An Intimate Photo on Her Phone

I started living like a detective.While Whitney was in the shower, I searched through her work bag.While she was in meetings, I checked the dashcam records.Late at night, after she fell asleep, I used her fingerprint to unlock her phone.The password was our wedding anniversary.The discovery made me sick for three whole days. She was using a password connected to me while living an entire life with another man.'M' was hidden in a contact group called 'Work Contacts' with a close-up photo of piano keys as his profile picture.The chat history was cleared every day, but occasionally, a few messages slipped through.On the tenth of last month, she went on a business trip to Hazelton.He said he wanted to eat at a private restaurant by West Lake.[Okay. I'll take you there.]That was her reply to him.[My meetings are packed. I can only eat takeaway.]That was her reply to me on the same day.On the 17th of March, he said the practice room was too cold.[I ordered you a

While she was away in Silicon Bay for three days, I did two things.First of all, I found out where Ethan lived.I asked a friend in real estate to look into the neighborhood's property purchase records for the past three years.The payment was made one month after she bought him the car. The total price was 3.2 million dollars.Second of all, I met someone.She was one of Ethan's former colleagues. She had left the symphony orchestra six months ago and now ran a violin studio.I signed up for an adult course that cost two grand.She taught me for twenty minutes, accepted my money, and was in a good mood.I invited her for coffee.We talked about the orchestra, the principal players, and the cellist."Ethan?" She stirred her latte. "He's pretty good-looking, and his playing isn't bad either. He's just lucky.""How so?""He has a sugar mommy." She lowered her voice. "Or rather, his girlfriend, as he calls her. She's a researcher. Every year, she anonymously donates 800 grand

The day I filed the lawsuit, Whitney was still in Silicon Bay.She called me and said there had been a problem with a project, so she needed to stay there a few more days."Okay," I said. "Take care of yourself."She paused for a moment."Jimmy, why does your voice sound hoarse?""I caught a cold.""Did you take any medicine?""Yeah."She was silent for two seconds."I'll get back as soon as I can."The call ended.I sat in the living room and stared at the half-finished box of pastries on the coffee table.They had a fifteen-day shelf life. Today was the fourteenth day.I tossed the box into the trash.The court's filing notice came four days later.I saved the electronic copy in a folder titled 'Whitney Sullivan's Case File.'Inside the same folder was the list of evidence I'd prepared.There were 37 screenshots of chat messages, 52 pages of bank statements, two property registration records, one vehicle registration record, one record confirming the orchestra donati

The verdict came in early November.The court determined that during her marriage, Whitney had maintained a long-term improper relationship with Ethan and was seriously at fault.Of the 4.12 million dollars in transfers, 3.8 million was deemed an illegal transfer of marital assets and was ordered to be returned in full.The house and the car were both included in the repayment.As for the bigamy charge, the court found that the evidence establishing that they had lived together as husband and wife was insufficient, so that charge was dropped.My lawyer asked if I wanted to appeal.I shook my head."It's enough."The 3.8 million dollars included the 600 grand my father had left me and the old house her parents had left behind.It also included every cent I'd earned through ten years of working late into the night, traveling until dawn on business trips, and giving up vacation days.It had all come back.My lawyer handed me a copy of the verdict."Mr. Zeller," she said. "You'

The city was even smaller than I'd imagined.It took twenty minutes to get from the train station to town by taxi.The driver was a woman in her fifties who pointed things out along the way."That's the market. The freshest produce comes in early in the morning. That's the clinic. They can handle minor illnesses and injuries. That's the elementary school. They just renovated it this year."She looked at me through the rearview mirror."Here on vacation?""I'm setting up a shop.""What kind?""I haven't decided yet."She smiled."Then stay here for now. Take your time deciding."The car stopped in front of a three-story building.There was a storefront downstairs and living quarters upstairs.The real estate agent was waiting outside. She handed me the keys."Mr. Zeller, just as you requested, the storefront faces south, and there's enough space out front for flowers."I took the keys.She left.I stood in the empty shop.At three in the afternoon, sunlight streamed th