Chapter 31 His Guilty Compensation
Around 10:30 that night, Steven called Rachel on video like he always did. By then, Rachel's tears had already soaked through her pillowcase. She didn't answer, just waited for the ringing to stop before slowly getting up and heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
The next day, she didn't hear from Maeve, but when she got home that evening, she found Steven there. He'd said he'd be away on a business trip for three to five days, but he was back early.
A big bouquet of roses was on the coffee table in the living room.
She was surprised.
Seeing the shock on her face turn to delight, Steven's expression softened as he smiled warmly, "Do you like them?"
"I love them." Rachel nodded, gently stroking the petals, trying to let joy fill her eyes. She asked, "How come you're back today? Weren't you supposed to be gone for a few more days?"
"I wrapped things up and came back. Wanted to surprise you, so I didn't say anything."
By "wrapped things up," he meant he'd spent enough time with Nancy.
Rachel felt a heavy weight in her heart.
She never realized how hard it was to smile.
In the past, Steven would also come back early from business trips to surprise her.
He was romantic, gentle, and considerate. For so many years, he had always been perfect.
Rachel couldn't find a single flaw in him.
But it was precisely this perfect husband who could perfectly hide his inherently shady heart.
"You look good today. Are you feeling okay?" Steven took her hand, his eyes filled with extreme tenderness and deep affection.
She remembered the last video the private investigator had sent her the night before. Fireworks lit up the night sky, and he looked at Nancy with the same tenderness.
When Nancy shyly leaned into his arms, he gently stroked the back of her head and lovingly kissed the top of her hair.
Those scenes replayed in her mind over and over.
It was disgusting.
Her throat tightened, and the words that came out tasted bitter, "I'm fine, really."
She pulled her hand away, "I'll take a picture and post it."
She took a few photos of the roses, picked one, and added a filter.
Caption: [Gentleness is a rose, love made tangible.]
Before posting, she held her phone up to him, her face full of excitement, "What do you think of this caption?"
Steven's smile deepened, "You like it that much?"
"I do." After posting, Rachel put her phone away, "I'll find a vase for the flowers."
"Okay, you do that. I'll make dinner. What do you want to eat?"
"Aren't you tired from just getting back? Let Quinn cook. You should rest."
Steven lightly tapped her nose with his finger, doting on her, "Cooking for you isn't tiring; it's happiness, my exclusive happiness."
With that, he rolled up his sleeves, "You can change clothes after you arrange the flowers."
Rachel felt a moment of disorientation as she watched him head to the kitchen. He seemed so close, yet so unreachable.
After a while, she turned her attention back to the roses, finding two vases and trimming the stems to fit.
Just as she finished arranging the last rose, her phone chimed with a text message.
She paused, then checked her phone: [In the pocket of Steven's gray coat from yesterday, you'll find tickets to the aquarium he bought with Nancy. In his suitcase, there's a dolphin keychain they bought together, an exclusive souvenir from Azure City's aquarium. You can also check his phone for the flight tickets and spending records.]
Rachel bit her lip and went upstairs to the closet, where she found his black suitcase.
She had bought this suitcase for him the year before last.
The password was their wedding anniversary, which she had set.
Opening the suitcase, she found his clothes and toiletries neatly packed.
Not a single thing out of place.
Whenever they went on trips, Steven always packed for both of them, knowing exactly what she would need and even coordinating her outfits.
Rachel pulled out the gray coat and, sure enough, found two aquarium tickets in the right pocket.
The tickets were dated and priced.
She easily found the dolphin keychain in the suitcase.
The small blue dolphin was cute and delicate.
The price tag was still attached.
$399.
Rachel flashed a mocking smile. Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, she took a photo of the tickets and keychain, then put everything back in place and closed the suitcase.
That evening, Steven whipped up five dishes, all of Rachel's favorites and his specialties.
"Didn't have time to make soup, but I'll make seafood soup for you tomorrow."
"It's okay. My stomach isn't that big; I can't eat that much."
Rachel's appetite was still low. She only ate half a bowl of rice before putting down her utensils.
"You're done already?" Steven frowned, "Why so little?"
"I ate a lot of the dishes."
Steven laughed helplessly, "Alright, alright, you ate a lot. Eat more tomorrow."
When Rachel came out after her bath, he was packing his suitcase.
"Need help?"
Steven looked back at her and smiled, shaking out his suit jacket and hanging it in the closet, "No, I'm almost done."
Rachel nodded, glancing at the empty suitcase on the floor.
"Come on, I'll dry your hair."
"The suitcase?"
"It's fine, I'll finish it after drying your hair."
Rachel said nothing more, sitting at the vanity as Steven plugged in the hairdryer and gently lifted her still-dripping hair.
The sound of the hairdryer pounded in her ears, making her thoughts even more chaotic.
In the mirror, Steven's actions were gentle, his expression warm, everything so natural.
After a while, the hairdryer stopped, and her hair was dry.
Steven gently stroked her smooth cheek with his fingers, "All done. I'll go take a shower."
Rachel snapped back to reality, looking up with a faint smile, "Go ahead."
After her skincare routine, she sat on the bed and checked the post she had made a couple of hours ago.
It had over forty likes and more than ten comments.
Among the commenters were mutual friends and her acquaintances, all envious of her and praising Steven's romantic gesture.
Nancy hadn't liked the post but had commented: [The flowers look okay, but they're not big enough. Tell Steven to get bigger ones next time. Does he even care?]
Rachel wasn't one to post often or flaunt their relationship.
Whenever she posted about something Steven had given her or a meal he had made, Nancy never liked it, only commented.
Always with some criticism or dissatisfaction with Steven.
As she looked at those comments now, it seemed there had always been signs.
Did Nancy really have no intention of sowing discord?
But it didn't matter anymore.
Nancy's biggest act of sowing discord was making Steven betray her.
Scrolling further, Rachel saw a familiar but unexpected profile picture among the fifth likes.
Benjamin!
She was quite surprised.
Steven, holding his pajamas, came out of the closet and casually asked, "What are you looking at?"
"The post I just made."
"How is it?"
"Lots of likes and comments. I can't keep up."
Steven chuckled and headed to the bathroom.
Hearing the sound of running water, Rachel quickly picked up his phone and unlocked it.
Steven's assistant usually booked his business trip flights, and he only used his phone's booking app when they traveled together.
They had bought first-class tickets for the night before last at 7 PM, returning last night at 8 PM.
Their timing was impeccably planned.
Rachel let out a soft laugh, her eyes icy. After taking photos for evidence, she checked his bank statements.
From the flight expenses to the hotel payments, and yesterday's transactions, there were 79 entries.
Small amounts of five or six dollars, large ones in the thousands.
The total was over sixty thousand dollars.
The aquarium's transactions had specific names.
She didn't miss a single entry, photographing them all.
After putting his phone back, she remembered Nancy's Instagram. Given her personality, she might have posted something to show off.
Logging into her alternate account, she found Nancy's latest post from just after midnight.
It was a photo of her at the aquarium, looking pure, beautiful, and gentle, with a hint of brightness.
There were two photos of her with Steven, but not his full face. One was from behind, seemingly a selfie by Nancy.
The other was from the side, taken from a distance, with Nancy's arms wrapped around his waist, leaning into him.
They looked like a couple in those photos.
Rachel's eyes couldn't calm down. She stared at them for a long time before logging out and lying down, closing her eyes.
Reflecting, she realized that every time he came back from a trip, he brought her gifts.
Those gifts perhaps carried his guilt, his self-deception that he was making it up to her, making himself feel better.