My daughter pointed to a photo on Instagram and asked me, "Mommy, why is Daddy kissing Uncle Leo?" I didn't think much of it, figuring it was just a behind-the-scenes pic from Ethan's new movie. He’d told me he was shooting a film with an LGBTQ+ storyline. But the next day, I saw the footage from the security camera in our bedroom. Ethan and that man were passionately kissing on my bed, our wedding photo hanging on the wall behind them. And that man… was wearing my pajamas. 1 "Mommy, why is Daddy kissing Uncle Leo?" My daughter, Lily, looked up at me, her face a picture of innocence, pointing at a photo on her tablet. I was just plating the last dish for dinner and glanced over. It was a picture of Ethan kissing another man. The headline screamed: "Paparazzi Catch A-List Actor Ethan Cheating with Young Heartthrob!" I brushed it off. Tabloids these days have no shame. Ethan was currently filming an indie gay romance, and the man he was kissing was his co-star, Leo. Leo and Ethan had been best friends for years. When I was in labor with Lily, Ethan was out of town and couldn't make it back, so Leo was the one who stayed with me at the hospital. That’s why Lily called him Uncle Leo and saw him as her godfather. So, I stroked my daughter's hair. "Because Daddy needs to earn money to take care of Lily. This is just work for him and Uncle Leo. You can't believe those nasty things people write to hurt them, okay?" Lily nodded vigorously. "I know, Mommy! I won't believe those bad people." "Mommy, when is Daddy coming home? The cake can’t wait much longer to be eaten by me!" "You little rascal," I said, gently pinching her chubby cheek. "Daddy said he'll be home right after work to celebrate Lily's birthday. Can Lily wait just a little bit longer?" Ethan’s current film set was close to home. We’d agreed yesterday that he’d come back with Leo after shooting wrapped to celebrate Lily’s birthday. However, the minutes ticked by, and the food grew cold, but Ethan still hadn't returned. The third time I called him, the phone finally picked up. A low, husky voice came through. "Eleanor? They added a last-minute night shoot. Ethan’s probably going to be tied up all night." It was Leo. I felt a little uneasy. Ethan never let anyone touch his phone. Once, when he was in the shower, I answered a call for him. He blew up at me—the only time he’d ever really yelled—and we had a huge fight. After that, he never let his phone out of his sight, not even when he went to the bathroom. But he never seemed to mind Leo using his phone. Still, I couldn't really say anything to Leo, so I just said, "Okay, well, please remind him he promised to take Lily to the amusement park tomorrow." After hanging up, I put the birthday hat on Lily's head, coaxing her disappointed little face back into a smile. Ethan didn't come home that night. It wasn't until the next morning that he dragged himself through the door, looking utterly exhausted. I knew filming was tough, so I didn't mention him missing the party. I just ran him a hot bath and heated up breakfast. "Ethan, you must be exhausted. Go take a hot shower, have some breakfast. You can take Lily out later." Ethan rested his head on my shoulder and took a deep breath. "Ellie, what would I do without you?" "Oh, stop it," I said, smiling and patting his head. "Go get cleaned up." "Alright," Ethan mumbled, shuffling tiredly towards the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as he went. I sighed, resigned, and bent down to pick them up. That’s when I glanced up and, by chance, saw it: a bright red bite mark on his bare inner thigh. 2 By the time Ethan finished his shower, the oatmeal was ready. I brought out the sandwiches and oatmeal and casually asked, "Why the sudden night shoot yesterday? Didn't you say you’d already talked to the director about finishing early?" "It’s all that idiot Leo’s fault. He messed up a simple water scene like twenty times. I had to stay late with him because of it." "If it weren’t for our history, I wouldn’t even bother with him. Ellie, you have no idea, I was running lines with him all night, barely got any sleep. I feel like death!" Ethan was practically radiating frustration. He and Leo had signed with the same agency and debuted around the same time, slogging it out in showbiz for over a decade. It was just that Leo wasn't as talented. After more than ten years in the business, he was still a D-list actor, barely on anyone's radar. Ethan, on the other hand, was already a multiple award-winning A-lister. He’d taken this gay romance film partly to tap into market trends and partly to give Leo a leg up, hoping to boost his popularity. Ethan really was exceptionally good to Leo. Just like now. Even though he was complaining, there was an undercurrent of helpless fondness in his voice. I used to think Ethan just saw Leo as a younger brother, but now… I pushed down the swirling thoughts in my mind and smiled, trying to soothe him. "Alright, alright. He's been your friend for so many years. Don't be too hard on him." "Hmph. For your sake, Ellie, I’ll forgive him this time." I looked at the untouched sandwich in front of him and the nearly empty bowl of oatmeal, feeling a little quiet. Ethan wasn't usually a big fan of oatmeal, but today he was acting completely out of character. I smiled. "Is my cooking extra good today? Looks like you’re about to finish all the oatmeal." Ethan looked at me earnestly. "Ellie, your cooking gets better every single day. This oatmeal is heavenly." I paused, a warmth spreading through my chest. I silently cursed myself for being so soft. After all these years, his words could still move me. Ethan looked at me, his face slightly flushed, just like the day he proposed. When I met Ethan seven years ago, he wasn't an A-list actor yet, just a little-known performer. We didn't have some dramatic, rollercoaster love story, no earth-shattering vows of eternal love. We met on a blind date set up by mutual friends. Everything just flowed naturally, falling into place. On our first anniversary, he showed up with a bouquet of roses. "Eleanor, will you walk with me through all of life's seasons, for a lifetime?" After we got married, Ethan was gentle and considerate. We had our lovely daughter. Even if he often… had trouble performing in some areas and needed medication, the good far outweighed the bad. He was a good husband. No matter how busy he was, he never forgot a single holiday. Even if he was out of town, he’d send a gift and a loving message. He even converted all his earnings into gold bars, locked in a safe at home, and gave me the key. This was his way of giving me security, and I never once doubted he would betray me. 3 I reached out to touch his face and felt how hot it was. "You're burning up!" Ethan blinked. "Am I?" "How can you not even know you have a fever? And you went and took a shower." I was about to rush him to the hospital, but he stopped me. "It's nothing serious. I'll just take a fever reducer and sweat it out. But Lily… I promised to take her to the amusement park today." "But you can't take her out when you have a fever." "How about this, Ellie? You take her first. If my fever breaks, I'll meet you guys there. I already missed her birthday last night. I don't want to disappoint her again." "Please, Ellie?" Ethan put his hands together, looking at me with puppy-dog eyes, just like Lily did. I caved and nodded. Ethan happily kissed me. I playfully pushed him away. "Careful, you'll make me sick." When Lily found out Daddy was bailing on her again, her lip pouted so much you could hang a bottle on it. But once we got to the amusement park, she forgot all about it. The little tyke was bursting with energy. Chasing her around on this crisp October day had me breaking a sweat. I was worried about Ethan. He hadn't answered two of my calls, so I opened the home security camera app on my phone to check on him. What I saw sent a chill straight through me, like I’d been plunged into an ice cave. In my bedroom, Ethan was pinned underneath Leo, who was kissing and biting him. Our wedding photo hung on the wall. And Leo… was wearing my pajamas. My hands trembled as I fumbled for my earbuds, jabbing the connector into my phone several times before it finally went in. I heard Ethan's broken moans. "Don't… not here. What if Ellie… comes back and sees?" "Eleanor took Lily out. They won't be back anytime soon." "Ethan, baby, they say it’s even better when you have a fever. Don't you want to try?" "Mmm… uh… okay, but be quick." 4 It was a bright, sunny day, but I felt like I was trapped in the dead of winter. I stood there, taking a couple of deep breaths to calm myself. Then, without hesitation, I dropped Lily off at my parents' place and sped home, pushing the speed limit. But the scene at home wasn't quite what I'd imagined. Ethan was lying in bed, looking weak, while Leo, fully dressed, sat on the sofa nearby, playing on his phone. When he saw me, he immediately stood up. "Eleanor, you're back." Ethan also looked at me, confused. "Ellie, why are you back so early?" "Lily got tired." "Oh, Leo's here? Why didn't you call ahead?" I smiled at Leo. "I heard Ethan was sick, so I came to see him. After all, if it wasn’t for being up all night running lines with me, he probably wouldn't have gotten this fever." Leo's voice was full of apology. I secretly sized him up but didn't see anything unusual. He really did seem like he was just there to visit a sick Ethan. So normal, in fact, that I almost thought the scene I’d witnessed on the camera feed was a dream. I glanced at the security camera on top of the wardrobe. We'd just installed it last month, originally to keep a better eye on Lily. Never thought Lily wouldn't need it, but Ethan would give me a "surprise" with it first. "Is that so?" I stared at Leo, a half-smile on my face. He seemed a bit unnerved by my gaze and swallowed hard. "Eleanor, what's wrong?" I walked past him, opened the wardrobe, and pulled out the set of pajamas I’d seen in the video, handing them to him. "Leo, I just bought these earlier this year. Pure silk, incredibly smooth. I've barely worn them. They're yours now." Leo's face instantly turned deathly pale. "Eleanor, I… I don't understand what you mean." "Then take these pajamas home and think about it. I won't see you out." 5 After Leo left, I finally turned to Ethan, who was cowering like a scared rabbit. "Honey, be honest with me. How long has this been going on?" Ethan scrambled off the bed and knelt before me. "Ellie, he seduced me! You know I've been shooting that kind of movie with Leo lately. I only just found out he… he’s always been in love with me." "That night, I was drunk, and he used the excuse of filming to confess to me. I just got too into character and lost control for a moment. Ellie, please believe me, my heart only has you and our family. I swear, as soon as this movie wraps, I'll never see him again." "Ellie, just forgive me this once. Give me one more chance, please?" Ethan clutched at my clothes, sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing him like this, I felt my resolve soften. After all, we'd been married for so many years, and we had Lily. "Ellie," Ethan slapped himself hard across the face. "Even if not for me, think about Lily! She's so young. Can you really bear to let her grow up without a father?" "I swear, if I ever do anything to wrong you again, may I drop dead! Just forgive me this once, please? Please?" Fine. I sighed and pulled his hands away. "No next time." After getting Ethan's repeated assurances, I felt a little more at ease. Maybe he really had just had a moment of weakness. With such a big upheaval, I didn't bring Lily back home immediately. I needed time to adjust. That night, I lay in bed with my eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. Ethan wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Ellie." His breathing grew heavier. Normally, I would have hugged him back, enjoying some rare time alone together. But now, I just felt… disgusted. I broke free from his embrace and asked coldly, "Did you take your pills again?" Ethan froze, then stammered an explanation. "I… I just wanted to make you happy." "Do you need to take them when you're with him?" Ethan mumbled, "Ellie, it's not what you think." "If you can't, don't force yourself. I don't need it." I grabbed my pillow and went to sleep in the guest room. I didn't sleep a wink. Forgiveness is easy to say, but hard to do. 6 Ethan did behave himself for a while, just as he’d promised. After finishing that movie, he didn't contact Leo again. But it wasn't even a month before he showed his true colors again, getting caught by the paparazzi and ending up trending online. That day, just like last time, he knelt on the floor, slapping himself and begging for my forgiveness. But this time, I didn't soften. I threw him out. It's true what they say online: cheating is either zero times or countless times. All that talk about a "moment of weakness." The truth was, he’d been gay from the start. I should have realized it the first time he took those pills. But for all these years, even when I caught him red-handed, I kept deceiving myself: he still had me in his heart. Now, I finally couldn't lie to myself anymore. My tears vanished into the darkness. I thought this was the lowest point of my life. But I didn't expect an even crueler truth was waiting for me. Last month, when I went to pick up Lily, I gave the gold bracelet Ethan had given me to my mom. Only to be told it was fake. Mom was worried we'd been scammed and even sent me a report from a jewelry appraiser. "Ellie, honey, this fake is incredibly well-made. If your Aunt Sarah wasn't an expert, we'd have been completely fooled." "I know you two aren't short on money, but you can't let people cheat you like this. You need to be more careful in the future, okay?" "Okay, Mom. Thanks." After hanging up, a chill spread through me. I suddenly remembered the gold bars in the safe at home. All these years, Ethan had claimed gold was a good investment and converted all his income into gold bars, storing them in our home safe. And I had the key. I quickly took out two bars and sent them for testing. The result was something I could never have imagined. All this gold… it was all fake! Ethan had been lying to me all along! Not just the gold; all the jewelry he’d ever given me was fake. Even my wedding diamond was glass. I clenched my jaw, my fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. I was shaking all over, my eyes bloodshot. The hatred reached its peak in that moment.
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