Chapter 1
I was out of town when I got a text from my neighbor. She sent: [Your husband just brought some flashy-looking woman home.]
I rushed back immediately.
My husband, Eric Shaw, wasn't there, so I tore through the house, room by room.
I shouted, "Where are you hiding, you homewrecker? Get out of here!"
When I bent down to look under the bed, I found a bloodied female corpse.
Her head had been severed, eyes wide open, staring right at me.
My blood ran cold.
Just then, footsteps sounded at the front door; Eric was back.
*****
The lock clicked open.
My heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, I scanned the room, then dove into the closet as fast as I could.
The closet had louvered doors, and through the slats, I could still see the severed head lying under the bed.
The woman had heavy smoky eye makeup and exaggerated colored contacts.
At first glance, her eyes were just two black holes, staring so wide it looked like they might pop right out of her head.
I clamped my hand over my mouth, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might explode.
I just couldn't wrap my head around it. I came home to catch my husband cheating. How the hell did it turn into this?
Why would Eric go so far as to kill her?
Did they have some kind of argument?
Eric had always had a short fuse. If the waiter took too long at a restaurant, he would slam the table in frustration.
He argued with people all the time; it was practically his daily routine.
But no matter how bad his temper got, murder was just insane. That was a crime. Did he even think about what would happen?
While I was freaking out, Eric strolled into the bedroom.
He looked downright cheerful, holding a black plastic bag and humming a happy song.
"Today's a great day, everything's going my way," he sang.
Still humming, he crouched down, set the plastic bag by his feet, and pulled the severed head out from under the bed.
He cradled the head in his left hand, then tapped the woman's nose with his right, as if mock-scolding her.
He said, "You, huh.
"Always so stubborn."
His voice was light and teasing, like they were bantering lovers.
He said, "Look at you, so gorgeous. I really do adore you.
"I told you to just lie quietly in bed, but you just had to mess with my things.
"You found out my secret; what else could I do? I had to kill you.
"We've only been together for such a short time, and honestly, I can't bear to let you go."
As he spoke, he leaned in and gave her bright red lips two fierce kisses.
The reek of blood was so strong I nearly gagged.
I never would've guessed Eric was such a freak.
He could actually kiss a severed head and not even flinch.
Was he some kind of deranged killer?
What the hell was that secret he mentioned?
We had been married for four years, and I was always the one tidying up around the house. His phone password was my birthday. I could go through it whenever I wanted, and I never noticed anything out of the ordinary.