Chapter 3

A flicker of panic flashed across Chloe's eyes before vanishing just as quickly. She shot me a resentful glare. "It's all your fault!"

"I had to swallow my pride and chase after him to apologize for you! I had to take him to urgent care, treat him to dinner..."

"On my way back, bugs ate me alive, and I tripped and fell several times! You made my whole day a living nightmare!"

Her voice shook with anger and grievance, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

Seeing her bruised and battered appearance, my guilt multiplied tenfold.

I cursed myself for being so reckless. Heartbroken for putting her through this, I pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, babe. It's all on me. I made you suffer. I'll go find Malik tomorrow and settle this myself."

Chloe pushed me away forcefully, scowling. "Apologize? Malik despises you right now! Do you want to escalate this and get yourself locked up? Leave the apologizing to me. He's a gentleman at heart, he won't take it out on a woman. As for you, just focus on your deliveries and stop causing me trouble, please!"

Over the next few days, I channeled my guilt into work, taking on as many orders as possible to earn top driver bonuses so I could spoil my wife.

Yet ever since Chloe took it upon herself to make amends with Malik, she was gone from sunrise to sundown.

Every evening she returned completely wiped out—either complaining of aching hips and lower back, or sore feet and knees. Those red marks on her neck never seemed to fade. Sometimes she'd leave the house wearing pantyhose, only to come back with bare legs.

Whenever I asked, she'd dodge the questions, stammering vaguely and changing the subject. A deep, gnawing unease began to consume me.

I asked her how the reconciliation with Malik was progressing.

Chloe snapped impatiently, "Stay out of it! Just do your deliveries! After what you did to him, do you think forgiveness happens overnight? Seriously!"

I fell silent, an undeniable dread settling in my gut. She was hiding something from me.

After tossing and turning, I decided I had to confront Malik face-to-face.

The next afternoon, I headed back to Iron Peak Fitness.

When I arrived, Malik was nowhere to be seen. Chloe was missing too.

Just then, a muscular gym regular walked up to me. Recognizing me from the brawl a few days ago, he gave a nod and asked what brought me back.

Feeling suffocated and desperate to vent, I ended up spilling the whole story to him.

Pity immediately filled his eyes as he dropped a bombshell on me.

"Man, you've been played. You didn't missee anything the other day. Malik definitely grabbed your wife's ass, not her back."

My jaw dropped. "What? I wasn't seeing things? Then why did all those women swear I was wrong...?"

The guy scoffed. "Those chicks are obsessed with him. Half of them are sleeping with Malik."

"They don't care about the truth. If you mess with Malik, they'll back him up blindly. And your wife? She's part of his harem now."

The words struck me like a bolt of lightning. "Th-that's impossible..."

"Lately, your wife and Malik have been practically glued at the hip. Acting all lovey-dovey like a fresh couple, super touchy."

"Actually, I just overheard them saying they were heading to the Rose Boutique Hotel. Go check it out yourself if you want to know whether I'm lying."

My mind buzzed violently. The Rose Boutique Hotel was the most infamous lovers' motel in the district. Why they were going there needed no explanation!

Stumbling out of the gym in a daze, I raced toward the motel without a second thought.

And sure enough, across the street, I spotted Malik and Chloe!

They were linked together like a real couple, whispering, giggling, and strolling straight through the motel doors.

The sight shattered the last shred of my sanity. I grabbed a stray brick from the roadside and charged forward!