Chapter 4
After snapping a photo of that "I miss you" text, I didn't confront her right away.
Getting angry wouldn't solve anything.
I wanted to leave them with no excuses.
Over the next few days, I kept handling company business while having Kevin keep digging.
The evidence was getting more and more complete.
There were call logs, spending records, hotel receipts, and apartment entry logs.
There were even pictures of them off on trips together.
One of the photos was taken six months ago.
In that shot, Jessica was leaning against Howard's shoulder, her smile so dazzling it almost hurt to look at.
I sorted all the evidence into categories.
Then I stuffed it all into a thick folder.
At the same time, I reached out to the attorney, David Lawrence.
After going through everything, he looked genuinely surprised.
"The evidence is rock solid.
"If you go for a divorce, you've got the upper hand," he added.
I nodded.
"Got it," I said.
After leaving David's office, I just sat in my car, staring out the window, not saying a word.
Five years of marriage, and that was where we ended.
When I got home that evening, Jessica was sitting on the couch, shopping for baby items on her phone.
She had all kinds of parenting videos playing on her phone.
As soon as she saw me, she lit up with a smile.
"Honey, what do you think of this crib?
"And this bottle?
"I'm saving them for later—we'll definitely need them," she said.
I watched her, completely absorbed in picking things out.
But all I felt inside was cold emptiness.
She'd already betrayed our marriage, yet here she was, fantasizing about our future kid.
It was just so damn ironic.
"Yeah, that's good," I said, keeping my voice flat.
Jessica didn't notice a thing and just kept chatting away, totally excited.
"Once the IVF works, we should redo the nursery.
"I want to paint the walls a light blue," she added.
I didn't say anything.
I just kept my head down and ate.
Jessica shot me a slight frown.
"Have you been under a lot of pressure at work lately?" she asked.
"You've been so quiet these days," she added.
I set my fork down.
"How about we grab dinner together in a couple of days?" I suggested.
"Who are we having dinner with?" Jessica asked.
"Howard," I replied.
The room suddenly went quiet.
It was only for a split second.
But I noticed it.
Jessica's hand stiffened as she reached for her glass.
"Why are you suddenly inviting him to dinner?" Jessica asked, trying to play it cool.
I looked at her.
"Just want to discuss a potential collaboration," I replied.
When she heard that, the tension on her face melted away.
"Alright," she said.
"I haven't seen Mr. Grant in ages," she added.
I couldn't help but scoff to myself.
Sure, a long time.
At least, that was what you wanted me to think.
The next afternoon, I took the initiative and called Howard.
He picked up right away.
"Michael?" Howard said.
"Got a minute?" I asked.
"Of course," Howard replied, sounding cheerful.
"You want to grab a drink?" he asked.
"Let's skip the drinks," I said, my tone calm.
"How about we grab some coffee this weekend? Jessica can come too," I suggested.
"Sure," Howard replied.
"It's settled then," I said.
The call ended.
I set my phone down on the table.
Days passed by.
The weekend came around before I knew it.
We met up at an upscale café.
It was nice and quiet inside.
The private room offered plenty of privacy.
It was 2 PM.
I got there early.
I set the folder down on the seat next to me.
At 2:10 PM, Howard was the first to arrive.
He was dressed in a designer suit and wore his usual friendly smile.
"Michael, you're looking pretty good these days," he said.
He reached out to pat my shoulder.
I leaned away, avoiding his hand.
Howard froze for a second, surprised.
But he quickly recovered.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Nothing," I replied.
I poured myself a cup of coffee.
Ten minutes later, Jessica showed up.
She was wearing a white dress.
Her makeup was subtle, perfectly done.
If you didn't know what was really going on, you'd swear she was the sweet, caring wife everyone dreams of.
"Traffic was a nightmare," she said.
She sat down next to me.
She slipped her arm through mine, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Howard let out a laugh and joked, "You two are still so lovey-dovey."
I looked up at him.
"Is that so?" I asked.
Howard picked up his cup.
"Totally," he said.
"Everyone says you guys are the model couple," he added.
The private room went quiet for a couple of seconds.
I slowly opened the folder.