Farewell to Love: Yearning for a Free Life

As Christmas approached, the beauty center I frequented had no private rooms available. The beautician asked if I minded sharing a room. I thought it wasn't a big deal and agreed.

The person sharing the room with me was a young woman who looked somewhat familiar.

When paying, the woman was told that her card balance was insufficient. "Babe, my beauty card doesn't have enough money," the woman said coquettishly into her phone.

"Baby, wait a moment. I'll transfer some money to you right now. Will 20,000 be enough?" A pampering male voice came through the phone, sounding exactly like my husband, Dexter Keaton.

As I chuckled inwardly, thinking I was being overly suspicious, my phone buzzed with a message: [20,000 deducted from my account.] At that moment, I felt as if I had fallen into an icy abyss, my entire body cold.

——

Christmas trees lined the streets, adorned with various sparkling decorations, but my mind was blank, I was unable to feel any festive joy. After leaving the beauty center, I sat in my car for a long time.

Dexter and I had been together since our school days, from uniforms to wedding dresses. I couldn't believe that someone who cared for me so meticulously every day could betray me.

Yet, I had to admit that ten years of love had ultimately lost to the temptations of the outside world. I closed my eyes and let the tears silently fall.

I didn't know how long I cried until the tears dried up. Wiping away the traces of tears on my face, I took out my phone and called my lawyer, "Mr. Vaughn, please draft a divorce agreement for me …"

After hanging up, I touched up my makeup until there was no sign I had cried, then drove home. Dexter should have already been home, his car was parked in the adjacent space.

Using a spare key, I opened his car and began searching for any suspicious traces. However, Dexter was meticulous. The dashcam's records had been completely erased and the car was cleaned spotless, leaving no trace.

Disappointed, I was about to get out when I noticed a small piece of transparent plastic under the passenger seat. My heart sank.

Judging by its shape, if I wasn't mistaken, it was the plastic outer wrapping of a condom package.

When I returned upstairs, I acted as though nothing had happened and opened the door.

Dexter was cooking in the kitchen. Hearing the door open, he leaned halfway out and greeted me as usual, "You're back! Wash your hands, dinner's almost ready."

As he spoke, he kept moving, deftly plating the stirfried dishes. When he came out of the kitchen holding a plate and saw me barefoot, his expression darkened.

Placing the plate on the dining table, Dexter frowned and walked over, "How many times have I told you? You have a cold constitution, don't walk barefoot on the floor."

Though his words carried disapproval, his actions were gentle as he helped me put on slippers. I stood there stiffly, my eyes stinging. Who would have thought that such a gentle, considerate and thoughtful husband would cheat?

Noticing my reddened eyes, Dexter asked, "What's wrong?"

I blinked hard, forcing back the tears threatening to fall and smiled, "Nothing."

Dexter thought I was touched and smiled, his lips curling upward as he affectionately ruffled my hair, "Silly woman."

I chuckled bitterly in my heart. Yes, I was a complete fool.

I carefully observed Dexter's expression. His eyes were sincere, I couldn't detect even a trace of deceit or pretense. During dinner, he continued, as always, to keep adding food to my plate.

I frowned. To avoid raising suspicion, I forced myself to eat a few bites despite my disgust, quietly pushing the rest aside with my cutleries.

"Darling, did you spend some money today?" I asked casually while eating.

After asking, I discreetly observed Dexter's expression. His hand holding the fork paused briefly and a flash of regret swept across his face.

I guessed he must have been careless when transferring the money earlier. Otherwise, with his usual caution, he would never have used the storedvalue card under my name.

But in just a split second, Dexter adjusted his expression, pretending to stay calm as he admitted and explained, "Yes, a friend needed money urgently. I was in a rush and didn't realize I used your card until after the transfer."

He then added pitifully, "Honey, you're not mad I acted without telling you first, are you?" With a nervous look, he cautiously watched my reaction.

Feigning surprise, I said, "How could I be?"

Seeing my response, he quietly let out a sigh of relief.

I then casually asked, "Which friend was it?"

It seemed like he had already prepared an answer, replying naturally, "Oh, an old childhood friend of mine. You don't know him."

I nodded, not pressing further and continued eating. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him exhale deeply, visibly relieved. I tightened my grip on the fork, feeling a dull ache as if a boulder was pressing on my chest.

Dexter could lie to me so calmly and naturally. This certainly wasn't the first time. Unfortunately, it had taken me so long to realize it.

That night, we lay in bed together. Dexter took off his glasses and leaned toward me, his intentions unmistakable.

As he wrapped his arm around me, my body involuntarily tensed up. The thought of those hands holding another woman made me feel nauseous.

When I turned my head slightly, his kiss missed its mark. He froze for a moment.

I removed his hand from my waist and closed my eyes, "I'm tired."

His expression grew complicated. Though he knew it was just an excuse, he still said gently, "Alright, I won't bother you. Get some rest."

I used to love being in his embrace, resting my head against his chest and listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. It always made me feel so safe. But now, all I wanted was to get as far away from him as possible.

Not long after, Dexter fell asleep. His breathing became steady and soft.

His phone lay beside him. He had never set any defenses against me and I'd never felt the need to check it due to my trust in him. But tonight, I wanted to look.

I entered the password and his phone unlocked immediately. I searched through his WhatsApp, Instagram and other apps, but found nothing incriminating.

The person he messaged the most was his assistant, Scarlett Donovan. Their conversations were strictly about work, normal, professional, with no hint of anything inappropriate.

Yet, I trusted my instincts. There was no way he had no contact with that woman. I just hadn't found the evidence yet.

Just as I was about to put his phone down, something struck me as odd, my husband, who never shopped online, had installed the Amazon app.

I opened Amazon and checked the order center first, it was empty. He hadn't purchased anything there.

As I was about to exit, I noticed a red '1' notification on the chat button. In that instant, my heart raced wildly. I felt I was about to uncover the secret Dexter had been hiding.

Sure enough, in the chat list, there was only one profile picture, a woman's and it matched Scarlett's WhatsApp profile picture exactly.

She had sent over a few revealing and provocative photos, her gaze teasing, "Babe, do you miss me?"

My brow furrowed tightly as a wave of nausea rose within me. I never imagined that Dexter secretly had a taste for this sort of thing.

It turns out men are all the same, they might appear dignified and proper in public, but behind closed doors, they still crave the wild and scandalous.

Before I could respond, Scarlett continued, "I ran into your wife today. She didn't suspect anything, did she?"

My eyes narrowed. The only place I'd gone today was the beauty center, so the person sharing the room with me must have been her. Scarlett must have recognized me at the beauty center.

As for why I didn't recognize her, it was because her appearance had changed drastically, she looked entirely different from the person I'd met before. Scarlett was once a poor student I sponsored and now, she's Dexter's assistant.

Back then, she was frail and skinny, with a sallow complexion and dry, yellowish, frizzy hair, like someone suffering from prolonged malnutrition. She avoided eye contact and carried an air of extreme insecurity.

After marrying Dexter, I hadn't been able to get pregnant. At first, I wanted to leave it to fate, but as time passed and I grew older, I decided to leave my job and focus on trying to conceive.

With my departure, Dexter's workload increased, so I suggested he hire an assistant to share the burden. At the time, Scarlett had just graduated and was looking for an internship. I recommended her to Dexter.

Initially, Dexter didn't want to hire her. From her appearance to her qualifications and abilities, nothing about her met his standards. But I kept persuading him to give her a chance, asking him to take good care of her for my sake.

In the beginning, Dexter frequently complained to me about Scarlett's lack of competence, her slow learning curve and her inefficiency. I encouraged him, saying that all rookies start from scratch and improve with time.

But at some point, Dexter stopped mentioning her altogether and gradually, I forgot about her existence.

I never expected that in just two years, Scarlett would undergo such a dramatic transformation. It was clear she had invested significantly in her appearance.

And I never thought Dexter would cheat on me with someone he once despised. The world had truly gone beyond my comprehension.

Imitating Dexter's tone, I replied, "No!"

"Babe, aren't I smart? Using a shopping app as a chat tool, your wife won't find anything even if she checks your phone!" Even through the screen, I could feel Scarlett's smugness.

I smirked coldly. Clever indeed. It's no wonder she's so confident. If I didn't know Dexter never shops online, I wouldn't have suspected anything.

"Mm, smart," I typed, keeping my response short to avoid arousing suspicion.

Yet, Scarlett still noticed something. "Huh? Babe, what's wrong with you today? Why so cold?" she asked suddenly.

For a moment, I didn't know how to respond. Dexter had always been warm and gentle toward me but reserved and distant with others. I couldn't imagine what his passionate side looked like.

After a brief pause, I typed, "She's next to me."

This seemed to put her mind at ease. "Okay, babe, I'll log off now," she replied. Scarlett went offline.

Scrolling up, I found the earlier messages vulgar and explicit, burning my eyes and further shattering my perception of Dexter.

I recorded all their chat logs on my phone, then deleted the conversation and placed his phone back where it was.

I didn't sleep a wink all night. It wasn't until the early hours of dawn, with the faint light creeping through the window, that I managed to drift off into a restless slumber.

When I woke up, it was already nine in the morning. Dexter had gone to work.

On the bedside table, he had left a note, reminding me that he had prepared breakfast for me in the kitchen. I crumpled the note into a ball and tossed it into the trash before getting up to wash and get ready.

Since resigning, I rarely visited the office, but today, I decided to surprise Dexter by bringing him a homemade lunch.

Though I hadn't been to the office much in the past two years, most of the staff still recognized me.

I made my way to his office without encountering any obstacles. As I pushed open the door, I was greeted by the sight of Dexter and Scarlett sitting facetoface, eating lunch together. On the surface, everything seemed normal.

My sudden appearance startled them both. Scarlett quickly stood up, but I didn't miss the detail, she was barefoot on one side.

Though her movements were swift and she immediately slipped on her high heel, I had clearly seen her bare foot intertwined with my husband's leg beneath the table, slithering upward like a vine.

Dexter, ever the master of composure, recovered almost instantly. He turned to me with a look of surprise and delight, "Honey, what brings you here?"

I feigned nonchalance and raised the lunchbox in my hand, smiling sweetly, "Of course, I came to deliver a healthy lunch to my dearest husband. But it seems I'm a little late, huh?"

I cast a glance at the halfeaten food on the table, pretending to look disappointed.

"No, no, you're just in time. I don't really like this food anyway. Let me see what delicious treat you've brought for me." Dexter eagerly took the lunchbox from my hands.

I noticed Scarlett's expression visibly darken when he mentioned he didn't like the food on the table. The corners of my lips curled into a smirk.

"What are you standing there for?" Dexter frowned and shot Scarlett a pointed look, signaling for her to clear the table.

"Oh, oh!" Scarlett snapped out of her daze and began tidying up in a fluster. In her haste, she accidentally knocked over a dish, spilling thick soup onto Dexter's leg, near the top of his thigh.

Without thinking, Scarlett grabbed a napkin and began wiping it off. Her actions were natural and practiced.

"What are you doing?" Dexter's expression darkened and he abruptly shoved her away.

Caught off guard, Scarlett stumbled to the floor. She looked as though she wanted to protest but froze when she met Dexter's warning gaze. It was only then that she remembered I was still in the room.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry! It's all my fault, how clumsy of me. Mrs. Keaton, please don't misunderstand. I was just being too hasty. I'm really sorry!" Scarlett apologized repeatedly, bowing her head.

"It's fine, it's fine. I know it wasn't intentional," I said generously, acting as though I wasn't bothered in the slightest.

"Darling, you enjoy your meal. I'm going to the restroom," I said, placing my phone face down on the table before leaving the room.

Once inside the restroom, I shut the door and slipped an earbud into my ear. Before coming here, I had installed a monitoring app on my phone. Soon, the sounds of their conversation filtered through the earbud.

"Do you realize how close we were to getting caught just now? You need to be more careful at the office," Dexter scolded, his tone full of irritation.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't do it on purpose! How was I supposed to know she'd suddenly show up? Besides, she didn't seem suspicious just now, did she? You're just too paranoid," Scarlett replied, her voice quivering as though on the verge of tears.

Dexter softened his tone, coaxing her gently, "Alright, I was too harsh earlier. Don't be upset, okay?"

"Hmph, you're always sweettalking me. When are you going to come clean with her?" Scarlett said, pretending to pout.

"Just wait a little longer," Dexter replied dismissively.

"Wait, wait, wait! You've been telling me to wait for two years already!" Scarlett's voice was full of discontent.

My grip on the door handle tightened, so much so that my knuckles turned pale. Two years. For two whole years, Dexter and Scarlett had been entangled and I, like a fool, had been completely in the dark.

"Alright, didn't you say you had your eyes on that new handbag from L brand? You can charge it to my card," Dexter said, trying to pacify her.

"Hmph, that's more like it. I'll forgive you this time for the sake of the bag, but if you're mean to me again, I won't let it slide," Scarlett replied, her earlier dissatisfaction replaced with giddy excitement.

She seemed oblivious, but after living with Dexter for ten years, I could easily sense the impatience hidden behind his gentlemanly facade. Beneath his surface charm, Dexter was cold and detached.

Luckily for Scarlett, she knew when to stop and didn't push her luck further. I had a gut feeling that Dexter didn't love her, it was likely the thrill of an affair that kept him around.

When I no longer heard their voices, I stayed in the restroom for an extra two minutes before flushing and stepping out. By the time I returned to the office, Scarlett was gone.

Feigning surprise, I asked Dexter, "Huh? Where's your assistant?"

"She had something to take care of," Dexter said, pulling me into his arms with an air of calm.

"Let's eat." He gestured for me to sit down.

The thought of Scarlett sitting in this very chair not long ago made my stomach churn.

I sprang up abruptly, "Oh! Honey, I just remembered I have something to do. You go ahead and eat without me."

"What could be more important than spending time with me?" Dexter teased, pretending to sulk.

I gave him a playful wink and said mysteriously, "Darling, tomorrow's Christmas. I've prepared a special surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise? Can't you tell me now?" Dexter asked, intrigued.

I shook my head with a smile, "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?"

"Alright then, I'll wait for your surprise," Dexter said, his expression full of anticipation.

"Mmhmm." I nodded with a smile.

But as soon as I left his office, the smile faded from my face and the warmth in my eyes turned icy cold. Dexter Keaton, I hope you'll enjoy the surprise I've prepared for you.

On my way out, I spotted Scarlett sitting at her desk, sneaking glances toward Dexter's office.

When she noticed me, she quickly lowered her head, pretending to be busy. I curled my lips into a faint smile.

As I passed her desk, I glanced at the necklace around her neck and complimented her, "Your necklace is beautiful."

In that instant, Scarlett's eyes sparkled with unmistakable pride and the corners of her mouth curved into an irrepressible smile.

That necklace was a new release from C brand and only one existed in New York. When it launched, it coincided with my birthday and I had asked Dexter to buy it for me.

But just a few days later, he told me it had been purchased by someone else. He even promised that if the same design were ever restocked, he'd make sure to get it for me immediately. I had been so disappointed at the time that I sulked for several days.

I even mentioned it to the store clerk during a later visit, lamenting how unlucky I was. The clerk had looked puzzled and said, "Didn't your husband buy it?"

When she saw my confusion, she froze for a second, then quickly apologized, claiming she had made a mistake.

At the time, I just laughed it off and didn't think much of it.

So, it wasn't a mistake by the salesperson, Dexter had bought the necklace I liked and given it to his assistant instead.

"Mrs. Keaton, are you leaving? Let me walk you out," Scarlett said with a smile that clearly didn't reach her eyes.

I suspected she had something she wanted to say to me. "Sure," I said.

We walked in silence until we approached the company's entrance. Finally, Scarlett couldn't hold back anymore and stopped me, "Mrs. Keaton."

I inwardly chuckled, so young, so impatient. "Yes?" I casually asked back.

"I'm pregnant," she said, deliberately puffing out a belly that wasn't even there yet, her face full of smugness. I gestured for her to continue.

"It's Dexter's," she said, her eyes gleaming with provocation.

"Oh? Then you've got the wrong person. I'm not the child's father, you should go find Dexter," I replied casually.

"You!" Scarlett choked on her words, her breath caught in her throat.

"After so many years of marriage, you haven't even laid a single egg. But look at me, I'm carrying the future heir of Dimension Tech in my belly," she sneered.

"You'd better be smart and step aside. Considering how long you've been with Dexter, I'll ask him to compensate you generously. Otherwise, you won't get a cent," she added, her tone smug, as if she were already the company's future mistress.

I burst out laughing, "Dreaming already? It's not even dark yet."

"A hen that lays eggs is still a chicken. Are you proud of being a chicken? Want me to start a live stream and help you advertise?" I said mockingly, staring at her smug face.

Scarlett's body trembled with rage, but she was speechless.

After leaving the company building, I turned off the recording on my phone. I really had to thank Scarlett for willingly delivering the evidence to me when I had been struggling to gather it.

Shortly after, I received a call from Mr. Vaughn, informing me that the divorce agreement had been sent to my email.

I recalled that when I asked him to draft the agreement yesterday, Mr. Vaughn had said that although Dexter had cheated during the marriage, it would be difficult to make him leave with nothing without solid evidence.

I had been blinded by love when we married and had not signed a prenuptial agreement. But now, with the growing amount of evidence in my hands, Mr. Vaughn assured me he would do his best to maximize my benefits.

The next morning, before going to work, Dexter once again asked what surprise I had prepared for him.

I gave him the same response, "I really can't say. You'll find out when the time comes."

As he left, I noticed he seemed to be in a very good mood, his lips curved in a constant smile. I wondered if it was because he was anticipating my 'surprise.'

Before heading to the company, I made a stop at the airport. I arrived at the office close to noon, accompanied by a tall, sharply dressed man in a suit.

I called everyone into the conference room, saying I had an announcement to make. Like everyone else, Dexter looked puzzled as he watched me walk up to the podium, trying to figure out what I was up to.

Standing on the stage, I raised a hand, signaling for silence. Before speaking, I let my gaze sweep across the room, finally resting on Dexter for a few seconds before retracting it.

Dexter smiled faintly. Despite his calm demeanor, I could tell he was eagerly anticipating my 'surprise.'

I pressed my lips into a small smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an important announcement to make. Starting today, Mr. Dexter Keaton will be relieved of his position as acting president. The role will now be taken over by a professional manager I've invited from Germany, Mr. Baron Yanks."

I gestured toward the tall man who had arrived with me.

Baron gave a polite bow and smiled as he greeted everyone with a nod.