For the past three months, every night I have been smelling a strange smell. It’s not a typical body odor. It was like the smell of mold mixed with a strong, pungent smell clinging to the blankets, to the bedsheet, and especially to the part of the bed where Miguel was sleeping.

As the door closed and the sound of his footsteps in the hallway gradually faded, the whole house became very quiet.

I stared at the door for a long time.

Then I slowly turned my gaze back to the bed in our bedroom.

Suddenly, my heart was beating faster.

An idea popped into my head — and in that moment, I knew I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

“Something is wrong… I need to know the truth.”

I pulled the mattress to the middle of the floor.

My hand trembled as I held the cutter.

I took a deep breath.

And I made the first cut.

As soon as the mattress fabric separated, a strong foul smell suddenly evaporated from my face.

I grabbed my nose and coughed loudly.

My heart was pounding.

It can’t be… Why does it smell like this inside the mattress?