Chapter 4

After a shower drenched in dark thoughts, I pulled on my bathrobe to head out.

Catching my reflection in the mirror, I noticed a bright, vivid smear of lipstick on the collar.

I practiced my facial expressions in the mirror, fighting the urge to tear the robe off and throw it in the trash.

He came into my home, slept with my wife, and wore my clothes.

To use my belongings this casually, Chloe's affair wasn't recent.

I had just been too blind to notice before the smart-home app exposed them.

The second I stepped into the hallway, Chloe handed me a warm mug of milk. "Drink this so you sleep better. You work too hard, Ryan."

I gave her a weary smile and wrapped her in a brief hug. "Sorry, Chloe. I'm exhausted and getting paranoid."

"I'll probably wake up multiple times tonight. I'll sleep in the guest room so I don't disturb you."

Chloe gently helped me lay down in the guest bed, then excused herself without asking another question.

I left the nightstand lamp on, staring at the ceiling until dawn.

The next morning, staring at the vanity mirror, a plan clicked into place...

Leaving the house, I went to a specialty shop and bought a bottle of harmless, industrial-grade UV fluorescent dye, dumping it directly into the body wash and bath aroma dispenser.

Whichever mode he picked next time, he would be coated in it.

This specific dye was impossible to wash off without a dedicated solvent. Let's see where he hid after this.

To avoid raising suspicion, I waited until 8:00 p.m. before heading home.

The moment the system pinged that Bath Mode had started, I called Chloe and told her I was craving her cooking.

On the screen, Chloe instinctively glanced toward the bathroom, a strained smile on her face.

"Why don't we eat when you get back? If I cook now and drive it over, it'll get cold."

I sighed, about to drag the conversation out, when a man's scream tore through the speaker: "Ah! God, it burns! Chloe, help me!"

I paused, playing dumb. "Was that a man's voice? Are you watching TV?"

Chloe nodded frantically, her eyes darting around. "Oh, yeah! Look, an urgent Zoom meeting just started. I have to go!"

Watching her panic, I let out a cold smirk.

This time, I was bringing both of our families to catch them in the act. Let's see her squirm out of this!

I led a furious group right up the stairs and threw the bedroom door open.

Music was blasting from a phone inside the brightly lit bathroom. My father-in-law, Mark, grabbed my arm. "Ryan!"

"Don't open the door. Just tell them to come out. Save us a shred of dignity. Once Chloe steps out, whatever you want to do to her, we won't stop you."

I hesitated, but looking at Mark and my mother-in-law, Susan, I gave a solemn nod.

Yet after several shouts, the bathroom remained completely silent.

Finally, Mark gritted his teeth and shoved the bathroom door open.

The moment it swung wide, I froze. My parents and in-laws gasped in shock.

The light was on, but the room was empty—

Nothing was there except a pink phone blaring a pop track.