My eyes snap open to dawn's gray seep through curtains, no dream residue, no gut-twist awakening.
This morning felt… different.
For the first time in days—no, in weeks—my mind was quiet.
Not empty.
Not numb.
Just… clear.
No….The pain was still there.
It hadn't disappeared.
But it no longer clawed at me.
No longer dictated my every thought.
Because now—
I had direction.
Last night changed everything.
The cloud backup.
The messages.
The truth.
It had hurt.
More than anything I had felt before.
But it also did something else.
It removed the last illusion.
There was nothing left to guess.
Nothing left to hope for.
Nothing left to misunderstand.
Only facts.
And facts were easier to deal with.
I sat up slowly.
The room was quiet.
She was already awake.
I could hear movement in the kitchen.
Utensils.
Water running. Normal sounds. A normal morning.
I almost laughed.
Normal huhhh ?
I got out of bed and washed up.
Every movement felt deliberate. Controlled.
Today I had a plan.
Office first. Then the lawyer.
Show him everything. Let him decide what was enough. What wasn't.
Although I think I have collected enough evidence from the cloud backup the previous night , enough to give me advantage in divorce court… I still need a professional opinion.
No more assumptions. No more emotional decisions.
Just—
Steps.
I stepped out into the living room.
She was there.
Standing near the dining table.
Phone in hand. Of course.
She glanced at me briefly. Then looked back at the screen.
"Morning," she said.
Her tone was neutral.
Flat.
I said nothing. Hadn't said anything in weeks to her.
I sat on the other end of the table , far from her… and started eating my breakfast. Still planning my day in my head.
Just as I was planning my day, bingqing approached me with a serious look.
Something in her look told me that she was going to talk about open marriage, about sun again…..
So I silently and covertly started my phone recording.
"I need better tools. professional Recorders.hidden Cameras. This isn't enough." I silently reminded myself…
The thought didn't feel strange.
It felt… necessary.
She halted counter-edge, two feet buffer, gaze probing mine over mug rim.
Wuji," she said.
Her voice carried confidence.
No hesitation.
Of course it did.
"I'm going out today," she continued. "Might be a little late."
I looked at her.
Really looked.
Her posture.
Her eyes.
There was no uncertainty there.
No guilt.
Just a statement.
And in that moment—
Fragments of last night returned.
last night's balcony hiss, fragments snatched through glass, Her voice on the balcony.
Soft.
Light.
"…pick me up at five…"
I hadn't heard everything.
But I heard enough.
A date.
With him. date with her lover.
I almost didn't respond. Then I remembered the recording going on, the need of collecting evidence. So I spoke to her for the first time in seven days.
"Where are you going?"
My tone was calm.
Neutral.
Almost… curious.
As if I didn't already know.
For a split second—
Something flickered in her eyes. Guilt maybe….
Then—
Gone.
"Just out with friends." Vague toss, but tone slices—sharp impatience lacing vowels, irritation curling lip edge, eyes narrowing fraction like I'm the inconvenience.
Disrespect glints, velvet blade.
As if I had asked something I shouldn't have.
Something unnecessary.
I felt something inside me shift.
Not anger.
Something colder.
Good….Delight sparked dark within me:
("Yes, speak like that. Prove how you treat this marriage, how little reaction to a simple question. ")
I watched her for a moment.
Let the silence stretch just enough.
Then—
"You're going out with Sun, aren't you?"
My voice didn't change.
No accusation.
No emotion.
Just—
A statement.
Her expression faltered.
Just for a second.
There it was.
Then—
It hardened.
Irritation rallied swift, voice dramatic pitch. "Don't make assumptions, Wuji!"
Her tone was sharper now.
Defensive.
I didn't react.
"Then tell me I'm wrong."
The words came out evenly.
Simple. Direct.
She stared at me.
I could see it.
The calculation.
Then—
Her lips pressed together.
"Yes," she said.
No hesitation.
"So what?"
There it was.
Clear. Unfiltered.
I let out a slow breath.
I raised my voice deliberately, ensuring crystal capture. "I told you I do not agree to open marriage. I say a little loud so that the recording catches it clearly. "And I do not agree with you dating anyone, so no to your date night with Sun. Especially after you said you have feelings for him... If you still go on dates with him, this marriage may not need to last. That is my bottom line."
Excitement thrummed vein-deep—hard evidence she disregards boundaries. (Come on, Bingqing, say something not so nice.)
I could almost hear the recording capturing every word.
Clean. Precise.
Evidence.
She stared at me.
And then—
Her expression changed.
Irritation.
No—
More than that.
Defiance.
"You don't get to say who I can meet and whom I cannot, Wuji." Harsh bark, respect evaporated, negotiation void. "You don't get to control me. I live however I like. If you feel uncomfortable, that's your problem."
Her voice was cold now.
Hard.
"You don't and can't control me, Wuji."
(That's it, girl. Good, good—you just handed gold: defiance, zero regard. Ha ha ha …..I am so excited that i got the chance to record my refusal so quickly…. This is hard evidence that she did not respect my boundaries ….)
I felt it.
Not the pain.
Something else.
Satisfaction. Perfect.
I looked at her for a moment longer.
Then nodded slightly.
"Then there's nothing more to say."
I turned.
Picked up my keys.
My phone.
And walked out.
No hesitation.
No looking back.
The car felt quiet.
Still.
I sat there for a moment.
Car leather warmed under me, engine purred alive.
Hands resting on the steering wheel.
Then—
I pressed play.
Her voice filled the space.
Clear.
Sharp.
Every word was captured perfectly.
My refusal.
Her defiance.
I listened to the entire thing.
Once.
Twice.
And then—
I smiled.
Slowly.
"…funny," I murmured.
My voice sounded distant.
"I'm smiling at the end of my marriage."
But it wasn't joy.
It wasn't even a relief.
It was—
Understanding.
Clarity.
For the first time—
I wasn't losing control.
I was gaining it.
########################
At the office, I told them everything.
Chen Hao leaned back in his chair, shaking his head.
"She actually said that?" he asked.
"Yes."
Yue Mengli's expression darkened.
"That's more than enough to show her intent," she said.
"Intent, yes," Chen Hao added. "But we need more."
I looked at him.
"What else?"
"Proof," he said simply.
"Physical."
I frowned slightly.
"She's going on a date, right?"
I nodded.
"Then get someone to follow her. Record everything…. Physical proof…. Juicy tails, photos, videos. Cloud's digital man; court craves flesh."
The idea settled instantly.
Simple.
Effective.
"…a private investigator," Yue Mengli said quietly.
I blinked.
Of course.
How did I not think of that?
I exhaled slowly.
"You're right," I said.
By afternoon—
It was done.
Contacts made.
Arrangements set.
"Elite Investigations,"
"Tail tonight, 5 PM pickup. Full surveillance of the date night—audio, video, discretion absolute."
Money transferred.
A man I had never met before—
Now watching my wife.
Following her.
Recording her.
The thought should have felt strange.
It didn't.
It felt—
Necessary.
I stood by the window.
Looking out at the city.
People moved.
Cars passed.
Life continued.
And somewhere out there—
She was getting ready.
For him.
A date.
A simple word.
Something ordinary. Something harmless.
Not anymore.
Now—
It was evidence.
And I would wait.
Not as a husband.
Not as a victim.
But as something else.
Something colder. Something patient.
Evidence avalanche incoming. Her date? My checkmate.