My husband pursued me, cherished me, for years. And then, inevitably, he betrayed me. A cold, silent smirk touched my lips. My response? A four-course revenge special, served cold. For four years, I'd supported this social climber and his whole family of ungrateful leeches. I’d invested everything and ended up emotionally bankrupt. Fine. I’ll show you what having nothing really looks like. 1. On the way to the movies with Michael, I settled into the passenger seat. Out of habit, I flipped down the sun visor, sliding open the little cover to check my makeup in the mirror. There it was. A bright red lipstick print smeared right on the glass. Instinctively, I snapped the mirror shut and glanced at Michael. He was driving, asking distractedly, "What's wrong?" "Nothing," I said, forcing down the turmoil in my gut and managing a calm smile. He smiled back. Waiting at a red light, he reached over, interlacing his fingers with mine, his touch warm and familiar. Intimate. I dropped my lipstick back into my purse, digging my nails into my palm so hard it hurt. My heart felt like ice, but my face remained serene. Michael was cheating on me. In the fourth year of our marriage. That lipstick print was a blatant F-U from the other woman. Suddenly, the past six months clicked into place: the increasingly frequent "late nights at work," the occasional hushed phone calls in the middle of the night, the times I caught him smiling softly at his phone. It wasn't that I hadn't noticed. But I trusted him. I let his earnest explanations and consistently gentle demeanor fool me. I chose to believe. And this lipstick print? The universe practically screaming, "I told you so" at my gut feeling. Beyond the hurt, a strange sense of certainty settled over me, quickly followed by a white-hot rage at being deceived by the man sleeping beside me every night. In this marriage, Michael had played the role of the near-perfect husband. Handsome in that clean-cut, intellectual way, gentle, attentive, knew how to be romantic, how to make life comfortable. He always took such meticulous care of me. But none of that mattered now. The second I saw that print, he went from a ten-out-of-ten husband to just another lying, cheating scumbag. I never wanted to get married in the first place. It took Michael five years of pursuit, of patience, of convincing me, slowly coaxing me out of the shadow of my parents' disastrous marriage. Like a timid turtle sticking its neck out of its shell, I’d finally gathered the courage to give him the one thing I’d sworn I never would: my trust, for life. Turns out, the only faithful man is a dead man. Michael was no exception. While I might have been passive in letting the relationship get this far, I’m a shark in my career and life. That lipstick stain made one thing crystal clear: my marriage was an emotional, idiotic mistake. And now, it was time to fix it. In my thirty-two years, no one has ever betrayed me and walked away unscathed. No. One. Ever. 2 I didn't confront Michael. Instead, I slipped back into the mask of the happy, devoted wife. It wasn't difficult. More than I ever loved him, I love myself. The moment I knew he’d cheated, I emotionally checked out. All that remained was the cold, calculating desire for revenge. Honestly, it felt like switching back into work mode. Putting on a smile is easy. Only this time, my target wasn't a difficult client. It was an enemy. An enemy I would dedicate all my energy to destroying. To savor the sweet victory later, a little patience now was a necessary investment. Step one: gather intel. Know everything about his affair. Know your enemy, win the war. I planted a long-lasting listening device under the passenger seat, feeding me real-time audio from his car. Simultaneously, I hired the best private investigator in the city, sparing no expense, demanding meticulous reports on Michael’s every move. Money wasn't an issue. I have my own successful career. Michael makes good money too. And I was confident I could make him leave this marriage with nothing but the clothes on his back. Consider it recouping my investment. Ten days later, a detailed report landed in my inbox. Michael, an Associate Professor and grad student advisor at the university. His affair partner? One of his new advisees, a student named Chloe. I stared at the photos in the report. Him, looking distinguished and gentle. Her, young, pretty, with a shy look about her. They looked sickeningly perfect together. Chloe had chosen Michael as her advisor a year ago. Initially, he hadn't treated her any differently. But she came onto him hard from the start. Even after being rejected, she didn't back down, constantly buzzing around him, calling him "Professor Mike" with cloying sweetness. The PI even found Chloe's private blog, a digital diary overflowing with lovesick teenage angst. "Finally got to talk to Professor Mike today~ He's so handsome and kind!" "He agreed to be my advisor! OMG I can see him every day now!!!" "Saw Professor Mike with his wife today. They look good together. Ugh. So depressing." "I've decided! I'm going to tell him how I feel! I've been crushing on him since I first took his class junior year. I can't just be another student passing through. I won't!" "He rejected me... I couldn't help crying. But! He wiped my tears away! OMG! There's still hope! I'm not giving up!" "Professor Mike agreed to celebrate my birthday! He thinks it's a group thing, but it's just gonna be me, hehe." "Professor Mike wasn't even mad when he found out I tricked him! He just tapped my head gently and said since it was my birthday, he'd 'deal with me' tomorrow." "I poured him drinks, and he didn't refuse! We drank a lot, talked for hours. He told me about his childhood, how he clawed his way up from a dirt-poor background to become a professor. Talked about how he met his wife, how unhappy he is in his marriage, how his wife and his mom don't get along, how stressed he is… I hugged him to comfort him, and then… we slept together hahaha!" ... "I can't stand being his dirty little secret! I want to be his wife! I'll be way better than that cold fish who can't even handle her mother-in-law! He deserves better!" "I told him I want him to get a divorce. He didn't say yes, just that he needed to think about it." "I know he's always wanted kids, but his wife refuses to have any. What a selfish bitch! But that's okay, I'm willing! I'll give him lots of babies! We'll have a happy family!" "He took me to meet his mom today! She really liked me, held my hand the whole time. She even said she wished Michael had met me sooner, then she wouldn't have to deal with a daughter-in-law who apparently starves her and won't let her eat meat freely." "Before I left, his mom gave me a bunch of supplements and told me to hurry up and give the Peterson family an heir. She promised she'd stand by me and make sure I wouldn't be stuck as his mistress without any official status!" "He said he doesn't want me having a baby before I finish my degree, that he'd worry about me. But I worry about him wanting a baby so badly. Today, I secretly swapped the morning-after pill he gave me with a vitamin. Hope I can give him a surprise soon..." 3 I closed the report, my face expressionless. Hah. One relentlessly pursued, the other played coy before giving in. Carrying on right under my nose. No wonder Michael's mother had been less annoying these past six months. Turns out she’d already picked out a replacement daughter-in-law she liked better. Just then, my phone buzzed. The listening device picked up activity. I put in my earbuds. The unmistakable sounds of panting and moans filled my ears. Seriously? Getting it on in the car? Then again, a young, energetic college student… what middle-aged man like Michael could resist? I continued typing up a work proposal on my laptop, listening blankly to the trashy soundtrack of their affair. After a while, things quieted down. The girl's coy voice purred, "Honey... I think my period is like, two weeks late..." Hmm? I raised an eyebrow. Michael's hesitant voice came through the earbuds, "Chloe, are you saying...?" Chloe sounded shy. "Can you come with me to the doctor tomorrow to check?" I could hear the barely contained excitement in Michael's voice. "Yes! Okay!" Tomorrow was Saturday. That evening, Michael came home with a bouquet of peonies for me. Then, trying to sound casual, he said, "My mom's not feeling well. I'm going to take her to the doctor for a check-up tomorrow." I looked up, feigning concern. "Oh no, what's wrong with Mom? Should I come with you?" His hand paused while hanging up his coat. He forced a smile. "No need. Probably just her blood pressure acting up again, making her dizzy. It's an old issue. I'll handle it." "She didn't stop taking her medication again, did she?" "No, no. Just want to get it checked to be safe. Nothing serious." "Okay then. Well, I should call her later to see how she is." Michael arranged the flowers in a vase, looking perfectly composed. "You should. That's very thoughtful of you, honey." I gave him a warm, loving smile. Right. So he’d already coordinated the story with Mommy dearest. 4 The next day, the PI sent photos straight to my phone. There they were: Chloe and Michael embracing, his mother beaming ecstatically beside them. I knew the answer. A small smile played on my lips as I methodically plucked the soft peony petals, crushing them in my hand until they stained my palm. Intel gathering complete. Time to launch Operation Payback. "You're going away for a fellowship? For six months?" Michael looked surprised when I told him. I pouted playfully. "Yeah, Mr. Henderson called me today. Said it's a fantastic opportunity he recommended me for. Once I come back and work another six months, get some results, I'm basically guaranteed the VP position." I saw the flash of relief – no, joy – in his eyes before he masked it with mock sadness. "Honey, six months is so long... We haven't been apart that long since we started dating..." I scoffed inwardly but mirrored his reluctant expression. "Maybe... maybe I shouldn't go. The thought of being away from home this long... I'll miss you too much..." He immediately changed his tune. "No, no! This is a huge opportunity! I can't hold you back. Go! I'll be right here, holding down the fort, your biggest supporter!" I leaned in, fixing my eyes on his, trailing a crimson fingernail over his heart through his shirt. My voice dropped to a purr. "Six months is a long time. You won't go messing around behind my back, will you?" His eyes flickered guiltily. He lied smoothly, "Don't be silly. If you don't trust me, at least trust your own irresistible charm, right?" I laughed and planted a hickey on his neck. "Just leaving my mark. To warn off any stray cats." He laughed awkwardly, his tone trying for gentle exasperation. "You're impossible."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "392418", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel