My husband, Henry Gibbons, is a man with a heart of gold. He has sponsored Felicity Lambert, an impoverished female college student who has come from the mountains, and yet I've never seen this person before.

During the New Year holidays, Henry has traveled to the mountains to give Felicity some well-needed resources, but he ends up getting trapped there because of a blizzard.

My heart aches for him, so I've shared the local news while praying for his quick return. But that's when I come across a video clip featuring a comic convention on the trending list.

Henry, who claims that he's trapped in the mountains, can be seen wearing a cosplaying outfit. In the video, he's kneeling on the floor while helping a scantily-dressed young woman tie the bells to her ankles.

The woman titters as she pats him on the head. "Thank you, Henry!"

The caption of the video reads, "Daddy's love is the salvation meant for me and me only."

I tap into the uploader's profile picture. The pinned post is a photo of the luxurious goods meant to be flaunted to the Internet. A pregnancy report sits next to those goods as well.

"Daddy has told me that once that hag of a wife dies, these things will be mine!"

In the comment section, Henry's smurf account has responded, "Be patient, my little minx. Her time will be up soon."

At that moment, I find myself staring down at the New Year's dinner that I've just whipped up. Then, I dump everything into the trash can without hesitation.

Two weeks ago, my husband, Henry Gibbons, packed his belongings and traveled to the mountains to deliver supplies to the woman he was sponsoring, Felicity Lambert.

"You have a weak constitution, and the roads are dangerous. You should just stay home."

I believed him. I even gave him the 20,000 dollars that I had saved up for a year, so he could buy more supplies for Felicity, who was also his goddaughter.

I had no idea that I was essentially paying for their condoms.

My hands were shaking when I video-called Henry.

The call rang for a long time before he finally picked up, his voice echoing from the pitch-black screen.

"Hello, honey? Did you need something?" Henry asked, sounding out of breath. "I just made it to the mountain. I'm so tired."

"Where are you?"

"In the valley! The signal is terrible here. I had to climb up a tree to take your call. A snowstorm has blocked the roads. I definitely won't be able to make it back till after the New Year. Be sure to buy yourself something nice to eat, okay?"

"Is that so?"

I had seen Felicity's latest update. Her location was the Milaria Hotel, which was in the heart of the city.

Upbeat music was playing in the background, setting the mood for the comic convention that she was at.

Although Henry had covered the receiver, I could still hear the same upbeat music coming from the other end of the line.

"I'll talk to you later, honey. My phone's about to run out of battery."

The screen went dark before I could get a word in, the busy tone echoing in my ears.

I collapsed onto the floor and scrolled through my banking app, checking the "donations" that Henry had made in the last two years.

"March, 2021: 50,000 dollars. Scholarship funds."

Felicity had posted a new update that day. "I finally got a nose job! It hurts a lot, but I'm so happy. Thank you for supporting my decision, Henry!"

"February 14, 2022: 13,140 dollars. Daily necessities."

Felicity had shown off a pair of Jimmy Choo high heels that day. "A Valentine's Day surprise. I love you."

"September 2023: 80,000 dollars. School renovations."

Felicity's location had been in Seafoam Bay that day. She had attached photos of a room with a sea view, and a bed that was covered in roses.

Were these the so-called donations that Henry had mentioned? Using the money from our shared marital account to pay for his mistress's expenses?

My fingers felt numb as I continued scrolling through Felicity's social media account.

Three years ago, she had uploaded a post when Henry first brought it up to me that he wanted to sponsor a student.

"I got to know a stupid, old man. He's bald, and his breath stinks, but he gives me a lot of money. I only have to praise him a little, and he'll buy me everything that I want. I feel such a sense of achievement for training an old dog like him."

She had also attached a photo to her post, showing a man's hand holding a stack of bills.

Wrapped around the man's wrist was the watch that I had given to Henry for our 20th wedding anniversary.

I walked over to the window.

Henry had uploaded a new photo to his social media account, showing the scenery of the snowy mountains.

"It's freezing and tiring, but everything feels worth it when I think about how I can make the students smile. Happy New Year, honey. Don't miss me too much."

There was a flood of comments under his post from our friends and family.

"You're such a Good Samaritan, Henry!"

"These are the positive vibes that our society needs right now!"

"Lucy is so lucky. She married a man with such a big and loving heart."

My expression darkened as I scanned through the comments. I quietly picked up a pair of scissors and pulled out a suit from the closet.

Henry had prepared the suit in anticipation of accepting a philanthropist award.

The scissors' blades easily sliced through the fabric of the suit.

Henry returned home after the New Year. He was covered in mud, and he had stubble growing along his jaw. There was also a layer of grime on his face. He had a sack of sweet potatoes and walnuts with him.

"I'm home, honey!" he announced as he stepped through the door, throwing the sack on the floor and scattering dust everywhere.

"I swear that I'm seconds away from dropping dead of exhaustion. The mountain roads aren't for the faint of heart. Anyway, look! The villagers insisted on giving me their local delicacies. They're all organic too!"

I looked at Henry coolly as I balanced my cup of tea between my hands.

"What's wrong, honey?" Henry asked. "Are you upset?"

He took off his muddy shoes. He then sat down next to me and tried to pull me into a hug. "Did you miss me so much that you couldn't sleep?"

The combined scent of perfume and alcohol permeated my senses.

I shifted away and dodged his grabby hands. "Why don't you take a shower if you're so tired?"

Henry retracted his hands and rubbed his nose, saying, "I just wanted to hold you first. Oh, that's right. I didn't come home empty-handed. Look!"

He pulled out a plastic bag from his coat.

There was a red, woven bracelet with a ruby pendant inside.

"I got this from the village. It was blessed by the priest to keep you safe. Felicity… I mean, all the youngsters in the village told me that it's really effective."

I accepted the bracelet and fiddled with it.

Felicity visited our home a year ago.

Henry had told me that he wanted to give his beneficiary a chance to experience the outside world and the warmth of a loving family.

Felicity had been wearing a worn-out uniform at that time. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she constantly kept her head lowered, not daring to meet eyes with anyone.

"This is Mrs. Gibbons," Henry said while pointing at me.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Gibbons," Felicity greeted me timidly.

Looking at her threadbare clothes, I decided to drop by the mall to buy a jacket for her. It had cost 200 dollars, which was half of our family's monthly expenses.

However, when I passed by the guest room that night, I heard Felicity complaining to someone over the phone.

"I'm so annoyed! That old hag has such old-fashioned tastes. She bought a stupid jacket for me that not even a beggar would wear. I much prefer the Moncler jacket that Henry said he would buy for me."

The next morning, I found the jacket that I had bought for Felicity stashed inside the kennel.

Beyond furious, I decided to air my grievances to Henry.

Henry frowned as he looked at me and asked, "Why are you being so petty? Felicity's from the mountains. She has a strong sense of pride. She probably felt guilty because you bought something so expensive for her, and she's probably too scared to wear it.

"Besides, youngsters these days have their own sense of style. You shouldn't have bought something for her without understanding her style first. You're behaving like a classic city dweller right now, trying to emotionally blackmail her!"

Now that I knew about the true nature of Henry's and Felicity's relationship, it was only natural that Felicity would dislike the jacket that I bought for her. My jacket was from a local brand, while the jacket that Henry bought from her was from Moncler.

"Why aren't you putting it on?" Henry asked when he noticed that I was lost in my thoughts. "I went through a lot of trouble to get this for you."

I snapped back to my senses and looked at the bracelet. I smiled as I asked, "Where did Mom's surgery funds go, Henry?"

"W-What surgery funds? What are you talking about?" Henry stammered, averting his eyes.

"I stopped by the bank yesterday," I explained as I placed the bank statement on the coffee table. "There's supposed to be 30,000 dollars in the account, but there's only three dollars and eight cents now. You withdrew the money a day before you left for the mountains."

Mom had left that money for me in case there was an emergency.

Henry leaped to his feet. A vein pulsed in his neck as he exclaimed, "You investigated me? We're husband and wife. Aren't we supposed to trust each other? I… I lent the money to Peter! His company was struggling financially, but he'll return the money in the next couple of days."

"You lent it to Peter?"

I pulled out my phone and navigated to Felicity's social media account. I then thrust the device in his face.

The photo showed a custom-made costume. The total cost was 28,000 dollars since each part of the costume was handmade.

"Thank you for your generosity, Henry! Apparently, he paid for this costume using that old crone's money that she saved to buy her mother's casket. Somehow, I feel even better when wearing it."

Henry's eyes widened. The color drained from his face as he stared at the screen.

"L-Let me explain! This is all part of the script! Youngsters these days love it when there's drama! We didn't actually buy the costume. We only rented it to take some photos."

I lifted my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

Henry was stunned by my slap. He stared at me while covering his cheek with his hand.

"Have you lost your mind?" he demanded. "How dare you raise your hand against me? I only did what I did for the sake of charity! To raise awareness for the students who are living in the mountains! You crazy, short-sighted wretch! Do you have any idea how much exposure Felicity's post will gain?"

"Exposure?" I asked with a scoff. "Do you really believe that you earned that exposure with your own hard work? Or did you gain that exposure by using the money that would save Mom's life?"

Henry swallowed the rest of his words as he looked into my eyes.

"Fine. I'm not going to argue with you anymore. You're clearly not mentally stable right now. We'll talk about this again once you've calmed down."

He then grabbed the sack of sweet potatoes and walnuts and retreated to his room, slamming the door with a loud bang.

I stared at the door that was sealed shut.

…

It was extremely quiet in the house for the next few days.

Henry began leaving early and returning late every day. A strong stench of perfume clung to him every time he stepped through the door.

He only returned home early on Friday, bringing a gift box with him.

"Are you still angry, honey?" he asked with a smile as he pressed the gift box into my hands. "Open it and have a look. I specifically picked this out as my apology present to you."

I opened the box.

A pearl necklace was nestled inside. The pearls had a dull sheen, and they were clearly defective.

"I specifically talked to the gala organizers to get this for you. The necklace itself isn't from a prestigious brand, but it has a unique design.

"I'm one of the main guests for tomorrow night's charity gala. I'll be going up on stage to accept an award. The organizers told me that the award-winners' families must attend the gala, so you have to be there to support me. Don't let me down!"

I fiddled with the necklace.

Half an hour ago, I received a selfie from Felicity.

In the photo, she was wearing a necklace with Artanan white pearls around her neck.

"Mrs. Gibbons, Henry told me that top-of-the-line, Artanan white pearls are perfect for me because I have a slender neck. Meanwhile, you have a thick and wrinkly neck, so you only need to wear counterfeit freshwater pearls to cover up your wrinkles.

"See you tomorrow night. I'll be wearing a gown from your favorite brand. Henry's the one who bought it for me."

I switched off my phone. I then picked up the necklace and looked at Henry. I made sure to sound excited when I exclaimed, "Is that so? This looks amazing! You're so good to me, honey."

Henry breathed a sigh of relief. A hint of disdain flickered in his eyes before he said, "Of course. It only makes sense for me to treat you well. Oh, that's right. Felicity will be attending the gala too. She's the representative for the student beneficiaries. She'll also be going up on stage to give a speech.

"This is a good chance for us to show the fruits of our labor. Since you're my wife, you'll also be going up on stage to present an award to her."

"Sure."

Henry hadn't expected me to be so cooperative. He gleefully rubbed his hands together and said, "Marvelous! You're so understanding and generous, honey. Oh, there's one more thing…"

He continued rubbing his hands together as an expectant smile stretched across his face. "My condition has been pretty good recently. I think now's the right time for us to try for a child. I'm not getting any younger. It's about time for me to sire an heir.

"Felicity told me that she dreamed about me cradling a chubby child the other day. It's probably a good omen!"

It seemed that Henry was trying to convince me to accept Felicity.

However, I already had other plans.

The private investigator had handed the information that he had collected to me yesterday afternoon. He had found evidence of Henry transferring our assets to another account, as well as a copy of a full-body check-up report.

A decade ago, shortly after Henry and I got married, we dropped by the hospital for a check-up because we couldn't conceive.

The doctor had asked Henry to enter the office by himself.

Henry had remained silent after he exited the office. He tore the report to shreds before telling me that all was well.

However, I had secretly remembered the name of the doctor since I was concerned about him.