CHAPTER 30
The last time I stepped into this room, my life was falling apart. Now, as I take in the portraits on the walls, the fish tank, the low table, the chairs where his patients wait to be seen, I realize how much I've changed. Nothing frightens me anymore. Instead, I feel calm.
Walter is sitting beside me, one hand resting on my left shoulder and that same familiar smile on his face. His clothes are still black, as if he insists on being the dark spot in this bright place. He looks at me with quiet ease, as though he already knows what I'm about to say.
"I've come to say goodbye," I say, my voice steady.
He smiles, tilting his head slightly.
"It's not a goodbye, Yifei. It's a new beginning."
I feel the warmth of the room wrap around me like an invisible cloak. It's strange how this place, which once felt like a sham, has become a refuge.
"I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me," I whisper, a lump forming in my throat. "You showed me a path to strength when I thought there was no way out."
Walter lets out a soft laugh, as if my gratitude were unnecessary.
"I'm just a messenger, a guide. God is the one who writes the paths—we just help His children not get lost along the way."
I fall silent.
"You were right," I finally say, gently placing a hand over my belly. "My baby girl is here, growing inside me."
He nods, pleased.
"She'll be a little princess. Strong and smart, just like her mother. She'll have your eyes and your resolve. You have no idea how lucky she is to have you."
I close my eyes for a moment, letting his words settle inside me.
"But there's still something you need to know before you leave."
I lift my gaze. His eyes, dark and deep, seem to reflect something I can't quite see yet.
"What is it?"
"Soon, something will come into your life—something unexpected. It will change your path."
I frown.
"Good or bad?"
Walter chuckles softly.
"That depends on you. But I'll give you one last piece of advice: life doesn't offer two chances to be happy. You either take it, or you let it pass you by."
His words echo in my mind. I want to ask more, but I know he won't say anything else. Walter has never been one to push. He only shows the way—it's up to you to walk it or not.
He rises and opens his arms.
"Come here, girl."
I walk to him, and he wraps me in a warm, steady, reassuring hug. It's a fatherly embrace—the kind that comforts without needing words. Since the day I met him, he's only given me good advice. Even in my darkest moments, his guidance made the burden feel lighter.
When we part, I feel something inside me finally settle.
"Wishing you all the happiness, Yifei," he says with a sincere smile. "And remember, when destiny knocks on your door, don't question it. Just open it."
I look at him one last time before stepping out of the apartment. The city's cool air greets me with a gust of reality. But inside, an unusual peace has taken hold.
As I walk toward the taxi waiting at the curb, I can't help but wonder: what will that unexpected event be?
I don't know yet.
But when it comes, I'll be ready to embrace it.
*****
The sound of the loudspeaker echoes through the airport, announcing upcoming departures. Robotic voices, hurried footsteps, and a murmur of conversations in different languages create a chaotic symphony that seems to reverberate inside my head. The large departure board displays an endless list of destinations, but I only have one in mind: freedom.
I hold the handle of my small suitcase in one hand and my phone in the other. I've brought only the essentials. I don't want to carry unnecessary memories—not even the phone number of the man who, just hours ago, still believed he had control over me.
My phone vibrates, and the screen lights up with a message from Ge:
"I've got a surprise for tonight. Be ready by five."
A dry laugh slips from my lips. Oh, there will be a surprise… but it will be for him. Ge will come home and find no trace of the wife he took for granted. He won't find the loyal shadow that followed him for years. He'll find nothing but the echo of his own failure.
I switch off the phone without bothering to reply. Taking a deep breath, I pull out the SIM card and drop it into a nearby trash bin. I hear the faint click as it hits the bottom. It's the sound of my last connection to my past life breaking into pieces.
I adjust the strap of my bag and keep walking, my head held high. I pass through security with the ease of someone who's left nothing behind. There's only one step left: reaching the boarding gate.
But then, as I turn for one final glance to make sure no one is following me, my body collides with something solid. No—someone solid.
I take a step back, blinking in surprise, and when I lift my gaze, my eyes meet Wang Kai's. He's here. Right in front of me. Steady. Calm. As if he's been waiting for this moment all along.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, the surprise in my voice slowly giving way to a flicker of mistrust.
He doesn't answer right away. His gaze drops slowly to my suitcase, as if studying every movement, I've made, then returns to me with an unreadable expression.
"I have to travel too," he replies calmly.
My stomach tightens.
"Suddenly?"
He tilts his head, wearing that same unshakable calm.
"Yes."
"To where?"
Kai doesn't answer with words. Instead, he pulls his plane ticket from the pocket of his coat and shows it to me.
Germany.
Same boarding gate. Same airline. Same departure time…
I look up at him, stunned. I don't know if I'm surprised, annoyed, or… something else.
"Starting today," he says, with a determination that makes me tremble, "I'll be your shadow and your daughter's."
I don't know how to react. I don't know what to say. My mind is spinning with questions, but there's no time to ask them. Was this what Walter meant? Is this the unexpected event I wasn't supposed to question but accept?
The loudspeaker sounds again: "Final call for passengers bound for Germany. Please proceed to the boarding gate immediately."
My body moves before my mind catches up. I walk forward several steps, as if his presence were nothing but a passing shadow in my path. I don't want to think about what it means that he's here. I don't want to analyze it. Not now.
But then, I feel a slight tug. Wang Kai has taken hold of my suitcase handle. He doesn't snatch it. He doesn't pull it away. He just holds it—with the same steady grip he's kept on me these past few weeks. He looks at me, waiting. I don't ask for explanations. He doesn't offer any. He walks beside me naturally, as if that's where he belongs. And without even realizing it… I let him. I still have to heal my heart before I can offer it to another man. Whether it's Kai—or not.
CHAPTER 31
I stroll through the house in my nightgown, feeling the softness of Italian silk slide over my skin. The dim lights of dusk filter through the custom-made curtains, illuminating every corner of this palace I call home. The house sits in the most exclusive residential area of the city, a fortress of glass and steel that dominates the skyline. From here, I can see everything: the skyscrapers, the city lights, the river winding like a silver ribbon. All of this is mine.
I stop in front of the hallway mirror, its golden frame worth more than the yearly salary of an average employee. My reflection returns the image of a powerful woman, confident and self-assured. My nightgown highlights every curve of my body, and my bare feet sink into the Persian rug that covers the marble floor. Beside me, a glass table holds a Ming porcelain vase—one of the many pieces of art Hu Ge has given me over the years.
I walk toward the main living room, where the walls are adorned with paintings by contemporary artists whose names I can't even pronounce. In the center of the room, a Steinway grand piano gleams under the light of a Murano crystal chandelier. I've never played a single note, but it stands there, a symbol of my status.
I open the jewelry closet—a whole room dedicated to my treasures. Diamond necklaces, emerald bracelets, sapphire rings... Every piece has a story, a memory of how I got what I wanted. I put on a black pearl necklace that pairs perfectly with my nightgown and look at myself in the mirror. I am the queen of this castle, and no one is going to take it away from me.
I remember that night like it was yesterday. I was in my tiny apartment, bored and frustrated, when I received a call from one of the club employees. "Jia, come quick. There's a private party with important men. It could be your big opportunity." I didn't think twice. I put on the sexiest dress I owned, an haute couture design that cost me months of savings, did my makeup carefully, and ran out the door.
When I opened the door to the private lounge, my eyes landed on him immediately. Hu Ge. He was sitting on a leather couch, a glass of whiskey in his hand, surrounded by his friends. They were all drunk, laughing and chatting without paying attention to anything else. But he... he was different. He had a presence that drew you in like a magnet. His dark eyes, his composed posture, his impeccable suit... everything about him screamed power and success.
I walked in, flustered, pretending to panic. "Please help me, someone's following me." The others barely looked up, but Hu Ge stood immediately. He walked over to me, took off his designer jacket, and draped it over my shoulders. "You're safe here," he said, in a voice so firm it almost made me believe him.
He led me to another private room, away from the noise. There, I continued playing the role of the victim. I cried, clung to him, and murmured, "Don't leave me, please." At first, he resisted. "I can't do this," he whispered, but I gave him no choice. I kissed him, undressed him, tempted him until he couldn't resist anymore.
When we woke up the next morning, he was on the edge of panic. "Yifei... I've betrayed her," he said, looking at me with eyes full of guilt. I stepped back into the victim's role. "Don't worry, we don't even know each other. This doesn't mean anything." He offered me a card with ten million yen, but I refused. "I don't want your money. I just want to thank you for saving me."
He gave me his contact information, promising that if I ever needed anything, he would be there. And I knew then—that was my chance.
The following weeks were crucial. We saw each other a couple of times, always in public. We had coffee in the city's most exclusive cafés, strolled through botanical gardens, talked about trivial things. But I knew I was weaving my web, and he was my prey. Every encounter was a chance to draw closer, to make him trust me.
The night we slept together again, I knew I had him. Hu Ge could no longer deny what he felt for me. Or at least what he thought he felt. Because I didn't just want an affair. I wanted everything.
Now, three years later, I'm here. In this house that is mine, with our child growing inside me. And yet, I haven't achieved it all—because he wants to leave me. After everything I've done, after all I've sacrificed, he wants to go back to his wife.
No. I won't allow it.
I stop in front of the mirror and place my hand on my belly, where our child—three and a half months along—rests. Hu Ge can't deny he's the father. And justice won't allow a life of more than three and a half months to be erased. This child is my salvation, my final card.
"Don't worry, little one. Mama won't let anyone separate us."
I return to the living room and sit on the sofa, a glass of wine in hand. I know Ge is desperate. I know he's looking for Yifei, trying to win back what he lost. But I'm not going to let him.
I pick up my phone and scroll through the images I have of us. Intimate photos, compromising messages, proof that our relationship was real. If he tries to leave me, he'll have no choice but to face the consequences. But I don't want to go that far. I'd rather he chooses to stay with me. For our child. For the life we've built together.
I stand and walk to the window. Outside, the city glows under the moonlight. I know this battle won't be easy, but I'm ready to fight for what's mine. Hu Ge may try to escape, but I'm the spider who spun this web. And I have no intention of letting him go.
CHAPTER 32
I adjust the rearview mirror as I drive down the road that leads me home. The city, with its neon glow and nighttime buzz, passes by like a distant mirage. The roar of the engine is the only sound breaking the silence inside the car. But my mind is elsewhere.
On her.
Since the dinner at the restaurant, something about Yifei has unsettled me. It wasn't her words, or her expression. It was her calm. Her lack of reaction. There were no accusations, no please. Not even pain. Just indifference.
That detail gnawed at me throughout the trip with Jia Liu. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but each time I replayed the scene in my mind, the doubt grew stronger. Why didn't Yifei try to stop me? Why did she seem… relieved?
The idea tormented me to the point of ruining the trip. I couldn't stand to look at Jia Liu, couldn't bear to hear her fake laughter or her promises that we would be happy together. Everything felt crude, foreign, meaningless. And suddenly, I made a decision.
To end things with Jia Liu.
I wanted to do it that very night, but she convinced me to take one last romantic trip together, and I agreed—only so she'd stop insisting. But my mind was no longer with Liu. All I wanted was to return to Yifei and close the distance that, somehow, had begun to grow between us.
Now, I will.
In the passenger seat rests a bouquet of white roses—her favorite flower. On top of a black velvet box, the reflection of the city lights flickers softly. Inside, an emerald and diamond necklace sparkles with the same intensity I hope to see in Yifei's eyes when she lays eyes on it.
I imagine her surprised, a hand covering her mouth, touched by the gesture. I picture her in my arms, telling me she missed me. I picture her saying she forgives me, though I'll never confess what I did. I imagine her loving me the way she used to.
As I get closer to our home, a slight smile curves my lips. The doubts I had before no longer matter. Yifei loves me. She always has. Tonight, will be the beginning of our reconciliation.
I stop the car at the front of the house. I turn off the engine and step out calmly, enjoying the chill of the night air. I brush off my coat before opening the door, feeling excitement spread through my body.
But something's wrong.
The air inside the house is cold. Sterile. As if no one has turned on the heat in days. I frown and set my suitcase down at the entrance, a faint shiver running through me.
"Yifei?" I call, hoping to hear her voice from upstairs.
Silence.
I look around. No sign of her.
The foyer is tidy, the furniture in place, but everything feels… empty. No lights on. No background music. No trace of her perfume lingering in the air, like it always was whenever she prepared the house for my return. I walk slowly through the ground floor, opening doors, hoping to find her. Nothing.
My pulse quickens.
I climb the stairs heavily and head to the bedroom. The door is slightly ajar. I push it open and step inside, feeling something inside me start to tighten. The walk-in closet looks the same, but I notice many of Yifei's clothes are missing. I could swear it's all the ones I bought her.
I approach slowly, scanning the hangers, the shelves, the drawers. Her clothes are there—but there are gaps where her favorite pieces used to be. Her bags. Her shoes…
I open the drawer where she keeps her jewelry box. Empty.
I go to the bathroom. Her toothbrush and skincare products are gone.
The chill intensifies.
I head to the vanity. Her perfume is missing.
I step back. Then again. I feel the floor tilt slightly beneath my feet. This is no coincidence. Something's not right. I pull out my phone and dial Yifei's number.
Turned off.
I dial again.
Nothing.
My heart races. I rush downstairs, searching the house in desperation. The living room. The kitchen. The study. Nothing.
I stop in front of the cabinet where Yifei always left her purse when she came home. It's gone. I close my eyes and clench my fists. I refuse to think the worst. Maybe she went out with Na. Maybe something came up at work. Maybe…
No.
The certainty hits me hard. Yifei is gone. I feel my stomach twist. Cold sweat slides down my back. I refuse to accept the obvious. She wouldn't leave without telling me. Not Yifei.
I run back to the closet and open my suitcase. I take out the dirty clothes and smell them. Jia Liu's perfume still clings to the fabric. A scent that now feels revolting—like a reminder of every sin I've committed. I curse under my breath and reach for my own cologne, but I stop before spraying it. What for? Yifei's not here. There's no one to fool. No one to hide from. I leave the bottle on the vanity and stare at my reflection in the mirror.
The man I see is not who I thought I was. He's not a faithful husband, not an irresistible lover. He's just a broken man, facing the consequences of his own choices.
But then, an idea strikes me.
Na.
If anyone knows where Yifei is, it's her. Without hesitation, I dial her number. The ringtone. One. Two. Three.
"Hu Ge?"
Na's voice is calm, as if she was expecting my call.
"Where is Yifei?" My voice is sharper than I intended.
Silence. I feel the air grow heavy.
"Na."
"I don't know," she says—but there's something in her tone. It's not doubt. It's indifference.
"Tell me the truth."
"The truth?" she mocks. "Since when do you care about the truth, Ge?"
My jaw clenches. I press the phone against my ear, holding back the fury.
"She left, didn't she?"
A sigh on the other end.
"It's not my place to say."
It's not my place to say.
Those words are all the confirmation I need. Yifei has left me. She's gone. I don't even know when the call ends. The phone feels like it weighs a ton in my hand. The silence in the house wraps around me—stifling, final.
For the first time in my life, I realize I've lost something irreplaceable.
CHAPTER 33
The silence is unbearable. It has become a living, suffocating presence, seeping into every corner of the house. Every step I take echoes through the emptiness, as if the walls themselves are reproaching me for my absence. I try calling Yifei again, but the dead tone hits me like a sentence: "The number you have dialed does not exist." The phone slips from my hands and hits the floor with a dull thud. I stay there, motionless, feeling my world crumble with agonizing slowness. This can't happen. She can't have just vanished. Not without a word. Not without giving me a chance to explain, to make things right.
A sound breaks the silence. A sharp, insistent ding. It's not my phone. It's not coming from my pocket. I glance around, my heart pounding in my throat. Another ding. It's a device, somewhere in the house. I stand up, my legs shaking, and follow the sound to my study. On the desk, perfectly aligned next to an empty teacup, is my wife's tablet. What is it doing here? Why isn't it in the living room? The screen is lit up, flashing with more alerts. Texts. My stomach tightens. It's not Yifei. It's a number I know all too well.
The messages keep coming. A shiver runs down my spine when I see how many there are. Over thirty. My fingers move on their own. I try to unlock the screen. Wrong code. I try again. Error. I force myself to think. What code would Yifei use? Our anniversary date. Access granted.
The inbox unfolds before my eyes. And there, the conversation with Jia Liu. Sentences. Photos. Videos. I can't breathe. The first message is from three months ago: "Guess where your husband is right now." My vision blurs. My hands tense. "So quiet, Yifei. Could it be you'd rather play blind?" No. No, it can't be. It can't be… "Here's a hint: right now, he's between my legs." The air stops entering my lungs.
The next notification is an image. I recognize it instantly. The photo. Jia Liu in that black lace babydoll, the fabric so sheer it reveals more than it hides. The same photo she sent me the night I left Yifei alone at the restaurant, using a company emergency as an excuse. My eyes well up. Beneath the photo, a message: "Just sent it to your husband. How long do you think he'll take to come running?"
My stomach churns. Yifei saw it. She saw it and did nothing. No screaming. No accusations. She just let me walk away. I take a step back. I feel like throwing up. This can't happen. It just can't.
I scroll through the earlier messages and find a video. A video I never saw. My hands tremble as I open it. The image fills the screen and my world collapses. It's me. Me, on top of Jia Liu. My hands on her skin. My lips on her neck. My voice whispering words that now make my skin crawl: "I love you, Liu." I shut my eyes tightly, but the sound won't go away. My voice. Jia Liu's moans. The crushing truth that Yifei saw this. The video keeps playing, but I can't look anymore. Yifei saw this. And she kept quiet. Three months. Three months knowing everything. Three months watching me pretend.
I look around. My house. Our house. But it doesn't smell like her anymore. There's no trace of her presence. Because Yifei is gone. I cover my face with my hands. My breath stutters. I haven't lost my wife. I destroyed her with my own hands. And now, I'm the one who can't live with it.
CHAPTER 34
Rage is eating me alive. Every beat of my heart is a drum of fury. I walk toward Jia Liu's house with heavy steps, my hands clenched into fists. My knuckles are white, tension building in every muscle of my body. God, I could kill her.
I pound on the door hard—once, twice, three times. I don't wait for an answer. Jaw clenched, I push, and the door opens without resistance. Inside, the house is immaculate, elegant, perfumed with that damn scent of flowers and expensive alcohol. I find her in the living room, sitting on the sofa with a glass in hand, drinking with infuriating calm.
"You bitch!" I scream, feeling the blood boil in my veins.
In a violent motion, I grab the first vase I see and smash it against the wall. The sound of breaking glass echoes my insides, the fury spilling out unchecked.
"YOU PROMISED YOU'D NEVER DESTROY MY MARRIAGE!" I roar, moving toward her, chest heaving, breath burning my throat.
She doesn't flinch. She remains seated, with that mocking smile that drives me insane. She takes another sip of her drink, as if my shouting were nothing more than background noise.
"SAY IT!" I demand, stepping closer, feeling my sanity crack. "Tell me why you did it!"
She tilts her head, as if genuinely considering the question, then takes another sip. Is she seriously going to ignore me?
"A video of us!" I growl, my voice breaking. "How could you?"
I keep yelling, unleashing my fury with every word. With every blow. I grab a glass from the shelf and hurl it to the floor, where it shatters into a thousand pieces. The sound is an echo of my insides, of the fury flooding out of me.
"You've ruined everything! You've fucked up my life, my marriage, my family!"
Nothing. Just silence. She doesn't answer, doesn't defend herself. She just looks at me with those cold, calculating eyes.
"ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!" I shout, feeling my voice thunder through the room.
Finally, she looks up and smiles.
She smiles.
"I destroyed your marriage?" she asks, her voice soft, hitting me like a whip.
My muscles are tense. That smile. That fucking smile.
"Tell me, Ge," she stands with the calm of someone who has waited for this moment for years, "Who came to whom?"
Her question floats in the air like a death sentence. My fists are clenched, but I can't move. I can't escape.
"Who kissed my body?" She steps toward me, still holding the glass, her perfume invading every damn molecule of oxygen.
I shake my head. No, no, no…
"Who slept beside me?" Her tone is soft, poisonous.
My lips part, but no words come. Because the answer crushes me. My chest rises and falls wildly. Because she's not lying.
"Did I ever force you to do anything you didn't want to?" she screams, stepping closer, until she's so near I can feel her breath on my skin.
"I love my wife!" I spit out, using the last of my strength, my throat burning, my soul reduced to ashes.
Silence. A silence that chokes me. And then she laughs. No, not a laugh. A brutal, visceral, cutting cackle.
"Love?" she repeats, as if the word were absurd. "Love?"
CRASH!
With a sweep of her hand, she throws the glass against the wall. The shards fly through the air like sharp blades.
"How can you talk about love when you slept with me, Ge?" Her words crush me to the floor.
She shakes her head in disbelief, her eyes gleaming with mockery.
"Tell me, how can you love your wife when every time you left her alone, you came running to me?"
My insides twist.
"How can you love her when you whispered the same words to me that should have been only for her?"
My vision blurs.
"How can you talk about love when it was you who touched me, who told me you adored my body, my taste, my scent?"
My throat tightens.
"Are you listening to me?"
I can't breathe. My own mistakes come back at me, one blow after another, like a hammer shattering my bones.
And then I see it. The reflection of a broken man in the shards of glass on the floor. I'm not the husband I thought I was. I'm not the victim I pretend to be. I'm the executioner of my own downfall. My body trembles. My hands are empty. I have nothing left.
"Yifei knew the whole time…" I murmur, feeling the tears burn in my eyes. "She's not going to forgive me. She's gone for good."
Jia Liu moves closer, until her face is just inches from mine. Her voice is a whisper, but no less deadly.
"But I'm here, Ge. I'll always be here. If she doesn't want you, I do. I'm dying of love for you."
Her words pierce through me like a knife. I want to hate her, I want to scream at her, I want to destroy her. But I can't. Because she's right. Because I'm the one to blame.
"You don't understand," I say, voice cracked. "You can't understand what I've lost."
She smiles. A sad smile, almost compassionate.
"I understand more than you think. But I also know you're not alone. You never will be."
I just stare at her, feeling the rage and sorrow twist inside my chest. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. All I know is that my life is in ruins, and there's no way to fix it.