Using an alternative account, I secretly join a cycling group chat that my husband, Liam Johnson, is in.

One day, an announcement is made in the group chat. "We'll be organizing a weekend mountain biking activity with an overnight stay, with two people sharing a room. To add some excitement, we'll be drawing lots for room assignments."

I can't really understand it. Curious, I ask, "What if a man and a woman end up drawing the same room?"

Someone immediately responded to my text.

"LOL! You must be new, aren't you, miss?"

"If that's the case, we'll have to congratulate the pair, then!"

"Isn't that kind of excitement the whole point of joining this event?"

The conversation in the group chat grew wilder, and they even started to describe the details of their last event.

"Back then, our friend Wind Breaker even broke his condom and had to knock on my door to borrow one. I was amazed by how vigorous they were moving about then!"

"Oh, I'm jealous of you guys who drew rooms with the opposite gender. I had to share with another guy, and all I could do was lie there, listening to the moans coming from the rooms on either side. Oh, that itch in my heart… I'll definitely pray for a lucky strike before I draw lots this time!"

"Admin, I suggest we split men and women while we draw lots this time to ensure every room has one of each. After all, that's what everyone is really here for…"

However, I paled when I read the texts, my hand trembling as I gripped my phone.

My husband, Liam Johnson, had also participated in the last event. When he came home, he was even telling me vividly how well-organized the event was and how friendly his cycling friends were.

No wonder he was so eager to participate again. It turned out their "friendliness" had gone this far.

At that moment, Liam tagged someone called "Sweet Kitten" and asked, "Are you joining this time?"

He followed up with a shy emoticon sticker, clearly expressing his anticipation.

Sweet Kitten immediately replied, "Oh, don't even get me started. My husband insists on doing some kind of family bonding and dragged me to hike with our son. I just don't get it—my son is already eight years old, so why should my personal time still be taken up?"

I was about to reply to her for being an irresponsible parent when Liam quickly comforted her. "Poor thing! A woman should be more than just a mother—she should be her own person, too."

Sweet Kitten immediately responded with a crying emoticon sticker.

Seeing Liam's sudden considerate act, I laughed in exasperation.

Just a moment ago, we were still arguing over who should take our daughter, Emily Johnson, to her extracurricular class.

It all started because Gina Keyes, my best friend who had been away for several years, finally came back. I wanted to catch up with her over a meal.

However, Liam was displeased. "Is a meal more important than Emily's studies? You're already a mother. Why are you still acting like a young maiden, gossiping with your best friend all day? Can't you put your responsibilities first?"

Back then, I retorted, "You're her father. Why can't you take her, just this once?"

Liam looked at me in disbelief. "Are you crazy? I'm a man—how could I send Emily to her dance class? There are a bunch of moms there. What would people think of me?"

My eyes were burning with rage, seeing the double standards he was imposing.

At that moment, the group chat launched into an event sign-up frenzy. Liam responded quickly.

Sweet Kitten even tagged him and sent a coy emoticon sticker. "You're so heartless, Mr. Johnson! Didn't you say you hoped you'd draw me again? So, how come you're still so eager even when I'm not going?"

Liam sent a kissy face emoticon sticker back. "Don't be upset, little kitten. We'll go out when you have time—just the two of us."

Their interaction set off more teasing in the group chat.

"Oh my, Kitten. It looks like Sir Johnson really left you satisfied the last time!"

Looking at the conversation in the group chat, I struggled to keep my tears at bay and steadied my breath. With a trembling hand, I added my name to the sign-up list.

The admin immediately tagged me. "Supergirl, it's your first time joining our overnight event, isn't it?"

"Yes," I replied indifferently.

"You're pretty cold—just my type!"

"So what if she's your type? You'll have to draw her first!"

Liam joined in the banter as well. "What's all this nonsense? Can you even handle the ice queen type? How about I break her in for you first, and then…"

He added a smirking emoticon sticker.

Everyone in the group chat started agreeing. "That's right! Sir Johnson has got to be the one who pops the cherry first!"

It seemed like Liam was a known veteran in the group chat.

It wasn't surprising, given the times he'd stayed out all night. Even if room assignments were random, by now, he must have experienced every type of woman there was.

No wonder Liam would refuse to get intimate with me for several days after his cycling trips. It turned out he was already full from sampling others from the streets.

I couldn't suppress the bitterness in my chest for any longer. Heavy tears started falling onto my phone screen.

At that moment, Liam just happened to walk out leisurely after taking a dump in the toilet. He shot me a disdainful look. "What kind of toxic content did you watch again? What's it telling you this time, how to judge whether your husband loves you or not?

"I just don't get it. I give you my paychecks on time, so where do you even get your grievances from? Forget it—I can't be bothered to argue with you. I'm going for a cycling trip tomorrow. You stay home and take care of Emily."

I wiped my tears and stared right at him. "Must you go?"

While I asked Liam, I was also asking myself if I really wanted to get myself involved in this matter.

Taken aback, he immediately snapped at me in disgust, "What kind of crazy fit are you throwing now? I don't visit prostitutes, nor do I gamble. I only have cycling as my one healthy hobby, yet you're still dissatisfied about it. You're really an unreasonable control freak!"

I was stunned, looking at Liam's twisted face. The image of the 18-year-old who once smiled at me shyly had suddenly shattered.

I clenched my fists tight, letting the pain of digging my nails into my palms remind me to keep myself calm. I then coldly spat, "You'd better stay healthy forever, then!"

"I'll damn well outlive you!" Liam pointed at me and scolded, "If you can live with me, then fine. If you can't, get a divorce! Stop making trouble out of nothing every single day!"

He then roughly kicked the trash can beside him. "How unlucky am I to have married such an unreasonable woman like you?"

I found it ironic that six years ago, Liam was the one dressed smartly in a suit and holding a microphone at our wedding venue. He'd gushed over how lucky he was to marry the woman who had stolen his heart since his youth.

At that moment, Emily came out, clutching her pillow and shivering. Her eyes widened in fear at the sight of the scattered trash. With a trembling voice, she asked, "Mommy, are you and Daddy fighting again?"

I quickly wiped my tears away and forced a smile. I then got up to pull her into a hug. "We're not. We're just rehearsing a skit."

At that moment, Liam stopped throwing a fit. He shot me a warning glare before going into the study.

With red and swollen eyes, I packed some clothes, planning to send Emily over to my parents' house.

Liam noticed this before we left. He disdainfully glanced at the suitcase in my hand and sneered. "How many days this time? Aren't you tired of the hassle of running back and forth like this? You're already married—I feel bad that Alicia has such an immature sister-in-law like you!"

I didn't want to argue with him in front of Emily, so I gripped her hand tightly and walked out without looking back.

Behind us, Liam scoffed. "Perfect. It saves me the time and effort to check in with you. I don't even know where you learned such nonsense from…"

…

The cycling group chat was unusually active that night. They were all anticipating tomorrow's event.

Someone tagged Liam, asking, "How come you're free today, Sir Johnson? Didn't your wife nag you?"

He was in a good mood and responded quickly, "That's something you all need to learn from me. Just pick an excuse to start an argument, and that stupid woman would run off to her parents' house with our daughter—just like always.

"I chose a perfect reason this time—there's no way that plain ol' housewife can complain about it!"

I sighed bitterly when I saw the words "plain ol' housewife". I never knew it only took several years for someone to go from being cherished to being discarded.

At that moment, Sweet Kitten comforted Liam, "Great minds think alike, Mr. Johnson. My husband brought my son over to his grandma's place. I simply made a huge fuss about something my mother-in-law did a few years back and refused to go along."

Someone started teasing them. "What are you trying to say? Are you openly telling each other that you're free now?"

They no longer replied, but everyone knew that they must have switched to private chat.

I quietly took a screenshot before turning on the home surveillance feed, as if I were a cat quietly waiting for a rat to step into a trap.

As expected, Liam happily stepped out of the house half an hour later. He returned five minutes later, hugging a woman as they entered the house.

A wave of nausea washed over me. They were even doing it right in our house now.

The two of them were all over each other the moment they stepped indoors, groping each other as they stripped off each other's clothes in seconds. A shirt, then an underwear—their trail led into the master bedroom.

I bit down on my lip so hard it started bleeding. Only then did I manage to suppress the urge to catch them red-handed on the spot.

After saving the video, I forwarded the screenshot to Gina. "Cancel everything tomorrow, Gina. I've got an exclusive piece for you."

After all, catching a rat was never a cat's real prize.