Chapter 5
Over the next week, Charlie, the private investigator, started tailing Ethan.
By the third day, he had results.
Charlie sent me a set of photos to my email.
Ethan's car was parked in the underground garage of the Silvercrest Hotel. One photo showed him and Sophie holding hands as they walked into the elevator, crystal clear.
Another shot caught the two of them kissing in the hotel hallway.
I downloaded every single photo.
Then I saved them all into an encrypted folder.
After that, I shut down my computer and headed to the kitchen to make Mia's favorite tomato pasta.
"Mom, these pasta are so good today," Mia said.
"If you like them, eat as much as you want," I replied.
As I gazed at Mia's little face, I couldn't help but notice, she was the spitting image of me, especially those eyes.
No matter what came next, I was never leaving her behind.
Julia had already drafted the divorce papers for me.
But I wasn't ready to make my move just yet.
The compensation money from the demolition still hadn't come through.
Julia explained that once that money hit Ethan's account, it would count as marital property. Waiting until it arrived would give me a better shot at getting my share.
So I kept waiting.
I kept acting like the dutiful wife, waiting on them hand and foot, doing the laundry, cooking, and never uttering a single complaint.
Meanwhile, on the design platform, my portfolio as Star was blowing up.
After I posted my third project, my DMs exploded.
Three different renovation companies reached out, wanting to work with me.
A private studio even invited me to join their team.
And one client left a comment right on my post: [Ms. Star, I've got a 2,150-square-foot duplex I want you to design from scratch. My budget is about 167,000 dollars. Can we talk?]
A 167,000-dollar project.
I couldn't stop staring at that comment.
Back when I resigned four years ago, my monthly salary was 4,000 dollars.
Now, just using a screen name, I might score a single job worth around 167,000 dollars.
I replied to the comment: [Sure, let's talk details in DMs.]
Finally, Helen left.
Before she left, she pulled Ethan aside at the door and talked to him for a while. I only caught the last part.
"Remember what I said. Don't drag this out," she said.
When Ethan came back after seeing her off, he looked a bit annoyed.
"What did your mom want?" I asked, pretending not to care.
"Nothing. Mom was just nagging me about work," Ethan said, sounding annoyed.
"Oh."
That night, I logged into the design platform and saw that the client for the duplex had already confirmed his interest.
His name was Adam Quinn. He ran his own small investment firm and had just bought a duplex that he wanted to renovate.
We discussed his requirements online, and set up a time to tour the place in person three days later.
This was the first official project I'd ever taken on as Star.
It was also the beginning of my new life.
On the day of the viewing, I asked Mia's kindergarten teacher if she could let her stay for an extra half day.
Adam's duplex was in Riverside Manor, Westside District, surrounded by brand-new buildings. The location was pretty sweet.
"Ms. Star?" At the door stood a guy in his early thirties, glasses on, rocking a casual suit.
"Hello, Mr. Quinn," I said.
He looked me over, a little surprised. "I didn't expect Ms. Star to be so young."
"I'm thirty, so not that young anymore," I replied.
He smiled and held the door open for me.
The 2,150-square-foot place was a blank canvas, with a well-proportioned layout and plenty of natural light.
As I walked around, I took measurements, snapped photos, and jotted down notes.
When we got to the balcony, Adam asked, "So, Ms. Star, where did you work before this?"
"I've been freelancing," I replied.
"So you've always done freelance work?"
"I spent three years at a design firm, but then I took a few years off for family reasons."
He nodded and didn't ask any more questions. "I've watched your old apartment renovation project on the platform at least twenty times. The way you managed to make the most out of the space is incredible."
"Thanks."
"I'm handing over the whole project to you. The design fee is 50,000 dollars, and if I like your work, I've got two more jobs lined up for you."
50,000 dollars.
On the surface, I stayed calm, but in my head, I was already running the numbers.
50,000 dollars, plus the commissions from those two renovation companies, just from design work, I was looking at almost 67,000 dollars this year.
That was several times more than the "living expenses" Ethan ever handed me.
"Alright, I'll have the first draft ready this week," I said.