Chapter 2 · The Girl Upstair Was In My Bed

I stared at the screen, absolutely stunned, my body trembling nonstop.

In that moment, I realized the man who'd struggled side by side with me was cheating.

And I had no clue when he'd started fooling around with another woman.

Sandra was still ranting in the group chat. I was boiling mad and sick to my stomach, but I knew what mattered most wasn't fighting back. It was saving proof and busting them red-handed.

Over the years, Michael Chow and I had built up more than three million dollars together. Since he cheated first, I was dead set on walking away with as much cash as I could when we split.

I immediately called my bestie, who's a lawyer.

When she heard Michael had cheated, she cursed him out, then asked me, "How soon can you get home?"

I looked at the driver.

He'd already figured something was up from my conversation, and started speeding up.

He glanced back and said, "Two hours."

My friend jumped right on the phone with a private investigator to help me gather evidence.

She warned me not to let anyone get suspicious before I was back.

If anybody from the neighborhood wanted to knock on my door, she said I needed to hype everyone up in the group chat so I'd have witnesses.

Before hanging up, she told me, "Emily, be careful on the road. Don't let a guy who's not worth it ruin your health."

From the minute I realized Michael was cheating, all I felt was shock and anger.

But as I saw her message, tears still spilled out onto my phone.

There was no time to dwell on my history with Michael. Sandra saw I wasn't replying and immediately started a group voice call.

I hung up without another thought.

Sandra kept flooding the chat.

Sandra: [Oh, so you can see the group messages now. Why'd the noise stop all of a sudden?

[Are you trying to play the poor wife who suddenly found out her husband's cheating?

[I saw your car this afternoon. You were home all along, weren't you? Now, you're too embarrassed to admit it?

[You were wild enough making those noises earlier. Now, you're ashamed?]

I explained one more time I was really out on the highway and wouldn't be home for another hour and a half.

Sandra still wasn't buying it.

Sandra: [If that woman upstairs really isn't you, I'll publicly apologize AND personally help you catch them. I'll slap that mistress until her face swells up.]

I played along with Sandra's words, "Looks like I'm really gonna need your help, Sandra, to slap the mistress for me.

"I saw them on the camera. They're knocked out cold.

"I'll be home in an hour and a half. Don't alert them yet. When I get back, I hope the neighbors who are still awake can come bust them with me and help me get some justice."

Everyone in the group only wanted to watch the drama; nobody actually wanted to get involved.

As soon as I invited them to catch the cheaters with me, the group chat went dead silent.

Only Sandra kept cursing.

Sandra: [You shameless bitch, trying to get sympathy and refusing to admit anything, dragging your husband's name through the mud on top of it.

[The others might not know you, but I sure do.

[Back when I was renovating, you faked sick saying you needed sleep, made my workers stay quiet, and delayed my moving in by a whole month.

[Then you ran over my dog, and shamelessly claimed you were hurt and hadn't been driving at all.

[Two-faced snake, this time I'm gonna make you pay for it.]

I remembered both incidents Sandra mentioned.

Since the neighborhood was close to my office, I was one of the first to move in. At that time, plenty of people were still doing renovations.

Everyone else worked during the day, but Sandra insisted on renovating after work so she could watch over everything herself.

I tried reasoning with Sandra a few times, but she always sized up my clothes, then let out a cold laugh.

"You pampered wives have no idea what we went through for this place. Of course, I need to oversee the renovations. If it's too noisy for you, go book a hotel."

I was running a high fever and had zero energy to argue, so I called the police.

Sandra finally agreed to renovate during the day, but after moving in, she still blamed me for holding up her schedule and demanded thirty thousand dollars as compensation for her "emotional distress."

I totally ignored her.

A month later, I was leaving in my car when her daughter came running right at me, dragging the dog.

No matter how hard I hit the brakes, I still struck the dog, and it died instantly.

Sandra and Michael both rushed to the scene.

Sandra lost her mind, yelling the dog was family and demanding sixty thousand dollars as compensation.

I insisted on going through the legal channels, and Michael called the police immediately.

When cops questioned Sandra's daughter, she was terrified and cried nonstop. In the end, the dashcam footage proved my innocence.

I ended up paying fifteen thousand dollars out of goodwill.

Sandra cursed me out, swearing I'd get what was coming to me.

Michael was silent, staring at Jessica Chan from a distance. Thinking back, that must've been the first time they ever met.

And now, they were in bed together.

Chapter 2

I stared at the screen, absolutely stunned, my body trembling nonstop.

In that moment, I realized the man who'd struggled side by side with me was cheating.

And I had no clue when he'd started fooling around with another woman.

Sandra was still ranting in the group chat. I was boiling mad and sick to my stomach, but I knew what mattered most wasn't fighting back. It was saving proof and busting them red-handed.

Over the years, Michael Chow and I had built up more than three million dollars together. Since he cheated first, I was dead set on walking away with as much cash as I could when we split.

I immediately called my bestie, who's a lawyer.

When she heard Michael had cheated, she cursed him out, then asked me, "How soon can you get home?"

I looked at the driver.

He'd already figured something was up from my conversation, and started speeding up.

He glanced back and said, "Two hours."

My friend jumped right on the phone with a private investigator to help me gather evidence.

She warned me not to let anyone get suspicious before I was back.

If anybody from the neighborhood wanted to knock on my door, she said I needed to hype everyone up in the group chat so I'd have witnesses.

Before hanging up, she told me, "Emily, be careful on the road. Don't let a guy who's not worth it ruin your health."

From the minute I realized Michael was cheating, all I felt was shock and anger.

But as I saw her message, tears still spilled out onto my phone.

There was no time to dwell on my history with Michael. Sandra saw I wasn't replying and immediately started a group voice call.

I hung up without another thought.

Sandra kept flooding the chat.

Sandra: [Oh, so you can see the group messages now. Why'd the noise stop all of a sudden?

[Are you trying to play the poor wife who suddenly found out her husband's cheating?

[I saw your car this afternoon. You were home all along, weren't you? Now, you're too embarrassed to admit it?

[You were wild enough making those noises earlier. Now, you're ashamed?]

I explained one more time I was really out on the highway and wouldn't be home for another hour and a half.

Sandra still wasn't buying it.

Sandra: [If that woman upstairs really isn't you, I'll publicly apologize AND personally help you catch them. I'll slap that mistress until her face swells up.]

I played along with Sandra's words, "Looks like I'm really gonna need your help, Sandra, to slap the mistress for me.

"I saw them on the camera. They're knocked out cold.

"I'll be home in an hour and a half. Don't alert them yet. When I get back, I hope the neighbors who are still awake can come bust them with me and help me get some justice."

Everyone in the group only wanted to watch the drama; nobody actually wanted to get involved.

As soon as I invited them to catch the cheaters with me, the group chat went dead silent.

Only Sandra kept cursing.

Sandra: [You shameless bitch, trying to get sympathy and refusing to admit anything, dragging your husband's name through the mud on top of it.

[The others might not know you, but I sure do.

[Back when I was renovating, you faked sick saying you needed sleep, made my workers stay quiet, and delayed my moving in by a whole month.

[Then you ran over my dog, and shamelessly claimed you were hurt and hadn't been driving at all.

[Two-faced snake, this time I'm gonna make you pay for it.]

I remembered both incidents Sandra mentioned.

Since the neighborhood was close to my office, I was one of the first to move in. At that time, plenty of people were still doing renovations.

Everyone else worked during the day, but Sandra insisted on renovating after work so she could watch over everything herself.

I tried reasoning with Sandra a few times, but she always sized up my clothes, then let out a cold laugh.

"You pampered wives have no idea what we went through for this place. Of course, I need to oversee the renovations. If it's too noisy for you, go book a hotel."

I was running a high fever and had zero energy to argue, so I called the police.

I totally ignored her.

A month later, I was leaving in my car when her daughter came running right at me, dragging the dog.

No matter how hard I hit the brakes, I still struck the dog, and it died instantly.

Sandra and Michael both rushed to the scene.

Sandra lost her mind, yelling the dog was family and demanding sixty thousand dollars as compensation.

I insisted on going through the legal channels, and Michael called the police immediately.

When cops questioned Sandra's daughter, she was terrified and cried nonstop. In the end, the dashcam footage proved my innocence.

I ended up paying fifteen thousand dollars out of goodwill.

Sandra cursed me out, swearing I'd get what was coming to me.

Michael was silent, staring at Jessica Chan from a distance. Thinking back, that must've been the first time they ever met.

And now, they were in bed together.