A few days passed.

While I was taking my son to preschool, I ran into Bradley Combs, an old rival who had once tried to win Victoria's favor. After Vicky chose me, he began hurling insults as his petty form of revenge. He believed he could get away with it because his father was wealthy, while I was always struggling.

Bradley flashed a sly grin. "Oh, boy! Why, it's our Big Boy Nolan!"

I ignored him.

He trailed after me, still wearing that shit-eating grin. "Lemme guess. You've been too tired to satisfy Vicky's appetite lately, haven't you? Why let a flower like that wither if you can't even summon the energy, man? You should've told us. We could've all pitched in and helped you."

I turned and grabbed him by the collar. "What the fuck was that supposed to mean?"

Bradley squirmed. "Hey, hey! There's truth to what I said, man. Don't shoot the messenger. Your wife's been spreading the fun around to everyone. Don't you know that?"

I shoved him away and threw him to the ground.

He winced, then pushed himself to his feet, glaring at me. "I won't forget this, you bastard. You'll pay for this!"

I frowned as he stormed off. What did he mean? Was he trying to drive a wedge between Victoria and me? I would not put it past him. Envy could easily motivate something like that.

Still, he had never said anything like this before, despite years of picking on me. That alone made the comment feel suspicious. I trusted my wife, but Bradley's words left a sour knot in my stomach.

I had to ask her myself.

…

Victoria was still livestreaming when I returned home. From inside her makeshift studio, I could hear her speaking in a sweet, cutesy voice. I could not possibly barge in while she was live.

I went to our bedroom and signed up for a new account. Then I opened Victoria's channel.

To my surprise, she had already gathered at least 30,000 live viewers, even though she had started the job only a month ago. I had no idea so many people were eager to buy swimsuits.

Or were they?

Victoria wore a lacy swimsuit today. It was revealing, though still within what I could tolerate. I exited the stream and checked some of her older videos, which had nowhere near the same level of popularity.

I felt puzzled when I discovered she had sold only about 25 pieces of swimwear so far. Her commissions alone could not possibly bring in that much money. So where was it really coming from?

I returned to the livestream and watched the chat more closely.

[Smile for me, sugar!]

Victoria immediately turned to the camera and gave a seductive smile.

A pop-up flashed across the screen at once. That was it. She had earned money from a single smile.

[Anyone want to bet on her breast size? The losers have to send our swimsuit princess "The Premium Gift"!]

I understood now. Victoria was not selling to female customers. She had attracted a crowd of rich perverts instead. Worse, the openly flirtatious way she interacted with them made my anxiety grow stronger. Bradley's words echoed in my mind.

I forced myself to focus on the stream again and noticed that the viewer count had climbed past 100,000. How was that even possible? Did top influencers really pull in audiences like this on a regular basis?

One viewer in particular, "The Alpha Brat," kept spamming the so-called premium gifts. He repeatedly sent the highest-value tips. I had not seen him pause for even a minute.

I checked the tip rankings and saw that The Alpha Brat had already given Victoria 40,000 dollars in total. I could hardly believe it. Victoria had somehow earned that much money in a single livestream.

Yet I felt no joy for her. My anxiety only deepened.

I had heard how influencers on this platform often built hype to drive tips. Many audience members were actually part of their own team. Their job was to stir up excitement and push the crowd to spend more. In return, they received 50% of the money the influencer earned.

I suspected the Alpha Brat was a paid crowd worker as well. How else could anyone logically explain Victoria receiving such an absurd amount in tips from a single livestream?

Finally, the stream ended. I was about to knock on her door when I heard her chuckle, as though she were talking to someone. I crept closer and peered through the crack. She checked the door warily every few seconds while tidying her clothes.

I opened the door. I noticed that she was wearing that sexy gear from the other day underneath her dress.

Puzzled, I asked, "Who were you talking to? I heard you laugh."

A faint flicker of panic crossed Victoria's face before she chuckled. "Oh, I was talking to my cousin, Maddie. She was telling me about the dumb things Jack was doing again. It was hilarious. He didn't even bother to research what his job involved before flying out to take it. It almost cost him his life. Imagine dying in a foreign country.

"Maddie was furious, let me tell you. I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. And who could blame her? But I know one thing. I won't allow you to take jobs abroad. Not ever."

I smiled politely. "Why not? It doesn't sound like a bad deal. If you choose the right country and job, you could make quite a lot of money. Honestly, I'd consider it if the pay were high enough."

Victoria's expression darkened at once. "Are you crazy, Nolan? What's wrong with the life we have right now? Martin needs his dad. I need my husband!"

To be honest, I had never considered working abroad. I said it only because she brought up the subject. It was nothing more than an idle thought. I had not expected such a strong reaction from her. Had something terrible really happened to her cousin's husband over there?

Victoria noticed my silence and softened her tone. She slipped her arm around my neck and smiled gently. "You don't have to put yourself under so much pressure, sweetie. I know you're doing all this for our family. But I can make that kind of money now. I can share your burden and stand beside you in this struggle for a better life.

"My job brings in plenty of money, so don't worry about going abroad. All you need to do is support me. I promise you, we'll still be rolling in money without you making such a dangerous sacrifice."

She planted several firm kisses on my forehead and headed to the kitchen, looking pleased with herself.

Her mention of her job reminded me of what I had seen on her livestream. My doubts returned at once. What was really going on?

To verify my suspicions, I told her I was going out to buy cigarettes. I left the house and called Jack.

That was when he told me he had not been working abroad at all. They were vacationing on a tropical island, and Maddie had dropped her phone into the sea. She had not had time to replace her number or device yet.

A chill settled in my stomach. Had Victoria just lied to me?

I could not forget what Bradley had said. My mind kept returning to the image of her wearing that kinky, revealing outfit beneath her dress. Panic grew inside me, but I could not storm in and accuse her based on a few pieces of circumstantial evidence.

I needed proof that Victoria was cheating. I could not behave as though the worst had already happened and start acting on assumptions. I needed real evidence.

…

By the time I returned with the cigarettes, Victoria had already finished making dinner.

It was just several beef patties. There were not even sesame buns to turn them into burgers.

"Sweetie, I'm not criticizing the meal, but is this all we have tonight? Martin is still a little too young to eat beef patties every day," I reminded her.

I was genuinely upset, yet I could not bring myself to raise my voice at her. Life had been difficult for her all these years.

Her expression suddenly darkened. "Excuse me? Is this the attitude you should be showing me after I made you dinner while juggling my job? It's almost time for my next show. I don't have time for this!

"Just make do with this… or make something else for yourself. I'm outta here!"

Her sudden hostility made Martin burst into tears. He pleaded with his mother for a hug, but she ignored him and went straight back to her recording studio.

Since she took this job, she had been acting less and less like a mother. She had never cared much about household chores, but now she did not even seem to think her own son deserved her attention. How could she?

Martin's mood soured. He refused to eat the terrible patties and asked for fried chicken instead. I could not bear to refuse him, so I obliged. Afterward, I gave him a shower and tucked him into bed.

Victoria never once came out of her studio to check on her son. Instead, flirtatious giggles drifted through the door.

When she spoke, her voice carried an innocent, seductive tone that could bring any man to his knees.

"Pick my look today, boys. I promise I'll wear everything you want me to…"

"Oh my, you want to buy the bikini I just wore? Without washing it first? You're naughty, Daddy!"

Her unwashed bikini? "Daddy"? Was I losing my mind, or did all of this sound like actual kink territory?

Rage surged through my veins again. I almost marched into her studio to demand an explanation, but I stopped myself.

She would only come up with new excuses or distractions. No, there had to be a better way.

I forced myself to calm down and pulled out my phone. Using my alt account, I followed her page and started browsing her photos.

What I found shocked me.

Every photo was drop-dead sexy, and she looked like a spellbinding witch in every outfit she wore: black lace stockings with deliberate rips, form-fitting Pilates pants, a nurse roleplay outfit, and, of course, swimsuits that barely covered anything, as if someone had tried to hide the essentials with a strip of torn fabric.

Fuck. How was any of this even legal marketing?

It was no wonder she had been buying luxury items without hesitation. Hell, I even understood why she had been talking to me the way she had lately, throwing insults and calling me a useless loser.

She must have seduced a bunch of rich men and found herself several wallets to fund her lifestyle.

I downloaded every video and photo as evidence before sending her a message.

[Hey, I'm looking to buy a swimsuit for my girlfriend. Can you try one on and let me see how it looks?]

Her reply came almost immediately.

[Oh, you want the ones that smell like me, don'cha? Don't be shy, sweetie. Anything for you! But you'll need to make an early appointment, okay? A service like this comes with a tip—and I'll warn you, 95% of men stop right here because they can't afford it. You're not one of them though, are you?]

What the hell? She was incredibly direct.

I decided to leave the bait hanging and see how she would respond.

[An appointment, huh? That sucks. I guess I'll just ask again the next time you're free.]

[Of course, handsome! I'm always at your beck and call. Keep your eyes on my status updates. You'll definitely love what you see. These photos are pretty basic. They're for free and normal members, so I can't show them the exclusive stuff, right?]

[If you want something even hotter and tastier… join my member club!]

It felt as though someone had set my insides on fire.