When I mentioned I was feeling under the weather, Andrew drove through a snowstorm just to see me. From then on, except when it was a matter of principle, this gesture became his ticket to forgiveness. That was until I accidentally discovered his chat records.
"The other day, I had a physical need. She was cleaner than the usual ones I hang out with."
"Women are always touched by little gestures. Act more emotional and they'll stick with you."
***
As I reached for the fruit on the table, Andrew subtly angled his phone away from my view. My gut instinct immediately screamed he was cheating. I realized I hadn't checked Andrew’s phone in ages. When we first got together, I was filled with insecurity and often asked to see his phone to ensure he wasn’t seeing anyone else. Andrew never seemed bothered; he simply smiled and added my fingerprint to his access settings, letting me check it anytime.
Over time, I became familiar with most of his social circles and found it all somewhat mundane. Andrew had given me enough reassurance, and I gradually stopped looking at his phone. Yet once doubt takes root, it grows swiftly. I unlocked his phone while he was asleep.
By chance, he had left a secondary WhatsApp account logged in. There was only one contact. Her profile picture and Andrew’s were a couple's photo, two adorable, pink cartoon rabbits cuddled up. I remembered Andrew once saying he disliked pink, considering it childish.
I opened their chat, and an hour ago, they had exchanged goodnight messages. Scrolling up revealed all sorts of flirtatious and intimate exchanges. The messages stretched back half a year. I clicked into the girl's social media profile. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and even I was almost drawn in.
I kept scrolling down until I stopped at one of her posts. The caption read: "What to do with all this joy?" Alongside the text were two images. One showed their fingers intertwined. I instantly recognized Andrew’s hand. He wasn’t wearing our wedding ring, but a faint ring mark was visible on his finger. The other image was a screenshot of a $52,000 money transfer from Andrew to her.
I maintained a neutral expression while taking out my own phone to record from start to finish their chat history, transaction records, and her social media posts. At that moment, I felt empty inside, calmly preserving the evidence. After putting his phone back in its place, I lay in bed, staring at the dark ceiling, unable to sleep.
It was only when a sliver of light pierced through the curtains that I realized dawn had arrived.
