She had sent over a few revealing and provocative photos, her gaze teasing, "Babe, do you miss me?"

My brow furrowed tightly as a wave of nausea rose within me. I never imagined that Dexter secretly had a taste for this sort of thing.

It turns out men are all the same, they might appear dignified and proper in public, but behind closed doors, they still crave the wild and scandalous.

Before I could respond, Scarlett continued, "I ran into your wife today. She didn't suspect anything, did she?"

My eyes narrowed. The only place I'd gone today was the beauty center, so the person sharing the room with me must have been her. Scarlett must have recognized me at the beauty center.

As for why I didn't recognize her, it was because her appearance had changed drastically, she looked entirely different from the person I'd met before. Scarlett was once a poor student I sponsored and now, she's Dexter's assistant.

Back then, she was frail and skinny, with a sallow complexion and dry, yellowish, frizzy hair, like someone suffering from prolonged malnutrition. She avoided eye contact and carried an air of extreme insecurity.

After marrying Dexter, I hadn't been able to get pregnant. At first, I wanted to leave it to fate, but as time passed and I grew older, I decided to leave my job and focus on trying to conceive.

With my departure, Dexter's workload increased, so I suggested he hire an assistant to share the burden. At the time, Scarlett had just graduated and was looking for an internship. I recommended her to Dexter.

Initially, Dexter didn't want to hire her. From her appearance to her qualifications and abilities, nothing about her met his standards. But I kept persuading him to give her a chance, asking him to take good care of her for my sake.

In the beginning, Dexter frequently complained to me about Scarlett's lack of competence, her slow learning curve and her inefficiency. I encouraged him, saying that all rookies start from scratch and improve with time.

But at some point, Dexter stopped mentioning her altogether and gradually, I forgot about her existence.

I never expected that in just two years, Scarlett would undergo such a dramatic transformation. It was clear she had invested significantly in her appearance.

And I never thought Dexter would cheat on me with someone he once despised. The world had truly gone beyond my comprehension.

Imitating Dexter's tone, I replied, "No!"

"Babe, aren't I smart? Using a shopping app as a chat tool, your wife won't find anything even if she checks your phone!" Even through the screen, I could feel Scarlett's smugness.

I smirked coldly. Clever indeed. It's no wonder she's so confident. If I didn't know Dexter never shops online, I wouldn't have suspected anything.

"Mm, smart," I typed, keeping my response short to avoid arousing suspicion.

Yet, Scarlett still noticed something. "Huh? Babe, what's wrong with you today? Why so cold?" she asked suddenly.

For a moment, I didn't know how to respond. Dexter had always been warm and gentle toward me but reserved and distant with others. I couldn't imagine what his passionate side looked like.

After a brief pause, I typed, "She's next to me."

This seemed to put her mind at ease. "Okay, babe, I'll log off now," she replied. Scarlett went offline.

Scrolling up, I found the earlier messages vulgar and explicit, burning my eyes and further shattering my perception of Dexter.

I recorded all their chat logs on my phone, then deleted the conversation and placed his phone back where it was.

I didn't sleep a wink all night. It wasn't until the early hours of dawn, with the faint light creeping through the window, that I managed to drift off into a restless slumber.

When I woke up, it was already nine in the morning. Dexter had gone to work.

On the bedside table, he had left a note, reminding me that he had prepared breakfast for me in the kitchen. I crumpled the note into a ball and tossed it into the trash before getting up to wash and get ready.

Since resigning, I rarely visited the office, but today, I decided to surprise Dexter by bringing him a homemade lunch.

Though I hadn't been to the office much in the past two years, most of the staff still recognized me.

I made my way to his office without encountering any obstacles. As I pushed open the door, I was greeted by the sight of Dexter and Scarlett sitting face-to-face, eating lunch together. On the surface, everything seemed normal.

My sudden appearance startled them both. Scarlett quickly stood up, but I didn't miss the detail, she was barefoot on one side.

Though her movements were swift and she immediately slipped on her high heel, I had clearly seen her bare foot intertwined with my husband's leg beneath the table, slithering upward like a vine.

Dexter, ever the master of composure, recovered almost instantly. He turned to me with a look of surprise and delight, "Honey, what brings you here?"

I feigned nonchalance and raised the lunchbox in my hand, smiling sweetly, "Of course, I came to deliver a healthy lunch to my dearest husband. But it seems I'm a little late, huh?"

I cast a glance at the half-eaten food on the table, pretending to look disappointed.

"No, no, you're just in time. I don't really like this food anyway. Let me see what delicious treat you've brought for me." Dexter eagerly took the lunchbox from my hands.

I noticed Scarlett's expression visibly darken when he mentioned he didn't like the food on the table. The corners of my lips curled into a smirk.

"What are you standing there for?" Dexter frowned and shot Scarlett a pointed look, signaling for her to clear the table.

"Oh, oh!" Scarlett snapped out of her daze and began tidying up in a fluster. In her haste, she accidentally knocked over a dish, spilling thick soup onto Dexter's leg, near the top of his thigh.

Without thinking, Scarlett grabbed a napkin and began wiping it off. Her actions were natural and practiced.

"What are you doing?" Dexter's expression darkened and he abruptly shoved her away.

Caught off guard, Scarlett stumbled to the floor. She looked as though she wanted to protest but froze when she met Dexter's warning gaze. It was only then that she remembered I was still in the room.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry! It's all my fault, how clumsy of me. Mrs. Keaton, please don't misunderstand. I was just being too hasty. I'm really sorry!" Scarlett apologized repeatedly, bowing her head.

"It's fine, it's fine. I know it wasn't intentional," I said generously, acting as though I wasn't bothered in the slightest.

"Darling, you enjoy your meal. I'm going to the restroom," I said, placing my phone face down on the table before leaving the room.

Once inside the restroom, I shut the door and slipped an earbud into my ear. Before coming here, I had installed a monitoring app on my phone. Soon, the sounds of their conversation filtered through the earbud.

"Do you realize how close we were to getting caught just now? You need to be more careful at the office," Dexter scolded, his tone full of irritation.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't do it on purpose! How was I supposed to know she'd suddenly show up? Besides, she didn't seem suspicious just now, did she? You're just too paranoid," Scarlett replied, her voice quivering as though on the verge of tears.

Dexter softened his tone, coaxing her gently, "Alright, I was too harsh earlier. Don't be upset, okay?"

"Hmph, you're always sweet-talking me. When are you going to come clean with her?" Scarlett said, pretending to pout.

"Just wait a little longer," Dexter replied dismissively.

"Wait, wait, wait! You've been telling me to wait for two years already!" Scarlett's voice was full of discontent.

My grip on the door handle tightened, so much so that my knuckles turned pale. Two years. For two whole years, Dexter and Scarlett had been entangled and I, like a fool, had been completely in the dark.

"Alright, didn't you say you had your eyes on that new handbag from L brand? You can charge it to my card," Dexter said, trying to pacify her.

"Hmph, that's more like it. I'll forgive you this time for the sake of the bag, but if you're mean to me again, I won't let it slide," Scarlett replied, her earlier dissatisfaction replaced with giddy excitement.

She seemed oblivious, but after living with Dexter for ten years, I could easily sense the impatience hidden behind his gentlemanly facade. Beneath his surface charm, Dexter was cold and detached.

Luckily for Scarlett, she knew when to stop and didn't push her luck further. I had a gut feeling that Dexter didn't love her, it was likely the thrill of an affair that kept him around.

When I no longer heard their voices, I stayed in the restroom for an extra two minutes before flushing and stepping out. By the time I returned to the office, Scarlett was gone.

Feigning surprise, I asked Dexter, "Huh? Where's your assistant?"

"She had something to take care of," Dexter said, pulling me into his arms with an air of calm.

"Let's eat." He gestured for me to sit down.

The thought of Scarlett sitting in this very chair not long ago made my stomach churn.

I sprang up abruptly, "Oh! Honey, I just remembered I have something to do. You go ahead and eat without me."

"What could be more important than spending time with me?" Dexter teased, pretending to sulk.

I gave him a playful wink and said mysteriously, "Darling, tomorrow's Christmas. I've prepared a special surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise? Can't you tell me now?" Dexter asked, intrigued.

I shook my head with a smile, "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?"

"Alright then, I'll wait for your surprise," Dexter said, his expression full of anticipation.

"Mm-hmm." I nodded with a smile.

But as soon as I left his office, the smile faded from my face and the warmth in my eyes turned icy cold. Dexter Keaton, I hope you'll enjoy the surprise I've prepared for you.

On my way out, I spotted Scarlett sitting at her desk, sneaking glances toward Dexter's office.

When she noticed me, she quickly lowered her head, pretending to be busy. I curled my lips into a faint smile.

As I passed her desk, I glanced at the necklace around her neck and complimented her, "Your necklace is beautiful."

In that instant, Scarlett's eyes sparkled with unmistakable pride and the corners of her mouth curved into an irrepressible smile.

That necklace was a new release from C brand and only one existed in New York. When it launched, it coincided with my birthday and I had asked Dexter to buy it for me.

But just a few days later, he told me it had been purchased by someone else. He even promised that if the same design were ever restocked, he'd make sure to get it for me immediately. I had been so disappointed at the time that I sulked for several days.

I even mentioned it to the store clerk during a later visit, lamenting how unlucky I was. The clerk had looked puzzled and said, "Didn't your husband buy it?"

When she saw my confusion, she froze for a second, then quickly apologized, claiming she had made a mistake.