2.
The person on the other end of the line could barely contain himself.
"Sir, you're finally coming back? When will you be here?"
"It'll be a few more days."
"First, do something for me. Pull every one of my wife Polly's travel records from her business trips to France."
"Of course, sir. Huasheng holds a large stake in her company. It's practically your subsidiary. Getting her itinerary is easy."
Not long after, Cole Whitney sent me a document.
"Sir, these are all of Polly's records from her trips to France over the past two years."
I opened it and looked, my brow tightening.
I'd expected it, but the extent of what she and Caleb had gotten up to still surprised me.
In the last six months alone, they'd booked hotel rooms more than a hundred times.
Which meant that more than half the time, they were sleeping together.
There was also a list of everything Polly had bought for Caleb.
Luxury watches. A sports car. And more.
Together it came to over two million.
For reference, her company's total annual revenue barely cleared ten million.
"Sir, shall I draw up a divorce agreement?"
"In her situation, you could force her out with nothing, and from Huasheng's position, make her pay back every loss on top of that."
I closed the document.
I shook my head slowly, my eyes cold.
"No rush. Let them play a little longer first."
That afternoon I went to the supermarket.
Then I went home.
I'd just finished cooking when I heard the door.
I started the recorder at the right moment.
Polly and Caleb walked in laughing, looking at some medical report, chatting in French.
"Polly, our baby is so tiny right now. The doctor said he's only about the size of a soybean."
Polly smiled gently.
"Then we'll just wait for him to grow, slowly."
"Let's eat first. We can look at it later."
They'd barely sat down when Polly noticed a chopstick set was missing.
She frowned and looked over at me in the kitchen.
"Joseph, there are three of us. Why did you only bring out two sets of chopsticks?"
"Bring another set for Caleb!"
I said flatly,
"I'm not obligated to wait on outsiders."
At that, Polly slapped her chopsticks down on the table.
"Joseph, how many times have I told you? Caleb is not an outsider!"
I gave a cold laugh.
"Fair enough. You two are glued together all day. For all I know, you're already husband and wife."
That only made Polly angrier.
"Enough! When are you going to rein in this jealousy of yours?"
"When are you going to learn from Caleb what it means to be tolerant?"
I took off the apron and tossed it onto a chair.
"Sorry. I can't learn it, and I don't want to."
Polly shot to her feet.
She was about to speak when the report slipped out of her hand.
It drifted down and landed right on the dining table.
At the bottom, the words "eight weeks pregnant" were plain to see.
And Polly had only just spent six months on a business trip in France.
There was no way it was mine.
Polly snatched it up.
Guilt flashed across her face. She thought I hadn't seen the patient's name.
"Joseph, don't read into it. I went in to get my cramps checked. That report is someone else's. I picked up the wrong one."
I laughed coldly inside and said mildly,
"Oh, is that so?"
"Then how is it I remember your period came half a month ago?"
She frowned.
"That's because things have been busy at the company lately, and because you keep picking fights with me!"
Seeing my cold expression, she said icily,
"What, you don't believe me? Caleb can vouch for it!"
Caleb quickly spoke up. "Joseph, Polly has never once betrayed you. I can guarantee that!"
I let out a faint laugh.
"You?"
"Uh, yes, me."
"And who the hell are you?"
Caleb's face went ugly at that.
Polly flew into a rage, grabbed a chopstick, and hurled it at me.
"Joseph, don't push your luck!"
"Don't forget, everything you eat and drink comes from my company!"
"Apologize to Caleb, or you can forget about this month's bonus!"
Behind her, Caleb wore a smug little smile, though his mouth said,
"Polly, don't be upset. I won't hold it against Joseph."
I wiped a bit of broth off my temple and gave a scornful smile.
"I don't want it."
With that, ignoring her cursing, I walked into the second bedroom.
I opened my phone.
"Cole, back up a copy of Polly's hospital exam records from today for me."
In just a few minutes, he sent it over.
The report read:
Polly.
Two months pregnant. Fetus healthy.
