GENRE: Romance/Mystery/Historical

12th July 1934

Have you ever loved so much, you would kill?

Even now, my fingers still tremble with anticipation and the anxiety of being caught. Perhaps it was the wine clouding my mind, but something came over me tonight. It was an emotion that flooded over the passion, love, and affection from earlier. Now, I feel hollow. Empty.

I am in my room. I should feel safe with the knowledge of being able to lock the door or climb out the window for immediate escape. However, I know deep down that I cannot be safe.

Writing this, the cruise ship is swaying among the waves of the Nile—I can feel it as surely as I felt the cool metal against my skin half an hour ago as I reached into my purse. None of this calms my wavering writing. The thrill from earlier has begun to wear off, replaced by the scattered shards of my heart and my memories.

Since the beginning of the cruise, I thought his eyes were only on me, his heart belonging to me. The glittering diamond should have been enough to prove that, yet his gaze lingered elsewhere. On other women.

I foolishly thought that he was promised to me. I should have known better against all the lingering glances and feline touches. All I could see was their lips moving, plush with crimson poison, as they muttered sweet nothings in his ear. I was nothing!

Dinner was all clinking glasses and forced smiles. My suspicions had been confirmed hours before, but I am the irrational one. I am the crazy one. I am the one making a fuss over nothing serious.

He was mine! Why could he not understand that?

This was supposed to be a celebration of our engagement, of our love. Instead, it has turned into a waking nightmare, and I don't know whether I will wake up from this coming out of the other side as the innocent, blushing bride I was supposed to be.

He was mine. He needed to know that, to understand it all. If no one else could have him, then neither could I.

— Written for the Death on the Nile contest held by Wattpad —