Chapter 3

I told B the whole story from start to finish in detail.

He replied almost instantly. If I hadn't seen his Instagram photos and confirmed that I didn't know him, I would have suspected he had a crush on me.

B: [No offense, but does your boyfriend sell those extremely weird porn videos?]

Kate: [What are you talking about?]

B: [I knew a guy before, in his forties. He pretended to be a woman to trick men into going home with him, then secretly filmed those kinds of videos and sold them online.]

B: [Your boyfriend sexually assaulted your dog and installed hidden cameras. Chances are you've already become the leading lady in his porn videos.]

I was absolutely furious after reading B's message. Kate: [Bullshit. I've been with Henry for over half a year. He could never do something like this.]

I was already in a state of agitated confusion when another message popped up from B.

B: [It would be best if that's not the case, but have you ever thought about what if it is true? This time it's the dog. What about next time?]

His words sent a cold shiver down my spine, sobering me up a little. I recalled a news story I'd read before, about a man who found out his girlfriend had been with several ex-boyfriends and then forced her to have sex with a dog.

I shuddered, overcome with a wave of nausea.

B: [I'm not telling you to kill him. You can test him. If he can install surveillance cameras, so can you. It'll be the perfect chance to see what he gets up to when you're not home.]

B's words were like a sudden epiphany.

Before I could even reply, his next message came through.

B: [I have a friend who sells this kind of stuff. You don't need to buy it. I'll get him to send you one for free. You need to see what this guy is really like as soon as possible, and stay far away from him.]

There was a hint of righteous anger in his words. I frowned as I read his message, gradually calming down.

Kate: [You're giving it to me for free? Do you know me? How do you know where I live? I don't remember ever meeting you. When did we even become friends?]

B replied quickly: [I don't remember either. I just came across your profile while scrolling through Instagram. What I meant was, you can send me your address, and I'll ask my friend to mail the set directly to you. It's a gift.]

I didn't reply to him again. Thinking back over the past few days, his behavior had been weird from the very beginning.

I'd been with Henry for more than half a year, and he had always been an upright, kind person. He didn't seem capable of something this monstrous.

On the other hand, this guy B had been planting all kinds of psychological hints in my head from the start, brainwashing me with unconfirmed suspicions. What's more, his background was a complete mystery. I really didn't think I should trust him.

Nevertheless, Sophie was definitely under the weather, and there really were hidden cameras installed in the house.

I'd originally planned to buy some cameras online myself, but after checking, I found out that this kind of stuff is illegal and impossible to purchase. I had no choice but to ask B for help.

I sent him my company address, transferred him two hundred dollars, and told him to ask his friend to ship the package discreetly. Later, I also bought a smart door viewer online and had it installed on my front door.

I set up the received cameras in the living room. For the next few days, Henry acted completely normal.

In fact, when I wasn't home, he got along with Sophie even better than usual. He mopped the floor, changed the sofa covers, groomed Sophie, and played with her.

He didn't do anything suspicious at all; if anything, he made me feel like he really was a great guy.