The Last Time I Loved Him (Autumn and Ryan)

Chapter 3

I discovered Grace Taylor's existence in the third year of my marriage.

It was during a time when I was cleaning up Ethan's study. While organizing his desk, I found a box filled with photographs of Grace, alongside a handwritten love letter from Ethan.

In those pictures, Grace, with her high ponytail, looked full of energy and youth. Many of the photos seemed to have been taken covertly, some even appearing as if they had been torn from somewhere.

Before this, I had always believed that Ethan and I were each other's first love. But then I learned that, long before me, there had been a girl who had captivated him in his youth.

I wanted to argue with Ethan, but in the end, I felt it was pointless. After all, it was all in the past. Still, those photos and letters became like thorns in my heart, and I found myself growing distant, engaging in a cold war with him. It wasn't until he finally asked what was going on that I revealed everything.

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's all been years. I'll get rid of these soon."

From his words, I learned that he and Grace had never actually been together. It had been a one-sided crush on his part.

Unfortunately, their families came from different backgrounds, and after high school, Grace went abroad to study. That was the end of his infatuation.

I had no idea when Grace returned to the country, nor do I know who reached out to whom first. Al I knew was that the fact of Ethan's infidelity had become undeniable.

I couldn't accept it, and I wasn't about to turn a blind eye. Once my emotions had settled, I spent the afternoon consulting with several law firms before choosing one that seemed the most competent.

I followed the lawyer's advice. Instead of confronting Ethan immediately, I began by investigating our joint assets, while also gathering evidence of his affair.

When I returned home that evening, it was already dark. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Ethan wearing an apron, cooking dinner. Hearing me, he stuck his head out, his voice as gentle as ever. "Where have you been? Why are you so late? You didn't answer your phone."

Had I not witnessed the scene earlier, I never would have believed this man capable of such betrayal.

"I went for a facial treatment. My phone was on silent," I answered, trying to sound casual.

"Quick, change your shoes and wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon."

At the dinner table, Ethan served me food with such attentiveness. He didn't stop talking, as if everything were perfectly normal.

We hadn't sat down to a meal like this in a long time. Usually, I watched TV while he scrolled through videos on his phone.

After dinner, he even took over all the cleaning so I could relax and watch TV. Once everything was tidied up, he sat beside me, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Thanks for all your hard work lately. I'm transferring you 100,000. Buy whatever you want, don't worry about the cost."

My hand tightened around the TV

remote. Somewhere deep inside et

something crumbled, like a heavy stone pressing down, making it hard to breathe.

I forced a smile and asked lightly, "Why the sudden generosity?"

"Cooking, cleaning, and giving you money," he said with a grin.

"It's pretty typical, isn't it? They say men often try to make up for their infidelities by spoiling their wives." "Ethan, have you been cheating on me?"

I stared at him, refusing to miss a single change in his expression.

Ethan paused for a moment. He laughed lightly, touching his nose before pulling me into an embrace.

He sighed above my head, his tone playful, "You're watching too many of those melodramatic stories. They're all lies."

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to suppress the rising anger.

That night, while Ethan was asleep, I took his phone into the bathroom. I knew his lock screen password, and it was easy to unlock.

But to my surprise, almost every app had its own separate password.

His photo gallery, contacts, WhatsApp, text messages...

An overwhelming surge of emotions hit me. I bit my finger, trying to keep control.

No wonder Ethan had been so open with the lock screen password. Behind that, there were countless more layers of passwords.

At that moment, I felt pathetic. It was like I had no real place in his life, even though I was his wife.

For the next two weeks, I

investigated all our assets. As for

the affair, although I couldn't find anything directly in his phone, the investigator I hired managed to capture numerous photos and videos of Ethan and Grace entering

hotels together.

I consulted with the lawyer. With the evidence I had gathered, I had an 80% chance of securing a divorce with a favorable settlement for me.

I made up my mind to confront him that very night.