Chapter 1

When I drove my husband's car home, I casually activated the voice assistant: "Navigate home."

But the screen pinpointed an unfamiliar apartment complex.

"Sure thing, preparing to depart. I've located 'Ethan and Rosie's Love Nest' for you."

My heart sank. Who was Rosie?

I immediately called my husband: "Did someone mess with the navigation settings in your car?"

There was a second of silence on the other end, then a casual laugh:

"Oh, that. Last week Marcus borrowed the car to pick up his girlfriend. Probably some cheesy thing those young lovebirds set up. I'll talk to him about it."

I laughed along and hung up.

My fingertip slid across the car's display screen. Below "Ethan and Rosie's Love Nest," there was a clear arrival record timestamped 00:30 AM.

I yanked the steering wheel and headed straight for that unfamiliar complex.

When the engine died, the navigation system's lingering voice grated on my nerves.

"You have arrived at your destination—Ethan and Rosie's Love Nest."

I had just pulled over when I ran into the last person I expected to see.

Rosie Sullivan.

Ethan's newest PhD student this year.

When Rosie spotted the familiar car, she let her hair down and sauntered over with a deliberate sway in her hips.

She knocked on the window with practiced ease: "Did you forget your key card, Professor?"

The window rolled all the way down, revealing my face and my not-quite-amused smile.

Rosie's expression froze. She quickly corrected herself.

"Oh! Mrs. Hartwell, what brings you here?"

I looked at her coolly and got straight to the point.

"The navigation in Ethan's car led me here. And here I find you."

"Explain."

Rosie seemed caught off guard by my directness, but she only faltered for a moment before flashing a coy smile.

"Oh, it's like this—Marcus's girlfriend is my good friend and roommate. Last week when Marcus borrowed Professor Hartwell's car to pick her up, he gave me a ride too, and we navigated here."

"I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding, Mrs. Hartwell."

She even pulled out chat screenshots and photos from that day as proof.

Her explanation was airtight, polite and proper.

But when they crafted this lie, they seemed to have forgotten something.

Ethan had an extreme case of germophobia. He wouldn't touch anything someone else had touched.

Lending his precious car to a colleague he barely knew just so the guy could impress a girl? How was I supposed to believe that?

I stayed silent, letting my gaze drift down to the laundry basket in Rosie's arms.

Right on top was a pair of black men's boxer briefs.

The embroidered brand initial 'E' on the waistband was slightly worn. I had mended it myself with royal blue thread—the color difference was obvious.

I recognized them instantly. Those were Ethan's underwear.

In that moment, something lodged in my chest, suffocating me.

I pointed at the briefs, my tone teasing, my eyes ice-cold.

"Your boyfriend's? What a coincidence—they look exactly like the pair Ethan lost. Even the mending thread is the same color I used."

Rosie instinctively hid the underwear behind her back, her face going chalk white. She couldn't get a single word out.

Now I understood everything.

I drove out of the complex with a cold expression, pulled over on the side of the road, and started logging into Ethan's payment apps and social media accounts one by one.

But every time I logged in, Ethan immediately got a notification.

By the time I tried to log in again, he had already changed all his passwords.

The next second, Ethan called.

The contact name "My Husband" on the screen stung my eyes.

On the other end, Ethan's voice was soft and slow, like he was coaxing a spoiled child.

"Chloe, I need my phone for a conference presentation."

"If you want to check my phone, you can look through it tonight when I get home, okay?"

Before I could respond, he suddenly lowered his voice: "Meeting's starting. Gotta go."

The moment he hung up, a text came through.

[Babe, I've been so busy lately. It's my fault you're feeling insecure.]

[But you have to believe me—I only love you.]

[And I will always be faithful to you.]

But there, under the sycamore tree at the entrance of the complex.

I watched silently as Ethan casually tossed his phone aside and pulled Rosie—who had come running toward him—into his arms, kissing her urgently, deeply.

My ears were ringing.

I suppressed the burning sensation rising in my nose, opened my phone, and started recording.

Then I drove away.

The radio announcer's words echoed through the car.

"Ladies, a man's promises are no different from a dog's bark.

Never believe them."