"Married to a monster"

August 2nd, 2025

At Ruth's villa - 7:13 AM

Ian heard something....

He heard them. Heavy, deliberate footsteps, like boots on marble, growing louder with each passing second. The kitchen air, thick with the scent of eggs, miso soup, and something sweet, turned ice cold. Slowly, almost against his will, Ian turned his head.

His eyes widened.

There they were - Ruth and a tall, broad-shouldered man. She was clinging to his arm, all smiles and grace, like the perfect housewife. Her black, transparent robe still swayed with each movement, her hair tied up neatly. She looked radiant, almost saintly.

"What the fuck?" Ian muttered.

"Ba-" she suddenly cleared her throat.

"Ian, let me proudly introduce you to my husband—Leo Kawasaki." She continued.

Then she looked at Leo. "And this is Ian, my former classmate back at college."

Her voice was confident, polished, drenched in artificial warmth.

Leo gave Ian a friendly wave, his smile genuine. "Hey, man. Good morning."

Ian nodded back stiffly, swallowing the bile rising in his throat.

"Come on, darling," Ruth purred, pulling Leo forward. "Let's eat breakfast."

The two of them sat side by side, directly across from Ian. Leo reached for a croissant like he belonged there, as if none of this was strange.

Ian, however, was frozen. The warmth of the pancakes, the smell of sausage, the glistening egg yolks - all of it had lost its appeal. His stomach twisted. Ruth was crazy. Not just obsessive, but dangerously, diabolically insane. And somehow, this man sitting across from him had no clue.

Ruth began to talk. With grace and theatrical charm, she recounted how she and Ian knew each other.

"He was this adorable nerd back in college," she said with a laugh, her fingers resting softly on Leo's arm. "Always running errands for me, helping me with programming stuff. Sweet guy."

Ian almost choked on his coffee. That wasn't even remotely close to what had happened.

But Leo bought it. He laughed with her, his eyes bright with trust and affection. Ian watched him, baffled. Leo seemed like a genuinely nice guy - decent, respectful, probably even kind-hearted.

And Ian hated that.

He hated that Leo didn't know. That he was just a placeholder in Ruth's twisted delusion. The woman next to him wasn't just a liar. She was a monster. And the scariest part was, she was good at hiding it.

After breakfast, Ruth stood up, humming again as she began collecting the plates. Her robe fluttered behind her like a curtain. Ian pushed his barely-touched food away and sat silently.

Leo smiled at him. "You okay, Ian? You barely ate. You allergic to something?"

Ian looked at him - really looked at him. And guilt clenched in his gut like a vice. He couldn't let this go on. Someone had to tell the truth. Even if it meant getting punched. Or worse.

He leaned in slightly, voice low and trembling. "Leo… man, you need to know something."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

Ian glanced at Ruth, still at the sink. Her back was turned, but his skin tingled with the sense that she could hear him.

"Your wife," he whispered, "is a pathological liar. She's not who you think she is."

Leo's brows furrowed. He looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"

Ian exhaled shakily. His hands trembled under the table. "She doesn't love you, Leo. She's in love with someone else. And she'll do anything for that person. Anything."

The silence that followed was brutal.

Leo blinked, then leaned back. For a moment, his face was unreadable.

Then, suddenly.....

He laughed.

Not a nervous chuckle. Not a forced scoff. A genuine, hearty laugh, like he had just heard the best joke of his life. His chest shook with it, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh man," Leo wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "For a second there, I thought you were serious."

Ian stared.

Leo continued, his tone light. "You've got one hell of a sense of humor, Ian. I'll give you that. I mean, you think Ruth doesn't love me? That she's in love with someone else?"

Ian said nothing. He didn't laugh.

"That's rich, man," Leo said again, now with a slightly amused grin. "Ruth's the most loyal woman I know. We've been through hell and back. She's… she's my ride or die."

Behind them, the sound of a plate being placed gently into the sink echoed through the kitchen.

Ian swallowed hard. "You don't know her."

"I know enough," Leo said, suddenly a little colder.

A moment passed. Then Ruth's voice rang out sweetly from the kitchen.

"Is everything alright over there?"

Leo turned and smiled at her. "All good, babe. Ian just dropped a hilarious joke."

Ruth turned her head slightly, just enough for Ian to see that glint in her eye. The one that said she heard every single word.

She smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure it was."

Ian's heart pounded. There was something in the air now, a sharpness, a tension that hadn't been there before. Leo still looked calm, but Ian wasn't sure anymore. Had he believed Ruth too deeply? Or did he know something already?

The tension lingered like smoke.

Ruth dried her hands and slowly made her way back to the table. She stopped behind Leo and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Ian, I'm so glad you visited," she said, her voice silky. "It means the world to me that you finally met my husband."

"And we're all getting along." She added.

Ian said nothing.

"Leo, would you mind showing Ian the library? I think he'd appreciate some quiet time."

Leo nodded, rising from his seat. "Sure, babe. Come on, Ian."

Ian hesitated. As he stood, he glanced back at Ruth.

She smiled.

And behind that smile, he saw it: the predator. Watching her prey walk away, knowing it could run… but never escape.

As he followed Leo out of the kitchen, Ian felt the weight of every step. The villa seemed to close in around him, every hallway like a maze. Every shadow like a trap.