Chapter 6

Sheryl was stunned. She blinked in confusion. "W-What?"

Steven knew she had heard him clearly and didn't repeat himself. Instead, he continued to press, "How many times a week?"

Sheryl considered herself a straightforward person, but talking about such a personal subject with a stranger made her feel incredibly awkward. Especially since this man was handsome and wore an expression of indifference. He didn't even blink.

"Does this have anything to do with my consultation for divorce?"

"Yes," Steven replied. "It has to do with how determined you are to divorce. Did you come here impulsively?"

He had handled many divorce cases that stemmed from infidelity. Most wives, upon discovering their husbands' betrayal, were too shocked to handle it and came to consult a lawyer.

But in the end, after various efforts by the husbands to win them back, they chose to forgive and give their husbands another chance. He didn't like wasting time or doing unnecessary work.

Sheryl considered herself a rational person. She had feelings for Brandon, but she wasn't generous enough to share her husband with another woman. The pain and sting of it was impossible to ignore.

Once a man had cheated, he'd likely do it again.

If it weren't for what she had witnessed that morning, just based on the texts alone, she wouldn't have been able to make such a decision.

She could have still hoped for his honesty. After all, they had been in love for six years. His love for her and his kindness were all fresh in her mind.

He had built the image of a devoted and loyal person to a fault.

But precisely because of that, she couldn't forgive him. The feeling of being deceived, betrayed, and toyed with was like a thousand swords piercing her heart. She wouldn't be foolish enough to let his betrayal go.

Sheryl clenched her fists. Her eyes, tinged with redness, were filled with resolve. "I want a divorce. I want to take everything from him. I want to take back everything he gave to his mistress!"

Vivian's name had already become a stain in her heart. She was now only fit to be labeled as 'a mistress', a derogatory term.

Steven's gaze landed on her hand and noticed the deep indentation on her ring finger. She had probably just taken off her rings recently.

His expression softened slightly. "Do you have any evidence?"

"Yes," Sheryl said. She paused, then took out her phone from her bag and found the photos she took earlier that morning.

In the photos, Brandon and Vivian were embracing closely. Brandon had his hand around her head. Although it wasn't a moving image, it was clear how intense and passionate the kiss was. The pictures were much clearer than what she had seen earlier that morning.

Tears finally fell. Sheryl quickly turned away and wiped her tears before extending the phone towards Steven. Her once gentle voice now hitched with sobs.

"It's a little blurry, but you can still recognize both of their faces."

Steven's eyes were sympathetic. He glanced at the pen on the table, leaned forward, and handed her a tissue.

Sheryl was startled and looked up at him through tearful eyes.

The expression in his eyes seemed capable of peeling away everything on the surface and revealing the true essence of everything and everyone. For some reason, she felt uneasy under his gaze for a brief moment. She took the tissue.

"Thank you."

Steven looked away and glanced at the photos on her phone. "Is this all?"

Clutching the tissue, she nodded slightly. "For now, this is all I have."

"It's not enough. The more evidence you have, the better. For example, their chat records, whether they have lived together, transfer records, et cetera."

'Live together-'

Sheryl's thoughts suddenly drifted.

She recalled how often Brandon had been going on business trips this year. Sometimes, it went up to six or seven days, while other times it was only one or two.

Which of those trips were real, and which were fake? Was he pretending to be on a business trip when he was actually staying with Vivian?

Sheryl dug her nails into her palm. Her emotions began to waver. Her voice grew quieter. "If I find these pieces of evidence, what are the chances of him having to give up everything?"

"Do you have a prenuptial agreement?"

"Yes."

Though Brandon was an illegitimate child, his assets were considerable, and so were hers. Since it had involved both families' interests, the prenuptial agreement had been essential.

However, the terms of the agreement were not strict or overly detailed.

In their three years of marriage, they had always shared everything. It wasn't just daily expenses, but even their investments and finances were intertwined, so they couldn't separate them. They hadn't minded much about that.

What made their marriage precious was their mutual affection. But now, what was left to value was just the money.

"Then you need to gather proof of all your joint assets to see if he has hidden or transferred any," Steven said.

Sheryl only knew of the assets that Brandon was willing to tell her about. But did that mean he hadn't hidden or transferred anything? Could someone who would deceive you with words and actions claiming to love you really be trusted?

Of course, Sheryl didn't believe it.

Now, she only trusted what she saw and what she could investigate herself.

-

After spending more than an hour at the law firm, Sheryl asked before leaving, "Mr. Peterson, may I add you on WhatsApp?"

Having his contact information was a good idea. If she needed to ask anything later, she wouldn't have to make another trip. It could also be considered a tacit agreement to cooperate.

Steven stared at her for two seconds, then took a business card from his holder and handed it to her. "I don't add clients on WhatsApp. If you need something, call my business number."

Sheryl remained silent. Calling was fine too.

She smiled, though it didn't seem very sincere. She took the card. "Thank you. I'm afraid I'll be troubling you quite a bit in the future."

The words were polite but she tossed the card into her purse.

Steven looked at the pen and hesitated before speaking. "This pen might be an important piece of evidence in Selena's case. I'll be submitting it to the court tomorrow."

He was telling her she probably wouldn't get it back.

Of course, when Sheryl brought the pen over, she had never intended to take it back. She was just using it as a way to meet him, based on the anonymous text.

Sheryl smiled a little. "I don't know much about Selena's case. I'm not sure if the pen will be useful. Just handle it as you see fit, Mr. Peterson."

"Thank you." Steven nodded. "My assistant will contact you regarding the working agreement."

"Okay."

Sheryl left, and Steven didn't get up to see her off. He simply said, "Take care."

When she passed by him, he could smell a faint pear blossom scent. It was delicate. It didn’t match her decisive character and dazzling beauty.

As he thought about this, Steven frowned. His gaze darkened slightly.

After a few seconds, he stood up, grabbed a pen, and walked to the computer on his desk. He searched for Starrism International's website. The results matched what Sheryl had said.

Before long, his assistant, Freya, walked in with two files in hand. He looked up and said, "Check Sheryl's identity."

-

By the time Sheryl left the law firm, it was already dusk. The chill of late autumn seeped through her coat, and she shivered. She glanced at her watch. It was almost six o'clock.

Her phone pinged with a text.

"Brandon has 420 million in liquid assets under his name, spread across five banks. There is 39 million in stock funds, with a 38% stake in five companies under the Simrod Group.

"He owns 13 properties, 3 large shopping malls, 9 cars worth over a million each, and 6 credit cards with a million-dollar limit.

"The joint assets between you and Brandon amount to about 129 million, including some funds and stocks, 5 properties, and 4 cars. For Vivian's birthday last month, he gifted her a BMW worth 1.2 million."

Sheryl stopped in her tracks, her expression shocked.

She had been wondering how to trace his assets, but this saved her a lot of trouble. She just needed to visit a few banks to gather all the records.

As for the luxury car Brandon had given Vivian, with the previous revelation of the house worth over twenty million, it wasn't as shocking anymore. Still, it was hard not to feel something in her heart.

Her grip on the phone tightened.

Now, all she needed to do was track down the payment records for the items he had bought for Vivian.

-

When she returned home, it was already dark. She didn't see the black Cayenne in the garage. Brandon hadn't returned yet.

Inside, the housekeeper, Melinda, saw her and quickly smiled to greet her. "Mrs. Simrod, you're back."

Sheryl smiled and nodded. "Get dinner ready."

Melinda asked, "Should I prepare dinner for Mr. Simrod as well?"

Sheryl pressed her lips together. She didn't want to call or message Brandon. "Just prepare it as usual."

After that, she went upstairs to remove her makeup, took a shower, and changed into comfortable, casual clothes.

When she came back down, Melinda had already prepared a meal with four dishes and a soup. Sheryl pulled out a chair and sat down. She had only taken a few bites when the sound of a car engine could be heard outside.

Before long, Brandon walked in with a white bag in one hand and a blue coat on the other.

Sheryl froze for a moment, her eyes focused on his gentle face, which quickly merged in her mind with the image of him passionately kissing Vivian earlier that morning.

She thought that such a scene would likely haunt her like a nightmare, reminding her in the days to come of just how painful it was to be betrayed by the two people closest to her.

Brandon saw her and immediately smiled warmly. He subconsciously quickened his footsteps. He placed the bag on the table.

"Sheryl, you're back. Why are you home so early? No overtime?"

Sheryl had concealed the complicated emotions in her eyes and put on a gentle smile. "I'm a bit tired, so I came home early."

She glanced at the logo on the white bag in his hand, surprised. "Did you go to Northwood?"

Brandon noticed her tiredness, and his gaze softened. He reached out and touched her face. "I noticed you've lost weight recently, and your complexion isn't as good. You haven't been eating much," he said softly.

He took out the items from the bag. "I thought these might help you eat more, so I drove to get some. I got you some pudding, caramel flan, and braised pork ribs."

Sheryl stared at the food.

They were all things she had loved since college, and this wasn't the first time Brandon had bought them for her. There were places closer to their home in the Southhaven district that sold similar things, but Sheryl had always preferred the taste of the restaurants near Northwood College.

It was a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Southhaven to Northwood. A round trip took about three hours.

She remembered it had always been like that.

It happened during college and even after graduation. Whenever she mentioned wanting something, even if it was in the middle of the night, no matter how far or difficult it was to get, he would drive out to buy it for her.

Sometimes, she would casually mention wanting something, and within minutes, hours, or even the next day, it would appear in front of her.

Like today, he would surprise her with little things like food, flowers, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and hair ties. He was always willing to put in the effort for her.

Sheryl didn't understand. Was his love genuine, or was it all just for show?

If it was real, why would he cheat? If it was fake, how could he have kept it up for six years?

A bitter feeling spread in her heart, slowly invading every part of her being.

She struggled to suppress it and forced herself to stay calm. "Why did you go there? It's so far. I haven't had much of an appetite lately, and I'm just tired. I'll just rest."

She was also afraid he would notice something was wrong. She opened the containers and stared at the food as she spoke, as if suddenly losing her appetite.

She had no desire to eat at all.

"The trip took a bit longer, so it's already cold," Brandon said before taking the bag. "I'll go heat it up."

"Let Melinda heat it up. You've been driving for so long. Rest and eat with me."

Brandon looked at her and smiled. "Okay, I'll wash my hands first."

As soon as he left, Sheryl's phone chimed with a new message.

"Before coming back, he went to Serenity Estates. He went to Northwood because Vivian insisted on eating vanilla sponge cake and caramelized pear."

Sheryl froze.

It felt as if a new wound had been opened in her heart. The cold air seeped in relentlessly. It turned out he had only bought all this because he was already there. She wasn't the real reason he went there.

Sheryl suddenly laughed bitterly, her expression sarcastic. Soon, her eyes welled up with tears.

She took a deep breath. Afraid her tears might fall, she quickly stood up, hurrying over to the stairs to go up and make herself presentable. Just as she stepped onto the staircase, she heard a faint voice to the right.

The right side of the stairs led to the downstairs bathroom.

It was Brandon's voice. The content was unclear, but she heard the word 'baby'.

Sheryl's pupils contracted. Instinctively, she took a couple of steps toward the corner, and hesitated before turning on her phone's recorder.

Brandon's voice came in soft whispers. "Okay, okay, I understand. Find someone to put on an act for now. She won't suspect anything. I'll be with you the day after tomorrow, alright?"

His voice was quiet, but it wasn't hard to detect the tenderness in it. This way of coaxing had always been reserved for Sheryl.

But now, hearing it as he coaxed another woman, Sheryl's heart ached. Her eyes filled with tears, and a single tear finally rolled down her cheek.