Chapter 2

Barely holding myself together as I walked out of the hospital, I received yet another anonymous email containing only a phone number.

I neither replied nor dialed the number.

I didn't have much time and had to gather further proof of Erik's cheating on me.

With that, I would have the confidence to confront him.

I didn't recklessly inquire with people from the Hayes Group. Instead, I sought out a private investigator who was good at handling extramarital affairs. I asked him to delve into Erik's activities and whereabouts over the past three years.

Soon, the detective discovered that for the last three years, Erik had been making regular payments labeled as clothing expenses under the guise of business needs to a street clothing store. The phone number of the boss was Mia's.

The detective and I followed the trail to scrutinize Mia's Instagram account and uncovered everything about her.

She shared her passion for food, music, and travel experiences on her Instagram.

To ensure we didn't miss any critical information, we scrolled through her earliest posts.

Most of them were everyday updates. Two years ago, there was a series of beach vacation photos in the Maldives. I felt my fingertips icy cold at the sight of them.

The guy in the photos was always turned away from the camera, but he wore a custom suit with the initials "EH" embroidered on the lining. It was a design I had personally crafted for Erik, one of a kind in the world.

So they had been together for quite some time.

This revelation sent a shiver through me.

Two years ago, Erik had told me that he attended an industry summit in the Maldives and asked me to stay at the company to manage urgent projects.

I pulled several all-nighters to meet deadlines. I sent him several messages but received no response from him. When he returned, he casually told me it was because of the poor signal reception.

But now it was clear that he didn't respond to me not due to signal issues.

He simply had no time for me.

While I was working hard to support his career at the company, he was enjoying a romantic getaway with Mia in Maldives.

The souvenir he brought back for me was something Mia had left behind?

Did he still carry the scent of her perfume when he held me?

The thought made me clench my fists so hard that my nails dug into my palms. The sharp pain kept me grounded in reality.

While I poured my heart into supporting Erik, he had already betrayed me.

Their happiness was built upon my suffering. They were so despicable.

And me?

What did that make me?

Was I a mere stepping stone for Erik's ambitions or a facade to hide his deceit?

My heart was consumed by overwhelming hatred. In that moment, I only had one thought in my mind. I would have them pay the price.

I compelled myself to stay composed and meticulously compared Erik's schedule with Mia's updates on her posts.

It became clear that every one of Erik's business trips, overtime claims, and client meetings was just a cover for him to spend time with Mia.

Two and a half years ago, his "overtime locations" frequently coincided with Mia's Instagram locations. I even found records of them staying at the same hotel for three consecutive days.

They must have started cheating on me back then.

Truly disgusting they were!

I hated myself for trusting them before. As I found more evidence of Erik's affair, my fingers trembled with rage. But I persisted in taking screenshots and backing them up.

I meticulously categorized all evidence involving Erik, including the photos, the videos, the chat records, and even the voice recording when Mia complained about Erik's reluctance to divorce.

These would be the blades to bring Erik to fall.

I compiled all the evidence into documents and backed them up multiple times.

They enjoyed sneaking around for thrills, so I would expose their sordid affair to everyone in the entire industry, leaving them nowhere to hide!

I had made up my mind to tear down their facade thoroughly!

After finishing everything, I logged into my email and replied to the anonymous message. "Who are you? Can we talk?"

There was no immediate response from the one who sent me the email. I didn't dial the number I received from the anonymous email.

Instead, I called a number I hadn't saved for three years. It was Javier Lewis's. He was Erik's enemy.

Erik had personally sent Javier to jail years ago.

After his release, Javier had reformed. He launched a tech company that quickly rose to prominence and often competed directly against Erik in bids.

I could vividly picture him. He stood nearly six feet three, with broad shoulders and sun-kissed skin. He reflected a healthy glow, exuding a powerful masculine aura.

He never hid his sharp aura. With a perfect blend of wildness and maturity, he looked highly aggressive.

The animosity between Javier and Erik ran deep, and Javier had long sought the opportunity to topple Erik. I happened to possess exactly what Javier needed.

I didn't fall for Erik at first sight. Nor was our relationship filled with romantic elements.

When Erik faced technical challenges in the early days of his startup, he came to me through mutual friends and tried to persuade me to join him.

I had no interest in his business back then. I decided to join him after we started dating.

The core algorithm patent I developed for Erik's company became its lifeline and the key that helped him have a foothold in the industry.

The patent was still under my name, licensed to Erik's company for free use. Erik had urged me multiple times to transfer it since we got married.

I intended to gift it to him as a third-anniversary present, so I didn't do as he had said.

I had planned to transfer it to him after the IVF treatment that day, as a surprise.

But now, I learned about his affair.

Of course, I would gift it to another guy.

It would cripple Erik's company and be a devastating blow to him after he lost the core patent.

It would make Javier's company grow better.

I wanted to see Erik bankrupt and taste the despair of falling from grace!

The call was quickly answered. I said calmly, "This is Doreen Morgan. I have something to discuss with you. Let's meet."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Javier's magnetic voice replied, "Half an hour later, at the café downstairs from your place."

Then he decisively hung up the phone.

At the café, I met Javier for the first time.

He was as formidable as others said. The sleeves of his black shirt were casually rolled up and revealed scars on his wrist. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, exuding an intense pressure.

He was even more intimidating than in the photos. After sitting down, he locked his eyes on me and got straight to the point. "Miss Morgan, what brings you here?"

I stared into his eyes and asked him word by word, "You're the one who sent me the anonymous email, aren't you? What's your intention?"