Chapter 2The Hunt for a Husband

"Zoey, have you ever thought... could Caleb have someone else on the side?"

My best friend Sarah's voice was hesitant.

My breath hitched:

"Someone else? Why doesn't she come to make a scene? Why doesn't he show his cards to me?"

"Heh..."

A scoff came from the other end:

"I think you've watched too many soap operas. In reality, whether it's Caleb, the mistress, or even your mother-in-law, none of them are worthy of plotting against the original wife. Deliver themselves to you to catch? Do you think this is a TV show?"

She paused:

"Don't blame me for being direct. Maybe it's because I've seen too much at the law firm. Let me list a few facts for you to think about calmly: First, how long has he stopped giving you housekeeping money? Second, can you still unlock his phone? Third, Mia is almost two years old. Custody won't necessarily favor the mother anymore. So you don't have much time left."

"Then what should I do?"

My voice was tense.

"Hire... a private investigator?"

"Private investigator?"

Sarah smiled bitterly again:

"Do you have money? A legitimate and capable PI starts at six figures, and the subsequent costs are a bottomless pit. Secondly, evidence obtained by illegal means might be deemed invalid due to privacy violation. If it goes wrong, the other party might even blackmail you."

A chill ran down my spine:

"Then... what should I do?"

"How much cash do you have right now?"

"$750. Just bought a can of formula."

"Okay. From this moment on, don't touch a cent of that money. Consider it your last war fund. I'll introduce my senior colleague to you. I'll help you with living expenses, but leave the professional matters to him."

Sarah is my most trusted friend in this world.

After graduation, she chose grad school, while I chose marriage.

Five years passed.

She's an intern at a top law firm, high-spirited.

While I became a parasite in the daily grind of domestic life.

Half an hour later, a strange number called.

"Hello Ms. Jiang, my name is Lu. Time is limited, let's keep it short. At this stage, your primary task is gathering evidence."

"When your husband comes home, you need to complete two tasks: First, take photos of every card in his wallet, even if it's just a car wash card. Clear photos of front and back. Second, observe carefully if he has a spare phone or other chat apps."

"No matter how much you find he has squandered or hidden, stay calm until you have a complete chain of evidence."

After hanging up, I sat in the living room for a long time.

Even now, I was unwilling to face reality.

His pay stub clearly stated $800, and he had a fixed mortgage payment of $600 every month.

With such a stretched budget, how could he possibly be squandering money?

Three days later, he finally came home.