Page 2 of At midnight, I received my husband’s affair bill

Tears suddenly welled up in Lucy's eyes, large droplets falling onto the back of her hand as her shoulders trembled like autumn leaves in the wind.

"Mrs. Gilbert, it's not what you think," she choked out. "Bruce said there was a mission that required my cooperation, and he told me to wait for him at the hotel. I really didn't know it would turn out like this."

"A mission?" I raised an eyebrow slightly, my tone calm yet laced with coldness. "What kind of mission requires you to wear a white dress, put on his personal bracelet, and wait alone in a hotel room he booked?"

She opened her mouth but couldn't speak, only crying harder. Her sobs drew the attention of a caregiver from Starlight Welfare House.

It was a woman in her forties who knew me. She hurried over and said, "Mrs. Gilbert, Lucy is still young and naive. Could there be some misunderstanding?"

I ignored her, keeping my eyes fixed on Lucy's face. "When did you and Bruce actually start this?"

She bit her lip, tears brimming in her eyes, shaking her head desperately. "We didn't. Mrs. Gilbert, please believe me, we really didn't."

"I don't believe you." I put away my phone and turned to leave.

Some things weren't worth discussing with her.

I had just gotten into my car when Bruce's call came through.

"Juliet, did you go to Starlight Welfare House?" His voice carried suppressed displeasure. "Lucy just called me, crying hysterically, saying you misunderstood her."

"Misunderstood?" I let out a light laugh. "What did I misunderstand? That she was wearing your bracelet, lying in a hotel room you booked?"

The other end went silent for a few seconds, then came his tired, dismissive voice. "Juliet, can't you be more mature? Lucy is someone I'm helping. She has a tragic background, so what's wrong with me taking extra care of her? Stop being so paranoid all the time."

"I'm being paranoid?" I gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Bruce, you weren't even on duty last night, were you?"

His tone suddenly turned cold. "Juliet, are you following me?"

"I don't have that kind of time." I said coldly and hung up directly.

Then I called Lainey. "Help me check Bruce's duty records for the past six months, and all his hotel booking records. The more detailed, the better."

A light tsk came from the other end. "Looks like this isn't simple. Alright, wait for my message."

Half an hour later, the email arrived.

Opening the attachment, Bruce's duty records were circled in red pen in over a dozen placesall dates when he had logged duty shifts in the system but wasn't actually on duty.

And that hotel booking record was even more nauseating.

Starting three months ago, almost once a week, different locations, but without exception, all near Starlight Welfare House.

The most recent entry was last night's Washington Hotel.

All paid for with his credit card.

Staring at the hotel records on my screen, I felt sick to my stomach.

Five years of marriage, I had managed everything at home for him, understanding his busy and dangerous work, never complaining.

When he said he wanted to help Lucy, I supported him. I even personally bought her dresses and books, treating her like a child who needed warmth.

But it turned out my sincerity was nothing but a joke to him.

My phone rang again. The caller ID showed Richard Wood, Bruce's colleague.

"Juliet, did you and Mr. Gilbert have a fight?" His tone was awkward. "He just threw a tantrum at the station, threw files all over the floor, saying you were being unreasonable."

I held the phone, listening to him carefully trying to mediate: "Juliet, Mr. Gilbert is under a lot of pressure, you know that. Lucy really is pitiful, and Mr. Gilbert is just soft-hearted. He really doesn't mean anything else..."

"Soft-hearted enough to need to take care of her at a hotel?" I interrupted him, my voice ice-cold. "Richard, if you don't have anything else, I'm hanging up."

After hanging up, I started the car and headed straight for the police station.

Some things needed to be made crystal clear face to face.