Chapter 2

She wore a form-fitting long dress that accentuated every curve, her gaze filled with provocation and disdain as she looked at me.

"Are you the washed-up wife?"

She leaned closer, showing off her dress. "Kenneth loves it when I wear this. He says he can't resist it. It's been a long time since he touched you, hasn't it? How can you stand living like you're single? Don't you have any self-respect?"

I bit my lip, my heart shattering into pieces, but my face remained calm and composed. "So, it was you serving him all this time. Did he settle the payment with you? Do you charge by the hour or by the month? Are you here to collect the balance?"

I pulled out a bank card and waved it in front of her. "Just a reminder, every penny you spend is part of our marital assets. If I'm in a bad mood, I can take it all back anytime." "Seeing is believing!" Cathryn's face turned red with anger. "Kenneth loves me. Do you think he gave you control over the finances? You probably only get grocery money. He said all his money would go to me and our son!"

She proudly touched her belly.

Yes, she was pregnant.

My face turned pale, and it took all my effort to maintain a fragile calm.

While I worried about Kenneth's health from overworking, he was spending nights with another woman and even left her with a child.

A few months ago, he said he wanted to invest our spare money and withdrew all the funds from our joint account.

Now, I only had thirty or forty thousand dollars left.

More pressing than the betrayal of the man I loved for many years was the fact that if we divorced, I would be left with nothing.

I would even have to give up half of the house my parents bought for us with their life savings to Kenneth.

I was unwilling to accept this.

So, I thought of Isabel, Kenneth's middle school crush, the goddess he always talked about.

I no longer cared what Kenneth thought.

Since he could trample on six years of our relationship and scheme against me, I had no reason to hold back. I decided to get what I deserved and make him pay. I took Isabel for a makeover, dressing her from head to toe in new clothes.

She had a good foundation but looked haggard from years of hard work.

Now, in a new Chanel floral dress, wearing an expensive Cartier bracelet, and with her face meticulously made up, she was stunning.

But beauty alone wasn't enough.

I knew my husband well. Kenneth was confident and greedy, thinking even a princess wouldn't be too good for him.

So, that evening, when Kenneth came home, I held Isabel's hand and brought her to him.

"Honey, I have a friend I want to introduce to you."

Kenneth looked up, barely able to hide his surprise and delight.

After a long moment, he nodded. "And this is?"

This man was indeed cunning, pretending not to recognize Isabel.

I played along, smiling as I introduced her. "This is my friend, Isabel. Her family just bought a new villa that needs renovating, so she'll be staying with us for a few days.

You don't mind, do you?" Isabel smiled at Kenneth, and he was instantly captivated, nodding eagerly. "I don't mind, not at all."

Then, as if he had just remembered, he took out a gift he had prepared for me.

"I was too busy on our anniversary to celebrate. This is a bag for you."

I accepted the Hermès bag, pretending to be surprised. "Thank you, honey."

On our anniversary, Cathryn had sent me a video of them in a hotel room.

Kenneth wasn't entirely lying; he was indeed with a colleague, busy cheating on me.

And such gifts, I received them year-round, almost collecting all the most popular knock-off styles. "Emilee, you're so lucky to have such a good husband," Isabel said, her eyes twinkling as she spoke softly to Kenneth, following my instructions.

I quickly interjected, "This little gift is nothing to you, a wealthy lady who has never had to struggle. Honey, you don't know, Isabel is not only beautiful but also comes from a good family. Her father is the..."

"Oh, Emilee," Isabel interrupted, feigning anxiety and tugging at my sleeve, whispering, "Didn't we agree not to reveal my father's identity?"

Her voice was low but just loud enough for Kenneth to hear, and his eyebrows twitched.

I quickly changed the subject and warmly welcomed Isabel.

At the dinner table, Kenneth was enthusiastic yet maintained his composure.

Only I could sense his inner turmoil.

Sure enough, after dinner, he pulled me aside. "Honey, who exactly is this Isabel?" I carefully opened my phone and searched for a high-ranking official from our city's housing authority, answering mysteriously, "This official also has the last name Isabel." Yes, this official also had the last name Isabel.

I didn't say anything else, leaving Kenneth to fill in the blanks.

His eyes lit up with intense greed, and I knew—he had taken the bait.