My husband locked himself in the bathroom for two hours every night. One evening, I grabbed a torch, crept in to investigate, and behind the tiles, I found a holefilled with strange little bags
Lately, my husband had been acting strangely. At first, I thought he was seeing another woman. Hed vanish in the evenings, and at home, hed sit in silence as if deep in thought. But then I realisedit wasnt another woman.
Every night, hed lock himself in the bathroom. The door shut, the taps running to drown out any noise, sometimes for hours. He never took his phone in, so he wasnt speaking to anyone. I asked him more than once:
What are you doing in there so long?
And every time, hed snap back:
Nothing. Mind your own business.
My curiosity grewand so did my fear. What was he hiding? Why was he acting so odd?
One night, after hed fallen asleep, I decided to risk it. I grabbed a torch to avoid flicking the light on and tiptoed inside. Everything seemed normalgleaming tiles, a spotless tub, the usual soapy scent.
Then I noticed something strange.
On the wall behind the toilet, there were scratches, fresh cracks. Wed only just redone the bathroomwhere had they come from?
I pressed a tile. It shifted. One tugand it came loose, revealing a dark hole behind it. My blood ran cold. Something was hidden inside. I reached in and pulled out a plastic bag. Then another.
My hands trembled as I tore one openand nearly fainted from horror. Inside were womens jewellery: rings, bracelets, necklaces all stained with dried, rust-coloured patches. Blood. One ring still had a strand of dark hair tangled around it.
My stomach turned. Later, I learnt the truthmy husband had taken these from crime scenes. Ill never know how many women had suffered, but every piece was a trophy, a reminder of his monstrous deeds.
Panicked, I stuffed everything back in, sealed the hole, and replaced the tile.
I didnt sleep a wink that night. Lying beside him, listening to his steady breaths, the images of those bloodied trinkets haunted me. The man beside me wasnt just strangehe was a monster.
The next morning, I didnt say a word. I packed my things, shut the door behind me, and went straight to the police. I never saw him againthough Ive no doubt hes behind bars now.
Some secrets arent meant to stay hiddenand some people arent who they pretend to be.
