do you have kids?

No.

Me neither.

An hour later, I’d texted more in sixty minutes than I had in my entire life! I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this comfortable talking to a man. I learned EricT stood for Eric Talbot. He worked in sales, and loved horses and craft beer.

When I crawled into bed that night, with Izzy snuggled beside me, it was the first time in a long time that I thought about a guy.

I woke the next morning and remembered that I was spending the day with a couple who were relocating to the area. I had planned to show them five properties. By the end of the day, I’d be ready to devour a Tony’s taco!

I reached for my phone on my nightstand and realized I’d already received a text from Eric.

Thanks for talking last night. I really enjoyed our conversation.

It felt as if I was being tickled from the inside. It’d been years since I felt butterflies in my stomach. I texted back, Me, too!

As soon as he received my text, he texted again. Maybe we can talk on the phone later. Can I call you?

I’d like that, I texted. I should be home by nine-thirty.

Great! I’ll call you then. Have a great day, Shelly!

You, too!

I jumped in the shower and dressed for work. I had to call Jackie on my way to pick up my clients to tell her about Eric.

‘Wait! What? So EricT texted you last night and I’m just hearing about it now?’

I laughed. ‘And this morning. And he asked if he could call me later.’

‘Well, well, well, Shelly. I believe you have an admirer.’

‘Oh, it’s nothing. Just some texts, but he seems nice.’

‘Hmmm.’

‘What’s “hmmm” mean?’

‘Oh, I don’t know. Just hmmm.’

‘No, I know that hmmm. It means you’re thinking something. What is it? What are you thinking?’

‘Hmmm.’

‘Come on! Tell me,’ I pleaded.

‘Oh, okay. I just detect a sliver of excitement in your voice. And, well, it’s been a while since I’ve heard that.’

I pulled into the hotel where I was picking up my clients. ‘Gotta go. Picking up my clients now.’

‘Perfect timing, eh?’

I laughed. ‘I’ll see you later at Tony’s.’

‘Can’t wait.’

The day went fast and after showing the Randalls four properties I was beginning to think we’d never find the perfect place. But when I pulled up to the luxurious brick home in a new bundled golf community, they were the most excited I’d seen them all day.

By the time I finished showing them the four-bedroom, three-bath home, I knew they were smitten. This home was perfect, just what they’d been looking for.

It reminded me that so often in life we’re not exactly sure what we’re looking for. But we know it when we see it. There’s something about it that says, this is right for me. I knew the Randalls had found their Happy Ever After, I just hoped that one day I would find mine.

Chapter 3

A couple of hours later, I delivered the Randalls’ offer to the listing agent on my way to meet Jackie. Tony’s always drew a crowd on taco night, but Jackie’s blow-in-the-wind fiery red hair was hard to miss. I walked to the bar and slid into the seat she’d saved next to her.

She looked up from her phone. ‘About time you got here.’

I hung my purse on the hook under the bar. ‘Sorry, I had to finish some paperwork.’

Jackie smiled. ‘Make a sale?’

‘Hopefully. The out-of-town buyers I told you about loved the last property I showed them.’

Jackie sipped her rum and Coke. ‘Great!’

I ordered a gin and diet tonic. ‘I’m starved. I barely ate anything all day.’

‘Me, too. I’ve been saving my calories for tacos!’

‘I didn’t know you were counting calories,’ I said.

‘Some lady at work is doing it and talked me into doing it with her. I cheat a lot though.’

I laughed.

The bartender slid my drink in front of me and took our orders.

‘So, Bruce asked me where I wanted to go for our twentieth anniversary,’ Jackie said.

I turned to face Jackie and nearly fell off my bar stool.

‘Yeah, I know. It surprised me, too. We both know how frugal he is. When I said I wanted to go to Paris, he had a coughing fit so severe I thought he was going to pass out. As soon as he recovered, he made a dozen excuses why that wouldn’t be a good idea. Overseas travel is dangerous. Neither of us speak French. Blah blah blah. But the real reason was that a trip to Paris cost a lot more than he planned on spending. He suggested going to the beach.’

‘But you always go to the beach,’ I said. ‘That wouldn’t be that special.’

‘Exactly!’

‘Well, maybe he’ll come around,’ I said.

‘He’d better if he wants to go to Canada.’

‘Canada?’

‘Yeah. A few hours after we had the Paris discussion, he tells me he wants to go on a fishing trip to Canada with his buddies. I figured it was probably why he brought up a twentieth-anniversary trip in the first place. I told him if he’s going on a fishing trip, I’m going to Paris – with or without him.’

‘I’d go,’ I said. ‘Do you think Bruce would mind if we went? I mean, it wouldn’t be the romantic vacation you dreamed about, but…’

Jackie laughed. ‘Romantic? Bruce’s idea of being romantic is buying me a new flashlight to keep in my car which, by the way, he did the other day. Let’s face it, after twenty years the romance isn’t what it once was.’

I laughed. ‘Having a flashlight in your car isn’t a bad idea.’

Jackie nodded. ‘Agreed. But having four of them is a bit unnecessary. Anyway, enough about Bruce. If he doesn’t want to go to Paris, we’ll go. Now tell me about Eric T.’

‘He seems nice, but I’m not sure it will go anywhere.’

Jackie shook her finger at me. ‘Don’t do that.’

‘Do what?’

‘Shut the door before you explore what’s on the other side,’ she said. ‘A date or two isn’t going to hurt anything. Besides, distance might be a good thing. Close enough that you can see each other on weekends but not too close that you feel as if you must spend every night together. You never know, he might just end up being the one you’d shave your legs for!’

We laughed again.

Jackie was right about one thing. I wasn’t the type of woman who had to be with someone all the time. As the only child of a single alcoholic mom, I was used to entertaining myself and being alone. I liked my space.

‘Anything new with the kids?’ I asked.

‘Nick’s going to the prom. Actually, let me show you what he did.’ Jackie grabbed her cell phone and scrolled through the photos until she came to one of white lights on a small hill.

I put on my reading glasses. ‘Oh, too cute.’

The lights were arranged to spell ‘Prom?’.

Jackie laughed. ‘The kids try to up one another when it comes to these promposals. Nick surprised me. He thought of it himself. Dug out the Christmas lights and set it up at his buddy’s house.’

I scratched my head. ‘But it looks like it’s out in the middle of nowhere. How’d he power it?’

‘A generator.’

I shook my head. ‘Everything is so much more complicated than when we were young.’

‘Tell me about it,’ Jackie said. ‘And costlier. At least Nick has my romantic genes and not his father’s.’

We laughed.

‘It’s true that Bruce has never been Mr Romantic,’ I said, ‘but you have to admit the man is amazing in so many other ways. And he adores you. He’d never cheat on you. Ever! You’re lucky to have him.’

‘I know. And I don’t mean to complain. No one is perfect. God knows I have my own issues that drive Bruce crazy. And his lack of romance wouldn’t bother me so much if he wasn’t so tight. It’s not like we don’t have the money to go to Paris.’

‘But you know why that is,’ I said. ‘Bruce grew up having nothing, worked his ass off to build his business and provide for you and the kids.’

Two orders of tacos and three drinks later, Jackie and I were caught up, at least for the night. I headed home. Eric would be calling in less than an hour.

I tried to keep busy by tidying up my apartment. When I’m nervous, I clean. Having things to focus on calms me. I cleaned out Izzy’s litter box, straightened the stack of books on the coffee table and fluffed the throw pillows on the couch. Five minutes before he was supposed to call, I sat on the couch and waited for the ring. He called right on time. I didn’t want to appear overly anxious so I didn’t pick up until the third ring.

‘Hello.’

‘Shelly? Hi, it’s Eric.’

‘Oh, hi Eric.’ I tried to sound nonchalant.

‘You don’t sound anything like I thought you would.’

I laughed. ‘How did you think I’d sound?’

‘Oh, I don’t know.’

‘It’s okay. I know my voice is different. A lot of people ask if I’m a singer because of my raspy voice.’

‘Are you?’

‘No. I can’t carry a tune, although I wish I could. How about you? Can you sing?’

‘Not really. Well, maybe a little. I have a guitar that I pick around on.’

Our conversation went from my voice to our favorite bands to the songs on our app playlists. My shoulders dropped and I slouched on the couch, feeling more comfortable the longer we talked.

‘Can I tell you something?’ Eric asked. ‘It’s personal but I feel as if I can trust you.’

I sat straight up. ‘Sure, if you want to.’

‘It’s about my past.’

‘You weren’t a serial killer or anything like that?’ I joked.

Eric laughed. ‘No. My ex-wife cheated on me. Our marriage ended when I discovered the affair.’

‘Oh, Eric. I’m sorry.’ I went back to slouching on the couch.

‘I was devastated, you know? She was my everything, and I felt as if my heart was being ripped in two. Somehow I survived, picked up the pieces and moved on. I’m not going to lie. It was pure hell for a while. But I’m in a better place now.’

‘I’m glad you’re in a better place. We all deserve to be happy.’

‘Are you happy?’ he asked.

‘For the most part,’ I said. ‘Like you, I was hurt by someone I loved very much.’

There was a pregnant pause.

‘Sorry you were hurt, Shelly.’

A lump formed in my throat. Where did this guy come from? He was so open and honest. I felt as if he deserved the same in return.

‘My husband had an affair, too,’ I explained. ‘Like you, I was devastated. My world was ripped apart and I was never the same.’

‘Thank you for telling me,’ he whispered.

‘I can’t believe I did, but you’re so easy to talk to.’

‘Well, I know all about the tears and feelings of betrayal. To have someone you love destroy you like that is horrible. I understand completely. You’re not alone. Are you in a better place now?’

‘Much better.’

‘I never thought I’d use an online dating site,’ Eric said. ‘It took some time to muster enough courage to try it. I never thought I’d be able to put myself out there. It hasn’t been easy for me and I’m not comfortable doing it.’

‘Tell me about it! Have you been on many dates?’

‘A couple. And you?’

‘Not yet.’

‘Well, maybe we can change that.’

I lay down on the couch. ‘I still have times when I wonder why I married Scott. Looking back, we didn’t have a lot in common. At the time, I thought that was a plus. Now, I’m not so sure.’

‘Can we ever be sure of anything?’ Eric asked.