Chapter 6 Just Incidentally
Rachel froze, blinking in confusion. "Wh-what?"
Benjamin knew she had heard him, so he didn't bother repeating himself. Instead, he pressed on, "How many times a week?"
Rachel was straightforward, but talking about something so personal with a stranger felt awkward, especially since Benjamin was so handsome. His demeanor was calm, almost emotionless.
He asked with such seriousness.
"Does this have anything to do with my divorce consultation?"
"Yeah," Benjamin replied. "It helps me understand how serious you are about this divorce. Are you just acting on impulse?"
He had handled many divorce cases involving infidelity. Most wives consulted him after discovering their husbands' affairs, but often chose to forgive and give their husbands another chance after various attempts at reconciliation.
He didn't like wasting time or doing pointless work.
Rachel was rational. She had deep feelings for Steven, but she couldn't share her husband with another woman.
The pain and betrayal were things she couldn't ignore.
Once a man cheated, it was never just once.
If it weren't for the scene she witnessed that morning, she wouldn't have made this decision based on just a text message.
She could hope for his honesty; after all, they had been in love for six years, and his love and kindness were memorable.
He had portrayed a deeply affectionate and faithful image over the years, engraved in her heart.
But precisely because of this, she couldn't choose to forgive.
The betrayal hit her harder than she'd ever imagined. She wouldn't be foolish enough to endure that.
Rachel clenched her fingers, her eyes red but filled with determination. "I want a divorce. I want him to lose all marital assets. I want him to take back everything he gave to his mistress!"
Nancy's name had become heavily tainted in her mind.
Now, it was only worthy of the dirty word 'mistress.'
Benjamin's gaze fell on her hand, noticing the deep ring mark on her finger.
It seemed she had just taken off her diamond ring.
His expression softened slightly. "Do you have evidence?"
"I do."
Rachel paused, then took out her phone from her bag and found the photos she had taken that morning.
In the photos, the two were tightly embracing, with Steven's hand holding Nancy's head. Even though it wasn't a video, it was clear how passionately they were kissing.
Much clearer than what she had seen that morning.
Tears finally fell uncontrollably.
She quickly looked away, wiped her tears with her hand, and handed the phone over. Her voice, usually gentle and clear, was now choked with emotion. "It's a bit blurry, but you can recognize him and the mistress."
Benjamin noticed the pain in her eyes and glanced at the pen on the table before leaning over to hand her a tissue.
Rachel was momentarily stunned and looked up at him through her tears.
Benjamin's eyes were deep, like dark clouds that could peel away the surface of everything, layer by layer, to explore the essence.
Rachel felt a momentary panic under his gaze. She took the tissue. "Thanks."
Benjamin shifted his focus to the photos on her phone. "Is this all you've got?"
She clutched the tissue ball and nodded slightly. "Yeah, that's it for now."
"It's not enough. The more evidence you have, the better. You need things like their chat records, proof they lived together, and any transfer records."
Cohabited?
Rachel's thoughts began to wander.
She remembered Steven's business trips had increased significantly this year, ranging from six or seven days to just a couple of days.
How many of these were real business trips, and how many were just excuses?
Could he be lying about business trips while actually living with Nancy?
Rachel dug her nails into her palm, her emotions swirling, her voice slightly hoarse. "If I find this evidence, is there a good chance he'll lose all marital assets?"
"Do you have a prenuptial agreement?"
"Yeah."
Steven was wealthy, and so was she.
Given their families' interests, a prenup was necessary despite their feelings for each other.
The terms weren't strict or overly detailed. During their three years of marriage, they never really separated their finances.
Not just daily expenses, but even stocks, investments, and funds were mixed together, impossible to distinguish. They never cared much about this.
The most precious thing in their marriage was their feelings for each other.
But now, the most valuable thing left was the assets.
Benjamin said, "You'll need to gather all the evidence of your joint marital assets and see if he's hidden or transferred any."
Rachel only knew about the assets Steven was willing to tell her about.
But did he really have no hidden or transferred assets?
How could she ever trust him so two-faced?
Rachel certainly wouldn't trust him.
She only trusted what she saw and found.
After spending over an hour at the law firm, Rachel asked before leaving, "Mr. Wright, can we add each other on WhatsApp?"
It was always useful to have contact information.
If she had any questions in the future, she wouldn't have to make a special trip. It was a way to establish a cooperative understanding.
Benjamin stared at her for a couple of seconds, then took a business card from the cardholder. "I don't add clients on WhatsApp. If you need anything, call me."
Phone calls would work too.
Rachel flashed a faint smile, not entirely genuine. She took the business card with her slender fingers. "Thanks. I'll probably need to bother you in the future."
She politely took the card and put it in her bag.
Benjamin glanced at the pen in the holder and hesitated before saying, "This pen might be important evidence in the Rowan case. I'll submit it to the court tomorrow."
It meant the pen wouldn't be returned.
Of course, Rachel didn't intend to take the pen back when she brought it out.
It was just a way to meet him, as mentioned in the text message.
Rachel gave him a faint smile. "I'm not familiar with the Rowan case. Whether the pen will be useful, I'll leave it to you to handle."
"Thanks," Benjamin nodded. "My assistant will contact you about the commission agreement."
"Okay."
Rachel left, and Benjamin didn't get up to see her out. He simply said, "Take care," as she passed by, a faint scent of pear blossoms lingering around his nose.
The fragrance was light and elegant.
It didn't quite match her sharp features and decisive personality.
Thinking of this, Benjamin frowned slightly, his eyes darkening.
After a few seconds, he stood up, took the pen, and walked to the computer on his desk, searching the Golden Feather Pen Works website. The results matched what Rachel had said.
Soon, his assistant came in with two files. Benjamin looked up and said, "Check Rachel's background."
Leaving the law firm, the evening glow had painted half the sky, and dusk was slowly falling.
The cold wind of late autumn penetrated her coat, causing Rachel to shiver.
She checked the time; it was almost six.
A text message arrived at that moment: [Steven's liquid assets total $420 million, spread across five banks. $39 million in stocks and funds, holding 38% shares in five companies under Martinez Group, 13 houses, 3 large malls, 9 cars worth over a million dollars each, and 6 credit cards with limits over a million dollars. Your joint marital assets currently include $129 million in liquid assets, including some stocks and funds, 5 houses, and 4 cars. Last month, he gave Nancy a $1.2 million BMW for her birthday.]
Rachel stopped in her tracks, a trace of surprise in her eyes.
She had been wondering how to find out about his assets.
This saved her a lot of trouble, but she'd have to make several trips to the banks to gather these records.
As for the luxury car Steven gave Nancy, she wasn't surprised after the $20 million house, but it was hard not to feel a pang in her heart.
She couldn't help but tighten her grip on the phone.
Now, she just needed to find the records of the money he spent on Nancy.
When she got home, it was already dark, and she didn't see the black Cayenne in the garage.
Steven hadn't returned yet.
As Rachel entered the house, the housekeeper saw her and quickly smiled, "Mrs. Martinez, you're back."
Rachel nodded with a smile. "Prepare dinner."
The housekeeper asked, "Should I prepare Mr. Martinez's portion?"
Rachel pressed her lips together. She didn't want to call or text Steven. "Just prepare as usual."
She went upstairs to remove her makeup, take a shower, and change into comfortable casual clothes.
When she came back down, the housekeeper had already prepared dinner. She pulled out a chair and sat down, taking a few bites before hearing the sound of a car engine outside.
Soon, Steven walked in, carrying a white bag in one hand and a blue coat draped over his arm.
Rachel was momentarily dazed, her eyes reflecting his gentle face, quickly overlapping with the passionate kissing face she saw with Nancy that morning.
She thought that impactful scene might haunt her like a nightmare, constantly reminding her of the pain of being betrayed by the closest people.
Steven saw her and immediately smiled warmly, quickening his pace to put the bag on the table.
"Rachel, you're back. How come you're home early today? No overtime?"
Rachel had already hidden the complex emotions in her eyes, replacing them with a gentle smile. "I felt a bit tired, so I came home early."
Steven nodded, his smile unwavering. "I brought you your favorite dessert from that bakery downtown. Thought it might cheer you up."
Rachel glanced at the bag, her heart aching with the irony. "Thanks, Steven. That's sweet of you."
He leaned in and kissed her cheek, oblivious to the storm brewing beneath her calm exterior. "Anything for you, babe."
Rachel forced a smile, her mind racing with thoughts of the evidence she needed to gather. "Let's eat before the food gets cold."
As they sat down to dinner, Rachel couldn't help but feel the weight of the secrets between them. The facade of their perfect life was crumbling, and she knew it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down.
Rachel glanced at the logo on the white bag, surprised. "You went all the way to the north side of Dawnlight City?"
Steven noticed her fatigue, his eyes filled with concern. He touched her face gently. "You've been looking tired and pale lately, and not eating much."
He then took out the items from the bag. "I thought I'd try to cheer you up and help you eat more, so I drove over to get cake and caramel pudding, and some ribs."
Rachel stared at the items.
She had loved them since college, and Steven wasn't buying them for the first time.
They lived in the south side of Dawnlight City, but Rachel was nostalgic and preferred the taste of the shops near the university in the north.
It was a one-and-a-half-hour drive from south to north, taking three hours round trip.
She remembered it always being like this.
Whether in college or after graduation, whenever she mentioned wanting something, even at midnight, no matter how far or difficult it was to get, he would drive out to buy it.
Whatever she casually wished for had a way of showing up, like a surprise just for her.
He always put thought into her.
Rachel didn't understand if his love was genuine or fake.
If it was genuine, why did he cheat?
If it was fake, how could he keep it up for six years?
Bitterness seeped into her heart, invading every cell.
She tried hard to suppress it, so her voice wouldn't carry a sob. "Why did you go all the way there? It's so far. My appetite has always been small. I'm just tired lately. I'll be fine with some rest."
She feared showing any signs of distress and said, "Let the housekeeper heat it up. You drove for so long, take a break and eat first."
Steven looked at her and smiled. "Alright, I'll go wash my hands."
As soon as he left, her phone buzzed with a text: [Before coming home, he visited Scenic Bay Estates. He went north because Nancy wanted cake and hot cocoa from there.]
Rachel froze. The wound in her heart seemed to widen, cold wind relentlessly blowing through.
So, he bought it for her as a side note.
Just a side note!
She suddenly laughed, her face full of mockery, her eyes welling with tears.
Rachel gently sniffed, fearing her tears would fall, she quickly went upstairs to compose herself. She had just stepped onto the first stair when she heard a small voice from the right.
The bathroom was around the corner to the right of the staircase.
The voice was Steven's.
The content was unclear, but she heard the term 'baby.'
Rachel's pupils froze for a moment. She hit record when she was tucked away in the corner.
Steven was softly coaxing the person on the other end of the phone, "Alright, alright, I know. Find someone to pretend for now. She won't suspect anything. I'll come see you the day after tomorrow, okay?"
His voice was low, but the tenderness and affection were unmistakable.
Originally, this way of coaxing was exclusively hers.
Now hearing him coax another woman, Rachel's heart swelled slightly, her eyes misting over, and tears finally fell from her cheeks.