I Came for a Cheating Bust, Found a Murder Scene

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I was out of town when I received a text from my neighbor, Mrs. Rodriguez, claiming my husband, Arthur, had brought a glamorous woman home.

I immediately rushed back.

Arthur wasnt there, so I tore through the house, overturning drawers and rummaging through closets.

You slut, where are you hiding? Get out here!

I peered under the bed, only to discover a blood-soaked female corpse. Her head had been severed, her eyes wide open, staring fixedly at me.

Terror seized me, shaking me to my very core.

Just then, footsteps sounded from outside the door. Arthur was home!

The lock clicked.

A shiver shot through me, and almost instinctively, I glanced around, then darted into the wardrobe.

It had louvered doors, and through the slats, I could still see the head under the bed.

The woman wore heavy smoky eye makeup and exaggerated contact lenses. At first glance, her eyes were just two black voids, bulging as if they might pop out.

I clamped a hand over my mouth, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would explode.

I couldn't fathom it. I came home to catch my husband cheating, and instead, I stumbled into this!

Why would he kill her? Did they argue?

My husband, Arthur, always had a short fuse. If a waiter was slow at a restaurant, hed slam his hand on the table. Arguments were a regular occurrence.

But even with his temper, he wouldnt just kill someone, would he? Thats a crime! Didn't he think about the consequences?

Lost in my chaotic thoughts, Arthur stepped into the bedroom. He looked to be in high spirits, carrying a black plastic bag and humming a tune.

"Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day!"

Humming, he slowly knelt, placed the plastic bag by his feet, and pulled the head from under the bed.

He cradled the head in his left hand, and with his right, he playfully tapped the womans nose. "You know something?"

"You just never listen!"

His tone was teasing, as if they were flirting.

"Look at you, so beautiful. I truly adore you."

"I told you to just lie still on the bed, but you had to go messing with my things."

"You found my secret. What could I do? I had no choice but to let you go!"

"We haven't been together long, I really am going to miss you."

Then he leaned in, planting two passionate kisses on the woman's crimson lips.

The thick, foul smell of blood assaulted my nostrils, and I nearly gagged.

I never imagined my husband could be so utterly twisted. Kissing a severed head! He wasn't some deranged serial killer, was he?

And what "secret" was he talking about? We'd been married for four years. I cleaned everything in the house. His phone password was my birthday; I could look at it anytime. Id never found anything unusual!

I stared at Arthurs blood-stained face, twisted into a grotesque, unfamiliar expression.

After those violent kisses, he started humming again. "Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful evening"

He tossed the head into the black plastic bag, then bent down and dragged the womans body out from under the bed.

Only then did I see she was naked. Her figure was alluring, her waist impossibly slender. Alive, she would have been captivating.

But now, a brutal gash sliced across her delicate waist, as if she'd been cut in half. A section of her intestines spilled out.

Arthur reached out, slowly caressing the blood-soaked intestines, a look of profound sorrow on his face.

"Such a shame, I didnt mean to kill you so soon!"

After that, he went to the kitchen and returned with a cleaver.

He squatted on the floor and began to expertly dismember the body.

Watching him carve away flesh and separate bone with each precise stroke, a wave of intense nausea surged through me. I was about to throw up.

Everyone knows the saying about the skilled butcher, who, after nineteen years, could expertly carve an ox, his blade gliding through joints without resistance. Arthur gave me that exact impression.

His movements were fluid, sickeningly smooth. I barely heard any sound of bones being chopped. He was clearly engrossed in his gruesome skill, a look of satisfied pride on his face.

Soon, he had neatly separated the two legs, bones laid out, meat minced and packed into black plastic bags.

He stood up, stretching his back, and then, his gaze suddenly fixed, his expression snapping to one of alarm.

I followed his line of sight, and my eyes widened, cold sweat trickling down my spine.

My earring!

I instinctively touched my earlobe. The left one was indeed empty.

It must have fallen off when I was frantically searching the room earlier.

Arthurs brow furrowed. He walked over and picked up the earring.

"I could've sworn Daisy was wearing this exact pair of pearl earrings when she left this morning?"

Hed given them to me for my birthday. I loved them, and Id carefully chosen my outfit around them before heading out. Arthur had teased me, saying most people picked jewelry to match their clothes, but I did it the other way around. Hed joked it was like baking a cake just to have frosting.

He was clearly remembering that conversation, and his face grew darker. He lifted his head, scrutinizing the room, his eyes sweeping every corner.

I held my breath, terrified.

The next second, an idea flashed through my mind, and I fumbled for my phone in my pocket. My palms were slick with sweat, my fingers too slippery. I tapped the screen repeatedly, but couldn't unlock it.

My entire body trembled, my heart threatening to burst from my chest.

Through the louvered doors, I watched Arthur pick up his phone from the nightstand and dial my number. My phone wasn't on silent. If it rang, I was dead!

In a desperate rush, a sudden thought struck me, and I pressed and held the power button on the right side of my phone, turning it off!

At that very instant, a clear female voice echoed in the silent bedroom.

"Beep, the subscriber you are calling is temporarily unavailable."

"The subscriber you are calling is temporarily unavailable."

After several attempts, Arthurs frown deepened. "Why is her phone off? Did the battery die?"

"Never mind, I'm probably overthinking. She shouldnt be back so soon."

"That silly girl, she probably dropped the earring before she even left."

Arthur shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. He slipped the earring into his pocket and went back to dismembering the body.

About half an hour later, he had completely separated all the bones and minced meat, packing them into different large black plastic bags, which he then carried into the kitchen.

I remained hidden in the wardrobe, my legs numb from crouching.

The sound of running water came from the kitchen.

I carefully flexed my numb ankles, then cautiously opened the wardrobe door a crack.

Our apartment layout had been modified. The small room next to the kitchen was knocked through to become the dining room, and the kitchens sliding door also opened in that direction. There was also a cabinet partition between the dining room and the living room.

This meant that if I could get out of the master bedroom without making a sound, I could reach the front door without Arthur noticing.

I planned to seize this chance to escape. As for what would happen afterward, I had no idea how to deal with it, and frankly, I wasn't thinking that far ahead. All I wanted was to get away from Arthur, this murderer.

After opening the wardrobe door, I stood still for a few seconds, letting my legs regain feeling. Then, on tiptoes, making sure not to make even the slightest sound, I slowly moved towards the front door.

One step, two steps, three steps. The mahogany security door was right in front of me!

Arthur was still engrossed in washing things in the kitchen, the sound of water constant.

My fingers, white at the knuckles from gripping, had just touched the doorknob.

Suddenly

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The knocking exploded without warning, making me jump.

"Daisy? Arthur? Are you home?"

It was Mrs. Rodriguez, our neighbor, her voice booming, tinged with barely suppressed excitement.

Almost immediately, the water in the kitchen stopped.

My scalp prickled. I snatched my hand back from the door and frantically scanned the living room. It was an open space, nowhere to hide, except for the heavy L-shaped fabric sofa turned sideways to the door.

I practically dove, curling up behind the sofas corner, my heart hammering like a drum.

Arthurs footsteps approached, moving past my hiding spot, towards the door.

"Who is it?" he asked, his voice calm as ever.

"Its me, Mrs. Rodriguez from next door." The voice outside was even more enthusiastic.

"I just heard some noise from your place and wondered if Daisy was back?"

"I just steamed some corn muffins. Daisy loves them, and they're still warm."

"Oh, Mrs. Rodriguez." Arthur opened the door a crack, not fully. "Daisy's not back yet. I was just in the kitchen chopping bones for a rib soup. Would you like some?"

"Really?" Mrs. Rodriguez's tone shifted, her eyes peering through the gap in the door, as if she wanted to squeeze her whole body in. "That's odd, I thought I saw her enter the complex this afternoon."

"Did you two have a fight?"

"Arthur, you're an honest man, but you shouldn't be messing around behind our Daisy's back!"