Woman Who Seduced My Boyfriend Went Insane

On Children's Day, Caylee Reynolds stood in front of a meticulously decorated balloon arch, holding a bouquet of snacks, and posted on social media, "Who else will spoil me as a child like you do?"

The accompanying picture showed a hand that was pricked while making the snack bouquet.

That hand was all too familiar to me-it belonged to my fiancé, Rhys Murphy.

My heart sank. The man who found even a proposal ceremony for me too troublesome had personally planned a Children's Day surprise for his childhood friend.

1

In the photo, the carefully coordinated pink and white balloons, along with flowers scattered everywhere, all highlighted the planner's dedication.

"Be a princess, enjoy the sweet things in life." read the large banner in the center. As an observer, I was moved.

He must love her so much to give her such a grand ceremony, even on Children's Day.

I was just about to ask Rhys when Caylee got a boyfriend, but my attention was drawn to the hands in the corner of the photo.

The hands holding the snack bouquet had long fingers with a few scratches, clearly from being pricked during the making.

I zoomed in again and again.

That hand was all too familiar to me-it belonged to my fiancé, Rhys Murphy.

I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cellar. In the four years I've been with Rhys, I've never received a gift from him, let alone an unexpected surprise.

2

He had a rebellious nature and was not good with words. Even our marriage was decided by our parents during a dinner.

That night, I playfully teased him while holding his arm, "Rhys, you're going to marry me without even a proposal ceremony?"

Rhys solemnly removed my hand, speaking earnestly, "Victoria, you know I'm not that kind of person."

He lowered his gaze, "Don't you think these unnecessary ceremonies are just troublesome and meaningless? Besides, being watched by others makes me uncomfortable."

After saying that, Rhys walked away without looking back, as if my suggestion was a grave mistake.

Since then, I never mentioned any "ceremony" again.

Even when we discussed the wedding process a month in advance, he just wanted everything to be kept simple. If not for family reputation, Rhys said he wouldn't even want a wedding.

He said, "It's like a circus act, so ridiculous."

I believed him.

But now, he had personally planned a Children's Day surprise for his childhood friend.

Anger and shame quickly overtook my rationality.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the hotel.

I stood in the parking lot, "Rhys, where are you?"

There was a crackling sound from Rhys's side before it finally quieted.

"I'm at the Starlight Hotel. Caylee is back, and everyone is here to welcome her," he paused, not inviting me, "What's up?"

I chuckled, "I'm meeting a client here at Starlight Hotel and just happened to see your car."

To prove I wasn't jealous, I casually snapped a photo of the parking lot and sent it over, "Which floor are you on? I'll come find you."

I didn't give Rhys a chance to refuse and hung up the phone directly.

3

When I opened the door to the private room, I pinched my palm hard to stop myself from bursting into tears.

The real room, meticulously decorated, was even more striking than the photo.

Rhys and his friends surrounded Caylee in the middle, their laughter and chatter drowning out the sound of the door opening.

Caylee, dressed in a snow-white puffy dress, was hugging Rhys's neck.

"You always know how to make me happy!"

She raised her glass, looking around, "You all should learn from Rhys. Look at the surprise he prepared, and then look at yourselves! You only prepare bags, bags, and more bags! So tacky!"

Amidst the uproarious laughter, Caylee downed the drink from Rhys's glass in one go.

Because her movements were too bold, her breasts lightly brushed against Rhys's arm occasionally.

I couldn't help it and lightly coughed, "Caylee, you're back!"

Holding a glass of red wine, I walked over to Caylee with a smile, "Welcome back."

I subtly positioned myself between her and Rhys, playfully scolding, "Look at Rhys, calling me over just now. I came in a hurry and didn't prepare anything else..."

Caylee gave a meaningful "oh," "So Rhys called you over!"

She glanced at Rhys, "I thought you was here to check on him! I was wondering, you're not even married yet, and he has already been so obedient."

She pretended to be angry and playfully slapped Rhys's head.

"If you become so obedient to your girlfriend, don't expect me to protect you anymore!"

Rhys was never one to take jokes well, especially being slapped on his head.

I took a deep breath, waiting for Rhys to explode.

"Protect what? You're still a kid."

Rhys rolled his eyes at her and casually tossed a lollipop from his pocket to her.

I sat down like a soulless shell.

4

Throughout the meal, they reminisced about childhood stories, and I couldn't get a word in.

During the meal, I tugged at Rhys's sleeve under the table, hinting for him to care about me.

"If you want to go home, I'll have the driver take you." He said to me without even glancing my way.

But Caylee noticed, looking at my pale face.

"Victoria, are you okay?"

I smiled and shook my head, "I'm fine."

"Rhys, is Victoria upset?"

Caylee put her hands on her hips and gave Rhys a fierce glare before turning to me with a smile, "Victoria, if Rhys does anything wrong, please bear with him. I don't know what happened, but I'm apologizing on his behalf!"

With that, Caylee raised her glass and downed it in one go.

Caylee was getting quite drunk, swaying as she stood. "If it's because of me, don't be mad. Rhys and the others don't even see me as a girl!"

She laughed heartily, grabbing Rhys's scarred hand, "Right, buddy? Just say who could protect you?"

Her slender, fair hand gripped Rhys's tightly, making me feel like the odd one out.

"Caylee's drunk. You should head home first."

Rhys said, handing me my bag with a tone of displeasure, as if Caylee's state was somehow my fault.

As I walked out, I heard Caylee sigh, "Girls are just so emotional and stingy. You and me are like siblings who grew up together. Look at her sulking. She won't argue with you at home, will she?"

Rhys didn't say a word in my defense.

5

Rhys didn't return until the early hours of the morning.

I sat in the dark, hugging my knees.

"You're still awake." Rhys approached and embraced me.

The company of Caylee's father faced difficulties abroad and has gone bankrupt. That's why she's back."

He patiently explained. "He reached out to me, asking not to let Caylee know. She's still young and can't handle such a shock."

I looked at Rhys's delicate features, feeling a slight wavering in my heart.

Rhys was always cool and reserved, only showing his gentle and patient side when I was upset.

"Okay." I whispered, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"It was just a dinner party. I was afraid you'd be upset, so I didn't mention it."

Rhys spoke with such confidence, as if saying, "See, you found out and got upset, didn't you?"

I was at a loss for words.

"Tomorrow, we're going to try on wedding dresses." Rhys kissed my forehead and soon fell into a deep sleep.

In the darkness, I looked at the scars on Rhys's hand, feeling a sense of unease.

6

Rhys and I met five years ago.

Unlike my family, the business of Murphy family has been booming from the scratch during the pandemic years. And they expanded their business and moved to Acagado.

The day when Murphy family hosted a banquet for the local business leaders, I fell for Rhys at first sight.

He walked out, looking like the calm, self-possessed hero from a romance novel.

I was an extrovert and turned Rhys into my boyfriend during a short time.

It was only after we got together that I realized we had vastly different views on many things.

So, I kept compromising.

"Rhys, your Big Senior is calling! Rhys, your Big Senior is calling!" The phone rang abruptly in the night, interrupting all my thoughts.

The ringtone was Caylee's voice.

Rhys's face darkened, "Hello?"

"Our child! Our child!" Caylee's playful voice came through, and I froze.

Child?

Rhys sat up straight, looking guilty, and pulled me close, "Caylee, I think you're still drunk. Go to sleep..."

"Our child turned into a little ghost!"

Caylee interrupted, "If the child is gone, I won't forgive you!"

Rhys smacked his forehead, as if waking from a dream, and opened a chatting software on the phone.

He skillfully found his chat with Caylee and sent an emoji.

The moment he saw the spark that represented the continuation of the chat rekindle, Rhys let out a long sigh, "Alright, Big Senior? Tomorrow, I'm going with Victoria to try on wedding dresses. The designer was specially hired from abroad, so don't call me unless it's urgent."

Without waiting for a response, Rhys hung up the phone, "let's sleep, Victoria."

I brushed his hand away, "Aren't you going to explain?"

Rhys rubbed his temples, seeming impatient, "Oh, you mean the ringtone? Two years ago, when we celebrated New Year's together, I got drunk, and she set it on my phone."

He tossed the phone to me, "If you don't like it, change it. I'm too lazy to bother with these things."

He lay down, looking unperturbed.

7

I had never gone through Rhys's phone before, partly because I feared that our companies would have overlapping projects, and I would stumble upon business secrets. Plus, Rhys was always so cold towards women, and I trusted him completely.

Tonight was the first time I had a legitimate reason to pick up his phone.

By the time I finished changing the ringtone, Rhys was already fast asleep.

Driven by some inexplicable impulse, I opened his chat with Caylee on the chatting software.

I was too shocked to speak.

The number next to the spark representing chatting days was 2193.

It meant five years!

8

My heart pounded wildly, drumming against my chest in the darkness.

I tiptoed to the bathroom, carefully scrolling through their chat history.

I could only scroll back to the messages from the year before last, it was likely because earlier messages hadn't been transferred when he switched phones.

[Damn, Rhys, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend right away! Just wait until I get back and deal with you!]

Caylee had forwarded my announcement video to Rhys, [Tsk tsk. So pretty.]

Due to the time difference, Rhys saw it ten hours later, [Forgot it.]

[Look at her makeup, so feminine. Unlike me, I barely wear a makeup. Sigh, it's all because I hang out with you guys!]

Rhys sent an eye-roll emoji.

After that, probably due to the time difference and their busy schedules, they exchanged an emoji daily to keep the spark of daily messages alive.

No matter how busy Rhys was for work, he always found time to open the app and message Caylee.