The Perfect Dinner

He meticulously laid out his private feast: premium sushi, fried chicken, and an ice-cold beer. Smiling, he tapped on his phone, exchanging dirty texts. Just a few feet away, the agonizing wails and violent retching grew louder. The woman, who usually looked down on everyone, was now thrashing naked in a pool of her own filth. Like a mindless beast, she hurled herself into the cold, dry bathtub in a frantic frenzy. Listening to her blood-curdling struggles, he took a sip of beer. It tasted sweeter than ever. Chuckling, he picked up his phone again and ordered a pepperoni pizza. The next morning, the house was dead silent. As paramedics wheeled the stretcher out the front door, he collapsed onto the lawn in front of all the gathered neighbors. Sobbing until he nearly passed out, he gripped the paramedic's jacket. "Please!" he wailed, "You can't let her leave me alone!"