My husband’s voice suddenly echoed in my head: “I’d worry, I don’t want you going alone.” His insistence now felt less like concern and more like a desperate attempt to shield me from this macabre discovery. But why? What was he involved in that required such secrecy? A silent panic set in as I realized the depth of my ignorance about the man I thought I knew so well.

As I turned to leave, seeking the safety of the outside world and the clarity of daylight, something shifted in the shadows. I froze, unable to comprehend what was happening. My husband emerged from a dark corner, his eyes wide with a look that was both pleading and terrified.

“Please,” he said, his voice a mixture of desperation and defensiveness. “It’s not what you think.”