Chapter 1

I Supported My Wife in Her Career, Only to Find Out She Betrayed Me

When her grandmother passed away, my wife, Patricia Rowland, claimed she needed to mourn and refused to be intimate with me for two years.

She landed a major project in Ganlria and left for six months.

The day before my birthday, I noticed a payment record for a maid outfit. I thought it was a surprise for me.

Traveling 1,242 miles to see her, I discovered the truth.

On her computer's WhatsApp, a man had sent her a private message: [Baby, wait till you see how I punish you tonight!]

A moment later, Patricia replied: [I can't. Leopold Benton is here today.]

He responded instantly: [Such a nuisance!]

[Don't let him touch you!]

Patricia replied with a laughing emoji: [You're such a jealous guy.]

I stared in disbelief at the messages. Then, I glanced at the unwrapped maid outfit and the accompanying adult toys. What I thought was my birthday surprise was meant for someone else.

I scrolled through their chat history. It was filled with flirty, suggestive exchanges and everyday musings, from work projects to little things like flowers and random musings.

I closed my eyes helplessly.

Suddenly, I understood why Patricia, once so eager to share her life with me, had grown distant. I thought she was busy with work, but it wasn't her work keeping her preoccupied, it was another man!

I clicked on his profile. His WhatsApp ID was Can'tHelpTeasingYou, while Patricia's was SweetSurrender. I once thought she chose that name because of me. But the fool here was me.

On his Instagram, I found a recent post. The two of them stood on Ganlria Tower, kissing passionately. Patricia tilted her head back, eyes closed, utterly immersed.

The image stabbed at my heart. I remembered the first time Patricia and I rode a Ferris wheel. I was so terrified that I was drenched in sweat by the time we got off. She hugged me, promising we'd never ride one again.

The woman in the photo seemed like a stranger to me now.

I scrolled further. There was a photo of the man holding a new drone with the caption that read, "Birthday gift from my baby!"

Last month, Patricia had asked me about the trendiest drones, saying she needed to buy one for a client. I recommended that exact model.

Continuing, I saw a picture of her wearing a large diamond ring on her left hand. The man held her hand, kissing it gently. The diamond overshadowed the tattooed ring from our wedding vows, vows which she promised.

Her promise from back then still seemed to echo in my ears.

"I'll engrave your name on my finger, so we're bonded for life."

Now, she accepted another man's ring, erasing those memories.

Their shared life played out in the photos, attending concerts, wearing matching outfits, and adopting a pet together.

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply before opening them again.

I gritted my teeth.

Suppressing the ache in my chest, I calmly recorded everything, their chats, his WhatsApp number, every detail. Then, I carefully wiped my fingerprints off her computer mouse.