Stains of Betrayal

Playing Paparazzi

After Lindsey left the apartment, I removed the couch covers in the living room and tossed them into the washing machine. Then, I headed into the bedroom to see if I could uncover any sort of clue. I searched for a long time, and before I knew it, the sky outside had turned dark. However, I didn't find anything. Maybe I was just overthinking things.

Just then, my stomach growled. I decided to call Lindsey, thinking we could grab a meal together.

"Hey, babe, where are you?"

"What is it now? It hasn't been that long since I left, and you're already calling? I told you I'm out shopping with Kenny." Her tone was laced with irritation, and I could practically picture her frowning on the other end of the line.

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering which mall you guys are at."

"We're at Wonder Plaza near our place. Why are you asking so many questions?"

"I'm hungry and thought maybe I could meet you for dinner. If your friend doesn't mind, he can join us. It'll be my treat." I figured it was a good excuse to meet Kenny and see who he really was. To my surprise, Lindsey rejected me right away.

"Ugh, you really don't get it. No woman wants her boyfriend tagging along while she shops. That's just awkward. We're planning to get a foot massage later, so I'll be back late. Don't wait up. You've been working hard lately. Get some rest."

I switched my phone to speaker and turned up the volume. I paid close attention to the background noise on her end, hoping to catch something unusual.

"Alright then, I'll eat by myself. So, you're still at the mall, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Oh, Kenny, come over here and check if this dress looks good on me. I think it's really cute."

'Hmph. It's so quiet on her end that I can hear a pin drop. If she's really in a mall, there would be background music or the chatter of people. Something fishy is going on,' I thought bitterly.

"Okay, I won't bother you anymore. Just come home soon." Lindsey didn't even bother replying before she hung up abruptly.

I listened to the monotonous beeping from the speaker, and my heart felt empty. The apartment lease we had just renewed for another year, the new furniture we had bought, and the future we were building together, all of it felt like it was hitting rock bottom.

It was during my senior year of college that I crossed paths with Lindsey. We were both art majors. I majored in photography while she majored in Latin dances. Now, two years after graduation, our jobs had become fairly stable. I was a freelance photographer, and thanks to my skills and creativity, I gained quite a bit of attention in this field, which brought in a good income. Lindsey, on the other hand, worked as a dance instructor at a dance school.

Compared to my earnings and prospects, hers were much more limited.

I stubbed out the cigarette that was nearly burned down to the filter and told myself to stop jumping to conclusions. Seeing was believing, and even if what I thought about Lindsey was true, I needed undeniable evidence before I made any assumptions.

I grabbed my camera and a 200mm lens from my work desk and put on a baseball cap.

Who would've thought my first experience playing paparazzi would be to take some photos of my girlfriend, who was possibly cheating? What a ridiculous situation.

Wonder Plaza was just a short drive from our place. Unexpectedly, the underground parking lot was practically empty.

I parked in a spot that gave me a good view of the mall entrance. Then, I turned off the headlights and was about to get out with my camera when I heard a playful and flirtatious voice.

"Oh, Kenny, you're so bad!"

"Haha, but you like me this way, don't you?"

"Gosh, do you have to be so blunt? You're terrible!"

The words, clear as day, sent my mind into overdrive. A man and a woman emerged from the mall's underground exit, arms wrapped around each other. The woman was wearing a mink coat, black stockings, and long boots. It was Lindsey, alright.

I took several deep breaths to steady my racing heart. Once I felt calm enough, I lifted my telephoto lens and focused it on them. I had to see who this "Kenny" really was.

When I finally locked onto his face through the viewfinder, my brain nearly short-circuited again. I was very familiar with this man. It was Kenny Hudson, the husband of Paige Hudson, who was the owner of Lindsey's dance school.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would've believed that the "Kenny" saved in Lindsey's phone was him.

Some recent memories suddenly emerged in my mind. Lindsey had mentioned that her boss was interested in buying a unit in our neighborhood, so she invited her over to our house to chat and check out some available apartments.

That day, a few of us were hanging out in the living room, playing the Switch. Lindsey and Kenny got hooked on playing Mario Kart together, so I ended up taking Paige to check out some houses that were up for sale in our neighborhood.

'But now, thinking back, could it be that while we were out looking at properties, those two were doing something inappropriate right in my living room?'

I quickly pushed the thought away and didn't dare to think about it further.

I held up my camera and snapped shot after shot. "You two, just wait. I've got the evidence now." I was determined to make them pay for this.

As I zoomed in to capture the details, I noticed several tears in Lindsey's black stockings. The shape and intensity of the rips clearly indicated they had been torn by force.

The sight tore at me, but I clenched my teeth and began to formulate my plan for revenge.

I watched as the two of them, confident that the empty parking lot gave them privacy, kissed passionately. However, they were completely unaware that I was quietly parked less than fifty yards away. From my spot, I calmly switched my camera to video mode and started recording everything.

I picked up my phone and dialed Lindsey's number again. She pulled out her phone, glanced at the screen, and then shut it off with a frown.

"Is it your boyfriend again?"

"He's so annoying. Every day, it's the same. Being with him is just so boring."

Kenny laughed while running his hand along her thigh. "Remember what we did on the couch last time? That was so thrilling. We almost got caught."

Lindsey giggled. "You're so wicked, Kenny. My heart was pounding because he almost caught us."

"Then let's plan something exciting again in a few days. This time, let's take things up a notch," he suggested.

"Hehe, I'm totally in. But what about your wife?"

Sitting in my car, every word felt like a knife. It took everything in me not to rush out and confront them right then and there. But I wanted to collect more proof, so I called Lindsey again.

"What do you want? Why are you calling me nonstop?"

"No reason. I'm already at the Wonder Plaza parking lot. Come on out. We're heading to your parents' place for dinner."

"What? Who told you to make a decision without consulting me?"

"Just hurry up. I'll be there in two minutes. We need to talk about something important."

Lindsey hung up right in front of my eyes.

I watched as the two embraced each other tightly and kissed goodbye reluctantly. My gaze shifted to the red dot blinking on my camera's LCD screen that was still recording every moment. I smirked.