Chapter 3
1 collapsed onto the floor, my body racked with sobs. I had worked my butt off, building my career, providing for my family, only to be betrayed in the most humiliating way possible. I was nothing but a cash cow, funding their infidelity.
I kicked out at the vanity in frustration, but instead of the satisfying thud I was expecting, I heard a strange click.
Confused, I looked down and noticed a small, almost invisible, latch. Curious, I pressed it, and a hidden compartment slid open, revealing a small camcorder.
My heart lurched.
I popped open the device, my hands trembling. The screen flickered to life, and my stomach churned at the images that filled the display. Photos and videos of David and Emma, their intimacy on full display. They were everywhere; in our bedroom, the living room, even the kitchen. The blatant disregard, the sheer audacity of it all, made me feel sick to my stomach. I fought back the urge to vomit and quickly copied everything onto my computer.
As I scrolled through the footage, my blood ran cold. Some of the videos were time–stamped while I was asleep. I could even see myself in the background, sound asleep, completely oblivious to the betrayal happening just a few feet away.
The realization hit me like a physical blow. I felt violated, disgusted, and utterly broken. My
own home, a place where I should have felt safe and secure, had been turned into a stage
for their sordid affair.
Just then, I heard the front door open. They were back.
“Evelyn?”
David’s voice.
I quickly shoved the camcorder back into its hiding place and tried to compose myself. I took a deep breath and walked out of the bedroom, plastering a neutral expression on my
face.
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“Hey, honey,” David greeted me, his voice unnaturally high–pitched. “Didn’t you say to pick you up? Why are you home already? And why isn’t your phone working?” He looked at me, then at the open closet behind me, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Oh, Tom gave me a ride home,” I replied casually, naming my assistant. “And my phone died on the way. Must have forgotten to charge it last night.”
David visibly relaxed. “Oh, okay. Good, good.” He paused, his gaze lingering on the slightly messy state of my closet.
“By the way, did you pick up that white dress I asked the shopper to reserve for me? I
couldn’t find it in the closet.”
He knew damn well he hadn’t picked up any dress. He was fishing for information, trying to gauge how much I knew.
David’s face paled. “I… I did,” he stammered. “It’s here somewhere. Maybe Emma took it to the dry cleaners?” He made a move towards the closet, as if to search for it.
I stopped him with a raised hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a dress.” My tone was light, but my eyes were cold.
He stopped, momentarily thrown by my uncharacteristic lack of interest. He looked at Ethan, silently asking for help.
My son, bless his manipulative little heart, rose to the occasion. “Mommy! Daddy got you a surprise for Valentine’s Day!” He came bounding towards me, a bouquet of lilies and a small, beautifully wrapped box clutched in his hands.
I knelt down and forced a smile. “Wow, thank you, sweetie. And thank you, Daddy.” My eyes, however, remained fixed on Ethan’s. I searched for a flicker of guilt, a hint of remorse, but there was nothing. Just the same blank stare that had become all
no familiar.
“Daddy said that no matter what happens, you will always be his most precious treasure,” Ethan declared, his voice dripping with false sincerity.
The familiar wave of nausea returned. It was like watching a bad actor deliver lines they didn’t understand, the same old lines, the same empty gestures. David had passed on his talent for deception to our six–year–old son. The thought filled me with a mixture of anger and despair.
Our Worldine the Cuber Women Wore White
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Chapter 3
David took the wet laundry basket from my hand, his touch lingering a little too long. He’d always been the one to wash my delicates, ever since Ethan was born. My friends used to tease him about it, asking why a successful entrepreneur like him would stoop to such a
menial task.
“Evelyn is my wife,” he’d declare proudly, “Who else would I do it for? It’s an honor, you
wouldn’t understand.”
Back then, I had been the envy of all my friends. Everyone thought we had the perfect. marriage. The perfect love story.
Now, looking at him, all I could see was a liar. A fraud. And the worst part was, I had helped him create this illusion. If it hadn’t been for that Instagram post, that damning photo, I would have continued to live in blissful ignorance, believing his every word, cherishing
every empty gesture.
I pushed the lilies away, their cloying scent suddenly suffocating.
“Actually,” I said, looking up at David with a tight smile, “You know I hate lilies, right?
They’re too strong.
It was Emma who loved lilies.
I tossed the bouquet carelessly onto the floor near the doorway, ignoring David’s look of panic. The scent of the lilies, heavy and sweet, quickly filled the air, a suffocating reminder of their betrayal.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, honey,” David stammered, his face flushed. “I completely forgot. Well, at least you’ll like this.” He gestured towards Ethan, who was holding out the small gift box. “I picked it out myself.”
I took the box from Ethan, my heart sinking as I recognized the logo. It was from the same high–end boutique where I’d seen the dress on Emma. I already knew what was inside.
I opened the box slowly, pretending to be surprised. Inside, nestled on a bed of white satin,
was a delicate diamond brooch.
It was the matching accessory to the dress. The dress David had pretended to buy for me..
He really thought I was stupid. And the worst part was, if I hadn’t stumbled upon his affair,
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Chapter 3
I would have believed his lies. I would have cherished that brooch, a symbol of his love.” Just like I had cherished all the other empty gestures.
Suddenly, I couldn’t take it anymore. The lies, the betrayal, the sheer audacity of it all it was too much.
I stood up abruptly, accidentally bumping into Ethan. He lost his balance and fell to the floor with a yelp.
Instantly, he burst into tears, his cries loud and shrill. In the past, the sound of Ethan crying would have sent me into a panic, I would have rushed to his side, comforting him, making sure he was okay.
But today, I felt nothing. Just a dull ache in my chest where my heart used to be. I watched him coldly, his fake tears and dramatic sobs doing nothing to elicit my sympathy.
“Don’t you even like the gift?” David asked cautiously, his eyes darting nervously between Ethan and me.
“Isn’t this brooch the free gift that came with the dress?” I asked quietly, my gaze fixed on David’s face, watching for any flicker of emotion. “Did the sales assistant trick you? Or maybe… you gave it to the wrong person?”
David froze.
He had clearly not expected me to call him out like this, not in front of Ethan. He looked like
a deer caught in headlights, unsure of which way to run.
And then, as if on cue, the front door opened again.
