Chapter 5: Jealous of the Substitute

Vivian Hale’s heart continued to race even after she left.

She grew increasingly curious about that man’s identity, and increasingly wary of the danger he represented.

Directly heading home, she was a whirlwind of thoughts along the way.

The experience only strengthened her resolve to leave as soon as possible.

Whether it was Adrian Cross or that substitute, she wanted nothing more to do with either of them.

To achieve that, she would need the "help" of Adrian’s new flame, Tiffany Rose.

The moment she stepped inside, the memory of those two entangled in the mall made her stomach turn.

Being subjected to all of this for no reason left her with a mounting frustration she had no way to vent.

Particularly when she thought of her past with Adrian, she found it hard to imagine how a man could be so duplicitous.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to her dressing table and pulled open the bottom drawer.

Inside was a beautiful, handcrafted ceramic mirror.

They had made it together on their first date after Adrian confessed his feelings to her when she was eighteen.

It was the token of their love.

Turning the mirror over, she saw her reflection.

Her features were the same as they were years ago, but the spark and vitality had vanished from her eyes.

They were as still and lifeless as a pool of stagnant water.

She tried to force a smile.

But the mirth dissolved before it reached her eyes, resulting in a look of happiness so forced that even she found it fake.

She traced the names they had carved into the clay together.

Hardened by fire and time, it was now as solid as rock, yet ironically as fragile as a soap bubble that would burst at the slightest touch.

With a sharp exhale, she tossed it into the trash.

With a dull thud, it felt as though everything had finally been let go.

At that moment, the bedroom door was kicked open.

Adrian burst in, his face darkened with rage. He scanned the room before his eyes locked onto Vivian’s.

"When did you get back?"

Vivian understood instantly—he was jealous of the substitute again. She found it both hilarious and pathetic.

She was going to drive him mad.

On the surface, she feigned confusion and stood up to greet him.

"Honey, what’s wrong? You told me you had to go back to the office for a meeting and didn't have time for lunch, so you told me to go home first. Why are you asking me this now?"

The man’s expression shifted rapidly.

The fury building in his chest felt like it was about to explode, yet he found himself unable to let it out.

Vivian, as if acting on instinct, used her soft, delicate hands to gently stroke his chest, as if soothing his temper.

"Who upset you? Why such a temper? You were so happy earlier at the mall, holding me and teasing me."

The color drained from Adrian’s face, turning a sickly shade of green once more.

He stared at Vivian with a gaze that held a strange, overbearing intensity.

His large hand gripped her waist as he asked in a low voice, "Are you really on your period?"

Vivian’s heart skipped a beat.

She had always known that Adrian wasn't easily fooled.

But until she had the divorce certificate in hand, she couldn't let him suspect anything.

She was nervous to the extreme.

Feigning a look of hurt and indignation, she turned and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Do you want to check for yourself? You know better than anyone how much I want to have a child with you. Do you really think I’d turn you away if I didn't have to?"

The tension in Adrian’s chest eased slightly.

After twelve years together, no one knew better than he did how much Vivian loved him.

"It’s my fault. I just..."

Vivian’s eyes flickered as she cut him off with a playful pout.

"I know you're busy. I used to be immature, always wanting you to stay with me. I’m planning to go away for a while—to visit all those places we talked about going to but never did."

She didn't specify how long she’d be gone.

She had expected Adrian to be relieved by her departure.

To her surprise, his brow furrowed as he took her hand.

"Alright. I’ll settle things at work and go with you. Consider it a make-up for the honeymoon we never had."

Vivian looked into the man’s sincere eyes.

She felt a wave of bitter irony.

When they first married, she was in poor health, constantly in and out of the hospital, making a honeymoon impossible. After she recovered, she had brought it up several times.

Each time, Adrian had pushed it aside, citing work.

Now, after he had sent a substitute to her bed and suspected them of an affair, he had suddenly changed his tune, acting out of a sense of crisis and desperation to hold onto her.

He wanted everything on his terms.

Well, then he shouldn't blame her for making him pay the price.

She nodded with a smile, feigning excitement as she pulled her hand away.

"Then I’d better start packing."

She turned and headed toward the walk-in closet.

After a few steps, a thought struck her, and she turned back. She leaned in close to Adrian and snapped a selfie of them, her lips puckered in a kiss.

"Honey, I’m so happy. Go take a shower. I’ll order some ingredients and cook for you tonight."

Suspecting nothing, the man loosened his tie and headed into the bathroom.

Vivian leaned against the closet door, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. She calmly logged into Weibo and posted an update:

"Finally have time for a vacation! My husband insisted on a spontaneous honeymoon. The secret to keeping a marriage fresh is a surprise like this."

She attached the intimate selfie they had just taken.

She rarely used social media, but she often shared snippets of her daily life on Weibo.

Tiffany Rose followed her on a burner account.

She would see any movement immediately.

Sure enough, less than a minute after the post went live, a phone began to ring incessantly in the bathroom.

The sound of the shower stopped. A moment later, Adrian emerged wrapped in a towel.

He hurried past her to get dressed.

"Who’s calling? It sounds urgent."

Vivian remained leaning against the door, asking casually.

"A project at the company ran into some trouble. It needs to be handled immediately."

The man’s lie came out effortlessly, sounding perfectly normal.

The bespoke charcoal-gray suit made him look handsome and distinguished. He gestured for her to come over and tie his necktie.

She stood on her tiptoes, expertly adjusting the silk.

Though they were inches apart and their breaths mingled, her heart remained as cold as stone.

"I’m sorry, I can't stay for dinner tonight."

The man’s hand lightly brushed her cheek.

After those tender words, he turned and left without hesitation.

In his haste, he knocked over the trash can by the wall.

The ceramic mirror she had just discarded rolled halfway out. His leather shoe stepped directly onto it, and with a sharp crack, the glass shattered into a web of fractures.

The man instinctively looked down.

Vivian’s heart leaped into her throat.

Her mind raced, searching for a way to explain.

But the man simply frowned and continued his hurried pace toward the door.

He was busy typing a reply on his phone as he complained irritably:

"Don't leave the trash can there. It’s messy. Clean it up."

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut.

The sound of a car engine roaring to life echoed from below as he sped away.

It felt like a resounding slap to Vivian’s face, making her previous anxiety seem utterly ridiculous.

The token of love she had cherished and preserved so carefully had long been forgotten by the man who had once sworn to love her forever.

The shattered mirror reflected her own broken face.

It was the perfect metaphor for her relationship with Adrian.

The last lingering trace of hesitation finally vanished.

She knelt down and carefully gathered the shards. Just as she was about to throw them away, her phone vibrated.

It was a message from Adrian.

"Vivian, the project is quite complicated, so I won't be able to go on the vacation with you. Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll have someone book your flights and hotel. Just enjoy yourself and don't worry about anything else."

The man rarely sent such long messages.

Vivian let out a cold laugh.

Tiffany Rose certainly had her ways.

She had Adrian wrapped around her finger.

Vivian didn't care. In fact, she welcomed it.

Holding the trash bag in one hand and typing with the other, she sent back an obedient reply.

"Okay, honey. No need to arrange anything for me, just make sure there's enough money in my account. I'll keep you updated on my location."

Shortly after, she received a notification for a bank transfer of one million dollars.

She accepted it without a hint of guilt.

She had much to do this month.