By the time they returned, it was already 11 PM.
Mabel couldn’t stop smiling, occasionally touching the gold bracelet on her wrist and then the necklace around her neck.
Derek also wore a smile on his face.
But the moment he saw me, his smile disappeared. I was witnessing a dramatic change of expression for the first time in my life.
"What the hell are you doing up at this hour?" Mabel snapped at me, her face full of frustration.
I ignored her, my attention fixed on Derek, trying to see where he’d put his phone.
Strangely, he had set his phone aside and was playing with Mabel's instead.
Seeing my indifference, Mabel became even more irritated, ready to say something else, but Derek stopped her.
The two exchanged a look—some silent understanding passed between them—and Mabel’s expression immediately softened as she walked toward me.
"Hey, Vera, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that Derek had left you on your own while he was busy with work. I only found out when I ran into him downstairs," she said with a tone that was almost sickeningly sweet, sending chills down my spine.
What was she really up to?
I half-heartedly replied with an “Mm,” but that only made her more eager to chat, pulling me into a conversation.
Derek sat beside me, still fiddling with Mabel’s phone.
"...So, do you think we should add Derek's name to the house deed?"
At first, I didn’t catch the full sentence, but when I heard that, I turned to Mabel, unsure if I had heard her right.
The house was something my family had bought in full before we married, in the city center. It cost several million.
The original plan was for Derek, given his financial situation, to stay here temporarily until we could buy a house together in a few years.
At no point during those discussions had we ever agreed that his mother would move in.
Yet, by the time I came home from work, she was already settled in, claiming she was just staying for a while to help us out.
Looking back, it seemed clear that she was aiming to become the rightful owner.
"And, Derek said your dowry is quite substantial. Mom knows how you tend to spend without thinking, and she worries that one day you’ll just blow it all. How about I help you manage it? You’ll get interest on it later."
"I’m not asking for your money, Vera. Don't misunderstand. I’m just thinking of what’s best for you. You’ll need to give us a grandson soon."
Now she was eyeing my dowry, too.
"Vera, Mom’s only trying to help. You should listen to her," Derek chimed in, backing her up.
I scoffed, shrugging off their hands. "Spent too much time napping today, dreaming, huh? If you want to add your name, how about you first contribute a few million?"
"Add his name? As if he deserves it."
"My dowry is mine to do with as I please. It’s none of your business."
"I’m not interested in that paltry interest. I don’t need you to manage it."
"Let me remind you how much the bride price was. Do I need to spell it out for you?"
With that, I quickly slipped on my shoes, grabbed Derek’s phone, and went to my room.
I slammed the door shut behind me.
A few moments later, I could hear them arguing loudly outside.
I paid no mind to it, focusing on checking Derek’s phone. But to my surprise, there was nothing of note—his chat with his sister seemed perfectly normal, unlike what I had seen earlier.
In the end, I found nothing suspicious, so I activated the location tracking system, linking it to my phone.
After finishing, I set his phone down on the nearby table.
When Derek came in, he glanced at the phone, then smiled at me. There was no trace of guilt or panic on his face, and he spoke gently, trying to placate me.
"Vera, please don’t be mad. Honey, kiss?"
I shoved him away, not wanting him to touch me.
In the end, I had to force him to sleep in the guest room.
I kept wondering how Derek could have stopped contacting me.
Even after checking his phone, I couldn’t find a second system—everything was clean.
Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I suddenly remembered how often he used Mabel’s phone!
That thought instantly woke me up. Mabel had a habit of leaving her phone charging outside.
It was 2 AM now, and they should both be asleep.
I quietly grabbed my phone and, after some searching, found Mabel’s phone near the TV.
There was no password. I felt a surge of excitement as I immediately unlocked it.
Sure enough...
...
Lying in bed, I felt a wave of disgust wash over me as I recalled what I had just discovered. Derek and his sister were involved!
Not only that, but Sylvia was pregnant.
On top of that, Derek had also been cheating with another woman. The chat logs were so explicit it made my stomach turn.
I needed to speed up the divorce process.
