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All Chapters of An Intimate Photo on Her Phone: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I, Jimmy Zeller, put the phone back on the coffee table with the screen facing down.The sound of the shower stopped.Whitney Sullivan walked out of the bathroom while drying her hair with a towel. As usual, she picked up her phone and swiped across the screen twice. Her expression remained the same.I stared at her side profile.I'd known that face since our college days eleven years ago. I could draw it with my eyes closed.She suddenly turned around. "What's wrong?""Nothing," I said.She smiled and reached out to tuck my hair behind my ear.Her fingertips brushed against my earlobe. It felt cool against my skin. I could smell the grapefruit scent of her body wash."You must be tired today," she said. "Get some rest early."I nodded, but I stayed awake until dawn.The next day, I took the day off work.After her car left the residential complex, I returned home and opened her spare phone.There was no 'M' in her contacts, but the photos were still in the cache folder.

Chapter 2

I started living like a detective.While Whitney was in the shower, I searched through her work bag.While she was in meetings, I checked the dashcam records.Late at night, after she fell asleep, I used her fingerprint to unlock her phone.The password was our wedding anniversary.The discovery made me sick for three whole days. She was using a password connected to me while living an entire life with another man.'M' was hidden in a contact group called 'Work Contacts' with a close-up photo of piano keys as his profile picture.The chat history was cleared every day, but occasionally, a few messages slipped through.On the tenth of last month, she went on a business trip to Hazelton.He said he wanted to eat at a private restaurant by West Lake.[Okay. I'll take you there.]That was her reply to him.[My meetings are packed. I can only eat takeaway.]That was her reply to me on the same day.On the 17th of March, he said the practice room was too cold.[I ordered you a

Chapter 3

Three days later, Jolene emailed me the report.The moment I clicked on the attachments, my hand on the mouse began to tremble.I read the first attachment.[Four years ago, in March, there was a transfer of 250 grand marked 'renovation.']Jolene's note was below it.[The recipient was Mr. Merkel. No renovation business registration was found. The purpose of payment was unclear.]I then read the second attachment.[Three years ago, in August, there was a payment of 480 grand marked 'car purchase.']Again, Jolene's note was below it.[The vehicle was registered under Mr. Merkel's name.]I moved on to the third attachment.[Two years ago, in November, there was a credit card charge of 120 grand in Steria Port.]Below it was Jolene's note.[Ms. Sullivan has no corresponding record of traveling abroad during that period.]I finished reading the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth attachment one after the other.Over five years, Whitney had spent a total of 1.43 million dollars.

Chapter 4

While she was away in Silicon Bay for three days, I did two things.First of all, I found out where Ethan lived.I asked a friend in real estate to look into the neighborhood's property purchase records for the past three years.The payment was made one month after she bought him the car. The total price was 3.2 million dollars.Second of all, I met someone.She was one of Ethan's former colleagues. She had left the symphony orchestra six months ago and now ran a violin studio.I signed up for an adult course that cost two grand.She taught me for twenty minutes, accepted my money, and was in a good mood.I invited her for coffee.We talked about the orchestra, the principal players, and the cellist."Ethan?" She stirred her latte. "He's pretty good-looking, and his playing isn't bad either. He's just lucky.""How so?""He has a sugar mommy." She lowered her voice. "Or rather, his girlfriend, as he calls her. She's a researcher. Every year, she anonymously donates 800 grand

Chapter 5

[Nina, I heard your heartbeat for the first time today.][The doctor placed the monitor against my stomach, and the entire examination room filled with that sound. It sounded like a tiny train chugging along.][Daddy cried, but I didn't. I was holding Daddy's hand, but my hands kept shaking for a long time.][You have a dad who loves you very much.][He's been practicing the cello for twenty-three years. His hands are calloused, but when he plays, he seems to glow.][The first time I saw him was at a New Year's concert eight years ago.][He played Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B Minor, the second movement.][That movement is very slow. It's like someone telling a very long story.][I didn't know what his story was, but at that moment, I wished I could become part of it.][Nina, I will never say these things to Daddy in person.][He's shy. He blushes after just a few words.][When you get a little older, if I ever make Daddy angry, you have to help me ask him for forgiveness.]

Chapter 6

The day I filed the lawsuit, Whitney was still in Silicon Bay.She called me and said there had been a problem with a project, so she needed to stay there a few more days."Okay," I said. "Take care of yourself."She paused for a moment."Jimmy, why does your voice sound hoarse?""I caught a cold.""Did you take any medicine?""Yeah."She was silent for two seconds."I'll get back as soon as I can."The call ended.I sat in the living room and stared at the half-finished box of pastries on the coffee table.They had a fifteen-day shelf life. Today was the fourteenth day.I tossed the box into the trash.The court's filing notice came four days later.I saved the electronic copy in a folder titled 'Whitney Sullivan's Case File.'Inside the same folder was the list of evidence I'd prepared.There were 37 screenshots of chat messages, 52 pages of bank statements, two property registration records, one vehicle registration record, one record confirming the orchestra donati

Chapter 7

On the day of the hearing, I got up early.There was fog outside, and a grayish-white haze covered everything.I changed into a dark coat. The face in the mirror looked unfamiliar.I didn't look haggard. Instead, I looked calm.I was so calm that it felt like I was waiting for something that should've happened a long time ago.There were already people gathered outside the courthouse.I saw Whitney standing at the bottom of the steps with Ethan beside her.She had lost a lot of weight. She was in an oversized windbreaker, and her stomach could no longer be hidden.Ethan was supporting her by the arm.When she saw me, she let go.Ethan turned around as well.He looked at me for two seconds before lowering his gaze.He said nothing.I didn't look at them and walked straight into the courthouse.The hearing began.My lawyer presented the first set of evidence that included the bank statements, the property purchase contract, and the vehicle registration record.The opposin

Chapter 8

The verdict came in early November.The court determined that during her marriage, Whitney had maintained a long-term improper relationship with Ethan and was seriously at fault.Of the 4.12 million dollars in transfers, 3.8 million was deemed an illegal transfer of marital assets and was ordered to be returned in full.The house and the car were both included in the repayment.As for the bigamy charge, the court found that the evidence establishing that they had lived together as husband and wife was insufficient, so that charge was dropped.My lawyer asked if I wanted to appeal.I shook my head."It's enough."The 3.8 million dollars included the 600 grand my father had left me and the old house her parents had left behind.It also included every cent I'd earned through ten years of working late into the night, traveling until dawn on business trips, and giving up vacation days.It had all come back.My lawyer handed me a copy of the verdict."Mr. Zeller," she said. "You'

Chapter 9

I boarded an overnight train.I had a middle bunk in a hard sleeper.Back when I couldn't afford plane tickets for business trips, I used to take trains like this all the time.Later, after I became a director, I got used to flying business class.Lying here again now felt strangely unfamiliar.Across from me was a young woman who looked like she had just graduated. She was lying on her bunk while watching a show on her tablet.She glanced at me and smiled."Hey, mister, are you traveling alone?""Yeah.""Where are you going?"I told her the name of a small city in the south.She blinked."On vacation?""I'm moving there.""Oh."She didn't ask any further questions.The train started moving.Outside the window, the gray, hazy buildings on the edge of the city gradually gave way to farmland and distant mountains.I pulled the curtain shut.I couldn't sleep.In the end, I brought the letter with me.It was in my backpack along with my passport, bankbook, and property

Chapter 10

The city was even smaller than I'd imagined.It took twenty minutes to get from the train station to town by taxi.The driver was a woman in her fifties who pointed things out along the way."That's the market. The freshest produce comes in early in the morning. That's the clinic. They can handle minor illnesses and injuries. That's the elementary school. They just renovated it this year."She looked at me through the rearview mirror."Here on vacation?""I'm setting up a shop.""What kind?""I haven't decided yet."She smiled."Then stay here for now. Take your time deciding."The car stopped in front of a three-story building.There was a storefront downstairs and living quarters upstairs.The real estate agent was waiting outside. She handed me the keys."Mr. Zeller, just as you requested, the storefront faces south, and there's enough space out front for flowers."I took the keys.She left.I stood in the empty shop.At three in the afternoon, sunlight streamed th

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