"From now on, I will not try to resolve other's problems until they ask me for help", she thought but if it came to it she couldn't help interfering. It was in her DNA. Once she felt something was wrong she had to figure out what it was, as if an inner power forced her to keep on the trail, digging till the truth came out, or how they called it, to satisfy that inner feeling till it stopped nagging.
It wasn't her problem but she couldn't understand why the woman stayed. Each night the commotion next door had started just as she was going to bed. As far as she could tell it was a relative argument. He kept saying what a fraud he was, she kept saying he was not still the moment came she said what he wanted her to say and he at once took the opportunity to scold her. She had heard it all even saw him playing his little game through the window and kept wondering why she fell for it, what exactly made that man so special. Only one thing satisfied the monster, the moment he had beaten her up and she gave up begging.
Once it became silent she fell asleep and the next morning it always looked as if nothing happened. To the world outside they were the perfect couple, perfection living next door at number forty-four and she? She proved to be the ideal neighbor.
"It's just a dumb old cat!"
He smiled but in reality, the animal had scared him to death. "Stupid cat," he groaned and hurried inside the building to ring the doorbell of her apartment. Unexpectedly the door was opened.
"Hi dear, aren't you going to let me in, offer me a cup of coffee? he said.
She looked at him without expression, no sign of warmth, or even friendship.
"Get out of here. I don't want to see you ever again."
She shut the door in his face and he heard her lock it from inside. It was clear she had cut him out of her life. Was it a mistake to go to her apartment from time to time just to check out how she was doing? Was there something he could do?
It was true he had tried to dominate his wife but she had merely gone along with it, this single young woman was the one. The opportunity makes the thief, she asked for it. She had been the perfect solution, no family, friends, defenseless: a true victim but the victim had struck back. She had kicked him back unexpectedly. Was there a way out? She told him she never wanted to see him again, never hear his voice again, and had warned him what she would do if he decided differently. There was too much to lose. The good life, the wife, his reputation.
As he stepped into his car he didn't notice the old cat hiding underneath it, too busy with his thoughts, the misery she had dragged him into. She saw him leave and knew what to do.
The knock on the door surprised him. He couldn't remember the last time anyone knocked on his door. After she had taken over control he cut the ties with everyone. If he couldn't have custody of her, use her he had to watch his steps and find someone else. Not now but later. There was no doubt a witch like her had made enemies and he would find them.
Carefully he looked through the tiny peeping hole in the front door. "One can never be too careful," he mumbled.
He gave it ten more minutes before he opened the door and looked outside. In front of him laid a dead cat. It's organs spread over his doormat. A note was placed on it and the last thing he read was 'it's curiosity that killed the cat'.
Good story