The Captives of Love

Chapter 1

I discovered my husband Mathias's secret on that night three months ago.

It was a breezy summer night, and a power outage had interrupted the article I was writing. Perhaps due to the persistent rainy days lately, my migraine had flared up again. After taking a sleeping pill, I went to bed early.

Our apartment was on a high floor, so we never had issues with insects. Yet, I felt an incessant itch on my face, as if something was lightly brushing against it. Annoyed, I waved my hand, only to be cut by something sharp.

The pain jolted me awake, and I opened my eyes in confusion. What I saw were a pair of bloodshot eyes staring intently at me. I screamed and scrambled to the other side of the bed.

My husband, Mathias, remained in the same position, holding a gleaming fruit knife. His body was bent in a twisted posture, and his expressionless face was almost touching my pillow. It was his bangs that had woken me up.

Fear consumed me instantly. I was too scared to make a sound and just trembled in the corner. Was this sleepwalking? Or did he really intend to kill me? My mind was a chaotic mess, unable to think clearly.

I didn't know how much time had passed when Mathias suddenly moved. The knife in his hand slowly descended, embedding deeply into the thick carpet. Watching him collapse onto the bed, I didn't dare make a sound and fled the room.

I stood at the street corner, lost in thought for a long time before deciding to go to my best friend's place. Clara and I had always been close, but after getting married, I had gradually distanced myself from her, focusing on my married life. Now, I truly realized the value of friendship.

The next day, Clara accompanied me back home, my heart racing with anxiety. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Mathias's handsome, gentle face. He was as gentle as ever, placing a fried egg on a plate, showing no sign of the terrifying behavior from last night. But the itching wound on my hand reminded me of how terrifying he had been.

After hearing Clara's account, an indescribable expression flashed across Mathias's face. But he quickly composed himself and smiled lightly. "Hannah, you must have had a nightmare. The cut on your hand happened while you were chopping vegetables yesterday. Look, the bandage is still in the trash can."

I was stunned and looked at the bandage stained with dark red blood. It lay in the trash can, mocking my suspicious mind. Clara also tried to comfort me before heading to work. I stared at Mathias's perfect smile for a long time before heading to work myself.

Sitting at my desk, typing busily, my thoughts drifted far away. "Hannah, did you see yesterday's news?" A colleague approached with a gossiping look. I wasn't in the mood for gossip and just shook my head dismissively. The colleague didn't mind and continued with enthusiasm.

"A husband cheated and killed his entire family in their sleep, even his twin sons! The scene was gruesome; the bodies were so decomposed they were stuck to the floor. The police had to scrape them off!"

I was stunned, a sense of dread rising in my chest. Seeing my pale face, the colleague quickly added, "Oh, it's just a jerk. Hannah, your husband picks you up from work every day. He seems like a good man."

Yes, we've been married for two years, and our relationship has always been as sweet as when we first started dating. Maybe it really was just a nightmare. Feeling slightly relieved, I quickly finished my work and took a leave to go home early. To make up for it, I even bought a small cake on the way.

Holding the cake, I opened the door to see a familiar figure standing at the window, back facing me. I smiled and approached, hugging him gently. "Why are you home so early?"

Mathias slowly turned around, and I instinctively glanced up. My smile froze. His eyes were rolled back, showing only the whites, with eerie blood vessels, almost obscuring his pupils. In his hand was the knife that had cut me the previous night, still stained with suspicious blood.

I instinctively took a step back, dropping the cake, which splattered on the floor. He didn't seem to want to let me go, lurching towards me in a strange way. My survival instinct kicked in, and I quickly grabbed anything within reach to throw at him. Soon, the room was in chaos.

Seizing the moment when a cushion hit him, I dashed towards the door and fled. Only after catching my breath at a nearby café did I shakily ask a passerby to call the police.

The police arrived quickly, approaching cautiously with their protective shields. They kicked open my apartment's door, but the room was empty and immaculate, with no sign of a struggle. Even the broken tea set was neatly arranged back on the table.

The police gave me a suspicious look and called Mathias. He arrived soon after, looking a bit tired. "I've been preparing lessons at school the whole day. The school has surveillance cameras; you can check."

The police reviewed the footage and found that Mathias was indeed at school, just as he had said. I looked at my husband, who continued apologizing to the police, in disbelief, but I couldn't let my guard down. Something was definitely wrong.