Chapter 2

【What? Your loyal, lapdog-devoted boyfriend is capable of cheating?】

【Are you sure there isn't some misunderstanding?】

Right.

To everyone else, he treated me that well.

Five years ago, I pulled him out of the water at the beach when he was drowning.

And then he started chasing after me.

"Millicent, I have feelings for you. Will you give me a chance?"

"I'll never forget the way you looked, saving me."

Over the years, the people I've saved could fill a few city blocks.

Handsome young men confessing to me weren't exactly rare either.

At first I didn't take it seriously.

How long could a rich man's infatuation really last?

He was just a bit better-looking, a bit richer, a bit more capable than most.

Fine. I'll admit it.

He did have real charm.

But I knew what marrying into a family like that meant. Once you go in, there's no getting back out.

That wasn't what I wanted.

Still, I'm only human.

Once, a case at the firm sent me abroad for a full two weeks.

And at the stroke of midnight on my birthday, there was a knock on my hotel door, and it was him.

"Surprise! Happy birthday!"

"Working this late, you must be worn out."

He walked in carrying a simple bowl of noodles he'd made himself.

Steaming hot, the noodles rolled a little unevenly, but the smell was wonderful.

So wonderful my tears just spilled over.

His face went shy. "I've never rolled noodles before. I practiced every day and this is the best I could manage. I hope you don't mind."

In that moment, I couldn't talk myself into not feeling anything anymore.

My thoughts came back to the present, and I sent Monica Fern Sullivan's profile.

【In her newest video, the red mole on the man's stomach is identical to Ralph's.】

【But I just called them, and they denied it.】

Monica went quiet.

It was a long time before she said: 【…Give me two hours.】

After she hung up.

I put in for leave right away and bought the fastest flight to Los Angeles.

I wanted to see for myself exactly what they got up to out there.

By the time Monica's message came through.

Twelve hours had already passed.

【Damn it! That bastard Ralph has been hiding this deep!】

【The whole story about visiting Fern's parents was a lie.】

【The elders live down south.】

【The two of them bought a place up north, and that's where they stay every time.】

【A man and a woman alone together in one apartment, what do you think they do? Real hard to guess.】

No wonder that whenever I wanted to video call at night.

Ralph always had one excuse or another to turn me down.

I pressed at the space between my brows and walked out of the airport.

Called a car and went straight to the apartment address Monica had sent.

No matter how wildly my mind ran through it.

Nothing hit as hard as seeing it with my own eyes.

I pushed open the door.

On the rattan chair, a young man and woman sat side by side.

Fern was tucked against Ralph's chest, her voice thick and nasal, like she'd already been crying.

"What do we do? It seems like Millicent has already figured it out."

"Do we have to come clean now?"

Ralph patted her gently to soothe her.

"But your condition still isn't cured."

"Don't worry. I'll figure out how to handle her side of things."

Fern's eyes suddenly went red, and her head shot up.

Tears welled up all at once.

"Or you could put all the blame on me!"

"Millicent's such a good person, she could never bring herself to blame you."

Ralph looked absolutely heartbroken over her.

And then he kissed her eyelashes, so softly.

It stung my eyes.

Was the sun in Los Angeles always this harsh?

I stepped toward them.

Meeting the horror in both their eyes, I said:

"Is that so? Then there's no need to agonize over it."

"You can just explain it to me. Right now."