Chapter 1

My wife had suffered from severe insomnia for half a year.

I combed the whole city for the best doctors, asking for nothing but one good night's sleep for her.

So I wouldn't disturb her rest, I moved into the guest room on my own.

Then, at three in the morning, my phone refreshed a page by accident.

And I saw my wife, the one who was supposedly "already asleep," sitting in a livestream, sending a sleep-aid male streamer three top-tier virtual gifts in a row.

A moment later, from the master bedroom came moans that made my face heat and my heart pound.

1.

The sound of my wife, Adeline Pruitt, talking with the male streamer on their live call drifted out.

"Thank you for the gifts, Addie. Tonight I'll do anything you want."

Adeline's tone turned playful.

"Really? I want to have a baby with you. Do you agree?"

The man teased back.

"If we handle the making and your husband handles the raising, that could work."

Adeline laughed out loud.

"You're too much. So much better than that block of wood."

Then the man spoke.

"Addie, tonight's the night for that special session. Your husband's home. It'd be bad if he caught you. Or… should we switch to something else?"

Adeline gave a cold little laugh.

"Him?"

"When he was chasing me he acted like a lapdog. Even if he heard, he wouldn't dare do a thing."

"In that case, then I'm going to start."

And then a sound too shameful to describe began.

Adeline, meanwhile, was beside herself with excitement.

"Kevin, your voice is so good. Big sis will tip you again."

Kevin Henson sounded thrilled.

"Wow, thank you for the gift!"

"Such a shame, though. Your husband's home today, so we can't do our weekly up-close time."

At the same time, I saw the balance in our joint savings account drop by three thousand dollars.

From what they'd just said, it was clear.

Adeline hadn't only tipped this streamer over and over online.

She often ordered these special sessions too.

She'd even met him privately for so-called "up-close time."

Before, when she tipped, the joint account had never moved. She'd probably been using her own private account the whole time.

This time she was likely too worked up, and pulled the money straight out of the joint account without a second thought.

Cold spread through me.

Half a year ago, when the company sent me abroad on assignment.

I hadn't wanted Adeline to be lonely, so I meant to bring her with me.

But she chose to stay behind, saying she wanted to take care of my mother for me.

Maybe that was already when she'd fallen for this sleep-aid streamer.

Three years married to Adeline.

Back then, all because she once said she wanted to watch me build a future for her bit by bit.

I handed the hundred-billion conglomerate my grandfather left me over to my people to run, without a moment's hesitation.

And I started from nothing myself, telling her about every small step forward each day.

All I wanted was to see happiness in her eyes.

And she, just as I'd hoped, would dissolve into tears every time I came home, saying she was the happiest woman alive.

I'd sunk into all of it.

Never knowing her heart had betrayed me long ago.

Since she didn't cherish what we had.

Then I didn't need to keep playing out this bitter little drama with her either.

I turned and called my right-hand man.

"I'm coming back to Wilshire. Get things ready."

His voice went electric.

"Kent Dickerson, you're finally willing to come back. Everyone's been waiting so long."

I nodded.

"Keep my return quiet for now."

"Handle one thing for me first. Look into a streamer named Kevin Henson."

"Acquire the platform he's on, as fast as you can."

He answered "Yes," and I hung up.

Just then, the master bedroom door stirred.

Adeline came out.

When she saw me, guilt flickered across her face.

But she covered it at once, and her expression softened into a gentle smile.

"Honey, why aren't you asleep yet?"

I said flatly,

"I saw three thousand dollars go out of the joint account."

She paused, then glanced at her phone.

"Oh, my friend had her eye on a bag."

"She was short on cash, so I lent her some. I tapped the wrong account by mistake when I sent it."

"Is that so."

My voice was neither warm nor cold.

Adeline shot me a look.

"Kent, you don't not believe me, do you?"

"We've been married more than three years. When have I ever lied to you?"

When had she ever lied to me?

I found it almost funny.

I wanted to confront her, but I held it back.

Because now wasn't the time.

On the surface I stayed calm.

"I was only asking. I was worried you didn't have enough to spend."

The smile returned to her face.

"That's more like it."

"All right, honey, go to sleep. You've got work tomorrow."

Then she kissed my forehead.

After that she turned and walked into the bedroom.

The door shut with a bang.