By the time I return home from a business trip, it is past midnight. However, my wife, Celeste Beaumont, isn't home.

A man's shirt that isn't mine is lying on the couch.

When I call her, she tells me that she's working late at the office.

"Whose shirt is it on the couch?" I ask, cutting straight to the point.

She playfully scolds, "Who else would it be? It's a gift for you, so hurry up and try it on."

I skeptically put it on and immediately feel how tight and uncomfortable it is across my shoulders. "This is an L, babe. I've always worn XL."

Celeste runs a clothing company. She's the one who handles all my clothes and even uses my body measurements for her menswear line. There's no way she doesn't know my size.

The line goes quiet for half a second before she thoughtfully says, "It's from my new menswear collection.

"I had pieces custom-made for you and Felix, so I must've grabbed the wrong piece. I'll swap it tomorrow."

A beat later, her voice carries a little sob as she continues, "Babe, I've been so exhausted without you these past few days. I've missed you so much…"

It's past midnight. As I listen to the undeniable weariness beneath her affectionate, playful words, my heart aches in distress. I can't help chiding myself for overthinking.

However, after hanging up, realization hits me.

Her brother, Felix Beaumont, and I are about the same build. He's always worn XL.

The shirt was exquisite, clearly my wife, Celeste Beaumont's, own work. However, the tightness I felt across my shoulders left me deeply puzzled.

Celeste's younger brother, Felix Beaumont, and I had almost identical builds, both always wearing size XL. Could she have remembered the incorrect sizes?

I doubted the idea as soon as it appeared.

Celeste was a professional fashion designer and knew the two of us best out of everyone. There was no way she'd make an L-sized shirt for either of us, unless the shirt wasn't made for Felix or me.

In that case, who was it for?

Once that thought popped up, it clung to my mind like stubborn vines.

I forced myself to stay calm and tapped on the pet surveillance app on my phone.

I'd been away for a month, and the cat was the only thing that ever worried me. Therefore, I'd set up security cameras in the living room and bedroom.

I scrolled back to the day I left. Aside from the housekeeper showing up on schedule daily to feed the cat and clean up the litter box, no one else appeared. There was not a single visitor.

Maybe I was overthinking it. Celeste must have been overwhelmed and too busy with work.

After closing the pet surveillance app, I tossed the shirt onto the couch and told myself to stop spiraling. Maybe nothing was going on, and it was the exhaustion making me paranoid.

After taking a shower in the bedroom, I slumped onto the couch and drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

…

Early in the morning, the sound of the opening door jolted me awake.

Celeste had just returned home, looking completely worn out. When she saw me, she was clearly startled.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch, babe? You gave me one hell of a fright," she said while changing her shoes.

"I just wanted to give you a surprise," I said and got up to take her bag.

Then, I offered, "Have you eaten? Would you like me to make you breakfast?"

"No need. I grabbed something at the office."

She rubbed her shoulders, walked over to the couch, and noticed the shirt. "Oh, did you bring the shirt back? Did you try to see if it fits?"

I watched her for a few seconds in silence before casually asking, "I just remembered that Felix is about the same height as me, right? Since when does he wear an L?"

Celeste's smile froze on her face. That brief pause made my heart sink again.

Suddenly, she let out a soft sigh, and her voice was tinged with hurt as she said, "You've been gone a whole month and never once checked in on what's happening at home.

"Felix was seriously ill. He was hospitalized for more than two weeks and lost so much weight.

"I've been completely swamped with work, and after hours, I've been running to the hospital to take care of him. I'm exhausted, so I guess I might've remembered the wrong size when I measured him.

"Since the two of you are built the same, I figured I'd bring one back for you, too."

Her voice grew thicker with emotion as she spoke.

My heart clenched, and guilt washed over every shred of suspicion.

I'd been away on a business trip for a month, and as a brother-in-law, I hadn't called Felix even once. I knew nothing about him being sick, yet here I was, acting all suspicious over a shirt.

What kind of man did that make me?

"I'm sorry, babe. This is all my fault," I immediately apologized. "I didn't know he was sick. I'll visit him with you tomorrow."

Celeste's voice regained traces of its usual gentleness. "It's fine. You were busy with work, too.

"I'm just exhausted and a little emotional. You should sleep while I take a shower."

Watching her walk into the bathroom, my feelings were all over the place.

I really hoped I was just overthinking.

The next morning, I drove Celeste to the hospital.

When I pushed the door to the ward, I was genuinely taken aback. On the bed, Felix had visibly lost weight.

"Edgar, you're back," he said, giving me a weak smile the moment he saw me.

Guilt surged inside me. I walked over, patted his shoulder, and handed him a get-well-soon gift I'd readied earlier.

"You should've told me you were sick, kid. Focus on getting better. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to eat."

Felix grinned. "You're the best, Edgar."

Seeing how loose his clothes hung on him now, I felt a wave of shame over last night's suspicions. Right now, even an L-sized shirt would be too big on him.

I finally heaved a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, Celeste's phone rang. When she stepped into the hallway to answer it, I faintly heard her say, "Understood. I'll handle it right away."

Then, she hung up.

"Who was that? Did something come up at the company?" I casually asked.

She walked back in and packed her stuff as she replied, "From my secretary. It's just a minor work issue."

My heart skipped a beat as I remembered that Celeste's assistant was a woman, but I'd clearly heard a young man's voice on the call.

My guard went up again, though I kept my expression neutral. "Did you switch to a different secretary? I thought the woman from before was doing just fine."

Celeste explained naturally, "Oh. Since we're preparing to expand into menswear, I thought it'd be better to hire a male secretary. He used to be a model and knows the menswear market.

"While you were away last month and Felix was sick, he stepped in and helped me with the fittings."

She finished with a teasing smile. "What? Are you jealous? If it bothers you, I'll fire him right now."

At this point, I'd look petty if I pushed any further. So, I waved and said, "Not at all. I understand that it's for work."

Though I said so, something sharp and prickly had lodged itself in my chest.

That afternoon, I came up with an excuse to visit Celeste's company as an investor. The moment I walked into the design department, I spotted the new male secretary.

He was young and handsome, with a tall, well-proportioned build. There was a youthful energy he carried that hovered between a boyish and a mature man's charm.

A few senior staff members warmly greeted me the moment they saw me. "Mr. Dalton! Great to see you!"

I smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries. "How's the company doing lately? I heard a handsome new secretary was hired for the menswear line."

A senior female designer beamed and said, "That's right, Mr. Dalton. Kai's a sharp kid, and he's been a great help to Ms. Beaumont. Besides, with that gorgeous build, he's basically a walking mannequin. He's saved us so much trouble fitting samples."

Someone else nodded along. "Ms. Beaumont's got an eye. The menswear design process has efficiently sped up."

The more they praised him, the more unsettled I was.

Smiling, I walked into Celeste's office and set an astronaut figurine on her desk equipped with a hidden security camera.

For the next few days, I checked the footage whenever I had a spare moment. Everything in the feed looked normal.

Kai Carter rarely stepped into Celeste's private office. Most communication happened through the internal phone line.

Even if he had to enter the office to report his work, he stood orderly in front of the desk and left within minutes.

Nothing inappropriate or out of line happened between the two.

For a moment, I felt a sudden flush of shame for my actions. Celeste might be a powerhouse at work, but at home, she was affectionate and clingy toward me. Her desk was covered with our wedding photos, and she called me to give updates whenever she had a break.

I started wondering if I was just too doubtful and insecure…

However, the shirt still lingered in my mind.

Would a designer so sensitive to measurements really make such a mistake?

As the new menswear brand progressed, Celeste worked overtime more frequently and sometimes didn't come home until 1:00 am or 2:00 am.

She said the new collection had hit a bottleneck.

I told her not to overwork herself, but she'd just smile and say she was fine.

Then, another detail raised my guard.

When Celeste came home, her body wash seemed different. We'd always used the cedar-scented body wash at home, but for days, she carried this sugary floral scent.

When I asked, she brushed it off by saying, "The pantry at the office stocked new toiletries. If I stay late, I would just shower there since I don't want to come home and wake you."

It was a perfect excuse, but the unease in my mind sprouted like mad.

On another late night, she texted to tell me that she might pull an all-nighter and told me to go to sleep first.

I tossed and turned in bed before finding myself checking the security camera footage again.

The office lights were on, but Celeste's seat was empty.

Frowning, I scrolled back a few minutes in the footage and noticed that just minutes earlier, a figure had flashed past the camera and quickly moved into a blind spot inside the office.

Though it was just a glimpse, I was sure it wasn't Celeste!

I jumped out of bed and threw on my clothes in the shortest time possible. After packing the simmered chicken soup into an insulated thermal flask, I rushed out of the house with it.

15 minutes later, I was downstairs at her company. Only her office was lit throughout the entire floor.

My heart pounded as I walked to her office door and noticed it was unlocked. When I pushed it open, it was empty.

How could it be? I saw a man go in!

I checked the design department, the pantry, storage room, and every possible hiding spot. However, there was no one around.

Breathing heavily, I returned to Celeste's office and heard the rustle of fabric, mixed with a woman's suppressed panting. It seemed to come from near the corner of the room.

I moved quietly toward the sound.

Up close, I noticed a narrow gap between a panel and the wall with light seeping through.

Without a second thought, I yanked the panel open and shouted, "Celeste! What are you doing?"

Behind the panel was a small space, almost like a mini fitting room. Celeste stood inside, staring at me in shock while holding the arm of a mannequin.

There wasn't a living person in the space other than her.

Looking at my twisted expression, she seemed utterly confused. "Babe? What are you doing here?"