Her gaze was as if I were her enemy. My head throbbed violently. My consciousness blurred as I slumped against the sofa, barely keeping my eyelids open. I watched as Alice hurriedly helped Mike up, her hands gentle and caring. I couldn't hold on anymore. Everything faded to black.
And Alice? She didn’t even look back as she supported Mike out the door. "I’ll take you to the hospital. You’ll be fine."
At that moment, the last shred of pride I had in this marriage perished completely. When I woke up, it was already morning. The back of my head throbbed, the sofa stained a deep red where I had bled throughout the night.
It was then that I noticed Alice’s tablet, left forgotten on the table.
I had no intention of checking it—until the screen lit up with a notification, revealing the lock screen wallpaper. It was an intimate photo of her and Mike. She was wearing next to nothing, their pose unmistakably suggestive.
The tablet had no password. I opened the album, my stomach churning. Dozens—no, hundreds—of photos and videos of their secret moments. Passionate embraces. Provocative snapshots. In the videos, she called him 'husband' in a voice so sickeningly tender it made my skin crawl. I copied everything to my phone before heading straight to the hospital.
At the entrance, I saw Alice holding onto Mike’s arm as they walked out. Spotting me, she frowned. "Are you here to apologize to Mike? At least you still have a little conscience."
I smirked bitterly. "Did you forget? You were the one who smashed my head open yesterday."
Her face paled. "I—I'm sorry... I was just too anxious..."
But before she could say more, Mike winced in pain and she rushed back to comfort him. At that moment, I felt nothing but numbness.
"Today is Mike’s twenty-second birthday," Alice said. "We’re celebrating at home. You’re coming, right?"
I forced a smile, my grip tightening on my phone. "Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world."
