Chapter 3

Zooming in, the woman's face appeared clearly on screen—it was indeed that blogger.

She looked younger than in her photos, her eyes carrying a seductive glint.

The two got into a taxi. I immediately hailed a car and followed.

The car stopped at the entrance of a high-end Western restaurant.

I followed them inside and sat in a corner not far from them, my back to their direction.

The waiter handed me a menu. I randomly ordered a dessert and turned on my phone's recording function.

Fortunately, there were plants providing cover, so they didn't notice me.

"Baby, when are you finally going to dump that plain Jane?"

The woman's voice was drawn out, full of coquettish whining.

Shiven said:

"Dump her? Why would I dump her?"

"She comes from a clean background. Both her parents are government officials. She's perfect to bring home as a trophy wife."

"Plus, her credit card has a high limit. All our current expenses are on her dime, aren't they?"

My heart constricted.

So in his mind, I was just a suitable trophy and a walking ATM.

The woman whined coquettishly:

"Aren't you afraid she'll find out? She video calls you to check on you every night."

Shiven laughed lightly:

"We've been doing this so long and she hasn't found out. Once we're married and I give her a kid, she'll be even less likely to notice!"

"With that brain of hers, she believes everything I tell her."

"Besides, I installed surveillance cameras at home. I can monitor her anytime."

"All I have to do is play a pre-recorded sleeping video, and she thinks I'm asleep. Stupid as hell."

So it wasn't just deception, but omnipresent surveillance and calculation.

The woman seemed pleased:

"But you called her 'baby' today. How are you going to make it up to me?"

"You name it. Whatever you want."

"I want that bag."

"Done. I'll swipe her card, tell her it's a gift for her."

"Then send her another empty box."

The sound of their low laughter and clinking glasses was particularly grating.

I took out my phone and sent a message to a competitor who'd always wanted dirt on Shiven Smith:

[I have exclusive dirt on Shiven Smith that will absolutely destroy his reputation. Interested?]

They replied instantly:

[As long as it's real, name your price. We need solid proof.]

I sent them a small portion of the video and audio I'd just recorded.

They sent back a handshake emoji:

[Deal. We need you to release it at the most critical moment for maximum impact.]

I put away my phone and watched the two finish their meal and walk out of the restaurant hand in hand.

Shiven took out his phone and sent me a message:

[Baby, just finished work. I'm exhausted. What are you doing? Miss me? Are you home?]

I replied with a bedroom selfie I'd taken earlier:

[Watching shows at home. You worked hard, get some rest.]

Almost simultaneously, that woman's post updated:

[His girlfriend is home alone in her empty room.]

[We're having wild sex outside, right here in the restaurant parking lot. So thrilling. He says I'm a sex goddess, says that woman is like a dead fish, completely boring.]

How despicable does someone have to be to say such things?

To cry over this kind of scum would be degrading myself.

I was going to make him taste what it's like to be reviled by millions.

Back at the hotel, I began organizing all the transfer records and chat logs from the past three years.

Every expense, every excuse he'd used to ask for money—I annotated them all clearly.

I also had a tech friend do a frame rate analysis of that looped sleep video.

The evidence kept piling up. I stared at the computer screen, my eyes ice-cold.

Shiven suddenly initiated a video call. I steadied my breathing and answered.

On screen was that hypocritical face of his, with the apartment wall as the background.

"Baby, next week is our three-year anniversary. I have a surprise for you."

He smiled.

"The company got me a diamond ring promotion deal. I want to propose to you during the livestream."

"Millions of people will be watching us. I want to make the whole world envy you."

I looked at him, the corner of my mouth curling into a cold smile:

"Sounds great. I've prepared a big surprise for you too. I'm sure you'll love it."