Chapter 5
Malcolm called me back right away, sounding worried.
"Is your mom okay? Is it serious?" he asked.
"It's the usual. Her high blood pressure was acting up. Nothing major," I said, trying to sound exhausted.
"That's good. Just take care of your mom. The money can wait," Malcolm replied.
He kept saying it wasn't urgent, but I could hear the disappointment and a trace of impatience in his voice.
The more anxious he sounded, the more I knew he needed that money.
Maybe his cozy nest with Gail wasn't as secure as it looked.
After hanging up, I started my plan.
My way in was that black sedan. The license plate was easy to read on the surveillance footage.
I checked the car info online and saw it was registered to Gail.
It didn't surprise me at all.
Malcolm was always cautious, or rather, cunning. He'd never put his own name on anything that might blow his cover.
But where were they staying?
I couldn't keep watch outside my own place. That'd be way too obvious.
I had an idea.
Jackie's kindergarten was just a short walk from our neighborhood. If Gail and Malcolm were really living in this city, odds were their kid went to a nearby kindergarten too.
Pretending I was looking to transfer my kid, I checked out a few of the fanciest private kindergartens in the area.
At the third private kindergarten, in the pick-up zone, I spotted the familiar black sedan.
At 4:30 PM, Gail stepped out of the kindergarten, holding a girl's hand.
The girl had a pink backpack and was bouncing along.
Gail wore a warm smile as she waved goodbye to the teacher.
It was the perfect mother-daughter scene, straight out of a family commercial.
I sat in a café across the street, watching them through the glass, feeling nothing but coldness inside.
My son Jackie was still at the elementary school's aftercare, waiting for me to pick him up, while his dad was playing family with someone else.
How dare they?
I forced myself to ignore the sting in my chest, started the car, and trailed Gail's sedan from a distance.
She drove steadily, skipping the main roads and weaving through a few quiet backstreets.
Eventually, her car turned into a gated community called Verdant Bay.
The security guard at the gate saluted and waved her right through.
I parked at a distance and watched as the black sedan vanished between rows of fancy villas.
Verdant Bay was one of the priciest gated communities in the city.
Every villa here cost millions.
My 150 thousand dollars wouldn't even buy them a bathroom.
What else was Malcolm hiding from me?
For the next few days, I lingered around the exterior of Verdant Bay.
I didn't dare get too close, so I kept my distance, spying with a telephoto lens.
I saw Malcolm rolling in and out behind the wheel of a luxury Porsche.
I watched him and Gail playing a loving couple, watering flowers together in their garden.
Gail's parents were living there as well, making them look like a picture-perfect family.
So this wasn't just some secret affair between two people. The whole family was in on it.
They enjoyed a life of comfort and luxury, built on my pain and sacrifices.
Every scene of their happiness cut into my heart.
But with every pang of agony, my resolve only grew stronger.
*****
On the weekend, I spotted Malcolm, Gail, and her parents all leaving together. It looked like a family outing.
This was my chance.
Once the whole family was out of sight, I threw on a hat and mask, acted like I was just another resident out for a walk, and walked right into Verdant Bay like I belonged there.
Security was strict, but if one stuck close to the other homeowners, nobody batted an eye.
I retraced my steps from the past few days and tracked down their villa.
There was a fresh trash bag in the bin by the front door.
I paused, stomach churning, but forced myself to dig through the trash anyway.
Among the household trash, I spotted a few package boxes.
The name on the label was Gail.
I quickly pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of the phone number on the shipping label.
There was also a torn letter.
With shaky hands, I pieced the scraps together and realized it was a tuition bill from an elite preschool.
The name on the bill was Jaclyn Boyer.
Jackie's full name is Jack Boyer.
Damn Malcolm. He even gave the kids similar names so they sounded like siblings.
Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard footsteps behind me.
My heart skipped a beat. I quickly stuffed everything back into my pocket and turned to leave.
A cleaning lady was pushing her cart, giving me a puzzled look.
"Hey, which house are you from? What are you doing digging through the trash?" she asked.