Todos os capítulos de Betrayed on Both Ends: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

After my childhood friend, Liam Lywood, got divorced, he stayed at my house more often than he stayed at his own rented place.He always wore the cotton T-shirts I had stopped wearing years ago. He tied on my apron and bustled around the kitchen.Whenever my wife, Gina Stroud, came home from work and took off her shoes, there was a hot meal waiting for her on the dining table.She often sighed. "Honey, look how thoughtful Liam is. You should learn from him. Now this feels like a real home."I had just closed a 30-million-dollar deal and was too tired to even take off my dress shoes. All I could think was that she was talking nonsense.However, I kept that thought to myself. After all, Liam had just gone through a divorce. If I snapped at her, I would look heartless.All that changed today. I left work early because of a headache, and as soon as I drove into the neighborhood, I passed the playground.I saw Gina and Liam.Gina was sternly scolding my five-year-old daughter, Trixi

I unlocked the banking app with my fingerprint, and the account screen came up.I didn't check my main account. I had moved that money somewhere safe a long time ago.Instead, I checked the card I had given Gina and our joint account, which we had called our family fund.What I saw made my stomach drop all over again.The balance was 48 dollars.I laughed in disbelief.Every month, I would put seven thousand dollars into that joint account for our household expenses and savings. After seven years, there should have been a substantial amount sitting there.Now, there wasn't even enough left for a decent dinner.…The next day was Saturday.When I woke up, the other side of the bed was cold.Gina hadn't come back to the master bedroom last night.I walked out and heard laughter coming from the living room.Trixie was sitting on Gina's shoulders, waving the Barbie doll in the air."Go, Mommy! Run! The evil witch is coming for us!" Trixie squealed.Liam stood nearby with a p

I flipped to the first page. Last month's total spending was 15 thousand dollars.For a family of three, that was an absurd amount to spend on everyday expenses.I went through the charges one by one. Most of them were from grocery stores, department stores, and pharmacies.They looked normal at first—until I opened the detailed receipts.One grocery store charged nearly 600 dollars. The purchases included premium beef flown in from overseas, cherries, and imported snack boxes. There were even two cases of expensive liquor.I didn't drink, and Gina only had a beer now and then.So who was drinking all that liquor? I thought of Liam's ex-wife, who was a heavy gambler and an alcoholic.I checked the department store charges next.One beauty store charged 800 dollars. The purchases included a luxury skincare set, high-end eye cream, and three designer lipsticks.One pharmacy charged nearly 300 dollars. The charges included collagen drinks, anti-aging products, and… several boxes

Gina and Liam both gasped.Gina's anger turned to panic. "Put up the apartment as collateral? Then where are we supposed to live?""We can rent a place or move back to your old house." I spoke like it was no big deal.Liam went pale and pulled Trixie closer without thinking, as if his easy life was about to disappear."How long will you be gone this time?" Liam asked cautiously."I should be gone for about a week. Take care of things at home while I'm gone, and try not to spend too much," I said.I closed my suitcase and picked up my bag. "I'm leaving now. The overnight flight is cheaper."Gina was still trying to process the news that we might go broke. She didn't even see me off and just waved impatiently. "Fine, go. Just hurry up and get the money."I walked out and closed the door behind me. As soon as it shut, I heard Gina complaining inside. "Just my luck! I married a man who only knows how to make money, and now even the money is gone. What's the point of staying marri

"Call the police?" Nancy scoffed and pulled a switchblade from her pocket, casually spinning it around her finger. "Go ahead. While you're at it, tell them what you and Liam are to each other. Is this apartment even in your name?"Gina immediately backed down. She was a government employee, and the last thing she wanted was a scandal that could damage her career.Also, if I found out some thug had broken into the apartment, Gina knew she'd be in serious trouble.She turned on Liam. The affection she had shown him earlier was gone.Now she looked at him with nothing but blame and disgust. "Liam, this is your mess. Deal with it!"Liam nervously walked over to Nancy and tried to pull her to her feet. "Let's talk outside. We shouldn't do this here.""We'll talk right here!" Nancy shoved him away. "Transfer ten thousand dollars to me right now, and I'll leave. Otherwise, I'll go to Gina's workplace and put up a banner saying she stole another woman's husband!""I don't have that mu