When Arthur's car blocked the neighbor's driveway, I grabbed the spare key to move it. He had just left for a three-day conference in the capital. Sitting in the driver's seat, the navigation screen was still illuminated, displaying his recent history. One specific address was repeatedly searched and even saved as a favorite. "Mia's Cozy Nest: Moonbay View, Building 7, Unit 1, Apt 901." I swiped the screen, my fingertips turning icy. For the past six months, there were consistent records of him driving there, always with return trips past midnight. And yet, he had told me he'd been busy with late-night work dinners lately. I took pictures of all the records and dialed my father-in-law's number. "Dad, Arthur has been going to the Moonbay View area a lot recently. Do we have any relatives living there?" The line was silent for a few seconds before my father-in-law's tense voice came through: "Don't panic. I'll be right there." ... Less than half an hour later, the doorbell rang frantically. My father-in-law stood outside. Usually impeccably dressed in his suit, today, his collar buttons were fastened incorrectly. "Where is he?" His sharp eyes scanned me. I handed him my phone, the screen facing him directly. "Moonbay View, Building 7, Unit 1, Apt 901. Dad, do you know where this is?" "Arthur said he had work dinners every Wednesday and Friday." My father-in-law's eyes fell on the screen, and his face instantly turned a sickly green. He didn't reply, but his hand trembled imperceptibly. "Maybe... it's a colleague's house. There are a lot of young people at his company..." "Dad," I retrieved the phone and looked straight into his eyes. "Do you honestly think any male colleague would name their home 'Mia's Cozy Nest'?" It was as if all the strength had been drained from him. He slumped onto the shoe bench, raising a hand to cover his eyes. "That bastard!" His voice was hoarse. "His mother mentioned something last month, saying he was getting too close to a female colleague..." He looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Chloe! It's my fault for not raising him right! I'll handle this for you!" "Dad, this isn't something you can fix now." I pulled out a tissue and handed it to him. "I want an explanation." "What are you planning to do?" He suddenly grabbed my wrist, his grip surprisingly strong. "If this gets out, his career is completely ruined!" "Why didn't he think about his career when he was doing it?" My voice was ice-cold. "Don't worry, I won't go to his office and make a scene." I walked over to the balcony. The city lights were just starting to flicker on. "Didn't he go to a conference? Perfect. I have some time to pay a visit to this 'Mia'." "No!" My father-in-law immediately stood up, blocking my path. "It's too dangerous for you to go alone! That kind of woman is capable of anything!" "Is she going to eat me alive?" I looked at him. "Dad, I'm not going there to pick a fight. I just want to see it with my own eyes, so I can completely give up hope." He stared at me, his expression complex. Finally, he let out a long sigh and released my wrist. "Fine, if you're going, I'll go with you! I want to see exactly what kind of trash she is!" "You can't go." I stopped him. "If you go, is it to clean house on the spot, or to plead for leniency on his behalf?" "Either way, it'll only escalate things and make him feel we haven't left him any dignity." "Then what do we do? Just watch helplessly?" "What does Arthur care about the most? His reputation, and his position as Deputy Director." I took out my phone and scrolled through my contacts. "What do you think would happen if I sent an anonymous package with these navigation records and that address to the ethics committee?" "Don't you dare!" My father-in-law snatched my phone away. "Do you want to ruin his entire life?" "He's the one who ruined my life first!" I stared intently into his eyes. "Dad, tell me, if his rival, Gary, got his hands on this information," "Could Arthur still keep his Deputy Director seat?" My father-in-law's face instantly went deathly pale. His grip loosened, and the phone dropped onto the sofa. I picked it up and put it back in my pocket. Chapter 2 "I won't actually send it, but Arthur needs to realize that his most prized possession is currently in jeopardy." I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. "Where are you going?" "Moonbay View." I opened the door. "Don't worry, I won't go inside." "I just want to know the name of the owner of Building 7, Unit 1, Apt 901." "And then?" "And then, I also found something else in his car." I paused. "A receipt for prenatal multivitamins, bought at a pharmacy last month." "What?" My father-in-law shot up, barely able to stand. "Chloe, you... explain clearly." I pulled up the photo of the crumpled receipt and showed it to him. "Last month, he told me he was accompanying his boss on an out-of-town inspection trip." "Dad, tell me, who was he really accompanying to a prenatal checkup?" Looking at the photo, my father-in-law stood frozen, unable to utter a single word. I stepped out, leaving his heavy breathing behind the closed door. The metallic elevator doors reflected my expressionless face, but my eyes were terrifyingly cold. My phone chimed. It was a message from Arthur: "Honey, arrived at the hotel. This conference is very important; I'll call you tomorrow. Love you." I slowly replied: "Okay. I have some good news to tell you too." Charging into Moonbay View unprepared would only alert the snake in the grass. I dialed my sister, Sarah's, number. "Sarah, Arthur might be seeing someone." The line went dead silent: "Do you have proof? That bastard!" I told her about the navigation records and the receipt. "Send me the address. I'll get someone to run a background check on the owner, pull property management records, check everything possible." "Okay." "What's your plan? A direct confrontation?" "No," I said, "We will confront him, but not yet." "I need to know who this woman is and if he's been hiding assets." "When I kick him out, I'm going to make sure he leaves with absolutely nothing." My sister chuckled on the other end: "That's my girl, Chloe! Leave this to me." "I'll get you the owner's info, access logs, and financial statements, clear as day." "Hold your ground. Don't let him suspect a thing." "He'll be back in three days." "More than enough time. Wait for my update." Hanging up, I walked back into the living room. My father-in-law was still sitting there, looking like he had aged ten years. "Chloe..." "Dad," I cut him off. "Stay out of this, and don't tip Arthur off. I'll handle it myself." He opened his mouth to speak, but then waved his hand dismissively, his face etched with exhaustion. For the rest of the day, I acted as if nothing had happened, even cooking dinner as usual. My father-in-law barely ate, his eyes constantly darting toward me. In the afternoon, my sister's message arrived. "Got it. The owner is Mia Sullivan, 26, single." "She's a Deputy Director at a partner company working with Arthur's department." "Parking lot footage: every Wednesday and Friday night." "Mia's red Macan is parked right next to Arthur's car. The times match perfectly." Several blurry but discernible screenshots from the surveillance cameras followed. It was Arthur! And a photo of Mia, clinging to his arm, smiling radiantly. I replied: "Keep digging, especially regarding the money." I decided to go see Moonbay View for myself. I told my father-in-law I was going for a walk. He nodded, his expression complicated. Arriving at the complex entrance, I parked my car on the street. Not long after, a flashy red Macan pulled up. The window rolled down, revealing Mia. She had exquisite makeup on and seemed to be talking to someone on the phone, a smirk playing on her lips. Sitting in my car, watching her disappear into the underground parking entrance, my blood ran cold. I texted my sister: "I saw her. Track their joint expenses, especially any money he's transferred out behind my back." My sister replied quickly: "Don't worry! I'll dig everything up! Are you... holding up okay?" I typed two words: "I'm fine." When your heart dies, your mind actually becomes clearer. Now, it's their turn to suffer. Chapter 3 I drove home expressionlessly. My father-in-law immediately came to meet me. "Chloe, did you... see her?" "Yeah, I saw her car." I changed my shoes, my voice flat. "I'm tired. I'm not going to eat." I walked into the bedroom, locked the door, and let myself collapse onto the bed. Tears flowed freely onto the pillow. For these five years of marriage; For the innocent ones kept in the dark; For the promise of a lifetime together that I once believed would come true. When I had cried myself dry, I got up and splashed my face with cold water. The woman in the mirror had bloodshot eyes. I told myself: Chloe, this is it. Tears are useless. He would be back in two days. I turned on my laptop and started organizing everything. Navigation screenshots, owner information, surveillance photos, pictures of Mia... Everything encrypted and backed up. My sister's messages kept pouring in. "Found out they frequently visit a high-end sushi restaurant. Every Wednesday or Friday, there's a record of Arthur's spending." "Mia posted a watch on her social media. It's the same model as the one you gave Arthur last year, just a different color." "The purchase date matches." "No hotel records. Looks like their long-term love nest is that apartment at Moonbay View." "Working on breaching his bank statements now. He's very cautious." Looking at all this, my heart was numb. This wasn't a momentary lapse in judgment; this was a meticulously maintained second life, a second home. The next day, under the guise of organizing his documents, I entered his study. Hidden in a compartment of his old briefcase, I found a USB drive I didn't recognize. Plugging it into the computer, there was only one encrypted folder. I called my sister, and she immediately got someone to hack it remotely. Half an hour later, the folder opened. Inside were transaction records for a stock account. My sister's call came in immediately, her voice suppressing anger: "Arthur used a joint investment account we set up after marriage and cashed out over $900,000 over the past six months!" "The funds went through several third-party accounts before finally landing in Mia's!" "He used that money for the down payment on the Moonbay View apartment! The apartment is solely in Mia's name!" Gripping the mouse, I was shaking with rage. Nine hundred thousand dollars! That was the money we had planned to use to upgrade to a bigger house! I was completely and utterly disillusioned with him. That evening, I went to the supermarket and bought the freshest ingredients. My father-in-law watched me carry in bags of groceries: "Chloe...?" "Arthur comes back tomorrow. I'm making a welcome-home dinner," I said calmly. His lips moved, his cloudy eyes looking at me with a mix of guilt and helplessness. All the pieces were in place. The evidence, the lawyer, and my dead heart. Welcome home, Arthur. The next afternoon, Arthur returned. I got busy in the kitchen. The aroma of sweet and sour spare ribs filled the house. The dining table was set with several of his favorite dishes. My father-in-law sat in the living room, silently reading the newspaper. His eyes kept darting toward the kitchen, unable to sit still. The sound of a key turning came from the entryway. "Honey, Dad, I'm home!" Arthur dragged his suitcase in, sporting a travel-weary but eager smile. He changed his shoes and walked straight to the kitchen, opening his arms to hug me from behind. I happened to pick up a plate of food and turned around, perfectly dodging him. I wore a flawless smile: "You're back? Go wash your hands, dinner's ready." He seemed to pause for a second, but my movement was so natural he didn't think much of it. "Alrighty! My wife is the best!" He smiled and walked toward the dining table, reaching out to grab a spare rib. "Wash your hands first." My tone was gentle, betraying nothing unusual. "Yes, yes, ma'am!" He went to the bathroom in an excellent mood. My father-in-law stood up and silently helped serve the rice, not looking at his son once. At the dinner table, the atmosphere was bizarrely harmonious. Arthur was starving. He ate heartily while talking non-stop about the "amusing anecdotes" from the conference, full of vivid details and solid logic. I listened quietly, smiling, nodding, and serving him food, playing the role of the perfect wife. My father-in-law barely touched his chopsticks, just keeping his head down and sipping soup. When dinner was over, Arthur leaned back in his chair with satisfaction. "I'm so full! Home-cooked meals are the best!" He looked at me, his eyes full of warmth. "Thanks for your hard work, honey." I put down my chopsticks, picked up a napkin, and slowly wiped my mouth. The smile on my face faded away bit by bit. I looked straight at him. "Full?" I asked, my voice very soft. "Hmm? Yeah, I'm full." He noticed the change in atmosphere, and his expression slowly grew serious. "If you're full, let's talk." "Talk about what?" "Let's talk about Moonbay View." I looked at him. "Building 7, Unit 1, Apt 901." The smile on Arthur's face froze, like a wax statue instantly solidifying. The warmth in his eyes rapidly faded, replaced by a flash of panic, which he quickly forced down. "What are you talking about?" He tried to cover it up with a lighthearted tone, reaching out to put his arm around my shoulder. "What bay? I just came back from a conference, and my wife has already learned how to speak gibberish?" I shifted slightly, dodging his touch. "Arthur, drop the act." My voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the dead-silent dining room. "I saw the navigation history. 'Mia's Cozy Nest,' the first address in your favorites. Very thoughtful." All the color drained from his face instantly. Beside him, my father-in-law slammed his teacup onto the table. Scalding tea splashed out, but he remained completely oblivious. "You bastard! Explain yourself!" My father-in-law's cane struck the floor hard, making a dull thud. Arthur's gaze darted back and forth between my icy face and his father's furious one, beads of fine sweat breaking out on his forehead. He knew denial was useless now. "Dad, Chloe, listen to me..." He stood up urgently. "It's not what you think! Mia... Mia is just a colleague from a partner company. It's not easy for her, striving alone in the big city. She got sick, and I... I just dropped by to check on her, to help out a little!" He sounded guilty even to himself, his voice growing quieter. "Dropped by?" I sneered, taking my phone from my pocket. I opened the photo album and placed a surveillance screenshot in front of him. In the photo, he was intimately holding a young woman's arm as they walked into the lobby of Moonbay View. "Every Wednesday and Friday, you just 'dropped by'? And every time, you 'dropped by' until midnight before coming home? Arthur, do you think I'm an idiot?" Arthur stared at the photo, his pupils shrinking violently, completely speechless. He probably never imagined that in just three short days, I would have gathered so much evidence. "You... you investigated me?" Ashamed and angry, his voice involuntarily rose, trying to regain control by questioning me. "You know exactly what you've done," I didn't back down, meeting his gaze. "I..." He was momentarily lost for words, looking to his father for help. My father-in-law was trembling with anger, pointing a trembling finger at him, unable to speak. "Arthur, how could you do this to Chloe? How has our family ever wronged you?" Arthur took a deep breath, seemingly deciding to throw caution to the wind. He pulled out a chair and sat down, his tone carrying a hint of impatience: "Fine, I admit it, I am with her. But Chloe, we've been married for five years, do you even know what passion is? Life is like a stagnant pool; I needed some excitement, is that a crime? I never thought about divorce; I still want this family!" "Family?" I felt like I had heard the biggest joke in the world. "You built a 'cozy nest' outside, and you're talking to me about family?" "It was just... a moment of weakness!" He argued. "A mistake any man could make, do you really have to blow this out of proportion?" "A mistake any man could make?" I slowly stood up, walked over to him, and looked down at him. My shadow completely enveloped him. "So, accompanying her to a prenatal checkup and buying her pregnancy multivitamins, are those also mistakes any man could make?" I enunciated every word, my voice clear and ruthless. Arthur jerked his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief and terror. He looked as if he had been struck by lightning, frozen stiff. My father-in-law's hand, leaning on the table, gave way, and he fell backward. Luckily, he was caught by the back of the chair, preventing him from falling to the floor. He gasped for air, pointing at Arthur, his face full of despair. "You... you animal!" Chapter 5 The air seemed to freeze. Arthur's face turned from pale to a sickly, ashen gray. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. That face, which I was once so intimately familiar with, was now written with panic and disgrace. He knew the last shred of his cover had been ripped away. "Chloe... I..." His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice as raspy as sandpaper. "I was wrong... give me one more chance. I'll break it off with her, I'll break it off with her right now!" He shot up, trying to grab my hand, forcing a look of remorse onto his face. I took a step back, avoiding him. "A chance?" I looked at him, my eyes devoid of any emotion. "From the moment you took the money we had saved for a new house and transferred it out, transaction by transaction, to buy her that 'cozy nest,' your chances were used up." Those words hit like a sledgehammer, slamming hard into the hearts of both Arthur and my father-in-law. "What money?" My father-in-law, leaning on the table to stay upright, asked with a trembling voice. "Dad, you probably don't know yet," I turned to my father-in-law, stating the facts calmly. "Behind my back, he cashed out $900,000 from our joint account in batches and transferred it to Mia to pay the down payment on that apartment at Moonbay View. The property deed only has Mia's name on it." "Nine hundred thousand!" My father-in-law's vision went dark, his cane clattering to the floor. He lunged forward, raised his hand, and using every ounce of his strength, slapped Arthur fiercely across the face. The sharp smack was exceptionally harsh in the quiet living room. "You spendthrift! You animal!" My father-in-law's lips turned purple with rage. He pointed at him and cursed, "That was money the two of you worked so hard to save! How dare you!" Arthur's head snapped to the side from the blow, half of his face rapidly swelling and turning red. He seemed stunned by the slap, or perhaps the shame and anger completely washed away his reason. He turned his head back, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes. There was no longer a trace of remorse in his gaze, only venom. "Chloe! You've been ruthless! Just for a divorce, you investigated everything so thoroughly! Are you really in that much of a hurry to dump me?" "You forced my hand," I replied coldly. "Divorce? Fine!" He gritted his teeth, forcing the words out. "But let me tell you, you won't see a single cent of that $900,000! The house is in her name, the money has been spent! You have no proof! Even if we go to court, you won't win! I'll make sure you leave with nothing!" He had completely torn off his disguise, revealing his ugliest side. Looking at him like this, the last remaining sliver of attachment in my heart turned to ash. I laughed, a somewhat desolate laugh. "Arthur, do you really think you did it so cleanly that you can deny everything?" I took a stack of documents from my bag, gently placed them on the dining table, and pushed them toward him. The top document was the stock account transaction record exported from that encrypted USB drive, showing every cash-out clearly. Below it was the flow of funds chart my sister's contact had put together. Even though it had passed through several third-party accounts, the final arrow pointed clearly to Mia's bank account. "Is this enough?" I asked. Arthur's eyes were glued to the stack of papers, his body trembling uncontrollably. His proud "flawless plan" had become a joke in front of me. "If it's not enough," I paused, my voice growing colder, "I've also prepared a 'special gift'." I took out my phone and played an audio recording. It was a complete recording of our entire conversation at the dining table just now, including his own admission of his relationship with Mia, his confession that it was just a moment of weakness, and his admission that he didn't want a divorce. "Tell me, if I give this recording, along with this evidence of the money trail, to your rival Gary, or send an anonymous package to the ethics committee reporting you for 'lifestyle issues' and 'unexplained wealth,' do you think you can still keep your Deputy Director seat?" Arthur's face instantly turned as pale as a sheet of paper. Like a trapped beast, he stared at me, his eyes filled with fear and resentment.
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