Chapter 4

For the next week, I kept playing my part.

When he came home, I cooked for him like always.

When he worked late, I told him, "Thanks for working so hard," just like always.

When he said he loved me, I told him, "I love you too," just like I always did.

Every word he said made me want to puke. But I forced myself to keep it together. I was waiting.

On Friday night, he came home earlier than usual. He walked in with a smile and said, "Honey, tomorrow's my mom's birthday. Are you ready?"

"All set," I replied. "I bought her a bracelet."

"You're so good to your mom," he said. He walked over and kissed me.

I stiffened for a moment, but he didn't notice.

"Let's head over early tomorrow. My parents are getting up there in age, so I don't want them stressing," he said.

"Okay," I replied.

He went to take a shower.

I stood in the living room, watching his back as he walked away. Dominic's easy life would end tomorrow.

That night, I slept better than I had all week, better than any night in the past week. Because I knew the waiting was about to end.

Early Saturday morning, we headed out to his parents' place.

He drove, and I sat in the passenger seat. He had his favorite singer playing on the stereo. He was in such a good mood, even humming along.

I just gazed out the window, keeping silent.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, really," I replied. "Just a little tired."

"When we get there, I'll tell my mom not to have you running around. You just take it easy," he said.

"Okay," I replied and gave a faint smile.

Soon, he wouldn't be smiling anymore.

When we got to Dominic's parents' place, his mom and dad were already bustling around, getting things set up.

Quite a crowd showed up today.

His uncle brought his whole family, his aunt did, too, plus a bunch of cousins. Counting us, there were over twenty people.

The living room was lively and full of people.

When Dominic's mom spotted us, she greeted us warmly with a big smile. "Dominic, Violet, you're here."

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Walsh," I said, handing her the gift box. "This is for you."

She opened the box and found the bracelet inside. "Wow, this must have been expensive," she said.

"If you like it, that's all that matters, Mrs. Walsh," I replied.

"I love it. I really do," she exclaimed.

She grabbed my hand and turned to the others. "Violet is so thoughtful. Dominic really lucked out with her."

I just smiled and stayed quiet.

Dominic stood next to me, smiling, too. "Yeah, I'm really lucky," he said.

Yeah, he was lucky. I sneered inwardly. Dominic's luck ended today.

By lunchtime, everyone had arrived. There were two tables of dishes.

The elders sat in the living room, while the younger folks took the balcony.

Dominic and I sat in the living room with the elders.

Dominic's mom took the seat at the head of the table, because it was her birthday. His dad sat next to her, grinning from ear to ear.

Everyone raised their glasses for a round of birthday toasts.

"To Mom's health."

"May Aunt have boundless happiness."

"May Mrs. Walsh have a happy birthday."

The atmosphere was buzzing.

I was just biding my time, waiting until everyone was stuffed, waiting for a few rounds of drinks to go by, and waiting for the perfect moment.

Finally, Dominic's mom put down her fork and wiped her mouth. "Since everyone's here, let me say a few words," she said.

Everyone quieted down and turned their attention to her.

"I'm sixty now. Most of my life is behind me," she began. "But what makes me the proudest is my son."

She looked over at Dominic. "Dominic's always been sensible and hardworking, ever since he was little," she said. "But even more importantly, he found himself a wonderful wife."

Then she turned to me. "Violet's been with us for ten years now, and she's never once argued or raised her voice. She's so devoted, thoughtful, and capable. Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better girl."

Everyone smiled and turned to look at me.

"Violet's amazing," someone said.

"Dominic's one lucky guy," another added.

"Such a model family," someone remarked.

Dominic smiled and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, everyone. I'll keep working hard," he said.

His hand was warm, just as always.

I looked at her. He was still clueless. He had no idea what was coming for him today.

I quietly withdrew my hand and rose to my feet. "Mrs. Walsh, let me say something, too," I said.

Dominic's mom paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Alright, Violet, go ahead," she said.

Everyone turned to look at me. I glanced around the room. Dominic's parents, his uncle and aunt, his other aunt and uncle, plus all the cousins, everyone was there, and Dominic.

They were all smiling. None of them had any clue what was coming next.

"I've been married to Dominic for ten years," I said, my voice calm. "For ten years, I've given my all to be a good wife. I cooked, did the laundry, cleaned the house, and took care of Dominic's parents. I never once complained."

Everyone nodded.

"Violet's really put in the effort," someone remarked.

"Dominic, you need to treat her well," another added.

Dominic grinned, "Definitely."

I fixed my gaze on him. "Dominic, you sure about that?" I asked.

He froze for a second, totally stunned. "What?"

"Are you sure you've really treated me well?" I challenged.

The atmosphere suddenly got weird.

Dominic's mom quickly jumped in with a smile. "Violet, what are you talking about?"

"Mrs. Walsh, don't get anxious," I said.

I took a USB drive out of my bag. "I've got something I want everyone to see," I said.

Dominic's expression shifted instantly. "Violet, what are you doing?" he demanded.

I didn't even look at him. I strode over to the TV and plugged in the flash drive.

"Violet, no." Dominic jumped to his feet, trying to stop me. But it was already too late. The TV screen flickered to life.

The first photo appeared. It was Dominic, arm around another woman's waist, both of them smiling sweetly.

The living room fell silent. Everyone stared at the screen.

"W-What is this?" Dominic's mom stammered, her voice trembling.

"Mrs. Walsh, this is your son's other partner," I said.

I pressed the remote. The second photo popped up. It was a screenshot of their chat history.

Dominic: [Missed you today, babe.]

Ava: [Missed you too, babe.]

Dominic: [Once the baby arrives, I'll divorce her.]

The third photo appeared. It was a screenshot of his bank transfers. Every month, like clockwork, he transferred her 2.6 thousand dollars.

The fourth photo appeared. It was a property document. Ava owned a 1280-square-foot apartment.

The fifth photo appeared. It was the apartment purchase agreement. The mortgage holder was Dominic.

The sixth photo appeared. It was a picture of a pregnancy test. It showed two lines, positive.

[Hey, babe, I'm pregnant,] Ava texted.

[Really? That's amazing,] Dominic replied.

I stood by the TV, staring at everyone.

I said, "He lied to me for ten years. He transferred 277.2 thousand to her. He bought her a house for 1.4 million. And now, she's pregnant. He promised he'd divorce me as soon as the baby arrives."

I turned to Dominic. He'd gone pale as a sheet. There wasn't a trace of color left in his face.

"Dominic." I said, "Anything you want to say?"