I nodded softly, saying, "It's great to have you back; let's enjoy some time just for us."

I sat on Elian's lap, pouring drink after drink until he was thoroughly drunk. With the housekeeper's help, I managed to get him into bed. My smile faded. The wine had a light sedative mixed in to make sure he stayed asleep.

I took his phone and unlocked it with his fingerprint. Throughout our marriage, I'd always trusted him completely. This was the first time I'd ever touched his phone, and my fingertips trembled slightly. The devastating truth of Elian's betrayal unfolded before me.

Nataly's WhatsApp contact in Elian's phone was saved as "My Darling" with a heart emoji, while mine was just my full name—cold and formal. My hands felt ice-cold as I scrolled through their messages. It turned out that when I was pregnant with our son, Elian met Nataly through a mutual friend and helped her through college.

Later, while I was recovering from childbirth, Nataly and Elian officially started dating. The intimate photos were shamelessly revealing. They mockingly called me "the whale" and "old hag," while Nataly was his "muse," the most vibrant rose he cherished.

No wonder Elian never touched me after our son was born. I had pathetically believed it was because my body had changed and no longer attracted him. I even took private Pilates classes. But the truth was, Elian was finding satisfaction elsewhere.

With shaking hands, I saved their entire chat history on the computer. I also checked Elian's order history; the timelines matched perfectly.

Elian would abandon me without hesitation during intimate moments—Nataly would flood him with messages, eager to try out themed hotel rooms. When our son had a fever and I couldn't reach Elian, it was because he was dashing around the city to find a specific candy flavor Nataly craved.

Elian had given me several fake designer bags, and when I confronted him, he shamelessly showed me screenshots of orders. He bought genuine ones for Nataly and gave me knock-offs. Nataly even mocked me for being too ignorant to know the difference. How dare she use our shared resources and then ridicule me?

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, but my laughter turned to tears. I touched my cheek, realizing I was crying.

Elian had missed so much of our son's life; he simply didn't care. He had a "cozier" home across town. After collecting enough evidence to ensure he would leave the marriage empty-handed, I contacted a divorce attorney.

Elian's phone kept buzzing with Nataly's messages.

"Sweetheart, I just reviewed the lesson plan and slides you made for me—they're fantastic! A kiss for you!"

My mind went blank. What lesson plan? As a CEO of a public company, Elian had actually written lesson plans for Nataly?

"Darling, why aren't you replying to me now?"

"Are you with that old hag? If you touch her, I'll never be with you again!"

Message after message, accompanied by a flood of emojis from Nataly. I quietly put down the phone and walked to the study.

In the study, our computers sat side by side, and we knew each other's passwords. I tried several before accessing his. The truth was finally exposed.

For a mere national early education competition, he had stolen my unpublished paper. As the director, I had spent a year researching and working on that project.

Cold and numb, I saved the evidence. If I hadn't uncovered this, the consequences would have been unimaginable. I called the organizers:

"Hello, this is Lilly Collins."

"Yes, I've made my decision. I’d like to serve as a judge for the national early education competition."