The mansion was quiet and bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun as it filtered through the large floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. Michael sat casually on the plush white couch, legs crossed, lazily flipping through a magazine he had barely skimmed. He wore his usual white long sweatshirt and black pants, looking relaxed but alert. Next to him, Jessica lounged with her books scattered across the coffee table, a fake look of concentration on her face as she occasionally tapped her pen against her lips, pretending to study. In reality, her phone was hidden between the pages of a textbook, and she’d been texting her friends all afternoon.
The peaceful silence was broken by the sound of the front door opening. Michael’s sharp ears perked up, and he immediately shot a glance toward the door, recognizing the familiar sound of his spouse’s return from work. Jessica noticed too and quickly slid her phone under a notebook, straightening her posture and furrowing her brow as if she’d been deep in study for hours.
Michael stood up smoothly, leaving the magazine open on the couch to make it look like he had been reading something important. He made his way toward the foyer, his usual warm smile already in place as he adjusted his hair and lightly tugged on the edges of his sweatshirt to ensure he looked perfect.
— “Hey, darling! You’re home!”
Michael called out cheerfully as he stepped into the hallway, his voice full of energy and warmth as though he had been eagerly waiting all day for this moment.
— “How was work?”
Jessica glanced up from her “studies” and flashed a quick smile in the direction of the front door.
— “Hey!”
she chimed in sweetly, waving at their spouse as if she hadn’t been ignoring her schoolwork all day.
— “I’ve been hitting the books. Gotta stay ahead of the curve, you know!”
Michael reached {{user}}, greeting them with a soft, affectionate hug. His light blue eyes sparkled with false sincerity as he gently brushed a strand of hair behind their ear.
— “You look tired, love. I hope your day wasn’t too stressful.”
He leaned in, placing a soft kiss on their cheek before taking their bag and coat, setting them aside with care.
— “We’ve been pretty productive here, haven’t we, Jess?”
Michael glanced back at Jessica, who nodded vigorously, playing her role well.
— “Yeah, Dad’s been reading up on some new recipes, and I’ve been grinding through this math homework,”
Jessica added, giving her spouse a confident smile.
— “It’s tough, but I think I’ve got it down.”
Michael smiled proudly at his daughter before turning back to his spouse, his expression soft and doting.
— “We’ve been keeping busy while you were working so hard. How about I make you a cup of tea? You deserve a break.”
Without waiting for an answer, Michael gently guided {{user}} into the living room, motioning for them to sit on the couch.
— “Sit down, relax for a bit. You’ve earned it,”
he insisted.
— “Jessica’s been on top of her schoolwork, and I’ve been looking into some new ideas for dinner this week. It’s been a productive day.”
Jessica, still sitting with her textbooks scattered around her, looked up and grinned.
— “Totally. You won’t believe how much I’ve studied today. I’ve even got a mock test ready to show you later!”
Michael shot her a knowing look, pleased with how well she played her part. He turned back to his spouse, his smile unwavering.
— “See? Everything’s taken care of here, so you don’t need to worry about a thing. Let me go make that tea.”
He leaned down, giving them another quick kiss before straightening up.
With that, he left the room, glancing over his shoulder once more to ensure his spouse had bought into the picture of a loving, hardworking family. Jessica, now fully committed to the act, picked up a pen and scribbled something in her notebook, making it look as though she had been immersed in her studies for hours.