Chapter 2

Sheryl stared at the string of words on her screen. She was stunned. She knew what every word meant. But strung together like this, they suddenly felt foreign.

The first name was her husband's. The second was her best friend.

Sheryl had met Brandon in college. Back then, his pursuit of her had been nothing short of dramatic.

There were flowers, breakfast deliveries, and stuffed animals. He had even treated her classmates to drinks. Everyone on campus knew just how deep his love for her ran and how devoted he was.

He had been willing to go to any lengths for her, including risking his own life.

Through all these years, his love had never changed.

Vivian had been Sheryl's college roommate for two years. That time together had made them inseparable. She had watched Sheryl and Brandon's entire relationship unfold from day one.

Vivian had never liked Brandon. She never had anything nice to say about him.

At their wedding, Vivian had even teared up while warning Brandon, "You'd better treat her well, or I'll make you regret it."

Sheryl couldn't understand. What reason would two people who rarely met have to meet up in a hotel room?

She wasn't naive.

This clearly pointed to an affair.

Sheryl couldn't believe it. She had never imagined Brandon would cheat on her. He loved her so dearly and cared for her so much. Why would he cheat on her? Let alone with VIvian?

It didn't make sense.

But then, images from the incident on Riverpoint Road popped into her mind. Her heart began to pound uncontrollably. It was as if it would burst out of her chest at any moment.

The afternoon dragged on excruciatingly slowly. Every minute was torture for Sheryl. She kept checking the time on her phone.

Finally, around dusk, Brandon sent her a message.

"Sorry, Sheryl. Something urgent came up at work. I need to take care of it. I won't be able to make it for dinner. Let's watch the movie tomorrow instead, okay?"

Her heart sank.

They had made plans to dine at a fusion restaurant tonight. They were supposed to have dinner before watching a newly released movie. They'd made the reservation for the restaurant yesterday, the same for the movie tickets.

Suddenly, she felt a suffocating sensation in her chest. It was getting a little hard to breathe.

It then hit her that Brandon had always been someone who kept his promises. Regardless of the significance, if he said he'd do something, he always kept his word.

But when did that start to change?

Was it this year or last year?

Gradually, the cancellations had increased. He gave one excuse after another.

Sheryl didn't reply to him. Feeling troubled, she waited until half past eight before grabbing her bag and car keys. She drove to the Kingston Hotel mentioned in the anonymous message.

After getting directions from the receptionist, she took the elevator to the fourteenth floor.

She stood outside room 1408 and glanced at her phone.

It was three minutes past nine.

Her finger hovered over the doorbell. She hesitated. Nervousness surged through her like a rising tide. After inhaling deeply, she calmed herself and pressed the doorbell.

About ten seconds later, the door was opened by a smiling woman. It was a face she knew all too well.

It was Vivian.

Although Sheryl had mentally prepared for this, she still froze. The light in her eyes dimmed in an instant.

Vivian, too, quickly dropped her excited expression. It was replaced with visible panic.

She was wearing a black silk dress that revealed her flawless neck and collarbones. The soft fabric clung to her figure, and her neckline was attention-grabbing. She had very light makeup on her face. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of allure.

Even women would find her attractive, let alone men.

Vivian clutched her chest awkwardly, forcing a nervous smile as she tried to compose herself.

"Sheryl, what are you doing here?"

Sheryl could see every little change in Vivian's expression. She felt a chill down her spine. It was as if someone had torn her heart into two. Her fingers clenched tighter around her purse, though her expression remained unreadable.

She glanced past Vivian into the room, raised her brows, and spoke in a sly tone. "And you? What's this?"

Vivian stiffened. Her lips parted slightly, gaze darting about, before mumbling, "I-I've started seeing someone."

A boyfriend?

From what Sheryl could recall, Vivian had been in two serious relationships back in college.

The most recent one had lasted nearly three years. It ended because the guy went abroad, and the long-distance relationship had ended within three months after he left.

Since then, despite many admirers due to Vivian's good looks, she hadn't dated anyone. Sheryl had always assumed Vivian still hadn't gotten over her ex.

They'd known each other for years. Sheryl was confident she knew Vivian well enough. Just by looking at her face and microexpressions now, Sheryl could tell she was clearly lying.

Still, Sheryl smiled, the surprise on her face timed just right.

"Really? About time you moved on!"

Vivian played along and pretended to be embarrassed. "I couldn't live in the past forever. I thought I'd give this one a shot. We only made it official recently. I was planning to tell you after my vacation."

Sheryl picked up her cue smoothly. "That's the spirit. It's been years. You should've moved on long ago."

Vivian smiled, though a hint of suspicion appeared in her eyes. "But wait, what are you doing here, Sheryl?"

Sheryl ignored the question. Instead, she leaned in and teased, "So? Where is he? I want to see the guy who finally won you over! Look at you, all dolled up in a silk nightie. Are you trying to kill him with temptation?"

Sheryl wanted to know who Vivian's boyfriend really was.

Was Brandon in there? If he was, how would she face it? What would she say?

She didn't dare think further. Her fingertips were turning pale. Her heart pounded as if it would leap out of her chest at any moment.

Vivian smacked her hand playfully before pulling her dress back.

"Oh, stop it! He's not here yet. I thought you were him just now. Sheryl, stop teasing me!"

The smile on Vivian's face when she opened the door really had been genuine. That meant this so-called boyfriend really hadn't arrived yet.

Sheryl had mixed emotions, but that crushing weight lightened just a little. Maybe she simply wasn't ready to confront the truth yet.

Still smiling, she said, "Alright then, I'll let you two lovebirds have your fun. Bring him to dinner next time."

She turned to leave.

Vivian quickly grabbed her arm. "Wait, why are you even here?"

Sheryl paused. Showing up out of nowhere did seem suspicious. She might as well lay it out and see how Vivian responded.

She turned around after concealing her pained expression. "To catch a cheater."

"What?" Vivian's pupils contracted. "Who?"

"Who else? It's obviously Brandon," Sheryl replied.

Vivian's face was drained of color. Her chest clenched painfully as she forced out the words.

"Brandon? With who?"

Sheryl gave her a side glance and shook her head.

"No idea. Someone called me after work today and said they saw Brandon entering this hotel with a woman, and that they were on the fourteenth floor. They didn't say which room. I knocked on a few doors at random and got cussed out by someone too."

Vivian glanced at the room next door where Sheryl had subtly gestured. Her tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

She sounded furious when she spoke. "That's outrageous! Look, I may not like Brandon, but even I'll admit that he loves you like crazy. Everyone sees how devoted he is. He'd never cheat. Someone's just trying to stir up drama and ruin your marriage!"

Then her tone shifted.

"But if he did dare betray you, I'd be the first to beat him up."

"Some person probably made it up. I'll get Brandon to look into it," Sheryl said while trying to hide the pain in her eyes. She then teased playfully, "I'm leaving. Enjoy your night."

Vivian gave Sheryl an embarrassed look and watched her leave. After Sheryl had gone, Vivian's smile gradually faded, and she clenched her fists.