Chapter 3

For five years, I had never checked Joe’s phone because I trusted him.

However, my trust was worth nothing.

I laughed at myself and turned on his phone.

It prompted me for a six-digit passcode.

I thought for a while and looked up Gabriella’s birthday online.

I entered her birthday, and the phone unlocked successfully.

My heart sank when it happened.

I clicked on his photo album. There were pictures related to his work.

I paid extra attention and found a hidden folder.

That folder was filled with photos of Gabriella.

Many of them were photos of her performance and behind-the-scenes things.

Those did not look like photos downloaded from the internet.

I checked the timestamps of those photos and realized that the dates matched the time when Joe told me he was away on business trips.

It turned out that he was not going on business trips. Instead, he was flying across the globe to watch Gabriella perform.

He had also downloaded a lot of photos of Gabriella and William.

He had deliberately cropped William out of every single photo.

I clicked on his notes app in a daze. Unsurprisingly, they were filled with notes detailing his unrequited love.

I could feel the one-sided love he had for Gabriella in between the lines.

He did not even mention a single word about me.

When I heard the shower turn off, I exited the notes app and cleared my log before locking the phone and putting it back in its original place.

I felt my cheeks wet with tears as I did that.

When Joe got out of the washroom, I was already lying down in the bed with my back facing him.

He got into bed and wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my ear and whispered, “Fiona…”

I knew what he wanted.

Even though he did not love me, it did not stop him from wanting me.

Men…

I held back my disgust and whispered, “I feel unwell today…”

His hands paused, and he said softly, “Then, get some sleep.”

I could not sleep at all.

The next morning, Joe was making breakfast in the kitchen.

I was trying to apply for identity revocation.

It took three days at most to get the paperwork to go through for a revocation. It was the best option to discard this rotten relationship.

Three days later, I would completely disappear from his life.

“Alright, your appointment is successful. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

When Joe walked out with the sandwiches, I had scheduled my appointment. He saw that I was making a phone call and asked, “What are you doing? What appointment?”

I ended the call indifferently. I pointed at my right prosthetic leg. “Oh, my driving license has expired. Since I’m no longer using it, I scheduled an appointment to cancel it.”

Upon hearing that, a hint of guilt flashed across Joe’s eyes. But it disappeared very soon.

He walked to my side and said, “Fiona, don’t be upset. I’ll be your driver forever. I can take you wherever you want to go.”

I smiled and nodded. “Lucky me.”

After breakfast and cleaning up, Joe left for work at the hospital.

Before he left, Joe said to me, “Fiona, I’ve arranged a candlelight dinner three days later to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. I’ll pick you up after work.”

He sounded as loving as he was before.

When I saw he was about to kiss me, I turned my head away and said, “Why are you being so romantic when we’ve been married for so many years?”

A hint of pity flashed across Joe’s eyes. He said gently, “That’s because I love you.”

My heart was stone-cold, but I humored him on the surface. “Of course! Go to work. Don’t be late!”