Every time my rich husband, Antonio Kaufman, tried a new pose with his secretary, I texted him a number.

He once asked me what it meant, and I joked, "I'm keeping score every time you lie to me.

"When it hits ten, I'm done with you."

I booked a fake death service while sending number nine to him.

Soon, the number reached ten. I had a big surprise ready for Antonio.

In this world, love wouldn't happen for no reason.

But hate? That was usually because someone did something wrong.

***

"Ms. Parrish, our service isn't a joke. It's for real," the boss of the fake death service said with a straight face.

"You'll disappear completely, no trace online or in real life. You'll be off the grid."

She was a fan of mine, not for my acting, but for my violin playing.

"If you're good with this, please sign here."

I glanced over the details.

The place was some island, and the date was in a week—my third wedding anniversary with Antonio.

All seemed okay to me. I smiled, picked up the pen, and was about to sign.

The boss couldn't help but remind me again, "Ms. Parrish, please think again. Mr. Kaufman loves you so much. If you disappear like this, it'll kill him!"

Ugh, another one who shipped us!

There were tons of people everywhere who thought Antonio and I were the perfect match.

I looked up.

My eyes landed on the large ad screen of the skyscraper across the street.

Through the light rain, the screen was showing our wedding from three years ago, over and over again.

The CEO of the country's biggest internet company, Antonio Kaufman, married a genius violinist, Grace Parrish.

I was in a white dress, its hem sprinkled with many blue diamonds, twinkling like a river of stars.

I felt like a princess in a fairy tale, walking towards my prince.

Antonio stood at the end of the runway. He was smiling softly and looking at me with tears in his eyes.

"I remember your wedding cost a fortune, right?"

Yeah, 40 million dollars.

And the dress alone was 15 million.

Back then, Antonio loved me dearly, and he wanted to give me the best of everything in the world.

"Your third anniversary is coming up. The wedding video has been playing non-stop for a whole month! He must've thrown much money at it. Every year, the latest luxury brands are delivered straight to your home. And if you had your eye on any auction item, Mr. Kaufman would go all out to grab it for you."

"Seriously, if I could find a man who loves me this much, I'd be happy to go to my grave!"

I felt bitter inside.

Yeah, we were supposed to be the happiest couple in the world, but even the deepest love couldn't stand the test of time and the allure of younger women.

I smiled and decisively signed my name on the contract.

My phone buzzed with a new friend request.

Just like the past few days, the messages kept coming, one after another.

"Mr. Kaufman was with me the whole afternoon."

"I left you a little mark. Make sure to check it carefully later."

My phone buzzed again. It was Antonio.

"Grace, I'm here to get you. Where are you?"

Downstairs, Antonio got out of his car and opened his umbrella. He was tall and wore fancy handmade leather shoes that squished in the puddles.

He looked up.

I knew he couldn't see me.

From the 41st floor, the city looked like a twinkling sea of lights, and everyone below was as tiny as ants.

"No need. Wait for me downstairs. I'll be right there."

My voice sounded happy, like the fake death plan I just signed up for was a silly dream.

Antonio was a handsome guy.

When he walked towards me with a black umbrella, it felt like it was just him and me in the whole world.

"Are you cold? Why are you wearing so little?"

He frowned, handed me the umbrella, then quickly took off his suit jacket and put it around my shoulders, tucking it in at the collar.

"Not at all," I smiled.

Antonio leaned down, picked me up in his arms, and started walking towards the Maybach.

"What are you smiling at?"

His eyes had a smile in them, and his voice was softer than before.

My eyes caught the lipstick mark on the collar of his white shirt.

That wasn't my lipstick.

But my smile got even bigger. I held onto his neck tighter and rubbed my nose against his cheek.

The smell of Blooming Bouquet was strong.

That woman tried really hard.

Last time it was scratches on Antonio's back, where he couldn't see them. This time it was lipstick and perfume.

"I'm so lucky to be married to the hottest and best guy in the world!" I tilted my head, smiling sweetly.

"I'm the lucky one. I married a girl I truly love," Antonio said, his eyes deep. The raindrops reflected in them looked like twinkling stars.

He pushed me into the back seat of the car and held my hand tight.

"Mr. Kaufman, where to?"

"Home."

Just then, my phone buzzed with a new friend request.

"You don't have to accept my friend request. You know what? I can get Antonio to leave with just one message."

I didn't doubt it.

As I looked at my phone, Antonio was looking at his too. On his screen, a GIF of a girl flickered across his screen.

She was dressed in a bunny outfit, kneeling on the floor with a banana in her hand.

She was just licking it with her tongue, looking dreamy.

I used to help her when she was younger.

Back then, she had stars in her eyes. She was motivated, got good grades, and wanted to get out of her rural town.

Now, all that was left in her eyes was greed.

Antonio's grip on my hand suddenly tightened. His eyes got darker, and his Adam's apple was bobbing up and down.

That was how he showed he was aroused. I knew his body very well.

"Grace, I've got something urgent to deal with at the office. I need to go back. Just head home. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

After letting me know, Antonio kissed my forehead and told the driver to pull over.

When he got out of the car, he seemed like he couldn't wait to leave.

I grabbed the car seat.

"Antonio!" I shouted.

Even though I had made up my mind to leave him, something hurt sharply in my chest.

"What's up?"

He turned back, trying to hide how anxious he looked, and gave me a gentle look.

My eyes felt scratchy, but I smiled and handed him the umbrella.

"It's raining hard. Take the umbrella with you."

For a second, I saw the struggle and frustration in his eyes, but then it got covered up by something else.

He took the umbrella and got into the car behind.

My phone buzzed again. It was another friend request.

"I won, didn't I?"

Yeah.

I tapped my screen and accepted the request.

The woman kept gloating and provoking me.

"Your husband isn't going home tonight!"

"Who cares if you show off your love everywhere? He belongs to whoever he's with."

"On your third anniversary, I'll send you another big surprise, okay?"

I ignored her, pressed the side button on my phone, and turned off the screen.

Her name was Helena Carson. She was one of the students I used to help.

Because of my connection, she got a job at Antonio's company after college.

She was just a normal clerk at first.

But after she slept up with Antonio, she skipped right over seven job levels and became his secretary.

She wasn't very good at her job, but she got a high salary.

Everyone thought she got there because of me, since Antonio was crazy about me.

Whenever people said her job was too big for her skills, she'd link arms with Antonio and smile sweetly.

"Mr. Kaufman is Ms. Parrish's husband. What's wrong with him giving me a chance?"

"Mrs. Kaufman, you look upset," the driver finally spoke up. "You should've told Mr. Kaufman to stay. He would've listened to you."

A flash of sarcasm crossed my eyes as I turned to look out the window. "Do you really think he can't tell I'm upset?"

The driver fell silent.

He knew better than anyone where Antonio went every day.

But there were many things he couldn't talk about.

Outside, the rain was pouring. Neon lights and car headlights were mixed, making the whole city look like a giant light show.

I leaned against the window, thinking about the summer when I was 18.

My parents passed away in a plane crash.

Overnight, I became an orphan.

My relatives from the Parrish family started fighting over the money, and everyone turned against each other.

After the funeral, I took the warm milk my aunt gave me in the car. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on a hotel bed.

The bathroom faucet was running loudly.

Feeling weak all over, I struggled to get away, but I ended up falling to the floor.

A big-bellied, greasy man came out of the bathroom, grabbed me, and threw me onto the bed.

"Not everyone gets to have the Parrish family's girl. I heard you're still a virgin."

As he talked, he took off his bathrobe, showing something gross, and lunged at me.

I was terrified out of my wits. There was no way I could fight back. All I felt was total hopelessness.

Thankfully, Antonio kicked the door open as the man was about to tear my clothes off.

My eyes lit up.

He beat the man to a pulp.

The man ratted out my uncle and aunt. They sold me out for a 1.5-million-dollar contract.

After that, when Antonio took over the Kaufman Group, the first thing he did was get revenge for me. He was willing to go all-in, even if it meant risking everything, to take control of the Parrish family and give it to me.

Later, when someone from the Parrish family came after him with a truck, he wrestled the steering wheel with all his might.

In the moment the car flipped, he shielded me with his body.

I remember he was bleeding all over, with bits of glass and metal stuck in his back. The first thing he said when he came to was, "How's Grace?"

My memories were jumbled and broken, and the world felt like a big mess.

The young man who loved me so much, the one I deeply loved, got lost somewhere in time.

Rain was pounding on the window, making a loud noise.

My head was throbbing, and the night was dark.

***

I didn't know how long it had been, but Antonio was standing by the door, changing his shoes.

He sounded hoarse and looked exhausted.

"Grace, why are you sleeping on the couch?

"It's the end of the year, and there's so much going on at work. I stayed up all night. Don't wait up for me anymore. Go to bed early, okay?"

I didn't feel like moving. As soon as I tried to, the dampness and chill hit me.

"I'll carry you to bed," Antonio said, rubbing his forehead and squatting down, his voice gentle.

The moment he put his arms around me, he freaked out.

"Grace, you're burning up! Why are you so hot?

"Hey! Grace is sick! Why didn't anyone notice? Quick, get the car ready. We're going to the hospital!"

I squinted and looked around, rubbing my temples.

"Is it morning already? What took you so long to get home?

"I had a dream that you stopped loving me."

The villa was in total chaos.

Antonio was flustered. He held me tight as he sat me in the car, his forehead pressed against mine, apologizing over and over, telling me not to worry or think too much.

I smelled that Blooming Bouquet again.

This time it was mixed with a faint, metallic scent.

Did he not wash up after sex, or did he deliberately dirty his clothes?

This disgusting man was no longer the guy I once knew!

"Antonio, you smell weird... Like..."

I frowned.

Then I gave a bitter laugh.

"We agreed that if you don't love me anymore, you have to tell me.

"Also, let go of me."

I pushed Antonio's hands away.

He got scared and quickly cut me off.

"Don't think nonsense! When you have a cold, your nose doesn't work right. There's no weird smell.

"The only person I love is you! I've liked you since I was 10. In this life and every life after, it's always going to be you! I promise I won't work late anymore. Don't say stuff like that!"

I twitched my lips.

Really?

Antonio stayed in the hospital room with me for two days, taking care of me without even changing his clothes.

He had dark circles under his eyes and a scruffy beard.

Helena kept calling over and over.

Every time, Antonio would hang up the phone impatiently, or he'd frown and step outside to answer it, then came back in with a stern face.

Even though the hallway was quiet and he tried to keep his voice down, I could still catch a few words of what he was saying.

"Stop acting up!

"I told you. Grace is my line in the sand! If you dare to mess with her, I'll ruin you completely!"

Helena was so mad that she kept texting me non-stop.

"Grace, don't think that pretending to be sick will keep Antonio with you! He doesn't love you anymore!"

"You've had him all to yourself for years. It's time to let go!"

"How long has it been since he last slept with you? He only loves me now! With me, he's full of energy!"

I never texted Helena back. I just read the messages sometimes and thought they were funny.

Helena sure knew why Antonio was into her.

She was nothing but a poor substitute for me.

The Kaufman Group had nearly a hundred artists, and plenty of them were looking for shortcuts. But Helena was the only one who tried to use me as her shortcut.

She joined the company two years ago and last year, she got involved with Antonio.

He kept it so quiet that I only found out this year.

Once I knew, I had to dig a little deeper.

When Helena first started, she didn't look like this. She spent a whole year gradually changing her appearance until she looked about halfway like me. With the right makeup and similar clothes, she managed to bear a close resemblance to my younger self.

That was all it was.

She must have read too many substitute stories and actually thought she could replace me!

Antonio's phone rang again.

He hung up once, twice, three times... His forehead got more and more wrinkled.

I looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

He held my hand and explained, "It's some company stuff. No big deal. Those guys are useless. They can't handle a minor issue. Why even have them?"

I knew what was going on but didn't say anything.

Antonio seemed distracted. He looked annoyed, but he kept sneaking glances at his phone.

Half an hour later, his phone screen lit up with a text.

He frowned at it and finally couldn't stay seated anymore.

He said to me apologetically, "I need to go out for a bit. Something came up."

"Alright."

After Antonio left, my phone screen lit up too.

It was a message from Helena, with just one word: "Window."

I dragged myself over to the window in my slippers.

From far away, I saw Antonio walking toward Helena.

He was in a bad mood and kept roughly pushing away the girl who wanted to hug him until she started crying, tears falling fast.

She grabbed onto Antonio's waist, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him like she didn't care about anything else.

After a bit, he started kissing her back, even harder.

The two were locked in an embrace.

People around them glanced over, but no one stared too long because it was polite not to.

Antonio had his back to me, and Helena gave me a victory gesture.

I grabbed my phone, opened the camera, and zoomed in.

Click, click.

Nice! Helena's face was clear, and her pose went perfectly with her smug smile.

Right on cue, a text came in from her.

"Your hubby is mine now! (toothy grin.jpg)"

I checked myself out of the hospital and went to the Kaufman's place.

My two kids were there. A few days ago, their grandparents missed them and had them over, so I went to bring them back.

Antonio brought Helena back to the villa where he kept her.

How did I know?

Helena didn't just dream of marrying Antonio. She also wanted to be a director.

She had filmed a bunch of videos and kept sending them to me, asking what I thought.

In those videos, she and Antonio were all over each other in the living room, the bathroom, and the bedroom.

Ugh, really cringey.

They were like dogs in heat in the neighborhood.

Helena had a few tricks up her sleeve.

With those sneaky moves of hers, she managed to keep Antonio around until evening again.

I was leaning against the headboard, telling the kids their bedtime story, when my phone vibrated with a new message.

"Mommy, your phone is ringing." My elder son Rory handed me the phone.

"It's not important." I glanced at the screen and flipped the phone face-down on the bed. "Let's keep going with The Little Mermaid. If you were the prince, would you choose the princess from the neighboring kingdom or the mermaid princess?"

I chatted with the kids for a while.

After they fell asleep, I turned on my phone.

It was a selfie from Helena.

Antonio was lying in bed, his handsome face relaxed in sleep, the blanket pulled up to his chest, revealing his shoulders and pecs.

There were clear hickeys and scratch marks on his skin.

Helena, also topless, was lying on Antonio's arm, facing the camera, and gave a smug pose.

"Sorry, but I've exhausted your hubby again! Do you think he'll be able to go home tonight?"

I turned off my phone in disgust.

I walked into the music room, switched on the light, grabbed my violin, and turned on the camera like I always did, then started playing.

I usually recorded myself when I practiced so I could go over it later.

The piece was called L'Injustice.

"You already got around which made you suffer, because the best often only harvest the worst."

"When you don't have the force nor even the desire anymore, and so much cried and so much cursed..."

My phone rang. It was my agent from overseas.

"Melina, everything you wanted is all set, including the school enrollment for the two boys. I'll meet you at the airport."

"Okay, thank you."

I hung up, deleted the part of the video where I took the call, and played the violin for a bit longer.

Four more days.

I couldn't wait to see Antonio's reaction when he saw this video.

That must be very interesting.

Antonio and I went way back. We didn't just meet when we were 18.

To be exact, he had known me since I was born.

Our families were old friends, and Antonio and I even had an unofficial, childhood betrothal thing.

His parents had always been nice to me.

Today, when I was picking up the kids, his mom Tabitha joked, "How's it going without the kids around? Is Antonio on cloud nine? Maybe you should leave the kids with us more often."

I was kind of stunned before smiling, "Sure, why not."

In the middle of the night, Antonio actually came back.

I was a light sleeper, so I heard him come in. The mattress dipped when he got on it.

He snuggled into bed, wrapped his arms around me from behind, and started pecking my neck.

The faint smell of body wash wafted over, and for some reason, it made me feel sick.

I wanted to throw up.

But I still turned around.

I hooked my arm around his neck, called his name in a soft, cooing voice, and snuggled into his chest.

"Antonio, my dear..."

In the past, when I hinted at this, he'd always get excited.

But now, he was out of energy. He just kissed my forehead and said he was too tired.

I smiled softly and furrowed my brows.

I rubbed my face against his chest, then suddenly looked up and saw his eyes. They were full of panic.

His guilt was all over his face.

Antonio said, "Sorry. I said I wouldn't work late, but there's too much to do at the company."

I cupped his face, my fingers gently rubbing the corners of his lips. "It's okay. The company comes first. You've had a tough day."

He let out a sigh of relief, but then he tensed up again because my hand had slid down his neck and was hovering near the buttons of his pajamas.

Ah, this place...

With just a little flick of my fingers, those hickeys and scratches would be exposed.

Antonio lowered his eyes, his breathing getting heavier.

Just as he let go of my waist and reached for my wrist, I lost interest in teasing him and turned around abruptly.

His hand grabbed at nothing.

"Sleep now," I said.

Antonio's hand went back to my waist, slowly tightening its grip.

I could feel his chest against my back as he held me closer and closer, like he wanted to melt me into him.

"Grace, I love you."

I hummed in response, thinking for what felt like the millionth time...

Where did that man who would rather be pierced by shards of glass than let anything happen to me go?

Sadness came over me, and tears started rolling down my face.

***

The next morning, when Antonio saw the two little ones, he was pretty surprised.

"Did you bring them back?"

"Yeah. They grow up fast. Every day counts."

I pushed the milk and sandwiches toward Antonio.

"How about we take them to school and pick them up together every day?"

Antonio agreed with a smile.

This was my last act of kindness and cruelty toward him.

Only three days left.

But in fact, he only had two days left to be with the kids.

In the car, the kids were excited. They chatted away to Antonio about their time with their grandparents, the story of The Little Mermaid they heard last night, and reminded him to pick them up from school with me in the afternoon.

Antonio smiled and nodded.

When we got to the kindergarten, the kids kissed his cheek.

He squatted down, looking like the happiest man in the world.

He hooked his arm around my waist and gave me a kiss on the cheek too.

"Thank you, honey. The best thing that ever happened to me is marrying you."

The sunlight shone on Antonio's face, and I felt a little sorry for him.

"You're welcome," I thought. "After all, your happiness has been ticking down for a long time now, and it's almost over."

In the afternoon, Antonio showed up right on time at the kindergarten gate.

We picked up the kids together and then hung out with them at the nearby park.

Helena still wouldn't quit. She even started a live stream, saying she'd dance for whoever tipped the most. She hinted that the dance could be a bit suggestive.

Antonio was furious. Without me or the kids knowing, he used a secret account to tip her over 500 thousand dollars, making himself the top tipper. Then he left a comment: "Wait till I get home, and dance for me!"

Helena giggled to her fans, saying, "This is my boyfriend. He's possessive!"

Her fans went crazy in the comments.

"Wow, so much love!" "Your boyfriend is so sweet!" "We want to see you dance too!"

Helena sent me a screenshot of Antonio's comment.

She even circled the words "get home" and the username "My Beloved Helena" in bold red.

"Do you still think you're the only one? His place with me is a home too!"

"Alright, I'll let you off the hook today and let him catch his breath. Tomorrow is the big day, and I'll stream it for you."

For the first time, I replied, thinking hard about what to say: "Antonio is my husband, and I love him dearly. Please leave him alone. Name anything you want, and if I have it, I'll give it to you!"

Helena seemed satisfied.

Another round of messages hit me, each one more brazen than the last.

"I want your spot as Antonio's wife. Will you give it to me?"

"So what if you're a violinist? Men are all the same—they're all about sex. Antonio can't live without me!"

"Grace, you should know your place and leave Antonio!"

I didn't read the rest of Helena's messages at the time because I was busy.

I smiled and gave Antonio a little piece of cake. "You were good today. Here's your reward."

Antonio took a bite and then pouted and kissed me. "I'm always good."

I snapped a photo with my phone. The two kids were off in the distance, making it a perfect family of four.

I posted it on Instagram.

Caption: "The one right here is the one I love."

Antonio smiled at my post. He saved the photo and posted it on Instagram too.

Caption: "The one I love is the one right here. My one true love."

A few minutes later, Helena lost it.

Helena stopped texting and started calling Antonio's phone non-stop.

Antonio's phone vibrated like crazy.

The two little ones were vying for attention, lining up to wait for Antonio to give them kisses, hugs, and lift them high up.

Antonio bit back his anger, put the kids down, and stepped aside to take the call.

He was fuming. At first, he shouted so loud that I could hear some of what he said, "Calm down! Know your place! Don't cross the line!"

But as the call went on, his voice dropped to a whisper, and his lips softened into a gentle curve as he began to coax and calm Helena.

I stood not far away, holding the kids by their hands.

It reminded me of many years ago when he talked to me so patiently and lovingly.

"Mommy, is Daddy going away again?"

"Mommy, does Daddy not want us anymore?"

The word "again" made me realize that kids could be as aware as adults, sometimes even more so. They might notice things before I did.

Looking at their worried and sad faces, I squatted down and hugged them, my nose stinging.

"Your daddy is busy with work. He doesn't want to leave you," I said with a forced smile. "If he has to go later, don't cry or make a fuss, okay? I will stay with you."

At that moment, I felt a lot of emotions.

The kids would not have their daddy around anymore in the years to come.

"Who says I'm leaving?"

Antonio's black shoes showed up right in front of us.

I looked up at him.

The sunset light was shining from behind him, and it hurt my eyes. I blinked slowly.

My eyes got watery.

There was a look of shock and worry in Antonio's eyes.

He knelt on one knee in panic and asked, "Grace, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

I shook my head and said there was some sand in my eyes.

Still kneeling, he smiled and blew the "sand" out of my eyes.

I didn't know what Antonio figured out, but I did get him to stay.

I said "stay" because I saw him text Helena: "I'm not going over there," and then turn off his phone.

I also saw the messages Helena sent me, one after another, all full of insults.

"How shameless! You couldn't keep Antonio yourself, so you used the kids!"

"The kids might keep him with you for now, but do you really think they can keep him for good?"

"Just you wait. Once he gets to the company tomorrow, I've got many ways to make sure he doesn't come back home!"

***

I didn't respond to Helena.

The more I ignored her, the crazier she got.

To ruin her, I first had to drive her mad.

If she didn't lose her mind, Antonio wouldn't get dragged into it.

And if Antonio didn't lose it, how was I supposed to stab him with the knife I had been sharpening for so long?

That night, we had a happy family evening. Antonio kept saying how much he loved me and the kids and how he wanted to give us the best of everything.

I looked at him with a loving and indulgent smile.

He tried to say something a few times but stopped himself. He looked guilty and finally just sighed softly.

"I promise, I only love you," he said.

"Alright, let's live a good life together from now on."

He nodded, hugged me, and held me tight for a long time.

In the middle of the night, Antonio got up, went to the balcony, and called Helena against the night breeze, telling her it was over between them.

I hadn't fallen asleep and heard everything.

He said being together with Helena was a mistake, but it wasn't too late to fix it.

He said when he saw me cry, it felt like the whole world was falling apart.

He said he had a feeling that if they kept messing around, he would lose me for sure. He couldn't bear to lose me, so he had to let go of Helena.

That night, I admitted I hesitated.

I wondered whether to continue with the fake-death plan, but soon, someone else made the decision for me.

The next morning, Antonio and I took the kids to kindergarten. The kids told us to pick them up in the afternoon, and Antonio said he would.

But at 4:30 p.m., when the kindergarten got out, he didn't show up, and his phone went unanswered.

Instead, it was Helena who sent me a WhatsApp message with a short video.

The video was taken in Antonio's office. Helena was wearing my dress. Her face was all red, and she was sweating on her forehead and neck. The camera was shaking, and it was obvious what was going on.

A familiar voice said, "Stop filming."

Then I saw a quick flash of Antonio's long fingers in the video.

The screen went dark, and the video ended.

***

Antonio's office was on the 32nd floor.

I rushed straight up there with the kids.

On the first floor, there was a receptionist and security guards. The lobby and elevators were full of company employees. At the elevator entrance on the 32nd floor was the office of Antonio's secretaries.

Everyone showed me respect and called me "Mrs. Kaufman." But none of them told Antonio that I was there.

Instead, I saw sympathy and anticipation in their eyes.

Some even pointed me in the right direction.

"Mrs. Kaufman, Mr. Kaufman is in his office with Helena."

Antonio didn't just have Helena as his secretary. The other secretaries ran out.

I thought they'd at least try to hold me back and shout, "Mrs. Kaufman is here!" to give Antonio some time.

But—

"Mrs. Kaufman, how about you leave the kids with us in the office? We just got some new toys.

"Mr. Kaufman is over there. I'll take you to him," one secretary said.

She stood at the door of Antonio's office, knocked softly, and said, "Mr. Kaufman, Mrs. Kaufman is here."

Then, she handed me the key to the office.

The office was reeking of body fluids.

I recognized the smell. That and the overwhelming perfume made me sick.

The couch was wet and was in disarray. A black bra poked out from the cushions.

Antonio was sitting behind his desk.

He sat with his back straight. His shirt was slightly wrinkled and his neck flushed red. He was breathing rapidly and looked really uncomfortable.

One of his hands was under the desk and the other hand was clenching his mouse.

I bet Antonio didn't dare to stand up.

It was hard to say if he had the time to put on his trousers or put his dick back into his trousers.

There were many places that could hide a person in this office. The closet, the bathroom, the restroom...

But Helena would only be hiding in one place.

That was under Antonio's desk.

Because it gave them the thrill.

"Grace, what brings you here?" Antonio was nervous. The arm pinning Helena down pressed down a little.

"You forgot to pick up the kids." I slowly walked toward Antonio and slowed down my speech rate too. "So, I came over to see if you needed any help."

Guilty, Antonio was sweating hard.

In this office, nobody could walk up to his desk if he sent the order.

But he couldn't order me. And with two more steps, I'd be able to see what was going on under his desk.

Our marriage would be over.

"I'm fine. I caught up at work and forgot." Antonio was fidging.

He was anxious because I was getting closer and Helena was getting restless under the desk.

Antonio's chest rose and fell more rapidly and he swallowed hard.

However, he kept his eyes wide open to remain eye contact with me.

He tried so hard to pretend he was working. I chuckled and the tension eased immediately.

At the beginning...

When I first found out about Antonio's affair, I felt like my world had collapsed. And I thought about taking it up to Antonio and winning him back.

But the man was like an animal. Again and again, he failed to resist the temptation.

He broke his promise and forgot about his responsibilities, throwing them away for the excitement.

I shook my head and smiled. I was laughing at him and myself. He was pretending to still care about me, and I even had second thoughts about my plan last night.

Finally, my love for him died with a snap.

"What's the smell?"

I smiled and turned around to open the window for fresh air.

The cold wind blew in the office.

The heat in the room died down a little.

Antonio's gaze followed me.

"By the way, I'll see you at the hotel at the anniversary," I said.

"Why?" Antonio's voice was raspy.

"Wedding traditions. The couple shouldn't meet before the wedding." I paused and stared at his desk as if my gaze could penetrate the wood. I added meaningfully, "Consider it your last bachelor night. Enjoy!"

Instead of taking another step toward Antonio, I turned around and left, closing the door behind me.

The secretary stood by the door and looked at me with sympathy. She looked upset.

"Mrs. Kaufman..." the secretary whispered.

I was thinking about comforting the poor woman when we heard the voices behind the closed door.

"Helena, I warned you to be careful! How could you do this? If Grace finds out, I'll end you!"

"Mr. Kaufman, we've been together for so long. You honestly believe she doesn't know? Let's try something more exciting tomorrow. OK?"

That was the end of the conservation.

Both the secretary and I stood on the spot. She seemed more upset than me.

Antonio's voice came through the door with the sounds of slapping and slamming.

"You want it? Take it! Take it all!"

I titled my head up and stared at the ceiling with wide eyes until my eyes turned red-rimmed and tears welled up. Then, I stormed out.

That day, besides Antonio and Helena, everyone in the Kaufman Group knew that I had come over and found the two in the act. And I'd left in angry tears.

Everyone saw me leaving the Kaufman Group with red-rimmed eyes and my children.

It was only one day away from our third anniversary.

Nobody dared to go to the press with the news. But surely, they sensed the tension.

A storm was coming.

***

I went to the airport directly.

The plan was made and the third anniversary gift was prepared a long time ago.

I looked forward to the ceremony.

There were many warm-ups in the past month.

Many celebrities and reporters were invited and were going to be there.

The Kaufman Group was the largest internet company in the country.

On Antonio's 3rd wedding anniversary, the titans of the business world and the business partners were all in attendance. The hosts and performers were all stars and there were countless reporters.

Everyone was talking about it online, such as, "They are the best couple ever...", "Perfect romance...", "I wanna fall in love again...", "I wanna have a boyfriend like him...", and "They made me believe in love again...", etc.

Antonio, impeccably dressed, walked out of the bridal lounge with an expression of utter satisfaction.

Helena sat atop the dressing table, still panting, with a smile tugged at her lips.

Her dress was torn, her make-up was a mess, and the mirror was stained with some ambiguous liquid.

​She pulled out her phone and recorded a selfie video.

She shot the room and then laughed arrogantly.

She said, "Grace, do you know where I am now? It's the bridal lounge and your man just left. I've left you a gift here. Just come and check it out. Well, don't cry when you see it!

"By the way, if your kids ask about it, just tell them, that was how they came to this world... Hahaha!

"Recently, he seldom uses condoms, so, I may get pregnant at any time, and you'd better be prepared for that. It's your 3rd anniversary and also the last one."

After she made the video, she sent it.

Of course, she sent it to me, but too bad, I wouldn't be able to receive it, because my phone was not with me.

Antonio kept calling me, but no one picked up. He began to panic.

In the banquet hall, people dressed up nicely and were toasting each other.

Someone adorned with angelic wings entered the hall, carrying an exquisitely crafted box.

"Mr. Kaufman, this is a gift from your wife."

Antonio smiled, and he looked more relaxed now.

He took over the box and opened it with joy.

The camera followed in real-time, zooming in for a close-up of his distinctly knuckled hands. The box looked elegant and he looked extremely satisfied.

Inside the box lay my phone, with a folded letter paper tucked beneath it.

The host said with an excited voice, "Mrs. Kaufman must have poured all her love into this letter! Mr. Kaufman, please open it!

"And this phone. She must have recorded the sweet moments of your life together in it!"

Antonio probably thought so too.

With a smile, he picked up the phone with one hand and unfolded the letter with the other.

This was live globally.

The camera zoomed in and everyone could read the words in my letter.

Dear Antonio, I'm sorry that I can't come.

I left the divorce agreement in the drawer of the nightstand. I've signed and it has been there for a long time.

However, you never noticed it.

I need to go away for a change and will be back later on. So, don't worry about me.

I took Helena to this city. She's close to me, but I guess you two are even closer.

​She loves you very much and the two of you make a perfect match. I would not mind if you turned our anniversary party into your engagement party with her.

Best wishes to you, Grace.

The banquet hall was in utter silence.

Not just the people in the presence. Silence fell on everyone watching, whether they were watching from the big screens on the high street or via phones and computers.

What was going on?

Did they break up? Wasn't this a perfect love story? Did he cheat on her? Wasn't he madly in love with his wife? Who was Helena?

​Antonio stood frozen in place, on the verge of collapse.

At this time, my phone beeped and a message came in. Antonio subconsciously clicked on it.

A selfie video popped up on the large screen in the banquet room.

It was live-streaming!