Part 2The Perfect Affair, the Perfect Trap

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed into the bedroom. Liam woke up as usual and gave me a good morning kiss.

"Morning, sweetheart."

"Morning." I forced a smile, placing his fried eggs in front of him. "Sleep well last night?"

Liam took a sip of milk, his expression perfectly calm. "Very well, I always sleep so soundly next to you. Oh, by the way, some apartment upstairs was playing the piano late last night, it was a bit noisy. You heard it too, right?"

"Really?" I feigned nonchalance. "I'm a heavy sleeper, didn't hear a thing. But the soundproofing here isn't great. I'll complain to the building management sometime."

"Don't!" Liam reacted quickly. "I mean, we're neighbors, no need to make things awkward. Maybe it's someone new who doesn't know the rules yet, it'll probably be fine in a few days."

"Someone new?" I looked up at him. "How do you know they're new?"

Liam's eyes flickered. "Oh, I ran into the building manager last night when I was taking out the trash, and he mentioned someone just moved into the 8th floor."

"The 8th floor… That is pretty close."

Liam seemed unwilling to linger on the topic and quickly changed the subject. "By the way, darling, can I pick you up from work today? We haven't been to that Japanese restaurant in ages."

"No need, I have to work late today." I declined. "You go ahead and eat."

A flicker of delight crossed his eyes, though he said, "You work too hard, sweetheart. Remember to eat on time."

Of course he was happy.

My overtime meant he had more time to go to 801, to be with his "baby."

After seeing Liam off, I didn't go to work.

I went straight to the apartment complex's management office.

"Hello, I'd like to ask who the owner of Building 8, Apartment 801 is? I'm from 601, and my bathroom is leaking. I suspect the waterproofing upstairs isn't done properly, but no one answers when I knock."

The front desk assistant checked her computer. "801? The owner is registered as a Ms. Chloe Sterling."

Chloe Sterling.

At the sound of the name, my mind quickly searched Liam's circle of acquaintances.

No one by that name.

"Did she just move in?" I asked again.

"No, the apartment was renovated about half a year ago, but it's been empty until recently. Someone just started moving in and out, it seems." The front desk assistant looked at me strangely. "And that apartment… when it was renovated, the permit was issued at the same time as yours. It seems to be the same interior design company."

I froze.

The same interior design company.

Half a year ago.

So, as early as six months ago, or even earlier, Liam had been planning all of this.

Leaving the management office, I sat on a bench in the community garden and opened that forum post.

Sure enough, Liam had updated it.

"My wife's working overtime today, divine intervention! Almost got caught last night because of the piano, luckily I reacted quickly. Today I'm planning to buy the woman upstairs an identical robot vacuum, otherwise I'll have to clean myself, it's too much work. Oh, someone asked if I get the two homes mixed up. Actually, as long as you fix the position of everything, muscle memory takes care of it."

Someone commented below: "The poster is truly a time management guru, but don't you think this is a bit twisted?"

He replied: "Twisted? This is about pursuing perfection. I've provided my wife with a privileged life and given my mistress perfect companionship. I haven't wronged anyone."

At that moment, a woman walked past me.

The woman was quite delicate-looking, probably in her early twenties. She seemed to be on the phone, her voice sweetly melodious.

"Honey, I know, I'll open the robot vacuum when it arrives... You come up early tonight, okay? Remember not to go to the wrong door, hehe."

As she passed me, a familiar scent of shower gel wafted from her.

I stared intently at her retreating back.

Chloe Sterling.

This was the woman living in 801, wearing my clothes, using my perfume, sleeping with my husband.

A strong desire for revenge surged in my mind.

Liam, since you enjoy playing this substitution game.

Then I will play along.