His heart ached instantly. He frowned, gently cupping her face. "Tell your husband, did some jerk bully you?"

"I'll take care of them for you."

She casually pushed his hands away, her voice calm. "No, it's nothing. Just the wind in my eyes."

"I had the window down while I was driving."

Hearing her explanation, Damian's tense brow slowly relaxed.

His eyes were full of affection as he gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, like a man still deep in the honeymoon phase. But she had finally accepted the reality: the man in front of her had split his heart in two, making room for another woman.

After they finished their makeup and styling in the dressing room, she received a picture from Lila.

It was an open Louis Vuitton case, overflowing with empty condom wrappers.

Didn't even realize we'd gone through so many.

Oh, and I forgot the most important part. He’s not using them anymore. Our baby is going to be gorgeous.

She lowered her head to hide the storm of emotions raging inside her, but the hand holding her phone trembled uncontrollably.

Seraphina locked the screen, feeling like a nerve in her brain had been snapped, leaving her breathless.

She forced herself to look at him. As if sensing her gaze, Damian met her eyes with a familiar smile. A smile that once brought her comfort now felt like a bitter irony.

Their marriage was nothing but a rotten apple, devoured by worms from the inside, with only a beautiful peel left.

She was already ensnared by the suffocating vines of his betrayal.

During the show's taping, the on-screen guests didn't get much camera time.

She glanced at Damian from the corner of her eye and saw him constantly sneaking peeks at his phone, his thumb scrolling endlessly. A dark flush had risen in his eyes; that woman must have sent him another explicit photo.

She silently watched his subtle movements, casually brushing her hair back to hide the moisture welling in her eyes.

The taping ended at one in the morning. Damian walked quickly toward her, his expression urgent.

"Honey, I just had a sudden burst of inspiration."

"I'm sorry, I can't go home with you. I have to go to the office."

He gently arranged her thick hair, then pulled her into a tight hug against his chest.

"Baby, I hate leaving you."

"Thank you for always being so understanding. Be safe on your way home."

Seraphina's eyes flickered. Lying to her had become second nature to him.

The same man who had pursued her relentlessly despite countless rejections, the man who once told her with tears in his eyes, "You're the only one for me in this life. I don't want anyone else but you."

The man who had sworn to spend his life with her was now saying he couldn't bear to be apart, while his body was already on its way to another woman.

Before she could say anything, Damian's phone buzzed. He let her go, glanced at the screen, and then hurried to his car and drove away.

She stood frozen in the cold night wind, watching his car until it disappeared from sight.

Then, she whispered to herself, "I will never forgive you."

She had to leave, to vanish from his world completely. That would be her response to his infidelity.

Back home, Seraphina immediately took a shower, trying to wash away the day's darkness.

Just as she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked into the bedroom, a video popped up on her phone.

In the video, Lila was blindfolded with a tie—the exact same one Damian had worn tonight.

She was dressed in a sheer, provocative outfit, wearing a pair of puppy ears. A black collar was fastened around her pale neck. She crawled slowly across the bed, as if she were a lost pet.

Her ample curves jiggled with every movement, and her voice was as enchanting as a nightingale's song.

"Master… come and punish me."

A moment later, a familiar male figure pounced on her like a starving wolf.

Seraphina forcefully swiped the screen to close the app. She tried to take deep breaths to ease the tightness in her chest.

She had known about their relationship for a while and thought she had grown numb to these explicit displays.

But she had underestimated the video's impact. A cold, briny bitterness, like being submerged in seawater, spread through her entire body.

Unable to sleep, she sat silently on the bed, staring into the darkness until dawn.

Her phone vibrated again. It was a message from Lila.

He has so much stamina. He completely wore me out last night.

I heard your birthday is coming up. I have a surprise for you.

Sending you the location now. Be there at 3 PM sharp.

Seraphina's grip on the phone tightened, as if she were trying to crush it in her hand.

When Damian came home, he found Seraphina sitting on the edge of the bed with red, swollen eyes. Her phone lay shattered on the floor.

His heart sank. He quickly knelt at her feet, his voice laced with caution.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Your eyes are so red, and your hands and feet are freezing."

He took her hands in his, rubbing them gently.

Seraphina finally snapped out of her daze. She tried to smile, but found it impossibly difficult.

She looked down, avoiding his gaze, her voice hoarse. "I watched a scary movie. It kept me up all night."