Chapter 2

From inside, a sweet, whiny female voice drifted out, carrying a hint of playful excitement.

"Julian, you're back! I only said I was a little hungry, and you actually went out to get me food? You're going to completely spoil me at this rate~"

The soft patter of slippers grew closer, making my heart tighten.

"Give me the takeout."

A manicured hand slipped through the crack of the door.

I grabbed her wrist with a sudden, vicious yank, throwing the door wide open.

Instead of being shocked, she giggled, leaning into me with an even more flirtatious pout.

"Oh, Julian~ Stop playing hard to get. You're so bad."

"Can we play later? My stomach is literally growling~"

She finally looked up, and my eyes locked onto her face. It was Seraphina Ward. I had met her a few times before.

Julian had talked about her a lot. He always said she was super talented, beautiful, and the rising star at his talent agency.

He claimed tons of guys were chasing her, and he was just acting as a shield to help her reject them.

To show her gratitude, Seraphina often treated him to dinners—sometimes lasting late into the night.

I had assumed it was just professional courtesy between colleagues. I hadn't thought twice about it.

Now, it was obvious their relationship was far filthier than I had ever imagined.

I looked her up and down. She was indeed pretty, but in a very cheap, try-hard way.

Today, she was dressed differently. She was wearing a skimpy, kinky French maid outfit that squeezed her curves, complete with an electronic, wagging cat tail attached to her backside.

No doubt about it, this was Julian’s kink.

In the past, I had put so much effort into pleasing Julian.

I had tried all kinds of sexy lingerie just because he once said: "Babe, wearing baggy pajamas around the house is so boring. I bought you some sexy stuff. Let's spice things up tonight."

We had been married for three years, and I wanted to keep the spark alive, so I agreed.

At first, I wore them for him every night. He clung to me constantly, making me feel like we were back in college.

But as time went on, I realized he would rather play Xbox than look at me.

So, I stopped. It felt pointless.

And now, the exact same outfit was on another woman. He certainly seemed to have regained his appetite.

"Babe, who's at the door?"

A familiar, smooth male voice cut through my thoughts.

Obviously, that "babe" wasn't meant for me.

When Julian saw me standing there, there wasn't a single shred of guilt or panic on his face.

Instead, his brows furrowed into a tight, irritated scowl.

"Chloe? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be visiting your mother today?"

I let out a cold laugh and pushed past them into the foyer.

"Just checking out our marital assets."

"Julian, I didn't know you bought us a new home. Care to explain?"

Seraphina, finally realizing she was caught, shrank back and hid behind Julian’s broad shoulders.

She gripped his arm tightly, trembling like a frightened puppy.

Julian instinctively stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body.

He seemed to have completely forgotten that I was his actual wife.

I scanned the room.

The massive penthouse was littered with used condom wrappers.

There was one on the kitchen counter, one on the coffee table, and even two lying right by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

I had actually seen the interior design of this penthouse two years ago in a photo on Julian's phone.

In that photo, Julian and Seraphina were snuggled up together, holding a newborn baby.

Julian was a rising star in the local fashion photography scene.

Back then, he had dismissed my suspicions, saying it was just a mock shoot for a commercial client.

But I couldn't see any professional lighting or composition in that photo.

It was just a candid, warm snapshot of a happy family of three.

He had rolled his eyes at me back then.

"The male model flaked at the last minute, so I had to step in. You’re always overthinking everything, Chloe. The client wanted something realistic. If I were actually having an affair, would I be stupid enough to keep the photos?"

Turns out, the breadcrumbs had been there for two years.

A wave of coldness washed over my heart, and I scoffed.

"No wonder you've been complaining about back pain and being exhausted every time you come home, Julian. Turns out you were spending all your energy on another woman."

He didn't care about my sarcasm at all.

Now that his affair was out in the open, his tense shoulders actually relaxed.

He let out a long sigh, looking almost relieved.

"Since you found this place, there's no point in lying."

"Seraphina is different from you. This is between you and me, Chloe. Don't drag her into this. She scares easily."

I laughed out loud.

So, he was openly admitting that Seraphina was his mistress?

My eyes locked onto the cheating couple.

My piercing gaze made Seraphina gasp. She immediately started whining, rubbing her face against Julian’s shoulder.

"Julian, I was just too lonely and wanted you with me. But... I don't think Chloe likes me very much."

Julian patted her hand gently.

"Don't worry, Seraphina. I'll handle her."