Chapter 4
Henry didn’t come back all night.
At 4 AM, my phone vibrated.
I opened Instagram and saw Lily’s newly updated post.
In the photo, she sat on a hotel terrace lounge chair with her knee wrapped in gauze, holding a glass of champagne.
Henry stood behind her, slightly leaning toward her shoulder with a gentle smile.
“In a foreign land, fortunately I have your company.”
I closed Instagram and immediately booked the earliest flight home.
While boarding, I received a video from an unknown number.
In the video, a man and woman tumbled onto a bed, kissing passionately.
Although their faces were somewhat blurry, I recognized the man on the bed immediately.
I pressed my lips together and turned off my phone directly.
When the plane landed, I turned on my phone to find over a dozen missed calls and messages, all from Henry.
Just as I was about to turn off my phone again, his call came through.
“Gabriella!” Henry’s voice carried obvious anger, “Where are you? Why did you suddenly return home?”
“Suddenly?” My tone was calm, “I thought I had made my meaning very clear.”
“Just because I went to take care of Lily last night? You just left me there?”
Henry’s voice suddenly became sharp.
“Do you know how worried I was alone in the hotel?”
I laughed mockingly.
“I saw you and Lily having quite a good time, even posting on Instagram. Did you have time to worry about me?”
The other end of the line fell silent for a moment, then came Henry’s slightly guilty voice.
“She posted on Instagram?”
“The photos were taken very well, both the angle and the atmosphere.” I said coldly.
“Gabriella, do you really have to be so sarcastic?”
“Lily was injured last night. I just went to help treat her wound!”
“As her boss and friend, I have an obligation to take care of her.”
My patience was completely exhausted.
I sneered: “Henry, don’t take me for a fool.”
“You’re being so unreasonable!”
“Lily and I are completely innocent. It’s you being petty, trying to twist everything into something dirty!”
“You know the truth. Wait for my divorce agreement.”
“Gabriella!” Henry’s voice finally carried a hint of panic, “Are you really going to divorce me over such a small matter?”
“Small matter-maybe only for you.”
“But for me, this is a woman’s bottom line.”
I could hear Henry’s rapid breathing on the other end, as if he wanted to say something more.
But I didn’t give him the chance and hung up directly.
The next day, Henry seemed to deliberately provoke me, frequently posting on Instagram.
Some were photos of him and Lily eating at restaurants, others showed gifts he received, with ambiguous captions.
“Thanks to someone’s surprise. No matter how tiring work gets, it’s all worth it.”
I scrolled past expressionlessly, then sent him the divorce agreement with the property division completed.
Soon, Henry called.
“Gabriella, what do you mean by this?”
“You really think I can’t live without you, don’t you?”
“Don’t regret this!”
I couldn’t even be bothered to argue and hung up and blocked him directly.
Seven days later, on a stormy night, I was at a party at my best friend’s house.
An unknown number sent me another video.
In the video, Lily wore my silk nightgown, holding a wine glass, looking up at the large wedding portrait of Henry and me.
She had a mocking smile on her lips. Henry’s boxers-the ones I bought him-were on the bed, and the sheets were disheveled.
Rage instantly surged through me.
Henry and I weren’t even divorced yet, and she dared to boldly move into my home, acting like the lady of the house.
This was simply insulting me!
When I dialed the encrypted number, my hands trembled with anger.
After a brief static noise, a calm and authoritative voice came through: “White House Military Office, authorization verification passed!”
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.