I Dumped My Husband After Years of Lies

Chapter 2

Eric never came back that night.

When the clock struck midnight, I whispered a silent happy birthday to myself.

I still remembered how, on the way to accepting his award, he had made a point of booking a candlelit dinner at a restaurant.

"Let's celebrate after I finish. It's your birthday after all."

Yet now he was celebrating another woman's birthday in ways beyond my reach.

My phone chimed. An anonymous video arrived.

The footage showed Hailey's torso draped in translucent gauze, striking a near-provocative pose.

Eric suddenly entered the frame.

"Like this..." His fingertips glided along her arm, over her shoulder, tracing down to her collarbone—light as a feather, yet setting her skin ablaze.

A crimson flush spread across Hailey's face.

"Eric..."

"Excellent," Eric murmured while clicking the shutter, his throat tightening visibly.

The phone burned like a searing brand in my hand. I dropped it, stumbling to the bathroom to retch. No matter how hard I heaved, I couldn't purge the disgust festering in my chest.

Nearly two hundred photos were all captured this way.

When calm finally came, I exhaled sharply, swallowed by a tidal wave of bitterness.

One by one, I uploaded those images to the family group.

Within three seconds, Eric's call exploded through my phone, his rage peaking. "Evelyn! What the hell were you thinking, sending Hailey's boudoir photos to the family? Mom and Dad are bombarding me with calls!"

As his tirade continued, I calmly extinguished my birthday candle.

A moment later, Hailey showed up at my door, her face streaked with tears, and dropped straight to her knees in front of me.

"Evelyn, Eric and I are just collaborating. It's not what you think. Must you humiliate me like this?"

Eric rushed to lift her up, his eyes brimming with disappointment. "I've already explained. There's nothing sordid about this!"

"Hailey's a model. If my parents ban her from the industry, her life will be over!"

The two of them wept and wailed, while I sat there calmly, looking more like the one tearing apart a pair of doomed lovers.

I suppressed the tremor in my voice. "Get a divorce. Then you can take all the photos you want."

As soon as I spoke, a sharp slap landed on my face.

Eric held his trembling hand, his brows furrowed with guilt. "Evelyn, that was too far."

The iron taste of blood flooded my mouth. I pressed my lips together and stayed silent.

Hailey sobbed uncontrollably, her cheeks flushed crimson, looking utterly pitiful.

Eric didn't spare me another thought. He fetched an ice pack from the fridge to soothe her face, then personally escorted her out.

They chatted about tomorrow's photography exhibition, trading inside jokes I didn't understand. Their laughter and flirtatious banter stabbed at my heart like needles.

Perhaps in those five years, I'd never really mattered to Eric. Well, I didn't want him anymore either.

I walked into the bedroom and began stuffing clothes into my suitcase.

Halfway through packing, my phone notified me that the divorce agreement had been successfully drafted.

Eric had appeared behind me unnoticed. Seeing the document on my screen, he frowned in confusion.

"Divorce? Who's talking about divorce?"