From his words, I learned more and more about Kate.

She had come to the city on her own through hard work, from a poor family, with a younger brother.

If it weren’t for her relentless determination to study, she would have already been sent by her father to work in a factory.

At first, I didn’t realize there was any problem, until the day she came to deliver a document to Bernard.

I heard the doorbell ring, went downstairs and opened the door. A young, delicate face appeared before me.

"You're Mrs. Yvon, right? I’m here to deliver some documents to Mr. Yvon."

"He just went out. If you hurry, you might still catch up with him."

Her eyes were full of curiosity as she smiled and said, "You’re so beautiful. No wonder Mr. Yvon loves you so much. It's truly enviable."

There was something off about her words and I couldn’t help but furrow my brow.

She continued nonchalantly, "May I have your number? Next time I deliver documents, I’ll check with you first."

That’s when things started to change. Soon, Kate’s message popped up:

[Yesterday was your anniversary, right? But he spent it with me!]

Then came a photo of a trash can overflowing with used condoms.

[How about it? Does he have endless passion for you like this?]

Ever since she had my number, under the bombardment of her messages, I found out.

The Ferris wheel where we once shared a passionate kiss at the top. He bought it and gave it to Kate.

The jewelry I thought was unique to me, Kate had identical pieces.

All the love I thought was exclusive, all the attention I believed was mine, had been shared with another woman.

Seeing me lost in thought, Bernard’s gaze was full of concern.

"Honey, what are you thinking about?"

The concern in his eyes seemed genuine.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I asked curiously, "Do you remember what I said when you proposed to me? If you betray me, I will..."

Before I could finish, he quickly interrupted, "Why bring this up suddenly? Even if every man in the world cheats, I wouldn't!"

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. Suddenly, Bernard’s phone rang with its unique ringtone. A faint, sweet voice could be heard on the other end.

His face immediately turned anxious. "There's an urgent matter at the company. I’ll be back later to keep you company."

Watching him rush off, my heart sank. I followed him and got into a taxi, saying, "Follow the car ahead, the one with the Lamborghini Urus."

***

The taxi stopped at the hidden entrance of a luxurious hotel.

People in the circle were aware—it was a secret place in Argania where the wealthy kept their mistresses.

As the Lamborghini Urus door opened, a girl dressed in a revealing nurse's outfit rushed over eagerly.

"Darling, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you for so long!"

The two of them kissed passionately, as if they were dry wood meeting fire.

With a look of desire on his face, Bernard teased, "Baby, I’m not feeling well today."

Kate responded with a red face. "Then let this nurse take a look today to see what's wrong with you!"

The man gasped for air instantly and let her get into the car by hooking her tie.

After a while, the car body shook violently.

I watched all this in a self-torturing manner not far away and my heart was broken.

Bernard has always been restrained in that aspect and insisted on keeping our first time until the wedding night.

Now I understand that he was not restrained, but just left his passion to others.

When the driver handed me the tissue, I realized that I was already in tears.

"Miss, men are all like this. I've seen this kind of thing a lot. Try to let it go."

Unfortunately, there was no letting go, only farewell.

Fourteen days left. In fourteen days, everything would reset.

I stumbled home in a daze. As I was packing, Bernard suddenly returned.

His eyes were bloodshot as he stormed up to me: "Did you sell "Jane"?"

I calmly responded, "I intended to donate it."

He immediately let out a sigh of relief. "Everything else doesn't matter, but "Jane" belongs only to you. No one else is worthy of it."

He took out the exquisite ring from the box and placed it back on my finger.

If I remember correctly, he had said the same thing to another woman.

In the following days, it seemed like Bernard began to sense that something was wrong. He canceled all his work to focus on accompanying me.

He gave the family chef time off and personally prepared a lavish meal for me.

When he handed me the bowl, his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Try it!"

But I didn't take it. I said, "This bowl is dirty. I won't accept anything dirty."

His face instantly changed. "It’s not dirty! Just wipe it clean, it’s still usable!"

Watching him frantically wipe it, helpless and flustered, I secretly wiped away my tears.

That night, he held me from behind. The resistance in my heart made my whole body stiffen.

His phone kept lighting up and I impatiently said, "It seems like the other person is in a hurry. Maybe you should answer it?"

He glanced at it, his expression shifting slightly. "Nothing is more important than you!"

He lowered his voice and spoke into the phone. "I'm with my wife, don't disturb me anymore!"

Then, he decisively turned off the phone.

I snorted coldly in my heart. I wanted to see how long you plan to keep up this act.

In the middle of the night, I heard steady breathing behind me.

My phone buzzed.

Probably frustrated that she couldn't get him to leave, Kate sent a video.

I immediately recognized it as a gathering of Bernard’s friends.

During the game of Truth or Dare, the bottle pointed at Bernard.

Someone asked, "Who’s better, Kate or Jane?"

The meaning was clear without saying more.

Bernard smiled slightly, as if savoring the moment. "Why would a garden flower smell better than a wild one?"

Laughter erupted from the background.

"I told you, that little wildcat is intoxicating, didn’t I?"

Then Kate’s message followed: [They say men separate sex from love. You wouldn’t naively think his love for you is still that pure, would you?]

But what she didn't know was that who Bernard chose no longer mattered to me.

Before leaving, I went to the hospital for a check-up before heading abroad.

But I ran into Bernard supporting Kate as they walked out of the obstetrics and gynecology department.

Kate suddenly looked up and saw me, pretending to be surprised and raising her voice. "Mrs. Yvon, what are you doing here?"

Bernard paused when he heard this, hurriedly letting go of her.

Seeing me, the usually composed and calm man seemed to stutter. "Jane, Kate... she... she suddenly didn’t feel well, so I helped her get to the hospital."

Kate conveniently made a gagging sound, her voice full of smugness. "Sorry, Mrs. Yvon, I'm pregnant and Mr. Yvon is just being considerate of his subordinate."

It felt like someone had choked me, my voice tight and strained. "Why is my husband the one who brought you here? Where’s the father of the child?"

Kate smiled provocatively, her eyes filled with insinuation as she looked at me:

"The father of the child is busy with work and couldn't make it, but his money and love are all with me!"

Seeing I didn’t react, she pressed on without mercy. "Since we’ve run into each other, why don’t we invite the father of the child to join us for a meal?"

The color drained from Bernard’s face in an instant. He rushed in front of me, blocking my way with three quick strides:

"Forget it, we have something else to do. You go ahead and eat on your own."

Kate shot him a quick glance, stamping her foot like a petulant child. "Seems like I'm not worthy of eating with Mrs. Yvon!"

With that, she turned and walked away.

Bernard was about to chase after her, but when our eyes met, he halted in his tracks.

Not long after she left, Kate sent me an ultrasound report.

[The child is Bernard's. You must have figured it out already, right? What can I do? He’s just too forceful! From now on, it’ll be the four of us, living together!]

In the following days, Bernard was always out early and coming home late.

The servants at home teased him, saying he was preparing a gift for me.

After all, to everyone’s eyes, he was entirely devoted to me.

Until one morning, Bernard took my hand, smiling mysteriously. "I’ve prepared a surprise for you."

He pulled me toward the door just as my phone vibrated and Kate’s profile picture flashed on the screen.

She boldly called me directly. Right in front of Bernard, I casually answered the call.

On the other end, her voice was full of confidence. "Jane, want to bet who he cares about more, you or me?"

I hung up without saying a word.

The next moment, I noticed a photo from Kate on Bernard's phone screen—one of her in a seductive uniform.

Bernard’s Adam’s apple bobbed and his voice turned hoarse as he spoke, "Sorry, baby. There's a problem with a product at the company, I need to go right away.

As about the surprise, I’ll take you to see it another time."

But there would be no "another time" for us.

I gave a faint smile, not responding. He seemed to sense something, turning to look at me. "Wait for me to come back."

For a moment, I hesitated, but then I turned and quickly ran to the car.

Kate sent a series of photos of her and Bernard together, looking intimate:

[You lost again. Even pregnant, I can’t stop him!]

In the last three days, Bernard didn’t return home and I didn’t ask any questions.

Perhaps because his phone had been unusually quiet, Bernard continued to send me messages explaining himself.

[Baby, I had to go on a sudden business trip for the project. I didn’t have time to come home and tell you.]

[I’ll make it up to you when I get back.]

He had been playing both sides for so long that he must have believed his own act by now.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I burned all the clothes and bags he had bought for me and had someone dig up the flowers I had planted in the yard.

Since I was leaving, I decided not to leave behind any traces.

While packing my clothes, I accidentally came across the paper stars he had folded for me years ago. Every word on them was filled with affection:

"Jane, I'll always love you and my heart belongs to you alone."

The handwriting was still clear, but the person had changed.

I flushed tens of thousands of paper stars down the drain. As I watched them disappear, I laughed through my tears.

On the last day, Bernard suddenly came back and I was shaken awake in my sleep. Groggy, I caught a glimpse of his anxious face. "A notification popped up on your tablet, saying your paperwork was completed. What paperwork?"

My mind cleared instantly. "Nothing important, it’s just the paperwork for the jewelry donation I mentioned before."

Bernard’s tense shoulders immediately relaxed. He stepped forward and pulled me into his arms. "You scared me. I thought..."

He abruptly stopped mid-sentence and replaced his words with a cheerful smile.

"Look, baby, I brought you something you love."

He opened his hand, revealing the osmanthus cakes from my favorite shop.

In the past, this trick always softened my heart.

But not this time.

I was just about to head downstairs when I heard Bernard's deep, angry whisper from the doorway. "Are you insane? How dare you come here!"

Kate replied, her tone full of grievance, "The baby and I miss you!"

She had the nerve to show up here so brazenly.

I stood there, watching helplessly as Kate forced a kiss on him. In just a few seconds, Bernard's resistance turned into reluctant enjoyment.

Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, her breath warm and seductive. "I've learned a new position. Want to try it out?"

Bernard’s eyes lit up instantly and he couldn’t wait to head outside.

As I watched their entwined figures disappear into the distance, I sent him one final message. "The time has come. You can open your anniversary gift now."

Then, I removed the SIM card from my phone, grabbed my suitcase and stepped out the door, saying to the driver. “Please take me to the airport."