Chapter 3I Am Deaf-Mute, And Learned His Scheme Through Smart Glasses

I glanced down at his hands.

Thick veins bulged across the dark skin, utterly unlike my boyfriend’s softer, plumper hands.

Because they had similar builds, and because he wore a black face mask under the dim hallway lighting, I hadn't realized it right away.

He typed another message, prompting me:

[Talk to me. What’s wrong with you today?]

I forced my tears back and pouted playfully:

[It’s our one-year anniversary! I wanted to give you a special surprise!]

He pressed on:

[What surprise?]

As he typed, the cuff of his jacket shifted slightly.

A smear of fresh blood stained the dark fabric.

It belonged to my real boyfriend.

My stomach churned, tears threatening to spill over.

I typed out carefully:

[I bought a super sexy outfit. I'm going to put it on right now so you can see.]

I grabbed the nurse costume off the chair and turned toward the spare bedroom.

His hand clamped down around my wrist like a iron vice.

Through the dim light, his eyes held no warmth whatsoever.

[Don't rush. Drink your medicine first. It's getting cold.]

There was no escaping this.

I gave a heavy nod, picked up the mug, and gulped the lukewarm liquid down in one go. Then I hurried into the spare bedroom and threw the lock.

Setting my phone down, I sent him a quick text:

[I’m going to do my makeup. No peeking!]

The moment he replied with a playful emoji, I pulled a thick duvet over my head and shoved two fingers deep down my throat.

A minute later, staring at the vomited mess on the bedding, silent tears streamed down my face.

My real boyfriend was dead. And I probably wouldn't survive long enough for the police to arrive.

We were quiet, harmless people who had never wronged a soul in our lives. Why was this happening to us?

Text flashed across my glasses again:

“Nice work, Rick. You played him like a fool. Where’d you hide his body?”

“Can't tell you that, Boss. I hid him somewhere so good nobody will ever find him.”

Reading those words, I wiped the tears from my cheeks and stood up.

My boyfriend had cared for me for over a year. I couldn't let him die without even leaving a body behind to be laid to rest.

I had to survive.

“Fine, you get the credit this time. You get to go first with the girl.”

“Thanks, Boss. When do we go in?”

“The sleeping pills take five minutes to hit. Give it a little longer.”

They really had spiked the drink.

I checked the time. I had less than three minutes before they realized I wasn't falling asleep.

The police wouldn't make it in time. I had to rely on myself.

The only exit left in this bedroom was the window.

I lived on the third floor. There were no ledges or pipes to step on outside. Jumping meant death.

Bedsheets!

I could tie the sheets together into a makeshift rope.

I yanked the sheets off the bed and tied them tight, but when I dropped them out the window, they were far too short.

Suddenly, a lit window directly across the alley caught my attention.

These old townhouses were built extremely close together. The distance between my window and the opposite building was less than five feet.

If someone on the other side reached out, they could easily help me cross!

Even better, the tenant living across was a polite man named Mr. Warren, who had moved in just a few days ago.

I had helped him carry some boxes on his move-in day, and he had been so grateful that he added me on messaging, promising to buy me dinner sometime.

He could save me.

I threw several small items across the gap, bouncing them off his glass, but there was no response.

Was he not home?

No, the lights were clearly on. Even if he stepped out, he had to be nearby.

Desperate, I pulled out my phone and messaged him:

[Mr. Warren, please help me! Come home quickly!]

Sweat slicked my hands as I waited, terrified he was too busy to check his phone.

To my shock, his reply came back almost instantly:

[What happened? What’s wrong?]

Before I could type another word, the glasses flashed a new line of transcribed speech:

“Boss! She just texted me!”