The Intern Nurse's Voice From the Smart Speaker

: Betrayal

I got home after a long night shift at the hospital. My husband was in the kitchen, making congee.

He's a programmer, and he usually works even crazier overtime than I do. But today, uncharacteristically, he'd taken the day off.

"You must be exhausted, honey. Have some congee to recharge," he said with a gentle smile.

I took the bowl, but as I did, I caught a whiff of a scent on his cuff that wasn't mine.

It was that cloyingly sweet Siren's Song Perfume.

I lowered my head to eat, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw a damp, balled-up wad of tissues in the trash can.

There was also a half-smoked woman's slim cigarette, the lipstick stain on it a garish red.

'This congee... it was probably to help them recover their strength afterward, wasn't it?'

Without showing any emotion, I praised him for being so thoughtful and went into the study.

I opened the back-end log for our smart speaker and checked today's voice recordings.

At 3:00 PM, a coquettish female voice said, "Babe, the view from that floor-to-ceiling window is amazing. Should we try it over there?" It was immediately followed by the sound of rustling clothes and heavy panting.

Expressionless, I downloaded the audio file and sent it to my tech-savvy best friend:

[Can you run a background check on a woman for me? Her voice sounds a little familiar.]

[Since she loves making so much noise, I'm going to make her infamous in her professional circle.]

She replied instantly: [You got it, sis. I'll find this vixen for you no matter what!]

...

Milo Rhodes came into the study carrying a plate of sliced fruit.

He placed the fruit next to my hand, his palm casually resting on my shoulder.

"Still working on your paper, honey? You should get some rest."

I turned around, my gaze falling on his open collar.

There was a patch of skin there, covered with a thick layer of concealer.

Someone had clearly given him a Love Bite.

I pointed to the spot. "What happened to your neck?"

Milo instinctively covered his neck, his eyes flickering for a moment.

"Oh, I got a huge mosquito bite yesterday when we went jogging in the park for a company event. I was afraid it would bother you, so I covered it up."

It was November.

'What kind of mosquito leaves a bite that big?'

I didn't call him out on his lie, just said coolly, "That must have been some mosquito. Be careful it doesn't get infected."

"Yeah, haha," he chuckled dryly.

"I still have to organize some patient files tonight. I'm exhausted from the last few days, so I'll sleep in the guest room."

Milo was visibly relieved and immediately put on a show of being considerate.

"Okay, you get some rest, then. I won't disturb you."

Watching his briskly retreating back, the warmth in my eyes turned to ice.

The next day, at the morning meeting.

The head of the nursing department led a few new Medical Residents into the conference room.

"Everyone, please welcome our new colleagues."

A young woman in a nurse's uniform stood up.

She had a very innocent look, with large, doe-like eyes that seemed to glisten.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Yara Blanche. I look forward to working with you all."

Her voice was saccharine sweet, with a flirtatious lilt at the end of her sentences.

The hand I was holding my pen with froze.

That voice was identical to the one from the smart speaker yesterday—the one that wanted to "try it" by the floor-to-ceiling window.

Yara Blanche seemed to notice my gaze and deliberately walked over to me.

"Hello, Director Forrest. I've heard so much about you. I hope you'll guide me in the future."

She bowed slightly, her collar dipping low.

As she moved, her wrist came into view.

On it was a diamond-studded, four-leaf clover bracelet.

It was the limited-edition piece I had "accidentally lost" at home last week. There were only ten of them in the entire world.

I stared at the bracelet, then my eyes moved up to her collarbone.

There, too, was a mark covered by the same brand of concealer.

Its position perfectly matched the one on Milo's neck, as if they were a pair.

Yara Blanche noticed where I was looking. Instead of covering herself up, she deliberately tucked her hair behind her ear.

She gave me a sweet smile, but her eyes held a spark of provocation.

Just then, my phone vibrated.

My friend had sent the information: [Found her. Yara Blanche, a new nurse at your hospital.]

[What's more interesting is that she's also the "special consultant" for the medical supplies company that works with Milo's firm.]

[The two of them have probably been messing around a lot under the guise of professional collaboration.]

I put my phone away and looked at the innocent, harmless face in front of me.

'So they'd been taking their work to bed.'

When I got off work, Milo sent me a message: [Honey, I'm working late tonight, so I can't come pick you up.]

I replied with a simple [Okay.]

After walking out of the hospital's main entrance, I didn't head to the parking lot. Instead, I stood in the shadows.

A familiar Luminar Sedan was parked by the side of the road.

It was Milo's car.

Yara Blanche, now changed into a coquettish little white dress, skipped over, pulled open the car door, and got in.

The car didn't drive off. Instead, it turned into a dimly lit alley.

I followed it.

The car began to rock rhythmically.

I raised my phone and recorded a video of the license plate and the rocking car.

Watching that car sway in the darkness, the last trace of warmth in my heart turned completely cold.

'Since you two love chasing thrills so much, I'll give you something even more thrilling.'