I stalked my husband's mistress. Her life was glamorous. She lived in a mansion in a wealthy neighborhood, drove a million-dollar car, and acted like a rich heiress. Even when she was out on a date with my husband, she always had a strict curfew. "I'm sorry, my dad is very strict." To defend my marriage, I secretly took photos and sent a message to her "strict dad." "Did you know your daughter is acting as someone's mistress?" It took a long time for the other side to reply. "I know." "I'm the one being cheated on." 1 I stared at my phone screen, unable to process it for a good while. Why did he say he was the one being cheated on? I'm clearly the one being cheated on. Maybe the old man made a typo. After all, anyone finding out their daughter is a mistress would probably have trembling hands. I patiently corrected him: "Sir, I'm the one being cheated on. Your daughter is secretly dating my husband." Thinking about it, I added, "If typing is inconvenient, we can talk on the phone." The other party only replied with four words. "Let's meet and talk." 2 Before this, I had assumed Mia's dad had to be at least fifty. I didn't expect him to look so young. Even if a rich man took excellent care of himself, he shouldn't look like the man sitting across from me. Dressed in a sharp suit, with deep-set eyes and thick hair. But this was also my first time doing something like this. How should I start the conversation? "I didn't expect you to look so young. You don't even look forty." He raised his eyes slightly, staring at me. "Thirty-three." I froze. "Huh?" "I'm thirty-three years old," he said, pursing his lips. "...Oh." I quickly took a sip of coffee. Feeling indescribably awkward, I blurted out, "Then you must have had kids really early." He was silent for a long moment, his fingertip tracing the rim of his cup. "Actually, I'm not her... biological father." I finally caught on. "You're her stepfather?" "Something like that," he said, looking down to take a sip of water. I nodded. "No wonder you're so young." He took a deep breath, gave me a look, pulled a business card from his inner pocket, and placed it between us. "My name is Alexander Vance. Let's get straight to the point." He withdrew his hand. "Regarding Mia and your husband, I want to hear all the details." I gripped my coffee cup tightly. "Okay." 3 My husband, Julian, runs a fairly well-known piano training center. Mia is his student. She's been taking lessons for over a year. I don't know exactly when they got together, but three months ago, I went to find him and walked in on them kissing on the piano bench. My heart stopped at that moment. I wanted so badly to push that door open, but my pride and rationality crushed me until I could barely breathe or move. Even though my vision was blurred, my mind was ice cold. I memorized the girl's face, went to the office, checked the student files, and found her name: Mia. She was young and pretty, tall, and enrolled in the advanced class at $5,000 a lesson. She had paid for thirty-two lessons. A total of $160,000. "For a female student her age, that's not a small sum." Alexander Vance listened to me with a blank expression. "Yes, I remember she asked me for $200,000." Tsk, looks like she pocketed $40,000. I couldn't help but grumble internally. It must be nice to have a dad willing to throw money around. Because I had only caught them once, I wasn't sure if it was a one-time fling or a long-term relationship, so I started stalking her. I didn't expect Mia's life to be so glamorous. She didn't work, slept until the afternoon, drove a million-dollar luxury car, and lived in a mansion in a wealthy neighborhood. Besides meeting friends for afternoon tea, she played golf and tennis. I followed her for half a month and was starting to feel depressed. "To be honest, I'm very surprised. Her lifestyle is so high-end, I don't understand how she could settle for my husband." Alexander's face darkened, his lips pressed tightly together. "Would it be convenient to know about your husband's financial situation?" I spoke openly. "He has a Ph.D. in music. He quit his university job a few years ago to start his own business. His annual income just reached seven figures." "A million?" Alexander seemed to find this answer unbelievable. He twitched his lips, looked me up and down, and asked with a tone seeking confirmation, "So, is he exceptionally good-looking?" I reached out my phone to show him a picture of Julian. "Actually, he's just okay... He's not as good-looking as you." He instinctively looked up at me, narrowed his eyes, and his tone shifted subtly. "You think I'm better-looking than your husband?" I froze for a moment. Is that what I meant? "No, I mean... we're just ordinary people. We don't have the superior looks that you two... father and daughter have." He stared at me for a while, then suddenly grabbed my phone, tapped the screen with his finger, and knocked on it lightly. "He looks very ordinary. You do not." My heart skipped a beat. I gripped my phone and pulled my hand back. "Mr. Vance, I came to you because I want you to discipline your daughter." "Of course I will discipline her." He nodded, raised his eyes to meet mine, his tone lukewarm. "But I don't understand. Do you think that by doing this, you can win back your partner?" His words felt like a heavy hammer smashing into the most painful part of my heart. "Of course not." I pocketed Alexander's business card, stood up, took a deep breath, and looked down at him. "I just don't want my ex-husband to have the chance to leech off a rich woman after I divorce him." Alexander remained seated, tilting his head up, looking at me with interest. "What's your name?" I slowly held out my hand to him. "Chloe." 4 When I got home, Julian was moving things into the study. I stood in the doorway and looked at him. "Are you sleeping in the study?" He smiled at me and responded naturally, "My work is going to keep me up late recently, and I don't want to disturb your sleep." "Oh." I ignored him. He probably wanted to keep himself pure for his mistress. I went into the master bedroom, took out the business card, and searched for him online. I had gotten Alexander's phone number from the property management at Mia's neighborhood. Thanks to the fact that the house wasn't under Mia's name. I wanted to know exactly what he did. To my surprise, typing in Alexander Vance's name brought up countless affiliated enterprises, some of which even I had heard of. He was that rich... No wonder he gave that helpless smile when he heard about a seven-figure annual income. "Honey, do you want a cup of hand-brewed coffee?" Julian suddenly appeared. I immediately closed my laptop, terrified he would see. A cup of hot coffee was placed in front of me. "I have a female student whose family is quite wealthy," Julian said, taking my hand. "You know I've been busy looking for investments lately. I invited her over for dinner tonight to chat about it." I knew exactly what was going on. I looked up at him. "Which one?" "Mia." Julian mentioned the name with a perfectly casual expression, as if she had absolutely nothing to do with him. "Sure," I smiled. "Should I cook?" "No need, I'll do it." Julian suddenly reached out and touched my face, his eyes full of smiles. "You don't need to do anything." I met his eyes, feeling a moment of confusion. Maybe my taste was different from Alexander's. In my eyes, Julian didn't look ordinary. He had a very striking, clean-cut face, a good education, and a gentle demeanor. He was the kind of man who was easy to marry. If he had already had a change of heart, why pretend so well? At six o'clock in the evening, Mia arrived at our house. Julian went to the kitchen to cook and asked me to keep Mia company. "I didn't expect Chloe to be so pretty." She took the coffee, tilting her head and smiling at me. I maintained my smile. "Hmm... is it that surprising?" Mia was speechless for a moment. "But isn't it tiring for you to be like this?" She looked away, gazing in Julian's direction. "Do you know why I came to your house for dinner?" She turned her head and met my eyes. "Because the property management told me that a woman has been asking about me recently." My heart pounded. Did she already know? Mia leaned in close to me, lowering her voice. "I came to warn you." I froze in place, my heart racing, my palms sweating. 5 "Let's eat." Julian's voice cut in, breaking the eerie atmosphere between Mia and me. At the dinner table, Julian chatted with her while putting food on my plate. I didn't take a single bite. Who wants to act in a play with no audience? Mia seemed unable to stand it either. She pointed her chopsticks toward the study. "Mr. Julian, are you sleeping in the study?" Julian responded to her gently, "My work schedule is too busy, so we're sleeping in separate rooms to get better rest." He spoke ambiguously, probably trying to make people think we had been separated for a long time. I couldn't be bothered to expose his lie. Sure enough, Mia believed it and flashed me a provocative smile. My expression was blank. I put down my chopsticks and stood up. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." Then I turned and walked away. Julian instinctively glanced at me, and it wasn't until Mia called his name that he snapped back to reality and continued discussing business with her. He needed a multi-million dollar investment to expand the scale of his piano training center. "Sure, it just so happens that... my family also wants me to try finding some projects to invest in." Julian actually acted quite reserved: "Mia, don't rush into agreeing. I'll send you the project proposal; take a good look at it first." "Okay, I'll listen to you." She nodded. I stopped at the corner, took out my phone, and sent a text to that man. "Mr. Vance, Mia is at my house. As a well-known entrepreneur, if you don't know how to discipline your daughter, I'm going to have to do it for you." I waited a minute before the reply came. "Go ahead and hit her, my hands are tied." My eyes widened. This man was baffling. A moment later, I sat back down. Mia seemed to be in a fantastic mood. She glanced at me: "Mr. Julian, if you and I become partners, wouldn't that make me half a boss lady? Would Chloe mind?" Julian paused, then said seriously, "You would be half the boss." I had endured enough provocation during this meal, and I had completely lost my appetite. I scrutinized Mia and spoke coldly: "But such a large sum of money, can Miss Mia really come up with it all by herself?" She met my gaze fearlessly: "This is nothing to me. As long as I want to, my family will support me." Julian tugged at my arm: "Chloe?" He gave me a look. "I'm just worried she's pushing herself too hard." I smiled apologetically, then turned to look at Julian. "I know you've been looking for investments lately. Why don't you send me a copy of the project proposal too? I happen to know a big boss who is very interested in this." I stuffed my hand into my pocket, felt the thin card, pulled it out without hesitation, and placed it on the table. Julian was stunned. He read the name on it: "Alexander Vance?" The Mia across from us instantly changed her expression, looking at me in disbelief. The aggressive aura she had before vanished completely. I quietly enjoyed the change in her expression. She was indeed very afraid. The next second, Mia's phone rang. It was a special ringtone, sudden and shrill, startling us all. Mia clutched her phone, stood up abruptly, her expression extremely tense. "That... that's my dad calling... I, I'm going to take this." She rushed into the guest bathroom and locked the door tight. I couldn't help but laugh. It seemed Alexander finally had his hands free and knew to make a phone call. Julian asked me what I was laughing at. "She's in her twenties and still so afraid of her parents, don't you think it's funny?" "I don't think so." Julian didn't smile. He picked up the business card and stared at me. "How do you know Alexander Vance?" "How would I know him? I have a friend who knows his assistant." I was about to take the business card back, but Julian dodged my hand and tucked it into his pocket. "Then let me have it." Less than a minute later, Mia came out. Her face was pale. She hastily said her goodbyes, saying she needed to go home. She even refused Julian's offer to drive her. Julian closed the door, muttering in confusion, "What... happened to her?" "Good girl, probably. Strict upbringing." I had lost interest too. I turned to go back to my room. I had only taken a few steps when someone suddenly hugged me from behind. Julian rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice incredibly soft. "Wife." I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, pushed his arm away, and turned around. "Didn't you say you were sleeping in the study earlier?" Julian's face stiffened slightly. "I..." He moved his lips but said nothing. "Then goodnight." I walked into the bedroom alone. 6 Mia didn't come to class for the next few days. I heard this from Julian. "Do you think something might have happened to her?" He frequently checked his phone, but there were no messages. "Maybe it's about the investment. She couldn't come up with that much money, so she cut contact." I brushed past him and walked to the door. "Are you really pinning your hopes on her?" Julian frowned. He turned around and stared at me: "Where are you going?" "To meet a friend." I grabbed my car keys. "You seem to be going out alone a lot lately." He seemed to be complaining about me. "Can you accompany me?" I met his eyes. He nodded and was about to come over when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at it, then looked at me apologetically, "I have something to take care of here, so..." "Okay." I cut him off and walked right out the door. The friend I was meeting was a divorce lawyer. "The divorce agreement has been drafted." I handed over the photos I took while stalking him and Mia on their date. Most of them were intimate interactions like holding hands and hugging. "As evidence of his infidelity, this is not sufficient." I put the photos back in the file folder. "Then what level of evidence do I need to collect for you to be confident in helping me get all the assets?" "All the assets?" I looked up and repeated to confirm with her: "Yes, I want everything, including everything under his name." Before leaving, the lawyer told me I needed more direct evidence. More direct... I opened my phone, tracked the location of Julian's car, and drove to the place. It was a winding mountain road. Julian and Mia were standing by the side of the road. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Mia reached out to hold his hand, and Julian coldly pulled away. I sat in the car and took the opportunity to take some photos. But while reviewing the photos, I realized Julian was looking in my direction. Oh no, he recognizes my car. My heart raced. When I looked up again, Julian was already walking over. I can't let him catch me! I immediately turned around and sped off. In the rearview mirror, Julian's car was in hot pursuit. My heart was pounding. I stepped on the gas, continuously accelerating. I finally managed to put some distance between us, but unexpectedly, a car slowly pulled out from a bend. I slammed on the brakes and jerked the steering wheel, but a severe scrape still occurred. Damn it, and it was a Bentley. I pounded the steering wheel, forced to get out of the car. Just as I was about to apologize, I realized the person stepping out of the car was Alexander. "It's you?" Thank goodness he still remembered me. Alexander glanced at my aggressive-looking car: "Practicing drifting?" I had no way out and could only ask him for help. "I was spotted. My husband's car is right behind me..." Alexander: "..." He had his driver take my car away. I got into Alexander's car. He drove, and I sat in the passenger seat. Julian's name popped up on my phone screen. I hung up, and it rang again. It wasn't until Alexander told me to answer that I dared to pick up. "Wife, are you nearby? I think I saw your car on the road." Julian's voice carried unconcealable tension. "My car got into a minor accident. It should have been towed away for repairs." "Oh, is that so." Julian breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." "Then where are you now? Should I come pick you up?" I instinctively glanced at Alexander, paused for a second, "No need, I took a taxi." The call ended. Alexander, holding the steering wheel, chuckled lightly, "Both husband and wife are very good liars." I was speechless. The car drove along the winding mountain road, the scenery outside the window like a lush green painting. "Mr. Vance, this doesn't seem to be the way back to the city." "Yeah." He answered casually, "I have plans today. I'm meeting someone for dinner." I was very confused: "Ah, then what about me...?" "You're hitching a ride. You go wherever the ride goes, right?" Alexander turned to look at me, his tone matter-of-fact. I frowned and opened my mouth: "You're having dinner with someone, what am I going to do there?" He tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel, articulating every word: "If you leave, it's a hit-and-run." "I..." I was forced to go have a meal with Alexander. The place was hidden deep in a dense forest, an exclusive private restaurant that was hard to book. Alexander's friends were all waiting for him. "You're always the most punctual. Why are you late today?" "Got into a car accident. Barely survived." Everyone fell silent. I sat next to him, feeling like I was sitting on pins and needles. Especially during the meal, my phone kept ringing constantly. It was Julian looking for me. I stood up, and people looked over. Alexander explained for me, "Her husband is very strict." "...Ah?" At that, everyone looked over in unison. I stood frozen, opened my mouth, but decided to keep it shut. I turned and went to answer the phone. On the line, Julian's voice was strained: "Why aren't you answering my calls?" I glanced at the screen. Over ten missed calls. "I'm having dinner with a friend." "What friend? Male or female? Do I know them..." My head throbbed just listening to him: "You don't know them." Julian fell silent on the other end. I hung up the phone and was about to go back when I suddenly heard someone say: "Your taste is getting more and more obscure." "Just an ordinary friend." Alexander focused on his food. Everyone exchanged glances. I waited a moment before sitting back down, pretending I hadn't heard anything. But his friends suddenly became interested in me. "Alexander, Miss Chloe looks very young. How long have you been married?" He looked directly at me: "How many years?" I was very embarrassed: "Three years." His friend pressed on: "Then what does Miss Chloe do for a living?" Alexander turned his head: "Right, you are..." "A music teacher at a university," I quickly chimed in. "Very nice," he nodded approvingly. His friend crossed his arms and cast a helpless glance at him, "How come you don't know anything?" Alexander put down his knife and fork. "I know her husband is cheating on her, their marriage is broken, and they're about to get a divorce. That's all. Isn't that enough?" 7 The whole room went dead silent. You could hear a pin drop. "I... I'm full. I'll head back first." I absolutely couldn't sit there any longer and hastily fled the scene. I didn't expect to see Mia approaching from a distance just as I stepped out the door. —She was definitely here looking for Alexander. I turned to avoid her, but bumped right into someone's chest. "Hm?" Alexander took a half-step back, looking down at me. "Didn't eat enough?" I shot him a look. "Mia is here..." Only then did Alexander notice the figure in the distance. He grabbed my wrist, shoved me alone into the car, and swiftly closed the door. Before he could get in himself, Mia ran over and started talking to him. I couldn't hear their conversation. But Mia was crying non-stop and seemed very emotional. Meanwhile, Alexander stepped back, speaking with a blank expression. I secretly cracked the car window open a sliver. The man's cold voice drifted in: "You said you wanted to learn the piano so you could play for me." Mia's voice choked with sobs, speaking in fits and starts: "I didn't... those things you said... I don't know who told you what..." Alexander showed no emotion. "It doesn't matter who said it. Let's just end it here." Just as he opened the car door and was about to get in, Mia rushed forward, gripping the car door tightly, and actually knelt down in front of Alexander right then and there. "Mr. Vance, I know, I was wrong..." I never expected a girl as proud as Mia to bow her head to this extent. Alexander looked down at her calmly. "Don't make this so ugly." At that moment, my phone pinged, scaring me into instantly putting it on silent. Mia froze and tried to look into the car, but Alexander used his body to block her view. She understood, her face turning ashen. He got into the car, cast a glance at me, and quietly rolled up the window. "Did you eavesdrop?" I avoided his gaze, my heart pounding wildly. "You're not her dad." "I never said I was, just that it was something similar." I was silent for a long moment: "How is it similar?" Alexander pressed the start button. "Sugar daddy. Financial sponsor." Me: "..." The car started down the mountain. He swiped his fingertip across the main screen, playing an English song. I really felt like he was going to drive me crazy. I didn't expect my complaint to land right with the mistress's sugar daddy. My first reaction was to apologize: "Sorry, my husband cuckolded you." "Ah, the perfect wife," he suddenly sighed. I was half-dead with anger, speaking with a fake smile: "Mr. Vance, you seem to have a problem with me." "No, I got cuckolded. This is just how I talk." He kept his eyes on the road. "I hope you can forgive me." He said everything there was to say... I whispered back: "I was cuckolded too. Why should I tolerate you?" He turned the steering wheel with one hand, showing no sign of feeling offended. "Oh, so you only tolerate your husband." "You—" The car took a turn. Inertia caused me to sway slightly backward, and my angry words came to a screeching halt. A mountain full of lush greenery rushed into my view. The English song hit its chorus right at that moment. "I like driving this stretch of road the most," Alexander said suddenly. I quietly appreciated the mountain view. But my phone vibrated, stopped, and vibrated again. Julian was calling incessantly. Alexander noticed too. "He seems to be calling every ten minutes." I turned off the screen. "I don't know what's gotten into him lately." Alexander glanced at me. "A cheating person is more insecure than a person who isn't cheating. Because he knows exactly what he's doing when he's not answering the phone." I laughed out of sheer anger: "Does he suspect me?" "Looks like you haven't planned on cheating on him for revenge." He quietly withdrew his gaze. I fell silent. After a while, the music was suddenly interrupted. Alexander's phone rang too. He looked at the string of numbers, frowned, and pressed the answer button. "Hello?" "Excuse me, is this Mr. Vance's assistant?" His Bluetooth was connected to the car, so the voice was on speaker. Almost instantly, I recognized whose voice it was, my body stiffening abruptly. Why would he call this number? Alexander was completely clueless: "I am Alexander Vance. How did you get my personal number?" The person on the other end was silent for three seconds, their voice inexplicably cold and deep. "I am Chloe's husband." 8 Alexander paused, not speaking. I dared not make a sound either. Julian's voice came through the speaker, mixed with a bit of static. "Mr. Vance, sorry to bother you. I can't reach Chloe, and she said she's having dinner with you. Are you two still together?" "Ah?" Alexander looked toward me in disbelief. I sat up straight in a panic, waving my hands frantically. I hadn't said that. Julian was trying to trick him into giving information. Alexander understood my gesture: "I'm not having dinner with her. You must be mistaken." "Then perhaps I am mistaken... sorry to bother you." "It's nothing." Alexander's lips twitched. "But Mr. Julian, if you can't reach your wife, you should call the police, not randomly call a stranger. Don't you think that's very intrusive?" This time, Julian's voice paused for a good while. "Mr. Vance, you aren't married yet, so you don't understand my situation. Waiting at home alone, making call after call to ask around, is indeed very embarrassing. But compared to those minor things, I care more about where she is." He slowed his voice, articulating every word: "I care more about who is destroying my family." Alexander furrowed his brow, no longer smiling. "So, is a person like me offending you?" Julian, on the other hand, sounded like he was smiling. I gave Alexander a look, telling him to hang up quickly. Alexander found an excuse: "I have to go. I have a meeting coming up." Julian's voice was eerily calm: "I didn't say my surname was Julian." Alexander hung up as if he had seen a ghost. He stepped on the brake, pulled over, and opened the car window to get some air. "He thinks I'm the other man. Terrifying." He started talking nonsense, "Working in this line of work must be really stressful." I was also very helpless: "You let it slip." "Did you marry Sherlock Holmes? You play stalker, he plays interrogator?" I laughed self-deprecatingly: "An unhappy marriage breeds excellent detectives." "Whatever." Alexander pursed his lips, his voice displeased. "How did he get my number?" "The business card you gave me was confiscated by him." "Then I have to block him." Alexander looked down to swipe on his phone. A moment later, he looked up at me. "I added you on WhatsApp. Remember to accept." I stood there, a bit lost. He had already broken up with Mia, why did he still want to add me on WhatsApp? Was there still any need for us to keep in touch? Thinking back on all the events of today, especially the scene where Mia knelt before him, it lingered in my mind. Alexander was not a simple man. I really didn't want to have any more involvement with him. "Mr. Vance, I'm not divorced yet. I don't think we should keep in touch." He paused, raised his eyes, and looked at me thoughtfully: "Hmm? What do you mean?" I carefully chose my words, "I'm a decent person." "...Oh, so I'm not decent." He let out a sigh, leaned back in the seat, tilted his neck back, and squinted slightly. "Your husband slept with my girlfriend, and I didn't settle the score with him. Instead, he turns around and calls to interrogate me. You and I are completely innocent, yet I get inexplicably cursed at as the 'other man'... and now you're telling me I'm not a decent person?" "I didn't—" He didn't give me a chance to speak at all. "My days are like this: I have to work, get scammed out of my money, get cuckolded... I've really had it..." He suddenly unbuckled his seatbelt, strode out of the car, walked around the front, yanked open the door on my side, unbuckled my seatbelt, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me out of the car. "What are you trying to do?" I screamed in terror. "Alexander Vance, we live in a society governed by law now, there are cameras everywhere." Only then did I regret it. How could I dare get in his car? I didn't know this man at all. I was just blinded by his appearance, thinking he was a good person. "You know it's a society governed by law?" He forcefully pulled me to the front of the car and pinned me against the hood. "I finally managed to take a day off to have a meal, and halfway there I run into you drag racing in the mountains. Do you know the speed limit here is forty? How fast were you going?" I froze, struggling to recall: "Eighty, eighty-five?" "Eighty-five? If I hadn't been following traffic laws, I would've been killed by you!" His palm landed on the back of my neck, pressing me down to look at the dented area. "Look at what you did to my car. And you won't even add me on WhatsApp. Are you trying to pull a hit-and-run?" I felt both ashamed and nervous. "Mr. Vance, it's my fault. I take full responsibility." Only then did he lean down, threatening me sternly by my ear: "Are you going to add me on WhatsApp or not?" "I'll add you! I'll add you right now!" "Pin me to the top." "...Okay." "Set as a favorite." "...Why do I need to set you as a favorite?" Alexander paused. "My car is very expensive. I'm going to claim damages from you. Don't pretend you didn't see my messages." "Fine." I chose to submit. This black-hearted, evil capitalist. He makes so much money, yet he still wants to claim damages from me. I accompanied him to that meal for nothing. And here I was, naively thinking I wouldn't have to pay. Alexander and I squatted by the mountain road. I took out my phone and operated it right under his nose. "You can't block me from your 'Moments'." "...Okay." "I want to be pinned above your husband." I looked at him, having reached the end of my patience. Alexander clapped his hands and stood up. "Never mind then. The husband comes first." We finally reached a settlement.
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