My husband, Julian, and I had been together for ten years—six years dating, four years married. We were a DINK couple, our combined income easily hitting seven figures. To everyone looking in, we were the ultimate power couple, a match made in heaven. But on a flight, I bumped into a complete stranger, and in that instant, a torrent of *her* memories, vivid and raw, showing *her* intimate moments with *my* husband, flooded my mind. In the dim light, two bodies tangled together. Julian’s agonizingly familiar face, pressed against hers, was kissing her with a passion I thought was reserved only for me! His breathless murmur echoed in my head, “Valerie, you captivate me more than Elara ever could.” I snatched my hand back, as if I’d been burned. The woman smiled at me. I stiffened, adjusting my seat, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. For ten years, Julian had been nothing short of devoted, attentive to my every need. Everyone always said we were the model couple. Who would’ve thought I’d run straight into his mistress on my flight home from a business trip? The second the plane landed, I powered up my phone and called my lawyer. “Mark, I need you to draw up divorce papers for me.”
“Ms. Stone, are you sure?” Mr. Harrison, my lawyer, replied almost instantly. “Absolutely.” My fingers trembled slightly as I typed, but I sent it anyway. Stepping out of the jet bridge, my eyes immediately found Aaron. He was holding a bouquet of my favorite champagne roses, standing right at the front of the arrivals crowd. “Jasmine, over here!” He waved, his smile radiant. Ten years. He was still incredibly handsome, impossibly charming. Dressed in a sharp suit, standing tall, his gaze on me was as focused and loving as ever. If I hadn’t just seen intimate images of him with another woman, I might still be unwavering in my belief in our relationship. I took a deep breath, plastered on an impeccable smile, and hurried towards him. “Didn’t I tell you not to bother picking me up? You’re so busy with work.” “No matter how busy I am, I always have time for my queen.” He naturally took my suitcase, wrapped an arm around my waist, and pressed a kiss to my forehead. Normally, I would have sweetly kissed him back. But now, I just felt a wave of nausea. I pretended to fix my hair, subtly evading his kiss. My fingers brushed his hand, accidentally activating my touch memory ability. In the airport parking lot, that woman was sitting in the passenger seat. Aaron had barely buckled his seatbelt before he was passionately kissing her. “God, I missed you so much,” he panted. “After she’s asleep, I’ll meet you at our usual spot.” I yanked my hand back, my heart pounding. “What’s wrong?” Aaron asked, noticing my sudden shift, his voice laced with concern. “Nothing. Just didn’t get much rest on the plane.” I forced a smile. “Let’s just go home.” In the car, Aaron enthusiastically recounted amusing anecdotes from the past few days, as attentive and thoughtful as always. It was laughable. I’d always clung to the principle of mutual trust, never once digging into his memories. Back home, Aaron mysteriously produced an elegant gift box. “Honey, guess what I managed to snag? Memory Bites!” I raised an eyebrow and took the box. These new Memory Bites from a tech company had absolutely blown up online. They claimed to use cutting-edge tech to store snippets of memories, letting you relive precious moments with every bite. Even at a staggering $1500 a box, they sold out within minutes of hitting the shelves. “Candy that stores memories? That’s a bit far-fetched, isn’t it?” I deliberately scoffed, a plan already forming in my mind. “It’s just a gimmick, but it’s kind of fun, right?” Aaron chuckled. “It’s the holiday season, so it felt right.” I opened the box. Inside were six intricately shaped candies, each inscribed with the word “Memory.” “Well, should we try them?” I picked up one, offering it to him. “You go first. Really concentrate on your happiest memory.” Aaron laughed. “Jasmine, you actually believe this stuff?” “Just for fun,” I insisted. He reluctantly took the candy, closed his eyes, and a blissful smile slowly spread across his face. In that moment, I almost believed he was reliving some sweet memory of us. I reached out, my fingertip lightly brushing the hand holding the candy. My mind was flooded with images of a strange kitchen. Aaron and the woman from the plane. All their tender moments together. Cooking and eating, feeding a cat, walking a dog. Under a snowy mountain, they cuddled, watching the sunrise. In a bedroom, two bodies intertwined. He whispered, calling her Vivian. I snatched my hand back. Even with the psychological preparation, seeing those images firsthand still twisted my gut, making it almost impossible to breathe. “So? See anything?” Aaron opened his eyes, asking with faux concern. 2. I swallowed the pain, forcing a weak smile. “Nothing at all. Told you it was just a marketing gimmick.” I took the candy he had used and bit into it. “The taste isn’t bad though.” Aaron visibly relaxed, pulling me into a hug. “Right? I told you it wasn’t that magical. But if you like them, I’ll try to snag more next year.” I leaned into his embrace, feeling the familiar yet now alien warmth of his chest. Ten years of a child-free marriage. We were both executives at a publicly traded company, earning millions a year, the envy of everyone – a perfect power couple. Ha, how utterly ridiculous. The next morning, Aaron woke up. “Hey, babe, I have a business trip today.” For ten years, he’d gone on a business trip every month or two, and I’d never once suspected a thing. “Okay, I packed your suitcase already.” I handed him his luggage, feigning reluctance as I hugged him tight. “How many days this time?” “About three days.” He kissed my forehead. “I’ll miss you.” As we embraced, I deliberately prolonged the contact, wanting to see what was truly going on in his mind. The train station exit. The woman named Vivian Lee threw herself into Aaron’s arms, and they kissed passionately. Next, a supermarket. They pushed a cart together, like a typical couple, picking out groceries. Finally, a bedroom floor, their clothes scattered everywhere. I pulled away, suppressing the rising bile, and smiled. “Text me when you arrive.” After seeing Aaron off, I immediately put on a hat and a face mask, rushing to the ticket gate. “Ma’am, your ticket?” The ticket agent asked politely. I showed my e-ticket on my phone and walked through. To avoid Aaron spotting me, I waited until the very last minute to board, choosing a seat where he wouldn’t see me. All the way, my mind was a chaotic mess. Touch memories couldn’t be used as court evidence. I needed solid proof of his infidelity. I contacted a private investigator. “Hello, I’m on train G761. Please have a car ready at the destination exit. I’ll send you the target’s photo.” “Got it, Ms. Stone.” After exiting the station, I quickly got into the back seat of the waiting car, buckling my seatbelt. Aaron soon appeared at the exit, standing by the roadside, seemingly waiting for someone. A short while later, a black Honda pulled up in front of him. He smiled and got in, his movements natural and practiced. “Follow that Honda,” I instructed. “Be careful not to be seen.” Mr. Miller, the detective, was an experienced pro, expertly weaving through traffic, always maintaining a safe distance from the target. Eventually, the Honda pulled into an upscale gated community. “This community has tight security. It’ll be hard to get in,” Mr. Miller said. “It’s fine. Knowing the location is enough.” I snapped a photo of the community name and building number. “For the next few days, please keep an eye on them and gather evidence.” “Don’t worry, Ms. Stone.” Over the next three days, the photos and videos Mr. Miller sent showed Aaron and Vivian living like a married couple—cooking, taking walks, shopping, intimately. The most ironic part was a photo of Aaron taking Vivian’s picture, that same focused expression that had once belonged solely to me. The third day, Aaron suddenly called. “Jasmine, why haven’t you called me these past few days?” I immediately switched to a sweet, clingy tone. “Oh, I’ve been a bit busy, you know. When are you coming back?” “Tomorrow,” he said. However, that same afternoon, I saw Vivian dropping him off. A flicker of confusion hit me. If he’s not going back until tomorrow, why is he leaving so early today? 3. The same car-following routine, but Aaron didn’t go home. Instead, he went to another gated community. My heart sank. Was this man seeing *another* woman? The door opened, and out stepped my mother-in-law. I froze. Wasn’t she supposed to be back home? Then, a little girl, around seven or eight years old, ran out, sweetly calling, “Daddy!” My world spun. I had to clutch the wall to keep from falling. A daughter? Aaron Davies actually had a daughter? Ten years of a child-free marriage, and he’d never once shown any desire for children. And all this time, he already had a child outside our marriage! I stumbled back to the car, my whole body shaking. Ten years of marriage. I thought we truly loved each other, that our choice to be child-free was for us, for our careers. Turns out, he just didn’t want to have kids *with me*? I went home early, pretending to know nothing. Aaron arrived on time, bringing me a gift – a Tiffany necklace. “How was your trip?” I helped him take off his jacket, asking casually. “It was okay, just tiring.” He massaged his temples. “What about you? You didn’t call me at all these past few days. That’s not like you. Don’t you love me anymore? Tell me, do you? Do you?” He wrapped his arms around my waist as he spoke. “Of course not… The merger case has been really tricky lately, I’ve been swamped. Of course, I love you the most.” I leaned in and purposefully kissed his cheek. “And you? Did you miss me?” “Of course, I did.” He leaned in to deepen the kiss, but I deftly turned away. “Hungry? I’ll make you something to eat.” That night, Aaron tried to get intimate, but I pushed him away, citing exhaustion. He looked displeased but didn’t force it, only complaining about how our married life wasn’t as passionate as before. I turned my back to him, biting my lip hard, terrified that if I opened my mouth, I’d blurt out every accusation. A few days later, the detective called me. He said only my mother-in-law picked up and dropped off the child every day; he’d never seen Vivian or any other woman. This didn’t make sense. Where was the child’s mother? Just as I was puzzling over this, the Memory Bites suddenly hit the trending topics again. A quirky online influencer, a month after the candies were released, crunched the numbers and discovered that divorce filings had spiked dramatically, showing an unprecedented surge compared to the previous month. Suddenly, the internet went wild. Some claimed they really saw hidden memories of their partners through the candies, while others firmly believed it was just a coincidence. That evening, Aaron came home looking somewhat uneasy. “Jasmine, when you tried the Memory Bite that day, you really didn’t see anything?” he asked, testing the waters. My heart skipped a beat, but my face remained calm. “No, why? Wasn’t it just a gimmick? Now that the holiday season is over, and sales for Memory Bites are slowing down, they’re just trying to clear inventory, right?” He didn’t look entirely convinced. “How about you try again? Inject a memory into one for me?” I smirked internally, but on the surface, I agreed. “Fine, I think it’s silly, but if my husband wants to play, I’ll humor you.” I picked up a Memory Bite, pretended to focus intently on injecting a memory, then handed it to him. Aaron nervously took a bite, savoring it carefully, then visibly relaxed. “Okay, I was silly too. There’s really nothing.” He put his arm around me and whispered in my ear, “Honey, your birthday is coming up. What do you want this year?” I suppressed a wave of disgust and deliberately asked, “Aaron, we’ve been child-free for ten years. I’m suddenly thinking I might want a child now. What about you?” He froze for a moment, then chuckled. “Why the sudden thought? I think our life together is perfect, just the two of us. I don’t want anyone disturbing that.” The words almost stole my breath. He didn’t want a child with *me*, but he had one with someone else? 4. I wasn’t playing his game anymore. I took action immediately. The next day, I went to the girl’s school entrance, pretending to accidentally bump into her. “Oh, I’m so sorry, sweetie, are you okay?” I steadied the girl, quickly and subtly taking a strand of hair from her head, carefully placing it into a pre-prepared sealed bag. “I’m fine, ma’am,” the girl said with a sweet smile, then ran towards her waiting grandmother – my mother-in-law. That night, I secretly took a few strands of Aaron’s hair. The next day, I delivered both samples to a paternity testing center. Three days later, the results came back: the test confirmed Aaron was the girl’s biological father. The evidence was irrefutable. It was time to confront him. I arranged to meet Aaron at an upscale restaurant. This was the very place he had proposed to me ten years ago. “Why did you pick this place for dinner tonight?” Aaron asked, smiling, clearly in a good mood. I directly pulled out the paternity test report and slid it across the table to him. “Your daughter is very cute.” Aaron’s smile froze instantly, his face turning ashen. “Jasmine, I… this…” I sat opposite him, watching him with a cold smirk as he struggled to string together a coherent sentence. “Ten years of marriage. I thought we truly loved each other, that our choice to be child-free was for us, for our careers.” I spoke with a calmness that even surprised myself. “Turns out, you just didn’t want to have kids *with me*?” “That’s not it!” Aaron desperately grabbed my hand. “I love you, Jasmine! I really do! I just didn’t want you to suffer, having a child is so painful!” “So you chose to have a child with someone else?” I pulled my hand away, crossing my arms over my chest. “That was an accident!” He lowered his voice. “I was drunk, I really didn’t know. By the time I found out, she was already pregnant. It was my mom who insisted on keeping the child.” “And Vivian Lee? Was that an accident too?” I asked coldly. Aaron’s eyes widened. He clearly hadn’t expected me to know so much. “Jasmine, let me explain…” “Go ahead, explain.” I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed. “I’d love to know how you manage to love so many women at once. Does it make you feel accomplished?” Aaron took a deep breath. “Vivian was my first love; we were together in college. We broke up, and then I met you. But we reconnected a few years ago…” He reached for my hand again. “But I truly love you, Jasmine! You’re my wife, the one I chose to spend my life with!” “So she was just a fling?” “I’m sorry, I admit I love her too, but it’s different!” Aaron’s words were unbelievable. “She needs me; she can’t live without me. But you’re so strong and independent, I know you can understand.” I couldn’t believe my ears. Yet, he really did know me well, knowing that hiding anything now would be pointless. After seeing so many men who, upon being caught cheating, threw all the blame onto the woman, I felt a strange, grudging respect for his honesty. But I continued my questioning, because I still needed more recorded evidence. “Understand what? Understand your bigamy? Understand that you’ve been deceiving me for ten years?” “I wasn’t deceiving you!” he said urgently. “I just wanted both of you to be happy. Vivian lacks security, I just wanted to reassure her. But I truly can’t live without you, Jasmine. I admit I’m greedy; I cherish the different needs and satisfactions you both bring me.” I was shaking with anger, yet I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. “How can you be so utterly shameless?” 5. “Jasmine, I know I messed up,” he suddenly dropped to his knees, drawing curious glances from other diners. “But I genuinely love you. You are the most important person in my life! I’ll break things off with Vivian, just please, please forgive me this one time!” I looked at the man I had loved for ten years, feeling an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity. “Let’s get a divorce, Aaron. Let’s end this cleanly.” “No! I absolutely won’t agree!” He suddenly stood up, his face turning dark. “Jasmine Stone, think this through. A divorce won’t benefit either of us. You’re a CEO of a publicly traded company. Once news of our divorce gets out, the stock price will plummet! Your reputation will also suffer!” Ha! He was actually trying to threaten me? I sneered. “Fine. Go ahead and try me.” I immediately moved into an apartment near my company, beginning our official separation. Aaron sent countless messages every day, ranging from apologies and repentance to threats and warnings, trying every trick in the book. During a get-together with friends, I confided part of the truth to my best friend, Chloe Bell. “Oh my God! Aaron actually has a secret child outside?” Chloe gasped, covering her mouth. “I never would have pegged him for that kind of man!” “And even more ridiculous, he also has a college ex, and he used our shared assets to buy her a house.” I wore a bitter expression, waiting for her comfort. But Chloe’s reaction was completely unexpected. “You know, to be honest, I’m actually a little envious of you.” I stared at her, dumbfounded. “Envious of what? Of him cheating and having a child with someone else?” “Honestly, a man like Aaron is hard to come by these days,” Chloe shrugged. “He’s rich, handsome, treats you well, and you don’t even have to go through childbirth.” I looked at her in disbelief. “Are you saying I should just accept my husband’s cheating and his secret child?” “Not accept, but I mean, at least he puts you first, right?” Chloe chose her words carefully. “Some things, you just pretend not to know. Look at me, I know Mark sometimes strays, but we have two kids, a mortgage, car payments… What would I do if we divorced? As for things like those Memory Bites, real or fake, I’d never try them. Why bring myself unnecessary heartache?” I fell silent. Chloe continued, “You two don’t have kids tying you down, so divorce is easier. But will you really find someone better? At least Aaron is still willing to treat you well. And as for men outside, which one doesn’t cheat?” That night, I couldn’t sleep. Was I really being too dramatic? I posted a brief summary of my situation on an anonymous forum, and the replies only confused me further.
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