Chapter 2

She froze for a second and then said, "I turned him down so many times, I swear! He kept chasing me, and I—"

"So he seduced you?" I nodded. "Then tell me, when was the first time you two hooked up?"

Eloise stayed silent.

I turned to Myron. "You tell me."

"It was..." Myron hesitated, then said, "It was three years ago, when I was on a business trip."

"Which trip was it?" I pressed.

"The one to Millfield City," he said.

I laughed. "So when you said you were on a business trip for three months, you were actually in Millfield City with her the whole time?"

He went quiet.

"And where were you when I lost the baby?" I pressed on.

"I..." Myron hesitated.

"You were in Millfield City with her, weren't you?" I said.

He nodded.

I felt a strange sense of calm wash over me.

It wasn't the breakdown I had imagined, the hysterical screaming and crying.

I was just calm, like I had known this all along.

"Okay. I get it." I grabbed my bag. "You two carry on."

"Dana." Eloise grabbed my arm. "Where are you going?"

I yanked my arm away. "Why do you care?"

"Dana, I know you're hurt, but..." She bit her lip. "Myron and I are in love. Can't you just—"

"Can't I just what?" I stared at her. "Can't I just step aside and let you have him?"

Her eyes lit up.

I laughed. "Nice try, Eloise."

I turned and walked out the door. I heard Myron yelling behind me. "Dana, wait! Let me explain."

I didn't look back.

The elevator took me down to the lobby, and I got in my car and drove away.

After driving for ten minutes, I pulled over to the side of the road and took out my phone.

I opened my contacts and found a name: Mr. Nichols.

Edmund Nichols, my college classmate. He was now a partner at a law firm, specializing in divorce cases.

I dialed his number.

"Hello? Dana?" Edmund's voice came through the line. "It's late. What's going on?"

"Edmund, I want a divorce," I said.

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Now?"

"Yeah, right now." I stared out the window. "My husband has been cheating on me for three years. With my best friend."

"Shit," Edmund cursed. "Where are you? I'm coming to you."

"I'm parked on the side of the road below my apartment," I said.

"Stay right there. I'm on my way," he replied.

I hung up the phone and leaned back in the driver's seat.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Myron. [Dana, can we talk?]

I didn't reply.

It buzzed again. A text from Eloise: [Dana, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.]

I still didn't reply.

The third time it buzzed, it was a phone call from Myron.

I answered.

"Dana, where are you? Come home. We need to talk about this." Myron's voice was frantic.

I said, "There's nothing to talk about. You'll be served with divorce papers tomorrow."

"Divorce papers?" He sounded stunned. "You're divorcing me?"

"What else did you expect?" I sneered. "Did you really think I'd forgive you?"

"Dana, please, just listen to me—" Myron pleaded.

"I don't want to." I cut him off. "Myron, we've been married five years, and you cheated on me for three. I treated you so well, and this is what I get?"

He said, "I..."

"Don't tell me you had your reasons," I continued. "And don't tell me she seduced you. You're a grown man. You knew exactly what you were doing."

"Dana..."

"And for the record, the house is mine. I bought it before we got married, and it's in my name alone. You cheated first, so don't expect a dime from me."

I hung up the phone.

My phone buzzed again, and I turned it off completely.

Twenty minutes later, Edmund's car pulled up next to mine.

He got out and knocked on my window.

I opened the door.

"Get in my car," Edmund said.

I got in and sat in the passenger seat.

The car was warm, and Edmund handed me a bottle of water. "Here, have some."

I took it and took a sip.

"Tell me what happened." Edmund looked at me.

I told him everything that had happened that night and all the details from the past three years.

When I finished, Edmund was silent for a few seconds.

"Dana, you need to brace yourself," Edmund said. "In cases like this, the woman is usually at a disadvantage."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it's tough to prove stuff like this," Edmund explained. "You caught them today, but they could say they were hanging out as friends.

"You say they've been cheating for three years, but do you have any solid evidence?

I was stunned.

He was right. I had no proof.

"So you need to start gathering proof," Edmund said. "Chat logs, bank transfers, and hotel records. The more, the better."

"How do I do that?" I asked.

"Do you know his phone passcode?" Edmund asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Then it's simple." Edmund pulled out a notepad and a pen. "Here's what you need to do."

For the next hour, Edmund walked me through every step in detail.

He told me how to copy chat logs, check bank transfers, and retrieve hotel stay records.

"Remember, you need to save every single piece of evidence," Edmund said finally. "Photos, videos, voice recordings. Everything you can get your hands on."

"Got it." I nodded.

"And one more thing. From this moment on, you need to stay completely calm." Edmund looked at me. "No crying, no yelling, no letting them see how much this is affecting you."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it will make them let their guard down," Edmund said. "The calmer you are, the more panicked they'll get."

I thought about it for a second, then said, "Got it."

"So are you going back to the apartment now?" Edmund asked.

"Yeah," I said. "It's my house. Why the hell should I be the one to leave?"

Edmund grinned. "That's the spirit."

I drove back to the neighborhood and went upstairs.

I opened the front door. Myron was alone in the living room.

He was sitting on the couch, and he stood up the second he saw me. "Dana."

"Where is she?" I asked.