Shadowed Marriage: Betrayal, Horror, and Death

Chapter One I remember it very clearly-it was winter a year ago, and the weather was freezing. I received a call from my friend, Jason. He said he saw my wife entering a hotel in Los Angeles with another man. He was staying at that same hotel. With the exact address in hand, I stormed over there. Each step on the carpet felt like stepping on my heart. I've had a crush on my wife for a long time. She was an incredibly charming woman, with smooth skin and a well-proportioned figure, always articulate and graceful. We rarely fought during our years of marriage. She took meticulous care of my parents when they were hospitalized. If Jason wasn’t my best friend, I would never believe she could do such a thing. As I reached the room door, Jason was about to knock. I suddenly grabbed his hand. “What are you doing?” Jason was startled by my action. “Don’t knock. Let’s leave.” “Are you even a man? Your wife is in there fooling around with someone else, and you don’t have the guts to face it?” Jason, my friend of over ten years, was utterly disappointed in me and roared in anger. I didn’t say another word, pulling Jason down the elevator. The cold wind hitting our faces made us look pale. I didn’t know how to face this. If I saw my wife naked with another man, I felt I might faint from rage. And with Jason’s volatile temper, if he accidentally hurt someone, my long-time friend would also get dragged into trouble. I was like a snail, always retreating into my shell when faced with danger, thinking that as long as I didn’t see it, it didn’t happen. I’d been scolded for this head-in-the-sand mentality since I was a kid, but I couldn’t change it. Naively, I thought that everyone makes mistakes, and if I gave her a chance to repent, everything could go back to the way it was. That night, my wife returned home close to ten. She looked exhausted, skipping dinner to take a shower. When she lay down on the bed, I casually asked, “Why did you come back so late today?” “What’s that on your neck?” I noticed a red mark on her neck that looked like a hickey. “Oh, it’s probably from my coat collar rubbing. My skin gets really sensitive in winter.” She was a bit nervous but quickly came up with an excuse. A wave of unspoken anger surged in me, but I decided to give her another chance. It was the biggest compromise I could make. “Are you crazy? What do I need to confess? What’s wrong with you…” My wife, Rose, impatiently turned away and started playing with her phone, ignoring me. Liar! You leave me no choice. I smirked coldly behind her back, grabbed the ashtray, and walked out of the room, beginning my long-planned revenge. Chapter Two Over the next few days, I did a lot of preparation. I bought a couple cameras and put them in hidden places around the house. I obtained all her phone records through a private investigator and even bought my father-in-law a Nikon camera. He used to be an elementary school teacher and developed an interest in photography after retiring. “Give it a try, Dad. Let me adjust the settings for you,” I said, fiddling with the camera. “Why spend so much money? You guys don’t have that much saved up,” he scolded, though his smile showed he was pleased. Clearly, he loved the gift. “Money is meant to improve our quality of life. As long as you’re happy, it’s worth it,” I replied, watching his satisfied face. When Rose and I first started dating, she was always distant, keeping her distance when we walked together, even pulling away if I accidentally touched her hand. I thought we had no future together. But one day, she suddenly accepted my marriage proposal. “I feel like we have empathy for each other, and you've always been someone I could rely on and trust. Why don't you get married?" Rose showed enthusiasm for the first time, linking her arm with mine. I was surprised. “Are you sure? Marriage isn’t a small matter.” “I’m sure, David. I want to talk about our future together.” Her voice was gentle yet firm. “First, I hope we can buy a house in a safe and comfortable neighborhood. I want a stable place where we can grow and build our future.” Her request was reasonable, and I nodded silently. She continued, “Secondly, my parents are facing some financial issues, especially with my mom’s medical bills. They still owe some money, and I hope we can help them out.” Rose looked at me with an expression of tenderness I had never seen before, and I was deeply moved. I agreed without hesitation. On our wedding day, the hall was packed with people. Rose wore a wedding dress, her figure delicate and elegant, her back smooth as jade, her legs long, her collarbone graceful, and her demeanor poised. She greeted my relatives warmly, and everyone praised her beauty and my good fortune. I felt on top of the world and drank a bit too much. When I noticed Rose wasn’t by my side, I looked for her and found her talking to someone at the staircase. I drunkenly called her name, and her face changed, her mouth twitching slightly. “What’s up? Is that a friend of yours?” I slurred. “No, just an old classmate,” Rose stammered. “Invite him in for a drink, why stand outside?” “Oh, he’s leaving,” Rose hurriedly came over to support me, and I saw a man’s figure disappear around the corner. Although it was strange, I didn’t think much of it at the time. On our wedding night, I eagerly undressed and kissed her, but she gently pushed me away. “Not tonight, I’ve got my period.” “Just my luck,” I complained. “I know it’s disappointing, but we have plenty of time together, don’t we?” Rose teased, playfully hitting me, her expression natural. However, the next day, when I cleaned the bathroom, I didn’t find any sanitary products. The washing machine didn’t have any stained underwear either. I didn’t think much of it then, but looking back, Rose might have been deceiving me all along. Every impression she gave me could have been a carefully woven lie. A week after we got married, we went to visit her parents. Her mom's surgery was minor and they didn't have to borrow money from anyone. A month later, she fell seriously ill on a business trip and took a month to recover. She said it was kidney stones, but I suspected she had a miscarriage. “David, have another drink with your dad. Where’s Rose today?” my mother-in-law asked, placing the last dish on the table. “Oh, she has work today. She’ll visit next week,” I smiled and replied. At that moment, my phone rang. I opened the screen to see a video from the hidden cameras: Rose and a man entering our house. She cautiously glanced around the hallway, then locked the door and embraced the man.