Chapter 3
I got home from work.
When I opened the door, no lights were on, but candles were lit, casting a warm glow.
The dining table was covered with the lace tablecloth we hardly ever used, with steak and red wine laid out.
Olivia was dressed in a black backless evening gown, her makeup flawless.
As soon as she saw me, she came right over and took my briefcase.
She said, "Honey, you're home.
"I noticed you've been under a lot of stress at work lately, so I went out of my way to prepare a candlelit dinner just for you."
She gently led me to my seat and attentively poured me a glass of wine.
The flickering candlelight danced across the face I'd been in love with for five years.
If it had been me before yesterday, I might have actually been touched.
"So, what made you decide to do all this tonight?" I asked.
I sliced the steak, medium-rare, still a little bloody.
"I just... I guess I've been ignoring you lately," Olivia said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, looking a bit awkward.
She said, "Honey, I know you're still upset about the whole underwear thing.
"I swear, you're the only one I'll ever love. No matter what happens, my heart belongs to you, always."
She reached out and laid her hand over mine.
Her palm was damp, and her hand was trembling.
I could tell she was scared.
What was she so afraid of?
Was she scared I would find out? Or was she nervous because Edward Grant was pushing her too hard?
I looked at her, silent for a couple of seconds.
"Olivia, if..." I was about to probe.
Suddenly, her phone on the table started buzzing.
Olivia jerked her hand back as if she'd touched something hot and snatched up her phone.
When she saw the name on the screen, her face went ghostly pale.
She hung up.
Then, her phone buzzed again.
This time, it was a WhatsApp video call.
"Who is it? Why aren't you picking up?" I asked, setting down my fork and knife. I already knew, but I played dumb.
"It's just a telemarketer. So annoying," Olivia muttered, quickly declining the call.
She fumbled to decline the call, then flipped her phone face down on the table.
"Honey, I suddenly feel a bit sick to my stomach. I need to use the restroom," Olivia said, her voice shaky.
She grabbed her phone and rushed into the bathroom.
I couldn't make out any sounds from behind the bathroom door.
But I knew it had to be Edward.
I pulled out my phone.
I opened an app.
It was the app for the drone I'd just bought a few days ago, with night vision and auto-follow. It was perfect for moments like this.
Five minutes later, Olivia came out.
She'd already changed out of her evening gown and into a tracksuit, with a baseball cap pulled down low.
"Honey, my friend Chloe just texted me. She's heartbroken and got drunk at a bar. She wants me to go pick her up," Olivia said, her voice a little shaky.
Her acting was terrible.
She couldn't even look me in the eye.
"It's pretty late. Let me give you a ride," I offered, getting to my feet.
"No," Olivia almost snapped, her voice on edge. She actually stepped back, looking almost startled by my offer.
"I'll just call a cab. You have work tomorrow, so you should get some rest," Olivia said quickly, trying to brush me off.
With that, she snatched her keys from by the door and rushed out in a hurry.
I didn't move. I sat there in silence at the dining table and pulled out the drone controller.
The drone I'd left on the balcony took off without a sound.
On the screen, I watched her familiar figure hurry out of the apartment complex.
She didn't bother calling a cab.
That black Maybach I knew all too well was waiting in the shadows by the back gate.
Olivia pulled open the door and slipped inside.
The car didn't pull away right away.
Watching through the night vision feed, I could barely see two figures making out close inside the car.
The woman I treasured above all else was straddling another man, lost in wild passion.
I turned off the screen.
In that moment, my heart shattered completely.
I stood up and swept the carefully prepared candlelit dinner right into the trash.
Garbage should stay in the trash.
I walked into the bedroom and opened Olivia's closet.
I used to think of it as her private space, so I never snooped around or looked through her stuff.
At that moment, I realized I'd been a complete idiot.