He Brought a Child, so I Brought A New Man

[Hmph, you better wear two layers next time. Otherwise, I’ll think you’re disgusting.]

[My sweet wife, I’ll be home to cuddle you once I’m done putting her to bed.]

The rage burning in my chest flowed straight to my fingertips as I furiously typed a message full of accusations.

But a cold wave of reason washed over me like ice water dumped on my head. My finger hovered over the send button.

I gritted my teeth, read it over again and again, then erased the whole thing without leaving a trace.

More messages kept flooding in, each one more vulgar than the last.

I suddenly laughed bitterly. God, how could I be so stupid? I wasted ten years being fooled by trash like him.

That single thought pierced my heart more deeply than any knife.

Just after I backed up all the evidence, Theron rushed out of the kid’s room.

"Babe, you’re still awake?" His voice had a nervous edge that was impossible to miss.

From the mirror, I caught his reflection, his eyes scanning the room frantically, clearly looking for his phone.

"What are you looking for?" I asked casually, setting down my brow pencil mid-stroke.

His gaze flickered. "Nothing. I was just putting Theo to sleep, lost track of time. I’ll make the bed, so let’s turn in early, yeah?"

Thud! A phone fell from the quilt he was fluffing, thudding loudly against the floor.

Even though he tried to act fast, I clearly saw him kick a second phone under the bed.

He quickly pulled another phone from his pocket, the matching couple’s model he always claimed was ours.

"Phew, lucky it didn’t break. This is the pair we bought together, remember? For me and my lovely wife."

I did not say a word.

Noticing my silence, he tried to act lighthearted. "Oh right, I’ve got a late video call with a client tonight. Did my phone ring just now? Babe, did you maybe answer it?"

"Should I have? It wasn’t a female client, was it?" I raised my eyebrows and looked at him.

His nervousness spiked instantly. He fumbled to unlock his phone, the way his fingers tapped the screen all over the place, completely out of rhythm, like a skipped heartbeat.

"Of course not! You can look through anything, I’ve got nothing to hide."

He shoved the phone toward me so fast that the screen nearly hit my face.

"Relax, sweetheart. Of course I trust you."

I turned around and continued filling in my eyebrows.

Trying to act casual, he watched my every subtle reaction like a hawk.

Once he was sure I had not noticed anything off, his gaze shifted uneasily. "Honey, it’s late. Are you heading out? Want me to drive you?"

I caught him glancing toward the bottom of the bed more than once and instantly understood.

"My best friend’s throwing me a birthday celebration at Ember Night. Wanna come with me?"

"Client’s been bugging me for a video call. It’s for the company, so I really can’t come with you tonight."

He shook his head, lifting his phone for me to see. On the screen, I clearly caught the name saved as [Dear Celina].

As usual, Theron acted reluctant but still walked me to the door.

"Babe, have fun tonight. I’ll come pick you up after the call."

He leaned in and kissed me lightly on the forehead, his expression soft and affectionate.

However, the vile words from that WhatsApp group echoed in my head on a loop. I recoiled, taking two steps back in disgust.

"Honey, why are you acting so strange tonight…"

Before he could finish his sentence, his phone rang again over and over, the noise making him visibly flustered.

"Babe, the car I ordered for you should be here any minute. The client’s really pushing for this meeting, so I can’t wait with you."

Watching him rush off, a heavy ache settled in my chest.

So, this was all I was worth to him. He could not even pretend to care for a few more minutes, not with Celina blowing up his phone.

While waiting for the ride, I opened the bedroom CCTV footage.

In the video, Theron was already changing clothes while video chatting with Celina.

"Baby, where should I come find you later?"