Chapter 3

If I were going to do this, then I needed to gather as much evidence as possible.

Using the jewelry order as an excuse, I continued coaxing Yvonne, "For custom pieces, we'll need to register some of your details for verification later. Could you send me your husband's name and contact information?"

She didn't hesitate for a second and gave me Finnick's name right away.

She added, almost as if she was worried I wouldn't take it seriously, "Just don't mess this up. My husband isn't someone you can offend."

My fingers trembled slightly as I typed my next message.

"You seem really happy. You and your husband must be deeply in love. Would you mind telling me how you met? And if you have any photos of the two of you together, that would help, too. I can design something more personal based on your story."

The next second, she sent over a full set of wedding photos. In it, she wore a white wedding gown, leaning into Finnick's arms with a soft smile. The way he looked at her carried a kind of warmth I had never once received.

When we got married, he had been at a critical point in his career.

Back then, he told me wedding photos were just something people did to indulge themselves and that his time shouldn't be wasted on that kind of thing.

But it wasn't that he didn't understand romance. He just never bothered giving it to me.

Yvonne kept bragging, her messages popping up one after another.

"My husband's really good to me. He never upsets me."

"Yeah, he's married, but he doesn't care about her anymore. I'm the only one he cares about."

"She can't even have kids. Everything he has is going to my son and me anyway."

She laid everything out like it was something to be proud of, like proof that she had won. I stared at the screen, my chest tightening with every word, and still, I played along.

"You're really lucky. Not everyone gets to be loved like that. I'm really envious. Don't worry. I'll make sure the piece is done with the best materials."

Flattered, she kept talking, going into detail about how they met and fell for each other, completely unaware that I was recording everything.

The large money transfers, the house, and the car—every single thing he gave her had come from money we earned together.

The more I saw, the more numb I felt.

The money I had hesitated to spend and that he told me we needed to save had poured all of it into someone else.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I set my phone aside and covered my mouth, sobbing quietly.

All those years we had been together, I was the only one playing for keeps.

When I finally stopped, I wiped my face, the corners of my lips lifting into a cold smirk. Crying wouldn't change anything. If I wanted everything back, I had to take it myself.

After pulling myself together, I changed into a formal outfit and went to his company as his wife.

As I walked through the office, every employee lowered their head when they saw me. No one met my eyes, and their expressions were nervous.

They had all known, but they just never told me.

I didn't stop. I walked straight to the CEO's office and pushed the door open.

The moment it opened, the scene inside hit me like a punch to the gut.

Yvonne was sitting on Finnick's lap, her arms looped around his neck, laughing. Finnick looked at her, his expression tender.

They both turned at the sound.

The second Yvonne saw me, her face drained of color, and she scrambled off his lap.

Finnick froze, and for a moment, he couldn't even speak.