Chapter 3

3

Lynda didn't come home that night. Instead, she sent me a text.

"Nolan, I ran into some old college friends tonight. I'm staying over at my best friend's place, so don't wait up."

Right after her text arrived, my phone pinged with a banking notification.

Perhaps Lynda had forgotten that our credit cards were linked.

A glaring charge for a luxury couple's suite at a five-star hotel nearby popped up on my screen, nearly blinding me with its audacity.

I took a deep breath. I took a screenshot of the charge, attached the photo I had snapped outside the VIP room of her kissing that boy, and sent them both over.

In less than half an hour, Lynda walked through the front door.

Seeing me sitting on the living room couch, she didn't show a shred of panic.

Instead, she calmly strolled over to me. "So, you know."

"Why?" I asked, desperate for an answer.

Lynda knew better than anyone how much I despised infidelity in a marriage.

Those three years of crippling depression had stemmed entirely from my parents betraying one another.

Under my piercing gaze, Lynda's face twisted with visible annoyance.

"Nolan, back when your dad cheated, your mom kept a young guy on the side just to spite him. Why can't I have some fun?"

"Haven't you forgiven your parents by now?"

"I just made a little mistake like anyone else would. Do you really have to blow this out of proportion?"

"Do you have any idea how exhausting my corporate networking is every single day? I just wanted a younger guy to give me some emotional validation. What did I do that was so wrong?"

Lynda dumped all her pent-up frustration onto me in one breath.

In that moment, it felt as though I was the villain.

When I let out a cold, humorless laugh, Lynda grew even more furious.

She began tearing into my career and calling me useless.

Only then did I realize just how worthless I truly was in her eyes.

After her heated tirade, Lynda seemed to realize she had crossed a line, and her tone softened as she tried to coax me.

I simply took a steadying breath and said, "Let's get a divorce."

"Nolan, did I spoil you too much? Don't get so full of yourself!"

Lynda shot up in fury, abandoning any attempt to comfort me.

She marched toward the front door, pausing on the threshold to throw a cold glance over her shoulder.

"Take the next few days to reflect on your own attitude."

With that, Lynda vanished from my sight.

It was a completely sleepless night.

I hired someone to run a background check on that boy.

He was a college senior named Seth Murphy, and Lynda had put him on an allowance three years ago.

Looking at the sugar-baby contract signed between Lynda and Seth, I felt like the biggest idiot in the world.

So Lynda had been stepping out on our marriage since three years ago.

She had cheated on me during our second year of marriage.

Every single piece of evidence told me one thing: I was a total failure.

I stayed awake until dawn.

When morning came, I asked the housekeeper to help pack my belongings.

Seeing the grim look on my face, the housekeeper didn't dare ask questions, but she promptly reported the situation to Lynda.

Halfway through packing, Lynda's call came through.

"Are you going somewhere?" she demanded.

"I'm leaving to get a divorce."

"Screw off, Nolan."

Lynda hung up without another word. To the very end, she believed I was merely throwing a childish tantrum.

Her cold shoulder actually gave me the peace I needed to pack everything up.

Once my bags were moved, I dialed Lucas's number.

He was the only person in this city I could truly count on.

When Lucas heard I was divorcing Lynda, he was completely shocked.

After I explained why, he let out a heavy sigh. "What did I tell you back then? You refused to listen, and look what happened."

I knew exactly what Lucas was referring to.

Lucas was my best friend from high school.

Aside from Lynda, Lucas was the only person who knew the truth about my parents' ugly divorce.

Back when Lynda and I started dating, Lucas had warned me.

"Keep your family baggage to yourself, man."

I had told him, "Lynda isn't an outsider. She's my future."

Lucas had just shaken his head in resignation back then.

Now I finally understood that the vulnerability I handed her had turned into a poisoned dagger pointed straight at my chest.

I offered a bitter smile and said nothing more.