5. INSIDE

That day, after the unexpected encounter with Gavin and Selina, I returned home with a whirlwind of emotions. I thought I had forgotten everything, but seeing them again stirred something within me that I had believed was long dead. Yet this time, it wasn’t pain that rose to the surface—it was curiosity.

That evening, as I was sorting through my wardrobe, I found an old envelope tucked away between a stack of books. It was brown, with no sender’s name written on it, and it bore a wax seal that had already cracked. I opened it carefully, and its contents made my breath catch in my throat.

Inside the envelope was a legal document stating that Gavin had sold all the assets we owned together—including the house where we had lived—a whole year before we were even married. And the proceeds from the sale… every single penny had been transferred to an account under Selina’s name.

This wasn’t just an affair. This was a plan that had been laid long before I had even agreed to become his wife.

I sank down to the floor, clutching the document in trembling hands. How could I never have noticed this? How could I have believed all his sweet words all these years?

Suddenly, my phone rang. An unknown number flashed across the screen. I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Ms. Aria. I am a private investigator hired by someone to pass this information on to you. There is still so much you don’t know about Gavin and Selina. If you want to know the whole truth, meet me at the address I am about to send you. But remember—come alone."

The call ended abruptly. Moments later, a text message arrived containing the address of an old café in the city center.

I stared at the document in my hands, then at the message on my phone screen. I knew this could be a trap, but I could not suppress my curiosity. I had to know the truth behind all of this.

The next day, I went to the address I had been given. The café was quiet, with only a few people sitting in the corners. A middle-aged man with sharp eyes behind his glasses waved his hand when he saw me enter.

"You must be Aria," he said, gesturing to the seat across from him. "Thank you for coming."

"Who are you? And who hired you?" I asked immediately, skipping the small talk.

The man smiled faintly. "I cannot reveal my client’s name. But I can tell you everything I know about Gavin and Selina—things that will change how you see them forever."

He placed a thick folder on the table. "This is all the evidence I have gathered over the past year. It ranges from their secret meetings and suspicious financial transactions, to their connections with dangerous people."

I opened the folder slowly, and what I saw made my blood run cold.