Chapter 25

Anderson suddenly felt his knees weaken and his heart race wildly.

Suppressing his tumultuous emotions, he scanned the room for hidden cameras before fixing a frown on Emily. His voice rose, "Emily, is this some new prank for a vlog? Such matters aren't to be taken lightly!"

Emily gently shook her head, "I'm not joking, Anderson. I am serious about the divorce."

With an unusual firmness in his wife's demeanor, Anderson tossed the crumpled business card onto the coffee table, crossing his arms and speaking with evident displeasure, "And the reason?"

"Reason?" Emily's lips curved slightly, "Shouldn't you be more aware of the reason than I am?"

She turned to Wang Shan, "Lawyer Wang, I'd like to speak with him alone."

"Sure, may I use the balcony?"

"Of course, sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all. Call me if you need anything."

The TV in the living room was on, but the screen was stuck on the Xiaomi Box's home page. Emily took out her phone and, with a couple of taps, the screen went black, loading for two seconds before a video began to play.

"Watch this first."

Emily clasped her hands behind her back, the lenses of her glasses like a thin layer of ice, obscuring her eyes.

Anderson swallowed hard; the very first frame of the video made his temples throb violently.

It was a picture of him with Amanda, taken from a high angle, clearly showing their close proximity, almost shoulder to shoulder.

Even Anderson couldn't immediately recall when this was taken, but the video helpfully provided subtitles with the exact time, place, and names of the people in the photo.

Anderson's mind raced to concoct an excuse.

He and Amanda had an agreement that while in public in Eldoria, they would avoid overly intimate actions, so this picture alone didn't prove any inappropriate relationship.

He was about to lie when the video quickly moved to the next segment, giving him no chance.

This time, there were no photos, just stark black text on a white background.

First, it mentioned Anderson using a business trip as an excuse to meet Amanda in Valeria during the May Day holiday, specifying the hotel they stayed in.

Then, it detailed an encounter in mid-to-late June, indicating that Anderson and Amanda booked a room at the Mandarin Oriental, complete with the room number.

Despite these damning details, Anderson vehemently denied everything, shouting, "Honey, who's feeding you these lies? Let me explain—"

"No, you misunderstand," Emily interrupted. "Anderson, I made this video not for your explanation."

Emily sighed, lifting her chin towards the TV, indicating Anderson should continue watching, "At this point, I don't need your explanations. I only trust what I see and hear myself."

The scene shifted to the parking lot of Taikoo Hui, showing Anderson and Amanda exiting a mall together, laughing and getting into a white BMW.

Seeing the date and time in the corner, Anderson realized what was happening, feeling like a brick had struck his forehead, leaving his ears ringing.

"Emily, you had me followed?..."

Though his question was directed at his wife, Anderson's gaze pierced through to the lawyer standing outside.

Emily considered it briefly, "You could say that."

Anderson quickly added, "I can explain everything! This woman was just someone I met at an offline event—"

Suddenly, Emily raised her hand, startling Anderson, who thought she might slap him and jumped back.

But Emily merely made a gesture to silence him, her tone resolute and unwavering, "I already told you, I don't need your explanations."

The subsequent audio, though lacking visual evidence, made Anderson understand why Emily didn't need his explanations.

He had no idea when she tampered with his car or what other surveillance she had installed.

He thought he had everything under control, only to realize he had been trapped all along.

A sense of fear crept in.

Since Emily didn't want his explanations, Anderson decided to admit his faults directly.

"Honey, I'm sorry, I just got carried away…"

He stepped forward to take Emily's hand, but she pulled away.

Emily let out a disdainful chuckle, "Carried away? Are you a child, Anderson?"

"I'm really sorry, I couldn't resist the temptation… She was the one who started flirting, always complaining about her terrible boyfriend, wanting to break up but being controlled by him—"

Blaming Amanda entirely, Anderson's rambling was cut off by Emily's anger, "No matter how bad her boyfriend is, he's still better than a coward like you!"

Anderson stammered, his face flushing hot and cold, his words falling to pieces like shattered glass.

The TV screen changed again, featuring a new "leading lady," Sophia.

"This… this…!" Anderson's heart raced uncontrollably, and his vision began to blur with dizziness.

Emily looked at him coldly, his gaping mouth reminding her of a dehydrated monkey.

Finding the video's pace too slow, she fast-forwarded to the climax.

It was a scene of Anderson and Sophia getting intimate in the kitchen.

This was Emily's breaking point; it was this footage that had solidified her decision to plunge into this abyss.

Since Anderson disregarded their marital bond, why should she continue being his "wife"?

If infidelity was the game, she could play it too.

Emily walked to the TV, using the remote to tap twice on the screen where Anderson and Sophia embraced.

"Anderson, what more explanation do you think I need?"

Cold sweat drenched Anderson's back, goosebumps rising uncontrollably.

At this moment, looking at the person before her, it felt as if she had never truly known him.

He slumped his shoulders, his eyes downcast, overwhelmed with regret: "Zhizhi, I truly lost my head for a moment…"

With that, he raised his hand and slapped his face repeatedly, the sound echoing sharply. Emily, startled, stepped back warily.

"Honey, can you forgive me this once? I truly realize my mistake. For the sake of all these years we've been together..." Anderson pleaded softly.

Indeed, he had known Emily for many years, understanding that she was gentle-hearted and sentimental, not one to be swayed by force.

However, to his surprise, Emily showed no hesitation, her tone growing more impatient, "Your words are useless, Anderson. I only want a divorce."

She nodded towards Wang Shan on the balcony and then continued to Anderson, "I have already spared you some dignity. If I had no regard for our past, this video would have appeared at your company's Monday meeting."

She glanced at Anderson, her gaze fearless, "Or on my social media."

Hearing this, the facade of Anderson's feigned pity began to crack.

His shirt clung to his back, soaked in sweat, like a flimsy layer of false skin ready to be torn apart by the wind.

He knew the ferocity of online "judges," the terrifying power of public opinion. It would be a tsunami, engulfing him, Amanda, and Sophia, with no escape.

Anderson asked quietly, "Would you sacrifice the account you've built over the years? You've always portrayed a 'happy marriage.' If this comes out, it will be a blow to you too, won't it?"

As if hearing a great joke, Emily laughed, "What kind of blow? Yes, I was once in a happy marriage, but now I'm the one experiencing its breakdown. Good or bad, it's all part of my journey. What façade is there?"

She sighed with a smile, "If my identity as a 'happy marriage' blogger is worthless without it, then the account isn't worth keeping."

Wang Shan approached, naturally positioning himself in front of Emily, smiling without warmth at Anderson, "Mr. Anderson, I will now discuss Mrs. Emily Johnson's divorce demands with you."

Meanwhile.

Amanda wept bitterly on the sofa, "Michael, believe me, he was the one who pursued me! He has a wife, yet he kept showing me concern, inviting me to meals... I refused many times, but..."

Michael lounged on a single sofa, a few cigarette butts in the ashtray on the coffee table before him, surrounded by numerous photos of Amanda and Anderson together.

To avoid being bitten back, Michael and Emily used different evidence; the photos he presented were mostly those he had previously investigated.

Even without explicit proof of infidelity, the sheer number of photos spread out was intimidating.

"But what?"

Michael lit another cigarette, his smile devoid of any warmth, "I'd love to hear your explanation."

Amanda wiped her tears, sobbing pitifully as if she were the most wronged person in the world, "You're often busy with work, so I just chat with friends… it was just a moment of folly…"

Before Michael presented evidence, she could deny it, but now, with undeniable proof before her, her prepared excuses and lies were like shredded paper, leaving her only with pity to elicit Michael's sympathy.

"Folly?"

Michael laughed, nearly choking on smoke, "Amanda, were you collecting stamps or raising fish?"

"I'm sorry, honey, from now on I—"

"Stop. There is no 'from now on' for us." Michael tossed the couple's ring from his pocket onto the pile of photos, his voice turning cold, "Amanda, it ends here. I won't take back the gifts I gave you; the ring is yours to deal with."

He added, as if remembering something, "If you sell it on a second-hand site, you might get a couple of thousand."

Amanda stared blankly, then flushed with anger, "What do you mean by that? Do you think I was with you for your money?"

Michael shrugged, "I never said that. Look, out of respect for your mother, if we can part amicably, I won't make a scene. As for the reason for the breakup, say whatever you want—call me impotent, call me frigid."

He exhaled a puff of smoke, the haze lingering around his sharp eyes, obscuring his true emotions, "Accuse me of cheating or falling for someone else, if you like."

At this moment, Amanda, dizzy with crying, failed to grasp the hidden meaning in Michael's words.

She stubbornly asked, eyes red, "What if I don't want to break up?"

Michael silently watched her for a few seconds, then leaned forward, pressing the burning cigarette against Anderson's face in one of the photos.

In a second, the picture burned a black hole, disfiguring Anderson's face.

"Willing or not, it's not up to you. Amanda, as you often say, I may be uneducated, but I am a straightforward man."

Michael sneered, a rare ruthlessness in his eyes.

"So, you both better watch yourselves."