Chapter 3

I sent Vivian’s photo and the phone number from the gym membership records to my cousin, Franklin. He had some connections and could help me look into her background.

Just as I sent the message, my phone rang. It was my cousin.

"Mia, what happened? Did that bastard Allen do something to you? Tell me, and I’ll bring people over to teach him a lesson right now!"

A warmth spread through my heart. I shouldn’t waste my anger on a man who didn’t love me; I still had family who did, after all.

My cousin had been close to me since we were kids. Ever since he found out I was dating, he had never liked Allen. The first time he met him, he warned me that Allen was untrustworthy. Unfortunately, I had been madly in love back then, brushing off his words as childish jealousy.

Time proved everything—Allen really was just a scumbag.

I stopped my cousin from acting impulsively. "I’ll make him pay. I just need you to help me find out more about this woman."

After reassuring him, I took a hot shower. I sat on my bed as usual with a book in hand, but my mind was elsewhere.

I glanced at the framed photo of Allen and me on the nightstand. Our smiles were so blissful. What a joke.

Getting up, I pulled out a large box and started tearing down every photo of us in the house, stuffing them inside.

By the time I was done, the box was full. I never realized we had created so many beautiful memories in five years, but now they were just meaningless.

I dragged the box to the backyard, struck a match, and tossed it inside. The flames slowly consumed the pictures, turning them into ashes.

"What are you burning?"

A voice suddenly called from the doorway. I glanced at my phone. It was 11 p.m. Allen was back.

By now, the photos had been reduced to nothing but ashes. Keeping my face expressionless, I replied, "Nothing, just some company documents I didn’t need anymore."

Allen grabbed my hand, concern written all over his face. "You should’ve let me handle this. What if you got burned? I’d be so worried."

I almost wanted to applaud his acting skills.

Then, he leaned in, attempting to kiss me. When he got closer, I caught the faint scent of moisture on him. He had just showered at the gym. The thought of his lips being all over Vivian’s just moments ago made my stomach churn. I barely held back the urge to vomit.

"I left some food for you in the kitchen. Aren’t you hungry? Let me heat it up."

I quickly dodged backward, slipping out of his arms and into the kitchen.

Maybe he was exhausted from his workout with Vivian because after eating, Allen fell asleep right away. He even forgot to give me his usual goodnight kiss.

Lucky me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even know how to reject him. At this point, the thought of sharing a bed with him disgusted me.

Grabbing a blanket, I curled up on the couch. Something poked my lower back. I reached behind and pulled out Allen’s work phone.

No wonder Allen had always been so generous, letting me check his personal phone whenever I wanted. I had even done so a few times and never found anything suspicious.

On the other hand, his work phone required a password. I tried my birthday and then his—both were wrong.

Then, an idea struck me. I entered Vivian’s birthday from her gym membership records.

The phone unlocked instantly. The first thing I saw was a photo of Allen and Vivian together.

Then, a message popped up from a contact labeled "Wifey".

I thought I had already come to terms with Allen’s betrayal, but my heart still skipped a beat. In just two weeks, Allen and I were supposed to have our engagement party, yet he had never even called me his wife.