For three months, every night, as I lay beside my husband, I noticed a strange, nauseating smell… And every time I tried to clean the bed, he would get angry. When he left on a business trip, I cut open the mattress — and what I found inside stopped my heart.

My grip on the book tightened until my knuckles turned white.

“No,” I replied evenly, meeting his gaze without flinching. “I stayed out of the bedroom mostly. It felt too quiet without you.”

Miguel let out a breath that sounded suspiciously like relief. He poured himself a glass of water from the kitchen tap, drinking it down in one long gulp. But as he walked back toward the living room, his gaze drifted down the hallway toward our bedroom door.

“Something smells different in here,” he muttered, his voice dropping an octave.

“I used a new air freshener,” I said smoothly, standing up from the sofa. “Lavender and citrus. Do you like it?”

Miguel didn't answer. He set the glass down on the coffee table with a sharp clink and began walking slowly toward the bedroom.

“Miguel,” I called softly. “Let’s order some food. You must be exhausted from the trip.”

He didn't stop. He pushed the bedroom door open and stepped inside.

I followed him closely, my heart pounding in my ears.

Miguel walked straight toward the bed. He bent down, running his hand over the edge of the mattress where I had cut and taped it back together. His fingers brushed over the rough tape.

In an instant, the facade of the loving husband shattered completely.

His body went rigid. His head snapped around to look at me, his eyes wide with fury, betrayal, and dark panic.

“You did this,” he whispered, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. “You cut the mattress.”

I didn't back away. I stood in the doorway, blocking his exit, and looked at the man I had shared my life with for eight years with absolute disgust.

“Yes, Miguel,” I said clearly. “I found the money. I found the bracelet. I found Elena’s phone and her journal. You didn't go to Dallas, did you? You went to check on your other hiding spots before the police caught up to you.”