The Duke's Masked Wife

"Stop banging on the door, Kate. It is annoying and pointless. Instead of banging on the door and continuing to irritate me, you should come over here to meet my family. You mustn't keep them waiting. They get angry," Simon patted his father who was the one to hate when others took too long to speak. "Come before you angry me, Kate."

Kate released the doorknob which would not open. There were servants all over the house when they came in who should have heard what happened. They were not coming to save her. With teary eyes, Kate turned to face Simon. She did not want to look at the people who seemed to be his parents but she did not want to anger Simon.

Simon was normally a sweet man but Kate had a dangerous feeling about him now. Like he would hurt her if she stayed by the door.

"I want to go home," Kate said as she cautiously walked to where Simon stood behind the corpses. She covered her nose with her hands the closer she got to Simon. There was an awful scent mixed with a pleasant scent that reminded her of flowers but there were none in the room.

"You are home, Kate. You've been moving your things into your new home for the last few days. You were excited to be living in my home and bragging to your friends about it. Do you think I knew nothing of the things you said? How you rubbed it in other's faces you would become Marchioness. I enjoyed every bit of it. I loved seeing you boast not knowing the life that awaited you," Simon smiled.

"My parents," Simon looked down at his mother specifically. "They were awful people but now I understand why they did what they did. I was a fool when I was younger to not realize the fun it was to create perfect puppets. Women like you put on a show to please others. Perfection!" Simon clapped his hands and then pointed at Kate. "I know you won't be like the others."

"Others?" Kate asked, confused by what he meant. Kate had no idea what he was talking about when he spoke of his parents or being perfect. All she wanted to do now was get out of the room and alert the guards of the madman she married. Everyone would take pity on her and be on her side.

"I have another surprise for you," Simon remembered. She should enjoy it more than meeting his parents. Simon left his parents' side and walked to the bathroom where there was a more exciting surprise awaiting Kate.

As soon as Simon was out of sight, Kate went to the window and try pushing it to open, but it would not budge. The last time she was here adding her dresses to her closet, the windows could easily open, and so did the door. Simon must have messed with it to be like this for their wedding night.

"No," Kate cried and started to panic even more. Her breathing quicken as thoughts of potentially dying  filled her mind. Her wedding had started off so perfectly so why was it ending like this? Why did her perfect day have to be ruined? What was wrong with Simon? Someone had to have swapped places as this was not the man she knew.

"No!" Kate exclaimed and covered her mouth when Simon returned to the room, dragging someone across the floor. She didn't want to see any more bodies and unlike his parents who had the smell of flowers somehow, this new body reeked and filled the room.

"I wasn't targeting her, but she got too ahead of herself and tried talking me out of being with you. She had no idea how much I wanted you. I remember the two of you arguing once upon a time ago so this might please you. Do you like what I have prepared?" Simon dropped Lila's body for Kate to inspect.

"L-Lila?" Kate stuttered, recognising the ugly ribbon Lila liked to wear in her hair, and though the corpse seemed beaten, she could tell it was her old friend. "How could you-"

"To please you. I saw the way you looked at her like you wanted her dead. I was hoping to get your other friend Grace. I had the perfect trap lined up to take her," Simon sighed. All of his plotting to take Grace were for nothing. That was why Lila had to have a painful death for screwing up everything. "I had the perfect spot waiting for her next to Bella."

"You," Kate realized something. "You're the person taking all the young women. How..." Kate trailed off, trying to figure out what signs she missed about Simon. The Simon she bumped into at the ball and attended many parties with was not the same Simon standing in front of her right now. "You fooled all of us."

"Is that such a bad thing? Weren't you putting on a show? Sweet little Kate who could do no wrong and yet, you seem to be the culprit behind your sister's face. Was it jealousy?" Simon wondered out loud. He tauntingly approached Kate with slow steps. He liked the tears escaping her eyes and the fact she had nowhere to run to get away from him. She was perfectly trapped with him.

"People like you have no right to judge the person I am. I am just the one meant to punish you for not doing a good job at keeping up with the persona you created. Well, not you. I have no plans on punishing you if you continue to do a good job. I said you were perfect, didn't I? I wouldn't have gone through all the trouble of marrying you if I thought you were going to fail me. But," Simon snaked his hand around Kate's throat. "Disappoint me and you will find yourself in a state worse than your friend."

Kate trembled under Simon's touch. Her tears ruined the pretty appearance she wore before they entered the house. What started as a wonderful dream had turned into a nightmare. Kate wanted her mother to come for her now. This was not how her day was supposed to go. She was being robbed of her perfect ending.

Simon wiped away Kate's tears with his thumb. He was pleased by the fact she was not hysterically crying like the others. If anything, the disbelief and shock had left Kate, and now she looked angry. This was quite a surprise.

"What will you decide to be, Kate? Become like your friend and all the other women, or be my little puppet? You get to enjoy the title you so desired and play the role of a spoiled wife. We both win in the end. If anyone ever questions me, you defend my character. What do you choose?" Simon asked, already knowing what Kate would go for.

"This isn't fair," Kate muttered. Her tears had stopped as her fear was replaced by her anger caused by frustration. "Why does Alessandra get to be spoiled by a Duke and I am stuck with you? After I worked hard to never lose to her."

Simon licked his lips. 'Now this is interesting,' he thought.