Chapter 1

Riverbank Residences, Building 5, Apartment 2401.

I bought that apartment the year I was promoted to project manager. To pay for the apartment in full, I emptied my savings and even borrowed 50 thousand dollars from my parents.

It was the very first home I had owned, and the deed to the apartment only had my name on it.

After I got married to my wife, Violet Jensen, we purchased our current home because of her job. As a result, my apartment at Riverbank Residences became vacant.

Two years ago, Violet suddenly told me that one of her colleagues was from out of town and had nowhere to stay. Then, she asked if we could rent out the apartment to her.

I didn't think much of it and agreed without hesitation.

After that, two thousand dollars was deposited into my account as rent every month.

Her colleague had always paid his rent on time. Naturally, as a landlord, I never gave him any trouble. To respect his privacy and maintain appropriate boundaries, I had never once visited the apartment.

Until today.

I sat on the couch and stared fixedly at the remark.

Love nest?

Who could my wife possibly have a love nest with?

I looked into Violet's bank records.

At the start of every month, she would transfer a fixed amount of three thousand dollars to a man named Howard Sutton.

The payments started two years ago, and she had never missed a single month. Over the course of two years, that added up to a staggering total of 72 thousand dollars.

Tightening my grip around my phone, I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

After working in project management for so many years, there was one thing I knew for certain—the numbers would never lie.

Next, I pulled up the statement for Violet's supplementary credit card.

According to the spending records, she visited restaurants and shopping malls near Riverbank Residences at least three or four times a week. She had also purchased a bunch of couples' set meals.

I set my phone down and glanced out of the window.

It was still relatively early.

After leaving the office, I started my car and drove straight to Riverbank Residences.

15 minutes later, I arrived at my destination.

I smoked a cigarette while I was sitting in the car. But in the end, I never went upstairs.

I could've forcibly entered the apartment and confronted them, but I decided against it.

I had always believed in doing things methodically and logically. I needed evidence, a plan, and a clear course of action.

First, I needed to figure out who Howard Sutton was. Then, I needed to gather proof that Violet was having an affair. After that, it would be time to settle the score.

…

By the time I returned home, Violet was already home.

She was sitting on the couch and scrolling through her phone. The moment she saw me, she frowned ever so slightly and asked, "Why did you get home so late?"

"I had to work overtime," I replied.

She didn't respond. Instead, she lowered her head and continued typing on her phone.

I turned around and walked into the bathroom. Through the door, I heard her talking to someone on the phone.

"Yeah, I'm not coming over tonight. Get some rest. Love you."

Love you.

I splashed cold water onto my face and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

My eyes were bloodshot.

…

I spent the next three days investigating.

In the age of the Internet, it was easier than ever to dig into someone's background.

On the very first day of my investigation, I had already uncovered Howard's identity. As it turned out, he was an administrative assistant who had joined Violet's company last year.

I found his social media account. Most of his posts were hidden, and only a handful were made publicly visible.

His pinned photo immediately caught my attention.

It was a picture of a bedroom.

The room had a floor-to-ceiling window, wooden furniture, and a hanging chair in front of the balcony. It was my apartment, but the interior had been completely remodeled.

"Traces of love can be found in every corner of this room," his caption read.

The post was uploaded two years ago.

In other words, he had already started renovating the place the moment he moved in.

He had just started working. How was he able to afford such an extensive renovation?