Chapter 3

The next night, I casually mentioned a kid from Megan's school.

I said, "Babe, Judith's dad has an affair with a woman at work, and now everyone is talking about it. Poor Judith. She's still so young. I'm really sorry for her."

Clyde pulled me into his arms and patted my shoulder gently. "Don't get worked up over other people's drama. Her dad messed up, and he should pay for it. That's none of our business."

I couldn't make out his expression in the dark.

Did he pick up on my hint?

I rolled over and slipped out of his embrace.

Could I really let him hold me like he used to? Would he actually cut Joanna out of his life for good?

That question kept me up all night.

Just as I finally managed to fall asleep, my phone jolted me awake. I looked over and realized he was gone again.

It was Jonah calling. "Mrs. Garner, I found that your husband and Joanna have an apartment right next door to yours.

"The place is registered under Clyde's name. They've been meeting up there a lot. Just last night, around six, they were together in that house."

My mind buzzed.

The video Jonah sent showed the two of them entering the elevator, one after the other.

He couldn't get footage from inside the house, but I could hear faint moans coming from behind the door.

Clyde said he was heading downstairs to take out the trash and pick up something for Megan to eat at six o'clock last evening. When he came back, he even brought me my favorite pizza.

He claimed he went out of his way just to get me that pizza I loved.

I really thought he cared about Megan and me, but it turned out he was just using that as a cover to mess around behind my back.

I could hear the sound of my own heart breaking.

Once I pulled myself together, I gave Jonah a few more tasks over the phone and promised to sweeten the deal with a bonus.

Maybe I was still too soft-hearted. To defend what mattered, sacrifices had to be made.

Clyde remained careless. He said again he was going to take out the trash.

I quietly followed him, trailing him all the way to the building next door.

The door was left slightly ajar. Before Clyde could even step inside, Joanna came out eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Once I confirmed it was just the two of them inside, I pulled out my phone and texted Nick. [Your wife is having sex with someone. See the address below.]

Twenty minutes later, three guys in leather jackets showed up, all wearing shades and carrying baseball bats.

They headed straight for Clyde's apartment.

"Hey, we're here to check the pipes. Your neighbor downstairs says you've got a leak," the lead guy announced. He played his part really well. It was obvious that he was professionally trained.

Soon, the door finally cracked open, and Joanna stood there, barely dressed, her eyes still burning with desire.

Once the guy saw her clearly, he showed zero mercy; he slapped Joanna hard across the face, showing no sympathy for her at all.

Joanna screamed.

The room erupted into chaos, and Clyde, furious, shouted, "Who the hell are you? Get the hell out of here. If you don't leave, I'm calling the cops."

Neighbors started pouring out to see what was going on. I pulled out a speaker with a recording I'd made ahead of time and placed it in the doorway.

It was a male's voice. "My wife cheated on me. Do you know who this guy is?"

The AI-generated voice was dramatic and miserable, echoing through the hallway. In no time, instantly drawing a crowd from the entire building.

Clyde kept himself holed up inside, never showing his face, no matter how wild things got outside.

The onlookers were gossiping without care.

"Just look at her. Who knows how many men she's seduced?"

"Serves her right. She totally had it coming."

I slipped back home while the crowd was distracted, then spied from my window, keeping an eye on the chaos outside.

Nick finally showed up, face hidden behind a hat and mask, making sure no one could recognize him. He pulled the battered, bruised Joanna away downstairs.

Clyde came home late, looking completely disheveled.

I was groggy, but when I saw him, I was stunned. "Babe, what happened to you? How did you end up like this?"

I took out the medical kit and carefully cleaned his wounds.

Blood seeped from his mouth, his eyes were bruised, and his arms and back bore the marks of footprints.

I broke down in tears. "Who did this to you? Should we call the police? Did you offend someone?"

Clyde avoided my eyes, trying to reassure me. "I'm fine. I ran into a thief downstairs and tried to step in and do the right thing, but got roughed up instead. The cops already hauled the guy off."

I hugged him. "Babe, you're so brave. You make Megan and me so proud."

While he wasn't noticing, I smiled faintly, my shoulders shaking as if I were crying.