Chapter 1

My son, Lucas Taylor, asked me, "Mom, why does Dad have two phones?"

"Two phones? What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.

Lucas replied, "The one in his bag. It's not like the one he always uses. Last time he answered a call on it, he called the person 'honey.'

"But Mom, you're Dad's honey, aren't you?"

My hand froze.

My smile stayed on my face, but inside, I felt chilled to the bone.

I gently patted his head and said, "Sweetie, why don't you go watch some cartoons?"

I had to see for myself what was inside that phone.

*****

That night, my husband, Neo Taylor, came home late.

At eleven o'clock, the door finally opened.

I lay in bed, unmoving, listening to Neo's footsteps echo through the house.

He headed to the bathroom for a shower, then lingered in his study for a while.

Twenty minutes later, he finally walked into the bedroom.

He moved quietly, trying not to wake me.

I kept my eyes closed, breathing steadily.

He lay down beside me.

His phone was on the nightstand, in the familiar black case I knew so well.

But Lucas said there was another one.

I waited.

Five minutes later, Neo's breathing slowed and became steady.

I opened my eyes, turned over quietly, and slipped out of bed.

When I got to the door, I looked back at him.

He was out cold.

I went to the living room.

His briefcase was lying on the couch.

I opened it and searched inside.

Folders, a power bank, and some tissues.

And then, there it was: a phone.

It was silver, nothing like the one he usually used.

My hand shook a little.

The screen lit up.

No password.

I opened WhatsApp.

The first thing I saw was a pinned chat.

The contact name was simply "Wife."

The profile picture showed a woman with long hair and a side profile. Her face was impossible to make out.

I opened the chat.

The latest message was from 5:43 PM today.

Neo texted: [Babe, I have to work late tonight, so I can't have dinner with you. I miss you.]

The woman replied: [Alright, just come back soon. I made some soup.]

Neo sent another message: [Wait for me.]

I stared at those three words for a long time.

He had never said that to me, not once.

I kept scrolling up.

Yesterday, Neo texted: [Babe, I'll take you to the movies this weekend.]

The woman replied: [Let's see that new romantic movie.]

Neo texted: [Whatever you want.]

The day before yesterday, Neo texted: [Babe, did you have a tiring day?]

The woman replied: [I'm alright, just missing you.]

Neo texted: [I missed you, too. Want to video chat tonight?]

The woman replied: [Sure.]

I kept scrolling up, message by message.

Every day, Neo called that woman "Babe", and he said he missed her.

He had never said those words to me.

I had been his wife for ten years. We had a kid.

I gave up my job, and now my whole life just revolves around the kitchen and Lucas.

But Neo never once called me "Babe."

In his contacts, my name was just my full name: Vivian Harris.

Cold and distant.

But he called this woman "Babe."

I scrolled all the way back to the very first message.

It was two years ago.

Two whole years.

I kept scrolling.

I checked Neo's transfer records to that woman.

Every time, it was thousands of dollars.

The notes sometimes said: [Buy yourself something nice], [Hard work, babe], or [Get yourself some clothes].

I did the math. This year alone, Neo had sent her over 30 thousand dollars.

But he only gave me 2 thousand a month to cover everything.

I had to think twice before buying a 30-dollar T-shirt.

Last month, I told him I wanted a new coat. Winter was coming, and my old down jacket had been with me for four years.

He said, "Isn't it still wearable? We have to be frugal."

He asked me to be frugal.

But he gave that woman 30 thousand dollars a year.

I put the phone back in his bag.

Then I walked out onto the balcony and stood there for a long time.

It was freezing outside, the wind cutting right through me.

I didn't cry.

I stood there, staring at the city lights.

Lights everywhere outside, but none of them were mine.

This home, the one I had spent ten years trying to hold together, did it even feel like mine?

It never was.

Not once.

I was nothing but a nanny to Neo, stuck raising our kid, no pay, no thanks.

By 1 AM, I dragged myself back to the bedroom.

I lay down.

Neo's breathing was steady and calm, right next to me.

I stared at the ceiling, counting the seconds as they ticked by.

Morning came.

I didn't sleep at all.

I knew I had to keep it to myself.

It was not time for a showdown.

I needed to know more.

I wanted to see what else Neo was hiding from me.