Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“Yaoyao, have you ever considered… that Zhou Chen might have someone else on the side?”
My best friend Xiaoyu’s voice was hesitant.
My breath hitched. “Someone else? Then why hasn’t she come to my door to make a scene? And why hasn’t he come clean with me?”
“Heh…”
A scoff came from the other end of the line.
“I think you’ve been poisoned by too many melodramatic TV dramas. In real-life affairs, whether it’s Zhou Chen, the mistress, or even that mother-in-law of yours, they will all work together to scheme against the legal wife. Coming to your door to get caught? Do you think this is a script?”
She paused for a moment.
“Don’t blame me for being blunt; maybe it’s because I’ve seen too much of this at the law firm. Let me list a few facts for you to think about calmly. First, how long has it been since he stopped giving you money for household expenses? Second, can you still unlock his phone? Third, Xiaobao is almost two years old; custody will no longer automatically lean toward the mother. You don’t have much time left.”
“Then what should I do?”
My voice was tight with tension.
“Should I… hire a private investigator?”
“A private investigator?”
Xiaoyu gave another bitter laugh.
“Do you have the money? The starting price for a legitimate private investigator who can actually get things done won’t be less than six figures, and the subsequent costs are a bottomless pit. Furthermore, evidence they obtain through illegal means is likely to be ruled invalid for violating privacy. If you’re not careful, the other party could even use that to extort you.”
A chill ran up my spine.
“Then… what am I supposed to do?”
“How much cash do you have on hand right now?”
“4,750 yuan. I just bought a tin of formula.”
“Good. From this moment on, don’t touch a single cent of that money. Treat it as your final war chest. I’ll introduce you to my senior; I’ll help you out with your daily living expenses, but leave the professional matters to him.”
Song Xiaoyu was the friend I trusted most in this world.
After graduating from university, she chose to go to grad school, while I chose to get married.
Five years had passed.
She was an intern at a top law firm, full of drive and ambition.
Meanwhile, I had turned into a parasite amidst the daily grind of domestic life.
Half an hour later, an unfamiliar number called.
“Hello, Ms. Jiang. My surname is Lu. Time is limited, so let’s keep this brief. At this stage, your primary task is to gather evidence.”
“When your husband returns home, you need to accomplish two things. First, take photos of every single card in his wallet-even if it’s just a car wash card-clear photos of both the front and back. Second, observe carefully to see if he has a backup phone or other messaging apps.”
“No matter how much you discover he has squandered or hidden, stay calm until you have a complete chain of evidence.”
After hanging up, I sat in the living room for a long time.
Even now, I was reluctant to face reality.
His pay stub clearly stated five thousand yuan, and he had a fixed monthly mortgage payment of three thousand eight hundred.
With such a tight financial situation, how could he possibly have anything left to squander?
Three days later, he finally came home.