Every time my husband has an affair, he sends me a set of high-end jewelry.
After ten years of marriage, my jewelry display case at home is nearly full.
This time, he gave me a Cartier diamond necklace.
Its value is immense.
I don't think I can stand it anymore.
1.
When Song Mocheng returned from Japan, he handed me another velvet box from Cartier.
A diamond necklace from the Panthère series.
This limited-edition model is sold domestically for over three million without even factoring in the wait, it's the new product that all the socialites are chasing after.
Looking at this necklace, I just feel nauseated.
Even the freshly served truffle mushroom soup is hard to swallow.
Song Mocheng frowns and asks, "You didn't have dinner again?"
"The day I left, didn't you say you wanted to try Australian wagyu beef steak? I'll take you there now."
"I don't want to go."
I managed to pull out a faint smile.
"That day was our wedding anniversary, which has now passed."
For the first time since we met, he has missed our wedding anniversary.
Seeing Song Mocheng's bewildered face, he obviously completely forgot about it.
"I'm sorry, I was too busy and forgot about our wedding anniversary."
In these ten years of marriage, outsiders have always said that he dotes on me a lot.
Whenever a mistake was made, he would immediately admit his mistake and apologize.
With a face full of regret, he said, "Wife, what do you want? I'll accompany you to pick it out."
At this moment, his mobile phone rings.
He walks to the balcony holding his mobile.
He came back with a regretful face.
"The head office is holding a video conference, and I have to attend immediately."
I gently grab his hand.
"First tidy up your attire, don't let your colleagues see you like this."
Hearing him go to the study to turn on the computer, I picked up his phone.
The screen displayed a series of unsaved calls.
Opening WeChat, it's a blank page.
I open his Little Red Book profile.
The most frequent interaction is with a young and beautiful girl.
Her skin is fair, dressed in a short red skirt, with silky, broad waves of hair.
Her recent posts are all travel photos from Tokyo.
Although I can't see the front of Song Mocheng in the pictures, his traces are everywhere.
The latest post is a picture of the necklace Song Mocheng just bought, with a caption:
"Oh god, why do all these aunts love this kind of old-fashioned jewelry, it's so common."
I silently note her account, erase my browsing history, and immediately send a message to the private investigator.
By the time he finishes his meeting, I have already returned the phone to its original place and prepared the clothes he needs to change into.
I place the necklace in the display case.
Every time he gets involved in a scandal, he would buy high-end jewelry to atone for it.
He always says, even if he hasn't done anything excessive, if he caused my displeasure, then it's his fault.
To apologize, he should show sincerity.
Cartier is his way of expressing his apology.
After counting, there were already twenty-three apologies.
Unexpectedly, he had apologized so many times over the past decade.
As I was lost in thought, my phone received a video message.
It was sent by a private detective.
Song Mocheng's car was parked outside a high-end apartment building.
The apartment looked familiar, and after some thought, I realized it was probably a property owned but vacant by the Song family.
2.
Moments later, a girl from the "Little Red Book" briskly walked toward the sedan.
The side of the black sedan was wide open, and the girl leaned her arms on the car door, her face peered into the car, chatting joyfully.
Her long, slender legs slightly lifted, and her gauze skirt swayed gently with the breeze.
If it weren't for the man inside the car who was my husband, this scene would have been captivating.
After the tender moment, he handed her an exquisite gift box.
"The shop sent a message saying that the bracelet is ready, I specially detoured here to bring it to you," he said.
"Can I try it on at the banquet tomorrow night?" The girl jumped in place excitedly.
"Mhm," he responded, stretching his hand from the driver's seat, gently stroking her hair.
"Remember, you can only wear this once, make sure Shen Nuan doesn't know."
A twinge of pain hit my heart.
I have recently ordered a few pieces of jewelry, and I couldn't tell which one it was.
The girl pouted.
"Got it, got it. I'll definitely be careful, okay?"
She ran to the back seat with the box in her arms, "Can I put it on to show you right away?"
The scene froze at this moment.
Fingertips cold as ice, I was trembling as I prepared to contact a private detective.
Just then, he sent a video call invitation.
Once it was answered, the phone camera was pointing to the ground, close to the car.
I guessed that he was on the move.
He was unable to take a direct shot, but the conversation in the car was clearly audible.
"Look at how luxurious this bracelet is, just like your wife, it has an old-fashioned vibe."
The girl said coquettishly.
His tone suddenly chilly.
"Bai Lin!"
She became startled. "Alright, alright, I was wrong. From now on, I will correct myself and call her sister-in-law."
The conversation halted at this point.
Walking too close may raise suspicions, so the private detective had no choice but to distance himself.
He quickly returned to his own car.
At this moment, I'm certain my expression is distorted, so I hurriedly turn off the video.
A minute later, my cell phone rings.
"Madam, Mr. Song's car has departed, and that young lady remained in the car. Do you want me to continue tailing them?"
"Never mind... Did you notice the bracelet she was wearing?"
"The car windows are tinted, I couldn't see clearly."
I ended the call, trembling all over.
Bai Lin.
This forbidden-like entity.
When I first met Song Mo Cheng, I heard she was his childhood sweetheart, and also the biggest scandal in the Song family.
Song's father and Bai Lin's mother have maintained a secret relationship for years, until Bai Lin was born.
Mother Song had always been tolerant for the sake of the family reputation, but she loathed Bai Lin and her mother deeply.
Two years ago, Father Song passed away unexpectedly.
On the day of the funeral, Mother Song found Song Mocheng and Bai Lin weeping in his room.
3.
Bai Lin did not hide her feelings for Song Mocheng at that time, they had grown up together and shared deep affection.
Mother Song was furious, and immediately arranged for her to study abroad, which made Song Mocheng depressed for a long time until he met me.
Now it seems that their relationship was just temporarily put on hold.
Now that Bai Lin has returned, everything has started again.
Staring at the Cartier necklace in the display window, I feel a chill in my heart.
Only she deserves such a pricey gift.
When he came home drunk, I pretended to be asleep.
Under the influence of alcohol, he soon began to breathe evenly.
I took the opportunity to unlock his phone.
Probably assuming I was asleep, the records of the conversation before his return journey were perfectly preserved.
He told Bai Lin that he had had too much to drink.
Bai Lin: "I should get you drunk to stop her pestering you for things."
Song Mo Cheng: "She's nothing like your insatiable greed."
"Get some good rest, and doll yourself up a bit for Mingzhu Plaza tomorrow."
A wave of nausea surged through my stomach.
The banquet at Mingzhu Plaza, he had previously agreed to take me.
But he suddenly cancelled it just before we left for France.
So, the banquet was still on.
Only, my name had been taken off the list.
The following evening, I arrived at Mingzhu Plaza ahead of time.
It was a reunion of his high school classmates, and I didn't know them too well.
He was late and with him was the attractive Bai Lin.
Her figure was lithe, her back straight, and her bun high, which accentuated her long neck.
The simple and elegant makeup, together with the jade bracelet on her wrist, drew everyone's attention as soon as they walked into the hall.
A few old classmates came up to greet.
I also walked up energetically.
He was chatting with the crowd, completely oblivious of my presence.
Abruptly, I pulled Bai Lin towards me and slapped her face.
"Who allowed you to wear my jade bracelet? Remove it immediately!"
I've always treated people with kindness.
But the jade bracelet on her wrist was a family heirloom passed down to me by my late grandmother.
If it were not for my best friend insisting that I wear this bracelet at her wedding next month, I would dare not even touch it.
I specially entrusted him to find the best craftsman to repair it, only to find that she beat me to wearing it!
The smile at the corner of her mouth suddenly froze.
She covered her face and leaned on his shoulder, sobbing quietly.
He froze for a moment before he came back to his senses.
He pushed Bai Lin away, trying to grab my hand.
"Shen Nuan, let me explain."
But behind him, Bai Lin was following closely, one hand tightly clutching at the corner of his clothes.
He looked helplessly back at her, turning around.
4.
Bai Lin lowered the hand that was covering her face, the fiery red handprint on her cheek was especially glaring, tears continuously slid down.
This scene immediately quenched more than half of Song Mocheng's anger.
He turned to me and explained, "Shen Nuan, don't overthink it, she's the sister I've grown up with since childhood..."
I looked at him with disappointment.
"Song Mocheng, I don't care who she is! Take off my jade bracelet now!"
Song Mocheng frowned and said, "Bai Lin didn't mean anything else. She just likes this jade bracelet so much, she wanted to try it on. She'll take it off and return it to you in a while, alright?"
"No." I clenched my trembling hands, "Take it off now!"
"Song Mocheng, you should understand the significance of this jade bracelet to me. Lovers can be tolerated, but this jade bracelet... no!"
Song Mocheng’s face instantly turned somber.
Bai Lin sobbed and leaned in, "Am I causing trouble? I'm sorry, it's all my fault. If you're angry, take it out on me. Don't blame my brother..."
I slapped her face again, "Alright then, I'll take it out on you. Take it off quickly!"
I pushed her with all my strength, and she staggered and fell into Song Mocheng's arms.
Song Mocheng lovingly stroked Bai Lin's face.
His brows were full of anger.
"Shen Nuan! In front of so many people, speaking about a girl like this, are you trying to shame her? Do you not have any empathy?"
I held back my anger and let out a sardonic laugh.
"Since having no shame to wear someone else's jewelry and parading around with a married man, I think you both have long since discarded any notion of integrity to the wind!"
Bai Lin wept in the arms of Song Mo Cheng and whimpered, "Can you both stop arguing? I'll take it off now."
"No!" Song Mo Cheng held her tight, saying in a gentle voice, "Don't rush, go to the bathroom to remove it."
Together, they left for the restroom. Song Mo Cheng even called his assistant on the phone, asking him to bring a set of jewelry.
The classmates on the scene were all stunned, their eyes full of sympathy for me.
I stood alone in the original place like a leaf blowing aimlessly in the wind.
Looking at the gradually departing figures in front of me, my heart was suddenly filled with panic.
I hastily ran after them, grabbing Bai Lin's wrist.
Song Mo Cheng turned his head, shaking off my hand impatiently.
"Shen Nuan, the restroom is just ahead, are you that impatient? Are you not done until she is completely humiliated?"
I ignored him.
Instead, I looked intently at the jade bracelet on Bai Lin's wrist.
"You altered my grandmother's jade bracelet?"
Bailin's sobbing suddenly choked in her throat.
She hastily covered her wrist.
Song Mocheng pushed her aside, scrutinizing the jewelry on her hand.
"Bailin, what happened? Didn't I tell you to be careful? Why did you change it without permission?"
5.
Bailin cried out loudly, "I'm sorry, I just thought the design of this jade bracelet was too old-fashioned, so I asked the jeweler to modify it a bit."
"I truly thought about it with my sister-in-law in mind, she's so young and beautiful, wearing this style would make her look old..."
She said apologetically, looking pitiful.
Yet in the depths of her eyes flashed a provocation and satisfaction I could understand.
I admit, she drove me crazy.
That was an old jade bracelet meticulously chosen by my grandmother. I cherished it and seldom dared to wear it.
I especially sought the best craftsman to repair it for the following month's best friend's wedding.
But now, it's unrecognizable due to her changes.
The marks left by the modification can't be restored to their original form.
This family heirloom is completely ruined!
I couldn't care less about maintaining my composure. Raising my hand, I charged at Bai Lin.
Unexpectedly, Song Mocheng hugged me from behind.
My rage had nowhere to go.
I turned around, and the slap landed heavily on Song Mocheng's face!
After the crisp slap, Song Mocheng's face turned ashen. The surroundings fell silent.
Bai Lin sobbed heartbrokenly and rushed over, "It's just a jade bracelet. How much is it? I'll pay you back. Was there a need for violence?"
She took out her mobile phone, "Is a million enough, or do we need two million..."
Song Mocheng pushed her towards the door, "Enough, Bai Lin! The gathering is off. You leave first."
Stunned, Bai Lin tears flowed silently, her frail and pitiful appearance was heart-wrenching, "Aren't you... going to send me home?"
Song Mocheng turned his face away, unable to look directly at her, "I'm going home. You take a taxi."
Bai Lin's face turned pale. She bit her lip and looked at Song Mocheng for a long time.
She tried to use her pathetic expression to gain a man's sympathy.
But Song Mocheng couldn't possibly abandon his wife in public.
Finally, she staggered away from the hotel.
I was so furious that my entire body felt weak. Song Mocheng forcefully lifted me up into the car and took me home.
As soon as I walked through the door, I took out the divorce agreement that I had already prepared, tossing it onto his face.
"You still owe me a birthday gift. Consider this a debt repayment."
After our engagement, Mother Song and I had a conversation once.
She mentioned that occasional socializing in the business world is inevitable. She also assured me that her son was someone who knew his limits and wouldn't do anything too outrageous.
So, she asked me not to worry too much about these things to avoid unnecessary heartache.
And indeed, as Mother Song described, Song Mocheng behaved with discretion around other women, ending any affairs as soon as a rumor sparked, which preserved my dignity.
But ever since the appearance of Bai Lin, it was as if he had transformed into a different person.
He was coming home later and going on business trips more frequently. I could overlook all of this.
But I never expected him to forget our agreement on my birthday, and even worse, let Bai Lin toy with the family heirloom that my grandmother left to me?
This is something I absolutely cannot tolerate.
