A Dance of Love and Vengeance

My name is Nova Xavier, and my fiance Caleb Young and I have our wedding date set three months from now. We've been together for three years, and our relationship always felt steady—at least, that's how I saw it before. But over the past month, Caleb Young has changed. He never used to come home later than ten, but now he's walking in past midnight every night. When I asked why he was so busy, he'd always say there was an urgent project at the company and he had to work overtime. I believed him, even felt sorry for how hard he was working for our future. But before long, I started noticing things that didn't add up. No matter how late or tired Caleb was when he got home, the first thing he did was rush straight to the bathroom. Even in the freezing cold winter, when you'd wanna curl up indoors, he insisted on showering immediately, saying he felt uncomfortable with dust on his skin. Once, I tried to help him bring his change of clothes, but he suddenly dodged away, not letting me near the bathroom door. That deliberate evasion was like a tiny thorn, piercing right into my heart. Last night, Caleb came back again after one in the morning. He walked in unsteady, carrying a faint scent of unfamiliar perfume. The scent was subtle, but it wasn't the brand I use, nor the fragrance his female colleagues at the company usually wear. I swallowed my rising unease and handed him the slippers. "Were you especially tired today? I warmed some soup for you—drink it after your shower to warm yourself up." I forced my voice to sound as normal as usual. Caleb Young didn't look at me; he just murmured a vague "hmm" and turned toward the bathroom. When he took off his coat, he raised his arm a little too high, causing the shirt on his back to bunch up. I glanced over without thinking, and my whole body froze instantly. Just below the nape of his neck, there was a faint pink lipstick mark. The color was very light, but it stood out sharply against his fairly pale skin. My limbs went ice-cold in an instant, and even breathing felt hard. The sound of water rushing in the bathroom filled the air, yet I felt an eerie silence all around. I stared blankly at his back as he walked into the bathroom, my mind completely empty. I don't know how long had passed when Caleb Young came out of the bathroom, drying his hair. He froze for a moment when he saw that I was still standing in the living room.