Chapter 1

Southsky City, the Royal River Residences.

As Southsky is the state capital, housing prices there have always been sky-high, and the Royal River Residences stands out even among them.

Shawn Holt was 29 years old. Although he graduated from Southsky University, he could never afford a house in the Royal River Residences with his salary. The only reason he could live there was thanks to his wife, who was the president of a company.

After graduation, Shawn took on a job as a librarian at Southsky University library. The pay was decent, but compared to his wife's net worth of tens of millions, the money he earned was basically negligible.

"Honey, come home early tonight..."

"I have to work late tonight. I'll crash at my parents' place. Sort yourself out for dinner!"

"You're going to your parents' place again? But today's our..."

"Sorry, something came up! Gotta go, bye."

Beep... beep... beep...

Hearing the busy tone, Shawn shook his head helplessly.

He was going to say that it was their sixth wedding anniversary, but judging by his wife's reaction, she had most likely forgotten.

He couldn't really blame her, though. Her company was in a bit of trouble and needed a large injection of cash. Therefore, she had been busy lately and rarely came home for dinner.

On the dining table were the candles and wine he'd just bought. It seemed like the candlelight dinner plan was off.

Shawn pulled himself together, got up, and started doing the housework.

He was tall and handsome. Even as he approached thirty, his eyes still held clarity and determination, perfectly embodying the saying: "May you go through half a lifetime and remain young at heart and in appearance".

This had a lot to do with his background. When he was 10, his parents drowned trying to save someone, and he grew up in an orphanage. He was always buried in books. He didn't like socializing, and even after graduating, he chose to become a librarian, a job where he wouldn't have to deal with people that much.

He came across as a bit introverted and reclusive.

But that didn't take away from his achievements. A PhD in economics before thirty was definitely a remarkable feat!

However, Shawn chose to keep a low profile, living in the shadow of his wife’s brilliance. He was happy to be a stay-at-home husband. After all, with his wife's wealth, they had practically achieved financial freedom.

His wife, Crystal, was a year younger than him. She was the president of Stewart Corporation. Thanks to her breathtaking beauty and impressive figure, she was practically a celebrity in Southsky.

While they were in college, Shawn accidentally knocked over Crystal's milk tea in the library. To apologize, he treated her to a meal. That was how it all started. Six months later, they were officially dating.

They were very much in love and rarely quarreled even after marriage. The only source of conflict was Crystal's family, particularly her parents.

The Stewart family looked down on the country boy, especially since he was an orphan.

After mopping the floor, Shawn sat down on the couch. As usual, he picked up a book and turned to the page he'd been reading.

The book was in a foreign language, but it wasn't a problem for Shawn.

However, for some reason, he couldn't focus today. He'd read a sentence and forget it immediately. He felt restless.

Frustrated, Shawn picked up his phone, intending to scroll through short videos to pass time.

His gaze fell on a certain app.

It was a car tracker he'd installed when he bought his car, to prevent it from being stolen.

Because Crystal's car had a minor scrape a few days ago, it was at the mechanic's. Today, she'd driven Shawn's car to work.

For some reason, Shawn decided to open the app.

A map of Southsky appeared on the screen, and the car's GPS location was at the Stewart Corporation building.

His wife was indeed working late at the company.

Shawn heaved a sigh of relief, feeling a bit guilty for suspecting her.

But suddenly, the car started to move!

Shawn's pupils shrank. This meant his wife had left the company.

She wasn't working late.

She lied!

Shawn's face hardened. Without hesitation, he strode out the door, wheeled out an electric scooter, and drove out of the neighborhood.

He felt uneasy the whole way. Following the GPS, he soon saw his Audi across the road.

He was at…

The Grand Hyatt Hotel.

As he looked up at the luxurious sign, the unease in Shawn's heart grew stronger.

His scooter was across the road from the hotel. He needed to make a U-turn to reach it. Sitting on the scooter, Shawn stared intently at his Audi.

Soon, the car door opened.

A woman with perfect figure emerged from the driver's seat.

Long hair cascaded over a figure-hugging black dress. The curves under her snow-white neck looked ready to burst free. Her narrow waist accentuated her full hips.

She wore dark high heels, and even the way she walked was captivating.

It's her!

Having shared a bed with his wife for many years, Shawn could recognize her in an instant.

But she wasn't alone.

A moment later, the passenger door opened, and a young man in a suit stepped out. The two met behind the car. Shawn couldn't hear what the man said, but Crystal's perfect face broke into a captivating smile.

Shawn's heart skipped a beat. And the next moment, their behavior made his heart sink.

Crystal took the man's arm like it was the most natural thing in the world, and they walked to the hotel entrance, chatting and laughing intimately like a loving couple.

Shawn's heart ached. Trembling, he pulled out his phone and snapped photos of them until they disappeared into the hotel.

His teeth were grinding. The anger inside him was about to explode.

Why?

Why would she cheat on me?!

He couldn't accept it.

Trembling, he immediately called Crystal.

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable..."

"Damn it, that wench!"

Shawn's eyes were bloodshot. He then tried to Facetime her, but the request was rejected.

Taking a deep breath, he lit a cigarette and forced himself to calm down. A cold glint appeared in his eyes. He got off the scooter and strode towards the other side of the road.

At this point, running away was no longer an option. Even if the truth was cruel, he had to face it!

He walked into the hotel lobby.

With a grim face, he went straight to the front desk.

"Hello, sir. Are you checking in?"

The receptionist girl had a professional smile and a gentle voice.

Shawn didn't waste any time. The cheating couple were probably already showering. He took out his phone and showed her the photo. "These two just came in. I need to know what room they're in."

The receptionist smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, sir. Hotel policy requires us to protect our guests' privacy..."

Shawn stared at her, his eyes sharp. "This woman is my wife. There's still a chance to salvage my marriage. Tell me right now."

Looking into Shawn's eyes, the receptionist felt a shiver run down her spine. She then looked at the photo more closely.

After a moment, she heaved a sigh of relief and put on her professional smile again.

"Sir, it appears you've made a mistake. These two didn't check into a room. They went to the restaurant on the second floor!"