The moment she saw me, confusion flickered across her face.

"Can I help you?"

I studied her for a moment, then spoke calmly. "If I'm not mistaken, this apartment was assigned to Professor Weiss by the university."

At that, a flash of guilt crossed Vivian's expression. She forced herself to look composed. "Who are you? What does that have to do with you?"

I curved my lips into the faintest smile and pulled my marriage certificate from my bag. "I'm Elmer Weiss's wife. I'm taking the apartment back. You have one day to move out."

Until the divorce was finalized, all assets belonged to both spouses equally. I had every right.

Vivian looked rattled at first, but then something seemed to click. She put on a look of sudden realization. "Oh! You're the professor's wife. I should've known."

"Please don't misunderstand. Professor Weiss only let me stay here because he felt sorry for me. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself."

I didn't bother engaging with her little performance. My voice dropped another degree as I repeated myself.

"Ms. Mercer, I don't care why you moved in. I'm telling you to move out. Immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

She hadn't expected me to be this direct.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip, and she pulled out her phone with a wounded expression. "Professor Weiss, could you come to the apartment? Your wife is making me leave..."

The apartment was close to campus. In less than five minutes, Elmer came rushing through the door.

His first instinct was to pull the teary-eyed Vivian behind him. Then he turned on me, brows knitted. "She's just a student. Was there really no way to handle this like a reasonable adult? Did you have to be so aggressive?"

Watching him shield Vivian, I felt a bitter smile tug at my lips.

Years ago, when Elmer's stepmother used to torment him, when she made him kneel outside the mansion in the dead of winter as punishment, I was the one who stood in front of him just like that. I was the one who fought his battles for him.

When he was thrown out of his family home, I was the one who stepped forward and brought him into the Henson household.

It was the Henson family's resources that had carried him, rung by rung, to where he stood today.

And already, he'd forgotten all of it.

When I said nothing and let the silence stretch, guilt crept into Elmer's eyes. He walked over to me and lowered his voice.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I overreacted just now."

"Vivian's story is truly heartbreaking. She grew up an orphan, no mother, no father. She fought her way into grad school on sheer willpower alone. I felt for her. That's the only reason I let her stay here."

He reached out and pulled me into his arms, a note of pleading slipping into his tone. "It's not like we're short on places to live. Just let her stay. Please."

Elmer had always been reserved, controlled. This was the first time I'd ever seen him lower himself like this.

But the more he begged, the clearer it became just how much Vivian meant to him.

I pushed him away, my voice cold. "If you're not afraid of the entire university finding out that the esteemed Professor Weiss has been keeping a female student tucked away in his apartment like a secret mistress, then by all means, let her stay."

Growing up as the Henson family heir, I'd learned one rule early: never give an inch. The moment you do, people will take a mile.

Elmer's expression went rigid. His fists clenched at his sides. After a long beat, he forced the words through his teeth. "Don't do anything rash. I'll have her move out."

Satisfied with that answer, I turned and left.

I knew full well that the evidence my best friend had dug up wasn't enough to destroy Elmer completely. I needed more proof before I could set my real plan in motion.

That evening, Elmer came home early.

He was clearly furious that I'd gone after Vivian. He didn't say a single word to me the entire night.

Over the weeks that followed, not a single dog hair appeared on his clothes again.

I'd assumed they were scared enough to back off and start behaving themselves.

But something that happened shortly after shattered that assumption entirely.

Elmer's university was hosting a networking gala. In the past, he'd always brought me along.

This time, he hadn't even mentioned it.

I thought about it for a moment, changed into a cocktail dress, and walked straight into the banquet hall.

The first thing I saw was Elmer standing in the middle of a crowd with Vivian on his arm. His title as professor had people swarming around him, showering him with compliments.

A newly hired instructor mistook Vivian for his wife and gushed, "Professor Weiss, your wife is absolutely stunning. I've never seen anyone so beautiful."

Vivian's cheeks flushed pink. She tilted her head up at Elmer, her voice dripping with coy sweetness. "Professor, you didn't tell them who I am?"

Elmer was clearly eating up every second of her act. He let her dangle for a moment before answering.

"Vivian is my newest graduate student. She mentioned she'd never been to a formal event, so I brought her along to broaden her horizons."

A beat of silence followed. Then the praise came flooding in.

"Professor Weiss really does look after his students."

"If I had a mentor like Professor Weiss, I'd be smiling in my sleep."

"Vivian, you'd better study hard. Can't let the professor's investment in you go to waste."

I stood in the back and watched the entire performance for a good while before picking up a glass of wine and strolling over.

"Professor Weiss really does care about his students. Cares so much, in fact, that he didn't even bring his own wife tonight. Just his female student."

The second Elmer spotted me, he dropped Vivian's arm like it burned.

"Don't be ridiculous. Vivian's young and curious. She's never been to one of these events, so I just—"

I cut him off with a smile before he could finish. "Relax. It was a joke. Why are you so jumpy?"

Elmer let out a heavy breath of relief.

Beside him, Vivian's expression soured. The look she shot me was pure, undisguised jealousy.

"That's a cruel joke to make, Mrs. Weiss. If someone took it the wrong way, my reputation would be ruined."

Her eyes reddened on cue, and the tears started falling.

Elmer looked like his heart was being ripped out. He leaned in close, his voice soft. "Don't cry, sweetheart. That's just how she is. I'll make her apologize right now."

Watching Elmer rush to Vivian's defense, the rest of the group chimed in one by one.

"Mrs. Weiss, Miss Mercer is just a young girl. How could you smear her reputation like that? You should apologize."

"Exactly. Everyone knows the university strictly prohibits relationships between faculty and students. If word got out, it could damage Professor Weiss's career too."

They piled on, one after another, as if I'd committed some unforgivable sin.

I looked at Elmer. Something cold flickered behind my eyes.

"You really want me to apologize to her?"

If I'd already gathered enough evidence, I would have slapped him across the face right then and there.

Cheating was one thing. But parading his mistress in front of me? Clearly my patience over the years had made him forget his place entirely.

Something in my tone must have registered, because Elmer's face darkened a shade.

"Sibyl, why do you always have to be so aggressive? You made a mistake. Is it really that hard to say sorry?"

My expression shifted. A flash of bitter amusement crossed my eyes.

If I hadn't fought tooth and nail to convince my parents, he never would have been allowed anywhere near the Henson family.

Everything he had, he owed to my so-called "aggressiveness." And now he had the nerve to throw it back in my face.

Biting the hand that feeds. That was Elmer Weiss in a nutshell.

I didn't say a word. I just looked at him.

The silence unnerved him. After a long moment, he clenched his jaw and spoke.

"Forget it. There's no reasoning with someone like you."

With that, he took Vivian by the arm and left the banquet hall.

After the scene tonight, between wanting to comfort his little mistress and wanting to punish me, Elmer definitely wouldn't be coming home.

I pulled out my phone and texted my best friend:

"The fish is about to swim into the net. Send someone to tail Elmer tonight. I need video of the two of them together. No matter what."

If there was one thing that counted as ironclad evidence, it was footage of two cheaters in bed.

Ever since I'd first caught wind of their affair, Elmer had been careful never to spend the night with Vivian. Tonight was the perfect opportunity.

My best friend sprang into action the moment she got my message, dispatching seven or eight professional PIs to stake out the apartment Vivian was renting.

I barely slept that night.

Even though I was thoroughly done with Elmer, we'd been together for years. Saying it didn't hurt would've been a lie.

But I was too proud to accept a man who'd dirtied himself with someone else.

The only thing left for me to do was drag both of them straight to hell.

Early the next morning, my best friend sent over the edited footage, along with a thoughtful warning:

"Sibyl, brace yourself before you watch this. I'm worried it might be too much."

I didn't hesitate. I hit play.

Within seconds, the screen filled with images too obscene to describe.

Even on an adult website, this would've been flagged as explicit.

My stomach turned. I nearly threw up.

I couldn't even imagine how the audience would react when this footage played at the awards ceremony in three days.

Elmer, exhausted from his long night, didn't come home until the afternoon.

When he saw me sitting in the living room, a flicker of guilt crossed his face.

"Honey, you didn't go into the office today?"

The sound of his voice triggered an almost physical revulsion. I couldn't even bring myself to speak.

He must have assumed I was still angry, because he sidled up to me with a look of weary patience.

"Sibyl, when did you become so petty?"

"I already told you, I just feel sorry for Vivian, so I've been looking out for her a little more. That's all."

Looking out for her. Right. All the way into bed.

I swallowed my fury with every ounce of self-control I had and kept my voice even.

"Mm. I know. I was wrong to jump to conclusions about you two."

His brow smoothed at that.

"I'm glad you understand."

"Oh, by the way, honey. The organizers want a family member to say a few words at the ceremony. I was thinking of letting Vivian do it, give her some experience. What do you think..."

The implication was crystal clear.

I buried the ice in my eyes and shrugged, feigning indifference.

"It's your award. Your call."

The days slipped by, and soon enough, the ceremony arrived.

My best friend had planted someone backstage. The moment Vivian finished her speech, the footage would play.

The entire university had turned out for this event. Faculty, students, even officials from the Board of Education. The exhibition hall seated thousands, and every chair was taken.

Vivian was sitting right behind me, whispering with her roommates about me.

"Isn't that Professor Weiss's wife? Vivian, didn't you say she was some frumpy old hag? She's actually pretty good-looking."

Vivian rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with contempt.

"Are you blind? What's pretty about that trashy woman?"

The others all knew about her closeness with Elmer, and none of them wanted to get on her bad side, so they played along.

"I didn't get a good look earlier. Now that I see her up close, she really can't compare to you."

Vivian's voice swelled with smugness.

"As if she could ever compare to me. Professor Weiss gave me the chance to speak in front of the entire school. That washed-up tramp can sit down there and watch."

Her voice wasn't exactly quiet. From where I sat in the row ahead, I heard every single word.