On our wedding anniversary, my wife told me her company was holding a corporate outing, including a two-day, one-night hot spring spa retreat. After she left, I decided to surprise her by redecorating the house. While cleaning, I swept out a box of emergency contraceptive pills from under our bed. My heart lurched. We had been trying to conceive; why would she be taking these? My wife’s call came in. Her voice was languid, tinged with a slight pant. “Honey, the hot springs are so relaxing, I almost fell asleep.” I looked at my phone, displaying a severe thunderstorm alert – all outdoor hot spring resorts were closed. What kind of “corporate outing” required emergency contraception? “Hey, honey.” On the other end of the line, Chloe’s voice was laced with the languor of just waking up, and a hint of a breathy sigh. “The hot springs are so relaxing, I almost fell asleep.” I clutched my phone, standing in the middle of the living room. The bright new overhead lights illuminated every corner of the home we’d shared for three years, leaving no shadow. “Really? Get some good rest then.” My voice was steady, betraying no hint of the turmoil within. “I just miss you a little.” Chloe chuckled softly on her end. “I’ll bring you back a souvenir when I return.” “Okay.” I hung up. On my phone screen, the severe thunderstorm alert issued by the weather station was still glaring crimson. “Due to strong convective weather, all outdoor hot spring resorts and mountain tourism projects in the city are temporarily suspended.” I tossed my phone onto the sofa, my gaze falling back to the coffee table. Underneath the table was what I had just swept out from under the bed. A box of emergency contraceptive pills. Only one pill remained. The manufacturing date on the box was three months ago. We’d been married for three years, and we started trying for a baby a year ago. She had gotten rid of everything in the house that could potentially affect conception. More than once, I’d seen her cry with disappointment when her period arrived. She said she longed for a child of ours. So, what was this box of pills doing here? I picked up the pill box, turning it over and over in my hands. The unsettling thought grew clearer and clearer in my mind. What kind of “corporate outing” required going to “hot springs” in a thunderstorm? What kind of “corporate outing” required taking emergency contraception? My gaze began to sweep across the living room. This home, which I had personally decorated, intending to surprise her, now felt utterly unfamiliar. I stormed into the bedroom and yanked open her nightstand drawer. On the bottom shelf, tucked away, was an old tablet she rarely used. I pressed the power button. The screen lit up, paused on a hotel booking page. The Grandview Hotel & Suites. In our city. Check-in time: today. Check-out time: tomorrow noon. Reservation name: Marcus Thorne. I recognized that name. It was Chloe’s new boss. She’d been mentioning him a lot lately, saying he was young and promising, and had been very supportive of her career. I clicked on the order details. Executive King Room. The special request note read: “Honeymoon setup, with plenty of roses.” My stomach did a violent flip. I rushed to the bathroom, clutching the toilet, dry heaving. Nothing came up, only searing acid burning my esophagus. A surprise? I was certainly preparing a hell of a surprise. I splashed cold water on my face, looking at the man with bloodshot eyes staring back at me in the mirror. I couldn’t just let this go. I had to see. See it with my own eyes. I changed my clothes, grabbed my car keys, and walked out of that suffocating house.
The Grandview Hotel & Suites was opulent, almost blindingly luxurious. I parked my car across the street and looked up at the imposing skyscraper. Chloe and that man, Marcus Thorne, were somewhere behind one of those windows in this building right now. What were they doing? Were they “almost falling asleep” as she’d claimed on the phone, or…? I couldn’t bear to think further. I walked into the hotel lobby and headed straight for the front desk. “Hello, sir, how may I help you?” The front desk agent’s smile was professional yet distant. “I’m looking for someone. My wife, Chloe Davis. Which room is she in?” “I apologize, sir, but to protect guest privacy, we cannot disclose room information.” I had expected this. I pulled out my phone and displayed a photo of Chloe and me on our wedding day. “She’s my wife. It’s our wedding anniversary today, and I’m here to give her a surprise.” I tried my best to make my expression look sincere and loving. “See, I even brought her a gift.” I held up a paper bag, which contained a bouquet of flowers I had just bought from the flower shop downstairs. A flicker of sympathy crossed the agent’s face, but she still shook her head. “I’m truly sorry, sir, but rules are rules.” I didn’t press the issue. I walked over to the lobby lounge area and sat down, my eyes fixed on the elevators. I didn’t know which floor, which room they were in. I sat there like an idiot, waiting. Time ticked by, second by second. People came and went in the lobby, each with a different expression on their face. Joyful, tired, numb. Only I sat there, a complete outsider. My phone vibrated. It was a SnapChat message from Chloe. An image: a pair of feet soaking in hot spring water, with rose petals floating on the surface. The caption read: “Honey, it’s really so relaxing. Too bad you’re not here.” My hand started to tremble. That picture was expertly Photoshopped. The steam from the hot spring, the delicate rose petals, even her toes looked so relaxed. If I hadn’t known the truth, I would have been touched by her “sharing.” Just then, the elevator chimed “ding.” Two figures emerged. The man was tall and handsome, in a perfectly tailored suit. The woman was petite and lovely, wearing a beautiful dress I had never seen before. It was Chloe. She was clinging to the man’s arm, a radiant smile on her face that I had never seen directed at me. It wasn’t the gentle, domestic smile she usually reserved for me. It was a dazzling smile, full of admiration and flirty charm, the kind of smile only a woman deeply in love could have. They walked past me, heading towards the hotel’s revolving doors. Chloe’s head was affectionately resting on the man’s shoulder. “Marcus, you’re so good to me.” Her voice was so sickeningly sweet, it could melt sugar. I sat on the sofa, unmoving. So, this was her “corporate outing.” So, this was why she lied. I slowly stood up and followed them.
They didn’t leave the hotel; instead, they walked into the hotel’s ground-floor fine dining restaurant. Soft music played in the restaurant, the lighting was dim, and the atmosphere was perfect. A waiter led them to a window-side table. I found a corner table and sat down, hidden behind a large potted plant, from where I could see them perfectly. Marcus gallantly pulled out a chair for Chloe. Chloe sat down, looking up at him, her eyes sparkling like stars. “Marcus, you’re so good to me, I don’t know how I can ever repay you.” Marcus smiled, reaching out to stroke her hair. “Silly girl, just keep doing good work, that’s the best way to repay me.” “Your proposal this time was excellent. I’ve already put in a word upstairs; you’re a shoo-in for department head next quarter.” Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Really? Thank you, Marcus!” “No need to be so formal with me.” Marcus’s gaze was full of adoration. They ordered their meal and began to eat. Throughout the meal, Marcus kept dotingly placing food on Chloe’s plate, and Chloe ate like a pampered kitten, content and docile. Watching this scene, I felt like I was watching a romance movie. And I, was a mere audience member, not even a supporting character. I ordered the strongest whiskey and downed it in one gulp. The fiery liquid burned my throat, but couldn’t extinguish the fire in my heart. I took out my phone, aimed it at them, and pressed record. I wanted to record everything. I wanted her to see what kind of face she showed when she was with another man. Halfway through dinner, Marcus’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned slightly, but answered it anyway. “Hello, honey.” The moment he spoke, Chloe’s face changed. “I’m out entertaining clients, having dinner.” “Yes, I might be home a bit late tonight.” “Okay, okay, I know, you go to bed early.” He hung up, a slightly awkward expression on his face. Chloe looked down, poking her steak with her fork, saying nothing. “What’s wrong?” Marcus asked her. Chloe looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. “Marcus, what exactly are we doing?” Marcus sighed, reaching out to hold her hand. “Chloe, just give me a little more time. There’s no more love between her and me, I’m in the process of getting a divorce.” “Once I sort things out at home, I’ll give you a proper title.” Chloe’s tears fell. “But I…” “No buts.” Marcus interrupted her. “I know you’re upset, but for our future, please bear with it a little longer, okay?” Chloe looked at him, then nodded. Marcus smiled with satisfaction, leaned in, and kissed her forehead. I stopped recording. Enough. This was already enough. I put down my glass, stood up, and prepared to leave this sickening place. Just as I turned, a commotion erupted at the restaurant entrance. A woman dressed in expensive clothes, accompanied by two bodyguards, stormed in, radiating fury. “Marcus Thorne!” The woman’s sharp voice pierced the restaurant’s tranquility.
The blood drained from Marcus’s face. He shot up, looking at the woman at the entrance, his eyes wide with panic. “How did you get here?” Chloe was also stunned, sitting there frozen, at a complete loss. The woman, her heels clicking on the floor, took a few quick steps to their table. She didn’t even glance at Marcus; her sharp eyes were fixed solely on Chloe. “So you’re the homewrecker who’s been seducing my husband?” The woman’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a chilling edge. All eyes in the restaurant turned to them. Chloe’s face was ashen, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. “Honey, let me explain, it’s not what you think, this is my colleague, we…” Marcus frantically tried to explain. “Slap!” The woman’s hand swung, delivering a harsh slap across Marcus’s face. The crisp sound silenced the entire restaurant. “You shut up!” The woman pointed a finger at Marcus’s nose, yelling, “I knew something was off with you. I had someone follow you for half a month! And you still dare to tell me she’s a colleague?” She finished, then turned to Chloe, her eyes overflowing with scorn and rage. “You look decent enough, so why are you so utterly pathetic, needing to steal someone else’s husband?” Chloe trembled from head to toe, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls. “I didn’t… it’s not…” Her defense was painfully weak. “Still trying to deny it!” The woman grabbed a glass of red wine from the table and poured it directly over Chloe’s head. The crimson liquid ran down her hair and cheeks, soaking her beautiful dress, leaving her utterly disgraced. “Ah!” Chloe shrieked. “Marcus! Your wife is crazy!” She cried out to Marcus for help. Marcus stood beside her, his face ashen, but he dared not say a word. “I’m crazy?” The woman scoffed. “Today, I’ll show you just how crazy I can be!” With that, she gestured to the bodyguards behind her. The two bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Chloe by the arms. “What are you doing! Let go of me!” Chloe struggled desperately. The surrounding diners began to whisper, some pulling out their phones to take pictures. I sat in the corner, coldly observing the farce. Was this Chloe’s idea of a “better life”? Was this the high branch she was willing to betray me for, to climb? How utterly laughable. The woman’s gaze swept across the restaurant, finally landing on me. Perhaps she thought that among everyone present, I was the most engrossed, the most calm. She walked towards me. Her high heels clicked on the floor, each step echoing like a blow to my heart. “Well, sir, enjoying the show?” She stood before me, looking down at me. I didn’t answer. Her gaze passed over me, landing on the large decorative mirror hanging on the wall behind me. In the mirror, the absurd scene was clearly reflected. And it also reflected Chloe’s tear-streaked face, filled with terror. Following the woman’s gaze, Chloe also saw me in the mirror. Our eyes met. Her pupils constricted sharply. The color drained from her face in an instant. It was a fear and despair even deeper than when she was caught in the act just moments before. She finally saw me. “Alex…” Chloe’s voice was an unsteady tremor. Marcus’s wife followed Chloe’s gaze, looked back at me, then at Chloe again, a cruel smile forming on her lips.
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