Ave was streaming a movie on the TV when she went to the bathroom and forgot to turn it off. On the screen, Ave was chatting with a man. The man: [Today is my birthday. I bought you a bunny girl outfit. Want to try it on tonight?] Ave: [Wait for me, I’ll be there soon.] I forced myself to stay calm. I picked up my phone and recorded their chat. The sound of the bathroom door opening reached me. Quickly, I turned off the TV. “Daniel, my best friend’s birthday is tonight, so I won’t be home for dinner.” I forced a smile. “Okay, have fun.” After Ave left, I picked up the recording and watched it over and over. The man had sent Ave the delivery code, revealing his phone number. I searched for him on social media. The latest post was a short video. It showed Ave, wearing a very short skirt, being kissed on the head by a man at the beach during sunset. Because of the lighting, I couldn’t make out the man’s face. My hands trembled as I kept scrolling. The man posted a picture of an expensive phone. The caption read: [She loves me so much.] The dazzling light from the phone hurt my eyes. Further down, there was a collage photo. The top half showed a pregnancy test, with Ave’s name written on it. The bottom half showed the man pressing his face against Ave’s belly. The caption: [She only has one body, but two heartbeats.] At that moment, it was as if I had been struck by a cold wave. I shook uncontrollably. We had been married for five years, and I had always wanted to have a child with Ave. A month ago, she grabbed my hand excitedly and told me she was pregnant. I was so moved that tears welled up in my eyes, and I spun her around in my arms. Since that day, I had been extra careful with her, always on edge. I suggested she quit her job. She said she didn’t want to be a parasite and wanted to be a modern woman. I couldn’t argue with her, so I made her nutritious meals every day. Worried she’d be anxious during the pregnancy, I turned down work to take her on trips to relax. If she craved cake in the middle of the night, I’d drive across half the city to get her favorite kind. I thought, even if I had to die for her, I would. But I never expected this. She had an affair! And the child might not even be mine. I suddenly laughed, but it wasn’t out of sadness. Was it wrong for her to seek excitement? Where did she go wrong? The mistake was choosing to indulge while still being married to me! Love, that luxury, only existed in novels. In real life, it was best to just forget about it. I tried to use Ave’s computer. I tried both our birthdays, but neither worked. Then I remembered the man had said today was his birthday. Being nervous, I typed it in, and it opened. Pain suddenly gripped my chest. I clicked on a folder named [Hawke.] Images of explicit photos appeared on the screen. The same man, but never showing his face. The most recent photo was taken two days ago. Ave and the man were embracing, naked. That day, she was supposed to be on a business trip. I opened Ave’s shopping app. There were chat records between her and the man. “This new phone looks nice.” “I’ve ordered it for you, love you.” I checked her purchase history. Sexy lingerie, limited-edition running shoes, several men’s outfits, and even some adult items made my heart race just from reading the titles. The delivery address was always the same. The neighboring community. Ave had never bought me a gift. She always said that since we were married, giving gifts was too formal. I had always thought she was someone who couldn’t show affection. At that moment, I realized I didn’t know her at all. I deleted all the browsing history, put the computer back in place, and wiped off any fingerprints. After finishing all of that, the man updated his social media. It was a picture of a woman in bunny girl lingerie, kneeling on a bed. Though her face wasn’t visible, I recognized Ave immediately. My fingers clenched the phone so tightly they turned white, but I didn’t feel a thing. I wanted to tear these two apart. I wanted them to be ruined. But I knew I had to hold back, plan carefully, and act when the time was right.
The next day, I installed a few hidden cameras around the house. Ave came back in the afternoon, carrying a large bouquet of roses. As soon as she saw me, she panicked and said, “Daniel, why aren’t you at work today?” I smiled and looked at her. I said, “I’m going on a business trip tomorrow, so I’m packing my luggage today. “That bouquet… is it for me?” It gave her an easy out. Ave handed me the flowers. “These are from my best friend. She congratulated me on becoming a mom. “I’m giving them to you. Congratulations on becoming a dad.” How disgusting. Would a best friend really give champagne roses, which symbolize love? And the one becoming a dad was probably someone else. I suppressed my disgust. I took the flowers and played along with her act. Ave sighed in relief and quietly tossed the card into the trash can. I saw everything but didn’t expose her. Once Ave went into the bathroom, I picked up the card. It read: [Ave, I will always love you.] No signature. But the handwriting seemed familiar. When Ave came out, I pretended to be packing my luggage. “Daniel, when will you be back?” I stopped what I was doing and said with regret, “Maybe one or two months. This project is important.” “Such a long time?” she said, pretending to be reluctant. I turned and hugged her, trying to test the waters. “How about I cancel the project and stay home with you? You’re pregnant, and I’m worried about you.” But Ave suddenly pushed me away. “That’s not possible.” She came back to comfort me realizing she had overreacted. “What I meant is, if you don’t work, how will you support me and the baby? “Don’t worry, my best friend will be here with me.” She watched me carefully and was afraid I’d change my mind. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. I turned away and smiled. I thought, “The trap was set. Ave, I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
The next day, I took my suitcase and checked into a nearby hotel. In the hotel room, I cast the surveillance footage onto the TV. I lay on the sofa, reflecting on our past. My marriage to Ave was purely accidental. At the time, I had just started my business. To be closer to the studio, I rented a place in an old community for convenience. Then the unexpected pandemic trapped me at home. I signed up to be a volunteer. Ave was one of them. We were assigned to the same group to distribute supplies. Ave was kind-hearted and gentle. For three months, we stayed together. As time passed, we grew closer and eventually became a couple. She worked as an employee at a small company. Despite her tough work schedule, she always made meals for me when I came home. Her meager salary was mostly sent back home to her family. Even so, her mother, Sarah was never satisfied. She forced Ave to send all the money to buy a house for her brother. I felt heartbroken for Ave, seeing how hard her life had been. I wanted to pull her out of that abyss. So, when we got married, I gave her family two million dollars as a wedding gift. The condition was that they would no longer interfere in Ave’s life. After marriage, I gave her fifty thousand dollars every month for living expenses, so she wouldn’t have to suffer the hardships she’d endured as a child. Her life did improve. She often went shopping or out to parties with friends. She even went to music festivals and concerts by herself. I thought that with enough love and money, I could erase the shadow of her family’s past. But I never imagined that the money would make her more beautiful and sophisticated, and also lead her down a path of decadence. At that moment, Ave appeared on the monitor. She picked up the phone and called me. “Daniel, where are you?” “I took an early flight today, and I’m already at the workplace.” “Take care of yourself. I won’t bother you.” She hurriedly hung up the phone and immediately called someone else. “Hurry up, he’s gone.” She really couldn’t wait. A few moments later, a person, fully covered up, entered the house. My mind buzzed when he removed his hat and mask. I recognized him immediately. He was James Hawke, a rapper from one of the shows my company created. He was someone Ave had recommended to me. Ave told me he was a rising rap star, who had performed at bars and attended many music festivals. He had a large following on social media. She suggested having him on the show, claiming it would boost the ratings. At the time, I joked with her, asking if she was only pushing him because she liked him. I never expected that one casual joke would inadvertently reveal the truth. I turned down the volume. Then I called my assistant, asking her to send me James’ profile.
James took off his hat and mask and swaggered into the living room. He sat comfortably on the sofa as if it was his home. “Perfect timing, with Daniel on a business trip. I don’t have any performances these days.” Ave jumped into his arms, giggling. “So coincidental, huh? Well, you better spend some time with me.” “How long is Daniel gone? Hope he doesn’t come back suddenly…” he whispered ambiguously in Ave’s ear. “Don’t worry, he’ll be gone for one or two months.” James grinned and pulled Ave closer. “Great, then I’ll take good care of you.” Their conversation hurt my heart, but I forced myself to keep recording. “Remember, no one touches you except me!” “You’re so possessive.” I thought they’d quickly get to the point, but they just sat there on the sofa. Ave sat on James’ lap, their fingers intertwined, looking like a couple deeply in love. James asked, “Ave, do you love me?” “If I didn’t love you, why would I be carrying your child?” They cuddled and flirted for a while. Three minutes later, my assistant sent me James’ profile. James came from an ordinary, even somewhat poor family. He dropped out of school early and worked various jobs. Waiter, delivery man, and factory worker. Later, he started performing as a bar singer. His good looks attracted many female fans. Once he became famous, he was invited to many music festivals. I took a closer look. Ave had been to the bar where James performed. She and her friends stayed out late one night, and I went to pick her up. Ave had been to most of the music festivals James attended as well. I froze, staring at the profile, my eyes bloodshot. It turned out they had already known each other at the bar. I suddenly recalled that during the recording of the show, Ave insisted on attending the rehearsal. When James came on stage, he looked in our direction during his self-introduction. He said he wanted to thank the important people in his life. Then he smiled at me. Looking back, that smile was full of provocation and mockery. The funny thing was, I actually thought he was thanking me for giving him the opportunity. Sitting on the sofa, I stared at James’ profile, and a plan began to form in my mind.
I first created a new account on social media. Under James’ posts, which had millions of followers, I left a comment: [James seduces married women and willingly plays the third wheel.] Soon, some of his crazy fans began attacking me. [Who is this? How shameless, trying to gain attention by mentioning James.] [Some people have no bottom line just to get famous.] [He is gentle, handsome, and well-mannered, how could he possibly fall for a married woman?] [James, quickly deny this and crush the haters!] Everyone tagged James, but unfortunately, he was busy enjoying his time with Ave. I ignored the fans. Because I knew, the higher the expectation, the happier I would be in the end. These were just bait. I sent all the materials I had collected about James and Ave’s affair, including her pregnancy, to the paparazzi. I didn’t ask for a single penny, just one request. I wanted to make sure this news would hit the trending list. While waiting, I thought of Ave’s parents. At the time of our marriage, I had set a condition to give a large wedding gift, with the stipulation that they would no longer harass Ave. But after marriage, over the years, I still sent them a little living allowance each month, as a favor to Ave. Her father, Evan, and her mother, Sarah constantly boasted about how their daughter had found such a wealthy husband. Their relatives would flatter them all the time. But in reality, they were incredibly envious. They would tell their daughter to learn from Ave. So, I decided to send these materials to the Taylor family’s group chat. Soon, the chat exploded. [Daniel, what is this that you’ve sent?] Ave’s cousin was the first to see it. He was always the first to respond whenever I posted something in the group. But after reading it, he was speechless. Ave’s aunt was the first to react. [Oh my, this is too dirty! Ave, this girl is too… bold.] [Such bad behavior, what a disgrace!] [Exactly, to reject such a good husband and go behind his back.] [You’ve completely embarrassed our family.] [If this gets out, I won’t be able to face anyone.] [Don’t be sad, Daniel, we have many good girls in the Taylor family besides Ave.] [My daughter is great, too. She has excellent grades, and graduated from a good university…] Aunties from the Taylor family with daughters stood up to recommend their daughters. “What are you doing? Trying to steal from our family?” Sarah spoke up, and the chat group fell silent. “Daniel, where did you get this video from? It must be some jealous person trying to smear Ave. “You can’t fall for this trick! “Ave has always been well-behaved and thoughtful, she would never do something so disgraceful. “Isn’t it common for things online to be doctored? This must be fake.” Sarah, who couldn’t type, sent dozens of voice messages in a panic.
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