Chapter 2

The next day was Saturday, and I asked Jenny to meet me at a coffee shop downtown. Michael said he needed to go to the office to work on the project he'd closed yesterday. I didn't call him out on it.

Jenny was my college roommate, and now she works at a law firm. She got there before me, and the first thing she said when she saw me was, "Why do you look so awful?"

I sat down and told her everything that had happened the night before. When I finished, Jenny's face darkened. "What a scumbag! Three days into the marriage and he's already cheating?"

"Jenny, I don't know what to do."

"You divorce him, obviously! A man like that isn't worth keeping!"

"But we just got married. If I leave him now, what will people think?"

"Who cares what people think? What matters is your happiness!" Jenny grabbed my hand. "Sophia, trust me on this. Men like him don't change. Today it's Emma, tomorrow it'll be some other girl."

I knew Jenny was right, but part of me still felt reluctant to accept it. "I want to make sure first."

"Make sure how?"

"I need to find more solid proof."

Jenny nodded. "Then let me help you. Our law firm has professional investigators who are really good at this."

"No, I want to do it myself."

"Why?"

"Because I need to see the truth with my own eyes."

That afternoon, I drove to Michael's company. Titan Real Estate was in an office building downtown on the twenty-third floor. I'd been there a few times before and knew my way around. Instead of going upstairs, I waited in the lobby downstairs.

At four-thirty, quitting time arrived, and employees started streaming out of the elevators.

I spotted Emma in the lobby. She was wearing a white business suit today with flawless makeup, looking professional and polished. But I knew that was just surface level.

Emma didn't leave right away. She waited in the lobby for something.

At five o'clock, Michael appeared. When he saw Emma, his face lit up with a smile. I knew that smile. He used to look at me that way. They exchanged a few words in the lobby, then headed toward the parking lot together.

I followed behind them, keeping my distance. They got into Michael's car, and I tailed them in mine.

This time, they didn't go to a hotel. They went to an upscale restaurant instead. Cloud Nine was located on the top floor of the tallest building downtown. I parked across the street and walked inside.

"Do you have a reservation, ma'am?" the server asked.

"No, but I'd like a window seat."

"I'm sorry, all the window seats are reserved."

I glanced into the dining area and sure enough, there were Michael and Emma sitting at the best table in the house with the entire city skyline spread out behind them.

"Then I'll take a table where I can see over there." I pointed in their direction.

The server seated me in a corner with a clear view of their table. I ordered a coffee and started watching.

Michael pulled out Emma's chair like a perfect gentleman and helped her order.

Emma smiled sweetly at him and playfully swatted his arm every now and then.

This wasn't how a boss and employee acted. This was how lovers behaved.

I pulled out my phone and quietly snapped a few photos. The distance made it tricky, but I could still clearly see how intimate they were being.

Dinner lasted two hours. At one point, I watched Michael reach into his pocket and pull out a small box that he handed to Emma.

She opened it and her face lit up with delight. It was a necklace, a silver chain with a tiny heart-shaped pendant.

The style looked familiar because I had the exact same necklace sitting on my vanity at home.

Michael had given it to me on our one-year anniversary and told me it was one of a kind, custom-made just for me. Apparently that "one of a kind" claim was just another lie.

Tears rolled down my cheeks again, but this time it wasn't sadness. It was pure anger. How could this man treat my feelings like they meant nothing?

At eight-thirty, they finished dinner and Michael drove Emma home while I followed behind.

Emma lived in a newly built luxury apartment complex not far from the office. There was no way a fresh college grad could afford a place like that on her salary, not unless someone was helping her pay for it.

I had a pretty good idea who that someone was.

Michael's car sat parked outside the complex entrance for a long time. I watched them talking in the car and occasionally hugging.

Finally, Emma got out and Michael waited until she disappeared into the building before he drove away.

I glanced at the time. It was nine-thirty. Michael would be home soon, so I headed back too. Sure enough, I'd barely been home five minutes when he walked through the door.

"Hey babe, I'm home. Work was exhausting today." He looked tired, but I knew it was all an act.

"That's rough. How'd the project go?"

"Really well. The client's happy." Same lies, same expression. I had to hand it to him. His acting skills were impressive.

"Michael, tomorrow's Sunday. Want to go shopping together?"

"I've got a meeting tomorrow, so I probably can't."

"A meeting? On a Sunday?"

"Yeah, that's real estate for you. No set hours or days off."

Another lie. I was getting numb to them at this point.

*****

Sunday morning, Michael left again and said he had a meeting and might be home late in the afternoon. The second he was gone, I called Jenny.

"I need your help."

"What's going on?" Jenny perked up.

"I'm going to Emma's place."

"Are you crazy? What if someone sees you?"

"I've got it all figured out. Just come with me."

Jenny hesitated but eventually agreed.

We hit up the mall first and grabbed some stuff that would make us look like salespeople—uniforms, clipboards, flyers, the whole deal. Then we drove over to Emma's apartment complex.

"We'll just say we're selling insurance," I said.

"You think this'll actually work?"

"Worth a shot."