Whispers In The Heart

Tenth Wedding Anniversary

On the day of our tenth wedding anniversary,

I received a photo of my husband in bed with another woman.

His lover flaunted it in front of me,

boasting, "The unloved one is the true intruder."

I laughed so hard I nearly fell over.

She probably didn't know that besides her and the other mistresses, my husband had a true love he'd been hiding in his heart for ten years.

In order to be with his true love,

he even concocted the absurd story that his true love was his aunt.

Morning

After dropping my youngest daughter off at school, I was about to pick up the jade bracelet I had reserved for three months. It was a gift from my husband, Aidan, to celebrate our ten years together.

The saleswoman, Miriam, was smiling so broadly that her eyes disappeared, coaxing me to buy another jade bracelet. Just then, an unexpected photo popped up on my phone.

In the photo, a woman was sweating profusely, disheveled, nestled in the arms of a man, looking delicate and dependent like a little bird. If the man she was leaning on wasn't my husband, Aidan, I might have appreciated the beauty more.

"The one who isn't loved is the real outsider."

A common and cliché declaration from a mistress, something I'd seen in countless romance novels. Nine out of ten mistresses say this.

At my age, love had become a luxury. The only motivation to maintain this family was to give my children a complete home and keep up appearances.

I no longer sought love from my husband. All I needed from him was a steady stream of money and social resources. Our marriage had long been sustained by mutual benefits, an unspoken agreement between Aidan and me.

He was never a faithful man. It was almost an open secret in our circle that high-ranking executives in large corporations had a few confidantes. The unspoken rule was not to bring these women home and to maintain a positive image in front of the children, ensuring the family's integrity.

By letting his mistress cause a scene in front of me, Aidan had broken the rules.

Miriam noticed my change in expression and quickly led me to a nearby sofa, offering tea and kind words, afraid of losing the sale.

I took a deep breath, struggling to maintain my dignity in public. With a smile that didn't reach my eyes, I bought an imperial green jade bracelet, but I didn't take it home. Instead, I had it sent to Aidan's mother.

Everyone else could lose their composure, but I couldn't. At least not until I maximized my benefits in the divorce.

That evening, during dinner, Aidan tentatively brought up my 88,000 yuan purchase. I remained calm and composed.

"I saw a beautiful jade bangle when I picked up the bracelet. It had great clarity and color. Mom mentioned she didn't have any jewelry to match her outfits recently, so I bought it for her."

Aidan visibly relaxed, smiling as he placed a piece of mixed vegetables on my plate. "You're always so thoughtful, remembering everything Mom says."

I sneered inwardly. Of course, I had to remember. He lost his father at a young age, and his mother cherished him more than anything. She even tried to make things difficult for me at our wedding, worried he wouldn't continue to be the king of his own home. Over the years, I had to use countless strategies to finally send her to a high-end nursing home in the suburbs, yet I still faced criticism.

I had endured enough for this family.

But I couldn't explode just yet. I had two children to consider. I couldn't just think about myself; I had to plan for them.

Moreover, I had been a housewife for many years, disconnected from society. If I divorced him, without a stable income, I wouldn't be able to secure custody of the children or afford their expensive international school tuition. I wouldn't be able to provide them with a better environment or build a quality network of relationships.

So, I had been biding my time, waiting for the right moment.

Of course, I wasn't entirely without leverage. I had always held a piece of evidence against Aidan.

Good steel should be used on the blade. A foolish girl who caused a scene before I had dealt with Aidan wasn't enough to make me act.

Aidan chatted about the children for a while before mentioning the company's team-building event next month. All middle and senior management's families were required to attend.

"It'll be a bit of a hassle for you."

The warmth of his hand on mine made me feel nauseous. Even a touch felt like a slimy snake coiling around my hand.

Suppressing the urge to yank my hand away, I forced a polite smile.

"It's no trouble."

I knew the moment I had been patiently waiting for was coming soon.