Chapter 3

I flipped through the pages, my face blank.

These so-called diaries weren't really records. They were Alfonso's way of justifying and glorifying his cheating.

In his version, I was some bossy, boring workaholic who didn't get romance at all.

And that girl, Lily, was his muse, the one who saved him from our dull marriage.

He blamed every bit of monotony and friction in our three-year marriage on me.

Ironing his clothes to keep him looking sharp was me being vain and controlling.

Reminding him to drink less alcohol was me being too strict.

In his eyes, working hard for our future made me a "strong woman" who didn't need him at all.

What a joke.

But what really broke my heart was what he wrote about Butterscotch. [July 8. Lily said she really liked Butterscotch and wanted to keep him. I brought Butterscotch to her place, and she started calling him Butter.

[Watching Butterscotch get so close to her, I suddenly thought, this is the life Butterscotch should have. Susan loves dogs too, but she's always too busy to spend much time with Butterscotch.

[Lily is different. She's got all the time in the world to be with him, cook him healthy meals, and spoil him like he was her own kid.]

As I thought, he not only cheated on me, but he also broke the promise we made together and handed our "son" over to another woman himself.

I closed the document, and the wave of nausea in my chest finally settled, replaced by a cold, empty silence.

I didn't delete the files. Instead, I copied them exactly as they were, uploaded them to my private cloud drive, and sent an email to my lawyer, Jane Rojas. As soon as I finished, I heard the sound of the door lock turning.

Alfonso was back.

*****

I sat in the dark living room, without turning on the lights.

As soon as Alfonso walked in with Butterscotch, he couldn't wait to show off.

"Honey, look, I found him." He handed me the leash, sounding all casual. "See? I told you he's smart. He wouldn't go far. He was hanging out in the garden next door, probably looking for new friends to play with."

His lie came out so smooth, like he'd rehearsed it a thousand times.

Butterscotch seemed to know he'd done something wrong, nuzzling my leg and letting out little whimpers, trying to win me over.

Watching the two of them, I suddenly felt utterly empty inside.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Alfonso stiffened for a second, but quickly covered it up and went to open the door. "Who could it be this late?"

Sure enough, it was Lily standing outside.

She'd changed out of her pajamas into a simple white T-shirt and jeans, her long hair tied back in a ponytail, looking all sweet and innocent.

When she saw Alfonso open the door, her eyes lit up, but then she seemed to realize something and glanced past him at me.

"It's you." She frowned in surprise.

Alfonso looked flustered, shooting her a look that practically screamed: "get out of here."

But she acted like she didn't get it, deliberately saying, "Alfie... Oh, sorry, Mr. Clements."

She stuck out her tongue, looking a little playful, and then glanced worriedly at Butterscotch inside. "I thought I heard a dog barking downstairs, and I couldn't relax.

"I was worried something might've happened to Butter... Oh, I mean, your dog. Now that I see he's back, I feel relieved."

That was a whole lot of info packed into his words.

Anyone could tell something was going on between them.

Alfonso clearly didn't like her taking the initiative, trying to play it off with a laugh.

But Butterscotch was way more honest than he.

As soon as Butterscotch saw Lily, he got all excited, rushing over and spinning around her.

Lily crouched down, skillfully wrapping her arms around Butterscotch's neck, rubbing her cheek against his fur, her voice so sweet that it was almost cloying. "Butter, you little troublemaker.

"You ran off to play without telling Mommy. You scared me half to death."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to snap out of it, quickly covering her mouth, her big eyes brimming with tears as she looked at me.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Clements!" She jumped up, fidgeting nervously. "I... I'm used to helping Mr. Clements take care of the dog, so I always joke around and call myself his mom.

"Mrs. Clements, you're so beautiful and have such a great vibe. You look so easygoing. You won't mind my little joke, right?"

She kept calling me "Mrs. Clements" in such a sweet, familiar way, but every word stabbed at my heart.

What a sweet, manipulative bitch.

Alfonso stood off to the side, looking awkward.

I looked at them and suddenly smiled.

I walked over, gently but firmly taking Butterscotch's leash from Lily, and stroked Butterscotch's head, my voice calm and clear.

"It's fine, I don't mind." Then I looked up, my gaze sweeping over Alfonso and Lily, my smile growing colder. "But young lady, you should be careful with your jokes.

"Not everyone is as easygoing as me. Calling the affectionate nickname of someone else's husband and our dog your child. If word gets out, you're the one who'll be embarrassed."

Alfonso and Lily both froze.

I pulled out my phone and, right in front of them, called Jane. "Hello, Ms. Rojas. It's me, Susan."

I watched Alfonso's face go pale, and the smile on my lips grew colder. "I'm filing for divorce. Yes, splitting the assets. He's the one at fault, so I want at least seventy percent."