Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
My husband left his flash drive at home.
When I plugged it into my laptop, I found it packed with photos of him and another woman.
And every single picture was taken right here in our apartment.
On our living room couch, on the kitchen island, and across our bed.
Every timestamp lined up with my work hours.
Dozens of photos, not a single slip-up. The timing was calculated down to the minute. This wasn't a sudden mistake; it was an established routine.
The moment the shock faded, I pulled out my phone and called in sick.
Seven o’clock in the evening was when my night shift was supposed to start.
Instead, I hid inside the bedroom closet, leaving the door cracked open just a sliver.
At seven-thirty, I heard keys rattling in the front lock.
My husband walked through the door, and he wasn't alone.
My husband’s voice drifted through the closet slats, light and nonchalant.
"Relax, babe. She's working the night shift. She’s already clocked in by now."
"Tonight, the whole place is ours."
The rustling sound of clothes hitting the floor followed, accompanied by a woman’s sultry whine.
"David, how much longer are you going to keep lying to Chloe?"
"My parents called again yesterday pressuring me to get married. They want to know when we’re getting our license."
"I can't stall them anymore. Every time I ask, you say 'soon, soon.' It’s been three years!"
David’s voice turned coaxing, punctuated by the soft sounds of kisses.
"Baby, don't be mad."
"You know I already brought up divorce with Chloe."
"She’s just completely stubborn. She refuses to sign anything."
"She's clinging to me and refusing to leave. What can I do?"
"I can't just physically drag her onto the street. If I do that, the court will see me as the hostile party, and I’ll end up losing half the assets."
Hearing that, my fingers clenched tightly against my knees.
My nails dug deep into my palms, but I couldn't feel a thing.
David claimed he had asked for a divorce?
What a sick joke.
Just last week, we had an argument over some trivial chore, and in a fit of frustration, I was the one who brought up getting a divorce.
And how had David reacted?
He fell to his knees, clutched my legs, and sobbed uncontrollably.
He swore he couldn't live without me.
He even handed over his debit card and swore on his life that he would be the perfect husband.
It turned out that all his devoted tears were just a rehearsed act.
It was all to appease me, keeping me compliant so I’d believe he truly cherished our marriage.
Outside the closet, their sickening conversation continued.
"David, is she brain-dead? Can’t she tell you can't stand her?" the woman sneered, dripping with superiority.
David scoffed.
"Her? She’s just a boring, rigid workaholic."
"Her entire existence revolves around working and cooking."
"Back then, I had to bust my ass saving every penny just to afford the down payment and wedding costs for this place."
"Thinking about it now, marrying her was the worst curse of my life."
The woman let out a delighted giggle.
"Alright, stop talking about that buzzkill."
"Come here."
The nightstand bumped against the wall with a hollow thud.
Then David’s voice came again, hurried and cautious.
"Wait, let me set an alarm first."
"She gets off her shift at six tomorrow morning."
"We need to be up before five-thirty to clean up every trace."
"We haven't had a single slip-up in three years because I stick to the schedule. Flawless execution."
"As long as we keep to the timetable, she’ll never find out in this lifetime."
The woman’s voice was languid and satisfied.
"You really think of everything, David."
"By the way, my parents want to meet you for lunch tomorrow."
"They're in town. They said they want to finalize our wedding plans."
"What time works for you?"
David paused for a beat.
"Tomorrow at noon."
"I’ll make up an excuse and take the morning off work."
"Where are we meeting?"
"At that French bistro downtown, Champs-Élysées."
"Got it. I'll be there on time."
I buried my face in my knees, my whole body shaking uncontrollably.
Silent tears ran down my cheeks, but I clamped my teeth into my lower lip, refusing to let out a single breath.
Three years of marriage. From start to finish, it had been nothing but a humiliating farce.
I seared the location into my memory.
Champs-Élysées Bistro, twelve noon.I lost track of time before the bedroom finally went quiet.
Their breathing grew deep and rhythmic. They were fast asleep.
I slowly pushed the closet door open.
My legs were completely numb from being curled up for hours.
Leaning against the wall, I dragged my stiff limbs step by step out into the hallway.
Beneath the faint moonlight coming through the window, I caught a glimpse of the two bodies tangled together in my bed.
In that exact second, the very last shred of love I had for him evaporated into thin air.
I didn’t linger. I walked straight out into the living room.
The apartment was pitch-black.
I sat on the couch without turning on the lights.
The flash drive was still resting on the coffee table.
David had left it behind that afternoon.
I originally thought it was filled with work spreadsheets.
Instead, opening it revealed dozens of high-res photos.
Every shot was taken inside this apartment.
On our sofa, in our kitchen, and across our marital bed.
Every single timestamp corresponded to when I was at work.
Hours when I put in brutal overtime just to buy him birthday presents.
Hours when I took on freelance bookkeeping to pay down our mortgage.
While I was grinding myself to the bone outside, he was bringing his mistress into our home.
I picked up my phone. The pale glow of the screen illuminated my hollow, bloodless face.
The clock read 3:00 AM.
There were two and a half hours left before David’s alarm went off.
I opened my cloud drive and backed up every single photo from the flash drive.
Then I muted my phone and slipped it into my pocket.
I just sat there quietly, watching the skyline gradually turn from black to gray.
Three years flashed through my head like a reel of broken film.
Three years ago, we had nothing. To gather enough money for our wedding and down payment, David worked delivery gigs after his shift.
I worked my regular job by day and stayed up doing freelance accounting by night.
We scrimped and saved until we finally bought this place.
I thought it was the foundation of our happily ever after.
I never imagined it was just the beginning of a nightmare.
The timestamps proved that the very first photo of him and that woman was taken the day after we signed our marriage certificate.
Back then, I was still basking in newlywed bliss.
Like an idiot, I cooked his meals, ironed his shirts, and blamed myself whenever work kept me from spending time with him.
What a pathetic joke.
Suddenly, the harsh ring of an alarm shattered the silence from the bedroom.
Frenzied rustling broke out inside.
Moments later, the bedroom door swung open.
The woman stepped out first.
She was wearing my house slippers, draped in one of David’s button-down shirts.
Before she even took two steps into the living room, her eyes landed on me sitting motionless in the shadows.
"Ahhh!"
She let out a piercing shriek, looking as if she had just seen a ghost.
"Ghost! There’s a ghost!"
Hearing her screams, David tumbled out of the bedroom in sheer panic, desperately yanking up his pants while scanning the room.
"What happened? What’s wrong?!"
The woman’s trembling finger pointed straight at me on the couch.
"She... she’s right there!"
David followed her finger.
The color instantly drained from his face, and his entire body froze.His expression was a masterpiece of pure horror, shock, and mounting dread.
"Chloe?"
His voice shook violently as he stammered my name.
"Why... why are you back so early?"
I stared at him coldly, a mocking smirk tugging at the corner of my lips.
"What's the matter? Did I mess up your tight schedule?"
David’s face went pasty white.
He lunged forward, trying to grab my hands.
"Babe, listen to me, it's not what you think. I was just... we were just—"
I shoved his hands away with all my strength.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the flash drive and hurled it straight into his chest.
"Explain? Explain what?"
"Explain what these dozens of photos are?"
"Explain what you two were doing in my bed?"
"Or explain how you’re heading to Champs-Élysées at noon to meet her parents?"
The flash drive hit the hardwood floor with a sharp, hollow click.
David collapsed to his knees in a panic, scrambling to scoop it up.
By now, the woman had recovered from her initial shock.
She smoothed her hair back and crossed her arms, glaring down at me with pure disdain.
"Well, since you already know, that saves us the trouble."
"Stop playing the pitiful victim. Just hurry up and sign the divorce papers."
"Stop clinging to David like a leech and getting in the way of our happiness."
"He stopped loving you a long time ago. You're the one who refused to let go."
Looking at this shameless woman, I let out a sharp, incredulous laugh.
"He stopped loving me? Then why didn't he ever bring up a divorce?"
"And as for you—if you're so desperate to get married, why did you settle for a married man?"
"Does being a homewrecker make you feel accomplished?"
Her face flushed bright red.
She whipped around to glare at David, her voice shrill with betrayal.
"David! Did you tell her or not?"
"You told me you asked for a divorce months ago and she was the one refusing to sign!"
Sweat poured down David’s forehead. His eyes darted everywhere except at her.
"I... I..."
He sputtered, unable to string a single coherent sentence together.
The woman wasn't completely stupid.
Seeing his cowardly stammer, the truth hit her like a slap in the face.
"David! You played me?!"
"You never asked her for a divorce, did you?!"
"You lied to me this whole damn time!"
David panicked, shoving the woman toward the front door.
"Enough! Just leave!"
"I’ll handle this."
"Go home first, stop making a scene!"
The woman dug her heels in, screaming at the top of her lungs.
"You promised you’d meet my parents today!"
"You swore you’d give me an answer!"
David snapped, his guilt turning into vicious rage.
"I said I’ll take care of it! Go home and wait!"
"Get the hell out! Don't make me say it twice!"
He practically shoved her through the door and slammed it shut in her face.
BAM!
The woman pounded on the outside of the door, screaming profanities.
David ignored her completely.
He turned around to face me, forcing a sickeningly sweet, pleading smile onto his face.
"Chloe, honey, listen to me."
"She was just a distraction, I swear. It meant nothing."
"You know how it is... guys make stupid mistakes sometimes."
"But in my heart, you're the only one. I love you."
"Think about our three years together. Can you forgive me just this once?"
"Look, I’ll block her and delete her right in front of you right now."
"I swear to God I'll cut all contact. I’ll never speak to her again."
With trembling hands, he whipped out his phone.
Right before my eyes, he blocked and deleted the woman on Snapchat.
Then he thrust the screen in front of my face.
"See? Gone. Totally erased."
"Babe, can we just put this behind us? Please?"
Watching him grovel like a whipped dog made my stomach churn with disgust.
"David, don't you feel pathetic?"
"Now that you're caught, you want to bring up our marriage?"
"There is no 'us' anymore."
I stood up, refusing to look at his repulsive face for another second.
"I want a divorce. Right now."
"Pack your things. We're going to the courthouse the moment it opens."David’s expression twisted.
He lunged forward and grabbed my wrist in a vice grip.
"No! I'm not divorcing you!"
"Chloe, you can't be this ruthless!"
"It was just a temporary lapse in judgment! I didn't commit a felony!"
His desperation morphed into hostility.
He was trying to use intimidation to subdue me, exactly the way he used to during our old fights.
I ripped my arm out of his grasp and met his glare with ice.
"If you won't do it amicably, we’ll do it through the court."
"I have every piece of evidence backed up. You are the at-fault party."
"This apartment stays with me. You leave with nothing."
Leaving him frozen, I walked straight into the guest bedroom.
SLAM!
I locked the door from the inside.
David threw his fists against the wood outside.
"Chloe! Open the door!"
"Don't push me! I really don't want to lose you!"
"I love you! I can't live without you!"
"Open the damn door!"
I covered my ears, refusing to hear another syllable of his garbage.
I stayed locked in that room all morning.
David spent hours pacing and banging on the door.
When that failed, he actually called my mother.
A few minutes later, my phone vibrated in my hand.
It was Mom.
I took a deep breath, composed my voice, and answered.
"Hi, Mom."
My mother’s anxious voice came through the speaker.
"Chloe, sweetie, David called. He said you two had an awful fight and you locked yourself in the room?"
"What's going on? Marriage takes compromise. You can't just shut him out and give him the silent treatment."
"David has always been such a reliable boy. What could he have possibly done?"
"Open the door and talk to him like adults."
Listening to her gentle concern, tears threatened to spill over.
I swallowed hard, forcing them back.
"Mom, it's fine. Just a disagreement."
"I just need some space right now. I don't want to talk to him yet."
"Don't worry about me. I can handle it."
Mom sighed on the other end.
"Alright, honey. Take care of yourself. Don't do anything rash."
"If things get too hard, remember your dad and I are always here."
"I know. Love you, Mom."
After hanging up, I leaned against the door.
David must have heard me talking, because he shouted through the wood again.
"Babe, even Mom told you to open up."
"Don't make your parents worry, come on out."
"I made lunch for you. Come eat something."
I didn't utter a word.
I sat in silence until twelve noon.
The tapping outside suddenly stopped.
A second later, violent, heavy banging rattled the apartment’s front door.
"David! Open the door right now!" an unfamiliar voice roared.
Then came the mistress’s screech.
"David! Get your ass out here!"
"Who the hell do you think you are, blocking me on Snapchat?!"
"My parents are here! You owe us an explanation today, or you're dead!"
I smoothed my clothes, took a breath, and unlocked the bedroom door.
David was standing in the living room, frozen in sheer terror.
When he saw me step out, a desperate glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.
"Babe, you're out! Please, help me get rid of them!"
"I swear I have nothing to do with them anymore!"
I sneered.
"Nothing to do with them? They’ve tracked you down to your doorstep."
I walked past him and pulled the front door wide open.
Four people were standing in the hallway.
The mistress, an older couple in their fifties, and an athletic young man who looked like her brother.
The moment the woman saw David, she lunged at him.
"David! You absolute scumbag!"
"You promised you’d marry me!"
"You promised you’d meet my parents for lunch today!"
"And then you blocked me?!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Her parents stepped forward, their faces dark with fury.
"Young man, is this how you handle things?" her father barked.
"If you didn't want to get married, why did you invite us out to lunch?"
"Our whole family sat waiting for you at that restaurant for two solid hours!"
David stumbled backward, clutching the walls, cold sweat drenching his shirt.
"Mr. and Mrs. Miller, please, let me explain..."
"There's been a huge misunderstanding..."
The woman wouldn't let him speak.
"What misunderstanding?!"
"Didn't you say we were getting our marriage license soon?"
"My whole family is here right now! If you don't give us an answer, I’ll go straight to your company and ruin your career!"
David was sweating bullets, practically trembling.
He looked at me, his eyes begging for mercy.
I stepped up beside him, watching the circus unfold outside.
My heart was surprisingly calm.
"Save your breath," I spoke up, cutting through the chaos.
"He's already married. How exactly is he supposed to get a license with you?"
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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