Chapter 2

I'd made this belt at Nathan's specific request—he wanted something unique as a gift.

The patterns on it were designs Nathan had drawn himself, which I'd then sewn on stitch by stitch.

He'd said it symbolized our ten years of love.

But not long after, Nathan had guiltily told me the belt had gone missing.

I'd thought he was just careless and made him a new one.

"Mrs. Wilson, is there something wrong with this belt? You've been staring at it for a while."

Leah had appeared behind me at some point, pulling me from my thoughts.

I clenched my fists, suppressing my emotions, forcing out a smile:

"This belt hasn't been used in so long, the color's gotten dull."

Leah glanced at the belt dismissively, then said as if remembering something amusing:

"His wife made this belt for him by hand. I coaxed him a bit and he gave it to me…"

Leah waved her hand, gesturing for me to take the belt and throw it away.

I packed the belt into my bag and continued organizing her things.

When I opened the nightstand drawer, I found over a dozen boxes of condoms neatly arranged inside.

Because Nathan was allergic to latex, he could only use this one expensive specialty brand.

And this specialty brand was something I had a factory friend produce exclusively for me.

No one but me had access to purchase these.

So all of these had been stolen from our home by Nathan, one by one.

The thought of my husband having sex with another woman on this bed made acid rise in my stomach, churning constantly.

What should have been a two-hour job, I dragged out to five hours due to my scattered attention.

Leah looked at the closet I'd organized so neatly and praised me enthusiastically:

"My husband loves this kind of meticulous organization. He says his wife at home is rigid, but she's definitely good at housework."

"Looking at you, you're no worse than her."

Leah looked up and saw my shocked expression, then smiled knowingly:

"I'm his mistress. It's pretty common these days, isn't it?"

I hadn't expected her question. My throat felt like it had a fishbone stuck in it.

Seeing I didn't respond, Leah didn't feel awkward and continued her monologue:

"His wife is domineering. At home, he always feels like a controlled child. Only with me can he experience real masculine conquest."

Leah's words triggered my memories.

Because of my work, I kept our home meticulously organized too.

What he wore to work each day, from his suit down to his socks—I managed everything.

I just wanted him to leave looking perfect, but in his eyes, this had become a form of control.

Suddenly, the smart lock chimed cheerfully.

Leah jumped up excitedly and rushed to the entrance:

"It must be him! He got away from that witch so early today!"

I stood in the shadows, watching Nathan push through the door.

He wore the suit I'd ironed smooth for him that morning, carrying a bouquet of bright red roses.

The gentle smile I knew so well hung on his face.

But that smile hadn't stayed there more than a few seconds before his peripheral vision caught my figure.

"Iris…?"