29 May, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt (Day 3118) Part 1 | Prompt: throw him under the bus (echarle la culpa a él)
Source
Beverly sat at the kitchen island, furiously clicking her pen, while Lionel stood proudly by the refrigerator holding an empty cereal box that he was attempting to balance in the recycling bin. A devoted wife and mother, at this stage of her life she was simply exhausted.
Summer was upon them, and Beverly was finding it difficult to navigate the entire season now that they faced the "empty nest" phase of their lives. Still reeling from the grocery store run Lionel volunteered to handle, she clenched her jaw at the two-ply toilet paper he returned with instead of the one-ply she specifically indicated on her list.
"It's all the same, isn't it," he replied sweetly with a slightly satisfied look. He had no idea the gravity of the bathroom situation he'd created.
Then there was the case of Lionel's incurable habit of leaving empty ice cube trays in the freezer. Moving on to the fridge, inside the empty cups were piling up. Outside, their lawn wouldn't qualify for the Yard of the Month trophy.
Never the large things, she remembered reading an article once about sustainable relationships.
Vicious thought gremlins roamed through her mind seeking an amicable resolution to her mid-life crisis. I need a reset before forging forward with this man into the next phase of our lives, she thought grimacing. Heaving a heavy sigh, the mischievous side of her personality burst through.
"Lionel," she said, her voice dripped with artificial sweetness, then continued. "Do you remember when the neighborhood watch supervisor asked who completely damaged the community garden's prize-winning petunias?"
"Oh, yeah," he chuckled, blissfully unaware of the murderous sparkle in her eye. "Total tragedy. Good thing the HOA never uncovered the culprit."
"Yeah, what a shame," she smiled, rising and patting him on the shoulder. "A very good thing. Which is why I told them it was YOU."
His eyebrows slowly furrowed, giving his brain time to think.
"Wait! What?" Lionel dropped the empty milk carton. "I didn't touch those petunias! Why would you tell them that?"
"Because, my darling," she said, picking up the milk carton and placing it in his hand, before leading him toward the front door, opening it, then gently guiding him outside by the elbow, "the Annual Neighborhood Bake-Off is this weekend, and I don't have time to be interrogated about some damn flowers. Besides, everyone suspects the culprit applied poison. I told them you were the mastermind behind it all to save my own skin."
"Your skin?" Lionel squawked as he stepped onto their Welcome To Our Loving Home mat. The screen door clicked abruptly behind him.
"Good luck, sweetie! And, don't forget to clear your name by next Saturday!" Beverly’s voice muffled through the screen.
A flawless scapegoat. No harm; no foul. Effectively an attempt to throw him under the bus.
[to be continued]
My story is based on 29 May 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3118: throw him under the bus
Source
El verano del gran envenenamiento por petunias y otros dilemas - Parte 1
Beverly estaba sentada en la isla de la cocina, haciendo clic furiosamente con su bolígrafo, mientras Lionel se mantenía de pie, orgulloso, junto a la nevera, sosteniendo una caja vacía de cereales que intentaba equilibrar en el contenedor de reciclaje. Esposa y madre dedicada, en esta etapa de su vida simplemente estaba agotada.
El verano estaba a la vuelta de la esquina y a Beverly le resultaba difícil afrontar toda la temporada ahora que se enfrentaban a la fase del «nido vacío» de sus vidas. Aún aturdida por la compra que Lionel se había ofrecido a hacer, apretó la mandíbula al ver el papel higiénico de dos capas con el que había vuelto, en lugar del de una sola capa que ella había indicado específicamente en su lista.
«Da lo mismo, ¿no?», respondió él dulcemente con una mirada ligeramente satisfecha. No tenía ni idea de la gravedad de la situación que había provocado en el baño.
Luego estaba el caso del hábito incurable de Lionel de dejar bandejas de cubitos de hielo vacías en el congelador. Pasando a la nevera, los vasos vacíos se amontonaban en su interior. Fuera, su césped no daría la talla para el trofeo al «Jardín del mes».
Nunca eran las cosas importantes, recordó haber leído una vez un artículo sobre relaciones sostenibles.
Pensamientos maliciosos deambulaban por su mente en busca de una solución amistosa a su crisis de mediana edad. «Necesito un reinicio antes de seguir adelante con este hombre hacia la siguiente fase de nuestras vidas», pensó haciendo una mueca. Tras soltar un profundo suspiro, su lado más travieso salió a la luz.
«Lionel», dijo ella, con la voz rebosante de dulzura fingida, y continuó: «¿Te acuerdas de cuando el responsable de la patrulla vecinal preguntó quién había destrozado por completo las petunias premiadas del huerto comunitario?»
«Ah, sí», respondió él con una risita, ajeno por completo al destello asesino que brillaba en los ojos de ella. «Una auténtica tragedia. Menos mal que la comunidad de propietarios nunca descubrió al culpable».
«Sí, qué pena», sonrió ella, levantándose y dándole una palmada en el hombro. «Menos mal. Por eso les dije que habías sido TÚ».
Frunció lentamente el ceño, dándose tiempo para pensar.
«¡Espera! ¿Qué?», exclamó Lionel, dejando caer el cartón de leche vacío. «¡Yo no toqué esas petunias! ¿Por qué les dijiste eso?»
«Porque, cariño mío», dijo ella, cogiendo el cartón de leche y poniéndoselo en la mano, antes de llevarlo hacia la puerta principal, abrirla y, a continuación, guiarlo con suavidad hacia fuera cogiéndole del codo, *«este fin de semana es el Concurso Anual de Repostería del Barrio, y no tengo tiempo para que me interroguen sobre unas malditas flores. Además, todo el mundo sospecha que el culpable echó veneno. Les dije que tú eras el cerebro detrás de todo esto para salvar mi propio pellejo».
«¿Tu pellejo?», chilló Lionel al pisar el felpudo que decía «Bienvenidos a nuestro hogar lleno de amor». La puerta mosquitera se cerró de golpe detrás de él.
«¡Buena suerte, cariño! ¡Y no te olvides de limpiar tu nombre antes del próximo sábado!» La voz de Beverly se oía amortiguada a través de la mosquitera.
Un chivo expiatorio perfecto. Sin daño, sin falta. En definitiva, un intento de echarle la culpa a él.
[continuará]
Mi relato se basa en [29 de mayo de 2026, Propuesta de escritura diaria de la comunidad Freewriters, día 3118: «tirarle bajo el autobús»](https://peakd.com/hive -161155/@daily.prompt/29-may-2026-freewriters-community-daily-writing-prompt-day-3118-throw-him-under-the-bus)
SOURCES:
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g) "Flames." What is Apophysis 2.09. https://flam3.com/
If translation included, I use DeepL to assist my readers.
Thanks for your patience an understanding.
Si se incluye traducción, utilizo DeepL para ayudar a mis lectores.
Gracias por su paciencia y comprensión.
!BBH
Okay, I didn't expect Beverly's mischievous solution to the domestic frustrations she faced! 😄
This was such an entertaining read. You had me laughing at Lionel's bewilderment when his wife exposed him as the mastermind behind the damaged petunias. But did she really? I like that your story touches on a relatable situation that married couples face when the nest becomes empty. Beautifully written. I look forward to the continuing part. Do take care. 🌹
A relatable story indeed. I faced the same situation. When the children are small, the mom is too busy with them to notice that the husband is the last child that need to be dealt with. But because both parents are too busy with work and other obligations, the situations lurk in the background until the nest is empty. Then, the minor issues loom large and are thrust to the forefront because there are no distractions to sidetrack you.
You know, I've read numerous articles about reasons why couples separate and divorce after the last child graduates from high school or college. And, it's not only women who walk away. That's why communication is so, so important. It's a scary thought that makes one pause and attempt to deal with issues instead of simmering on the back burner.
Thanks so much for your visit. I'm pleased you enjoyed Part 1. Let's see what really happened to those petunias and who's the culprit. My favorite character is yet to come. Also, I want to bring the children into the mix without making the story too long. Take care and have a nice rest of your week.
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Thanks so much @topcomment. I appreciate your support made possible by @storicious' visit.
You are welcome! Glad to be part of this journey and appreciate the positive vibes you are bring to the overall community. The whole purpose is to encourage meaningful and genuine interactions, which is basically the crux of any platform. So keep creating and sharing, and remember your efforts never go unnoticed. Hope we continue to support and celebrate each others contributions. Hive is all about L-earning (learning plus earning).
Have a beautiful day!
I couldn't agree more. I can see how little habits and frustrations that a spouse overlooked or which barely register during the busy years of raising children can become annoyingly obvious once the house grows quiet. It becomes important for couples who choose to stay together to rediscover themselves beyond the role of parents.
Now I'm curious about the mystery of the petunias and eager to meet your favourite character! Thanks for sharing your perspective on this. 🌹
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