Secret under the Skin

I discovered my fiancé Simon's secret. Without my knowledge, he was keeping a woman who looked like a monster in the attic of our new home. [Don't rush, eat slowly.] Outside the attic door, I heard his gentle voice coming from inside, and it felt like a knife to my heart. We are about to get married, and he does this to me... I peered through the c***k of the door, trying hard to see the woman's face, but the next second, I broke out in a cold sweat. I saw a woman who appeared entirely red. No, not red—she was skinless. She was chained and crouched on the ground, gnawing at a plate of red meat like a beast. The meat was covered with a red, unidentified liquid that looked like blood. Simon crouched in front of her, watching her eat with great interest. Then he dipped a finger into the bloody liquid on the plate and, with a look of enjoyment, put it in his mouth. I was frozen in place, not daring to breathe. The sadness I felt earlier vanished, replaced by sheer terror. My heart pounded violently in my chest, and my breathing grew heavier. Oh no, the sound was especially loud in the empty attic. Simon must have sensed something was wrong. He suddenly turned his head, his eyes, starkly black and white, staring straight through the door c***k and meeting mine. My heart raced even faster. He stood up and started walking towards the door. One step, two steps... Thump, thump, thump—my heartbeat grew louder. Run! Run fast! my brain screamed. But my body wouldn't obey; I could only stagger backward. Creak. The door swung open from the inside. Simon stood in the doorway, staring directly at me, his expression unreadable. Then, he gave me a strange, exaggerated smile, so wide that the corners of his mouth seemed to reach his ears, looking especially eerie in the dim light. He said, 'Zara, you saw everything, didn't you?' I felt like I couldn't breathe, and my mind started to blur. Through the haze, I saw Simon approaching me with that smile. I tried desperately to stay conscious, but dizziness washed over me in waves. I only vaguely saw Simon's figure getting closer before everything went black. When I awoke, I found myself lying on the large bed in the bedroom, nestled in Simon's arms. My head throbbed with pain. I propped myself up and used my right hand to rub my temples, trying to ease the pain. Gradually, memories of what happened resurfaced, and my body began to tremble slightly. My eyes involuntarily darted to the right, meeting a pair of eyes in the darkness. I screamed, 'Ah!' Simon leaned over, ignoring my resistance, and pulled me into his arms. 'Zara, did you have a nightmare? Why are you covered in cold sweat?' A nightmare? I stopped struggling and murmured to myself, "Was it just a nightmare?" "Yeah!" Simon turned on the light, looking worried. "Zara, are you having pre-wedding jitters? You've been having nightmares a lot lately." Yeah, Simon and I are getting married soon. I should trust him. I switched off the light and hugged Simon. "Maybe every girl feels this way before getting married. Let's get some sleep." Even after lying down, I couldn't fall asleep. In the darkness, my heartbeat quickened for some reason. I... I seemed to have overlooked something. I instinctively turned away from Simon, trying to hide my fear-widened eyes. Then it hit me! Simon's eyes had no trace of sleepiness earlier! While I was asleep, he was watching me, or rather... monitoring me. Suddenly, Simon's arm draped itself over my waist, and I could feel his breath on my neck. "Zara, aren't you sleeping?" I couldn't let him notice anything was off! I quickly shut my eyes, pretending to sleep, and before I knew it, I actually did. When I opened my eyes again, it was already morning. I sat up abruptly and saw a note from Simon. "Zara, I've gone to work. I've prepared breakfast for you, remember to heat it up before eating." I glanced at the clock; it was 11:55. It's already so late, but Simon usually gets home by 12:30, so there should be enough time. I don't believe everything from yesterday was just a nightmare. Whatever the truth is, I have to find out. I headed to the attic. As expected, there was a lock on the door. But I knew exactly where the key was. I lifted the carpet in front of the door, revealing the spare key lying quietly underneath. I inserted the key into the lock and gently turned it until it clicked open. I gulped. I pressed my ear against the door, trying to catch any sounds from inside. But it was eerily quiet inside, as if there was no sign of life. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. A strong, unpleasant odor hit me, reminiscent of raw meat. I saw the woman I had glimpsed through the c***k in the door last time. She was still chained, lying on the ground, her life or death unknown. Uneaten chunks of meat were scattered around her, with a few flies buzzing around. Could she be dead? I fought against my fear, cautiously approached her, and squatted down to see if she was still alive. The woman suddenly opened her eyes and clamped her skinless hand tightly around my wrist. With her other hand, she stroked my skin, a greedy look flashing across her face. "Such tender skin!" she whispered hoarsely in my ear. I froze. I desperately tried to wrench free from her grip. I regret coming back here! This woman is a psychopath! The woman gave a chilling laugh and released her grip. I stumbled back several steps from the momentum. [Scared of me, are you?] The woman gave a strange smile and suddenly leaned close to me, her bloodshot eyes full of malice. [But I'm like this all thanks to Simon! Simon is a psychopath!] Simon? No way. I shook my head in denial, but then I recalled Simon dipping his finger into the red liquid and savoring it. Suddenly, a ringing sound broke the silence. I flinched instinctively, only to realize it was my alarm. It was 12:25, Simon would be back soon, I had to hurry back. I rushed out, locked the door, and returned the spare key to its place. The skinless woman continued to laugh, and as I was leaving, I heard her say to me: [Let me tell you a secret, your fiancé Simon is a psychopath.] As I reached the door, I heard the sound of it opening. Simon was back. I quickly gathered myself, forcing a smile. Simon changed into his slippers and walked toward me. [Zara, did you come to greet me on purpose? I'm so happy.] His embrace was warm, but thinking of the woman's words made me feel a bit resistant. Simon led me to the dining table, seeing the untouched breakfast, he gently tapped my head, [You, not eating breakfast again, what if your stomach hurts?] My eyes welled up; I have stomach issues, but since meeting Simon, they haven't acted up. I'm an orphan, and Simon is the best person to me in this world. Seeing me dazed, Simon waved his hand in front of me, a bit worried, [Why have you been so absent-minded lately? Is it really pre-wedding nerves?] Then, he mysteriously smiled and patted a black bag, [Guess what good thing I brought you?] A bulge suddenly appeared on the bag, as if something inside was struggling. I found myself holding my breath. Simon slowly unzipped the bag and took out a rabbit. Seeing the sweat on my forehead, he gave a strange smile, [Why are you sweating? What did you think it was?] Without waiting for my answer, he wiped my sweat and said with a smile, [I'll make you some braised rabbit meat later, okay? To nourish you.] Simon had me sit at the dining table while he hummed a tune and went to the kitchen. I cautiously peeked in and saw this scene. Simon was carefully skinning the rabbit. He meticulously peeled back the rabbit's skin, his eyes gleaming with a disturbing fascination. The bright red rabbit skin lay to the side, his entire hand covered in rabbit blood. He looked at his hand thoughtfully, as if he was about to suck the blood from it like that day. Suddenly, he turned his head and grinned in the direction where I was peeking. I couldn't bear to watch any longer and returned to the dining table, feeling dazed. Before long, Simon set down a plate of tantalizingly colored meat on the table. The air was filled with the sweet scent of honey, but I had no appetite at all. Simon was the first to take a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, chewing a few times before swallowing it. He then licked the sauce from the corner of his mouth with a satisfied expression. Then he turned to me and placed a piece of meat into my bowl. I stared fixedly at the bright red piece of meat, my mind filled with images of blood-stained rabbit skin and the skinless flesh of that woman. [Zara, why aren't you eating?] I forced myself to calm down, fighting the urge to gag, and picked up a piece to put in my mouth. I felt his gaze on me until I swallowed the piece of meat, and only then did the prickling sensation on my back completely disappear. He let out a satisfied sigh of relief. [Good girl.] In the afternoon, Simon had to go to work. I sat by the window, watching him start the car. The moment the car was out of sight, I immediately ran towards the attic. There were some things I had to understand. This time, when I opened the door, I was face-to-face with the skinless woman's face. I let out a scream, my heart racing. The skinless woman giggled, like a child who had successfully executed a prank. [I knew you would come back.] Suddenly, she stopped laughing and said to me. [What did you mean by your words last time?] I asked, trying to suppress my fear. [What words? The ones about your fiancé being a p*****t?] The skinless woman's voice sounded like a devil's whisper, [Haven't you noticed anything strange?] I had noticed, but I didn't want to believe it. [That p*****t Simon is a human skin artist. He likes the skin of high-quality young women. So he usually disguises himself to get close to his chosen prey, and then waits for the right moment to peel their skin off bit by bit while they're still alive. His favorite is fresh, living skin.] The skinless woman lowered her head, her messy hair shrouding her entire face. Suddenly, she snapped her head up, her eyes wide with intensity, her throat emitting a strange sound, like laughter. [Doesn't he often like to touch your skin, praising how soft and nice it feels?] My heart sank like a stone. Simon is very handsome, and many people are drawn to him. Among those who like him, I'm not the best-looking; in fact, I'm quite plain. I once asked him why he liked me. He held me, pressed his forehead against mine, and said with a smile, [Your skin is very lovely, it feels good to touch.] At that time, I shyly buried my head in his arms, but now I only feel a chill. The skinless woman let out a soft snort, as if she understood: [I was like that too.] She continued, [He's going to make a move on you soon. He's barely able to suppress his urge to peel skin. He wants a new piece of human skin. You'd better run quickly, or once he notices, you'll never be able to leave here... haha, just like me.] [Why should I believe you? How do I know you're not deceiving me?] I heard my own dry voice. The skinless woman gave a hoarse laugh. [Go look in that cabinet over there, and you'll know if I'm lying to you.] She pointed to a somewhat old, vintage cabinet in the corner. I walked over and looked at the cabinet. It felt like Pandora's box. With trembling hands, I opened the cabinet. A stack of photos spilled out. The photos were all of bloody human skins and a hand holding one. I recognized the mole on that hand. It was Simon's hand. My fiancé Simon truly is a psychopathic murderer. My body felt weak, and I shakily took out my phone: [I need to... call the police.] [Call the police?] The skinless woman laughed strangely, [I wouldn't advise it. Your phone has already been tampered with by him. If you try to call the police, you'll end up reaching his spare phone, and then you'll be trapped.] She suddenly became agitated, moving close to me, pulling the chain so hard that it embedded into her flesh, yet she seemed unaware. [This is his old trick.] She said viciously. I didn't have time to think more as I heard the sound of a car pulling into the garage outside. Simon was back. The skinless woman's actions stopped, and she whispered nervously: [Quick, go.] I quickly put everything back, locked the door, and ran out of the attic. What was I going to do? I pondered this question as I ran back to the bedroom. I must not let Simon find out that I know his secret. I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm my breathing. My gaze drifted over the mirror on the bedside table. A chill ran down my spine. My right ear was bare. One of my earrings was missing. Could it have fallen off in the attic? Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. Suddenly, there was a sound outside the door, the sound of a key turning in the lock. The next second, the door opened, and Simon walked in. He stared at me, expressionless. He extended his hand: [Zara, is this yours?] In his hand was the earring I had lost.