Chapter 2

In the kitchen, my mother-in-law, Mrs. Davis, was dropping meatballs into the hot oil.

Mark stood by the stove, looking down at his phone.

I stood at the kitchen doorway, watching him type.

He looked up, meeting my gaze.

His face stiffened.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

I smiled.

"Nothing. It's just... you haven't smiled like that in a long time."

His expression changed.

I didn't say anything more and turned to set the table.

Dinner was lavish tonight; Mrs. Davis's cooking was always excellent.

Mark served me food, served Lily, toasted his parents, playing the role of a perfect husband, perfect father, perfect son.

I looked at him and suddenly asked,

"Oh, by the way, where's your backup phone? I wanted to track a package this afternoon, but I couldn't find it."

He paused.

"Oh, that one? The battery was dead, so I threw it out."

"Threw it out?"

"Yeah, I wasn't using it anyway." He looked down at his plate, avoiding my eyes.

I nodded, not pressing the issue.

After dinner, Lily pulled me to the balcony to look at the stars.

She lay on my lap, looking up at me with her little face.

"Mommy, will Daddy take us to Disney this year? He said he would last year, and the year before that too."

I looked down at my daughter's bright, shining eyes.

She was five years old.

In those five years, Mark had taken "Mistress #1" through "Mistress #99" to vacation in Miami, to Japan, to the Maldives.

But he had never once taken Lily and me to Disney.

"We will go," I said, stroking her head.

But not with him.

Lily fell asleep in my arms.

Holding her, I remembered the year I retired from the military, the General asked me, "Alice, what's your dream?"

I said, "I want a home."

My phone vibrated. It was a text message from an unknown number:

【Dear Ms. Miller, I am the divorce lawyer General Thorne assigned to you.】

【Your husband, Mr. Mark Davis's bank statements for the past three years have been retrieved.】

【There are seventy-three abnormal transactions totaling $420,000, all for personal luxury goods and hotel stays.】

【Additionally, the old house you purchased before marriage was mortgaged in March 2021. The mortgagor's signature is Mark Davis, and your signature was forged.】

【Evidence has been secured. Awaiting your next instruction.】

I didn't reply, I just hugged Lily a little tighter.

In the living room, Mark was looking at his phone again.

The screen was lit, and he was smiling.

Tomorrow was Sunday.

He was probably going on a date with some "mistress," right?

And I should go visit some old acquaintances.

The next day, Mark woke up early.

He kept checking his reflection in the hallway mirror.

"I have a client dinner today for the company; I need to meet a big client," he said, his voice cheerful. "Don't wait for me for dinner."

I sat at the dining table and asked,

"What client? You have to work on a Sunday?"

"You wouldn't understand. It's times like these that show true sincerity." He bent down to put on his shoes. "I might have to drink, so I might not be back tonight."

"Okay."

He paused, surprised.

Before, whenever he came home late, I would always ask where he went, who he saw, and when he'd be back.

By the end, he found me annoying, and I found myself pathetic.

"Well, I'm leaving then?" he stood by the door.

I looked up at him.

"Be careful on the road," I said.

He left.

I went into the bedroom and opened his closet.

Deep inside, hanging there, was an old jacket he never let me touch.

I felt the inner lining and found a black USB drive tucked inside.

I plugged the USB drive into the computer, first sending the contents to my lawyer.

Then I opened the documents.

The original ninety-nine photos.

Contact information for ninety-nine women.

And an Excel spreadsheet.

Name, age, profession, date of meeting, hotel room number, amount spent.

He even had a rating system.

S-tier: Long-term relationship, invest resources.

A-tier: Maintain periodically, invest as needed.

B-tier: Short-term experience, one-time investment.

C-tier: Not recommended for repeat business.

I scrolled the mouse, line by line.

In the "S-tier" column, I saw a familiar name.

Chloe.

Note: Married, stable relationship, no burden. Her husband is deployed long-term, meets 3-4 times a month. Has been ongoing for four years.

Four years.

I slowly leaned back in the chair.

My phone rang.