Chapter 949: The Secret of the USB Drive
Early the next morning, Kevin was roused from sleep by Audrey. After washing up, he walked to the door with the heavy backpack his cousin had prepared for him. He saw Audrey bent over, arranging cushions on the sofa. Her curvaceous figure exuded mature charm, particularly her ample, elevated hips that made Kevin's heart race with an irresistible urge to grab those voluptuous buttocks and thrust his eager member inside.
Kevin, intensely excited, tiptoed over and suddenly planted a kiss on Audrey's cheek, causing her to gasp. Laughing, he dashed out of the living room.
"This kid…" Audrey watched Kevin's figure quickly disappear through the front door, her brow slightly furrowing as she shook her head with a hint of helplessness. Yet, her heart filled with a sweet sensation. She greatly relished her current ambiguous relationship with Kevin — more intimate than that of ordinary cousins, yet not fully consummated like true lovers or spouses. It wasn't purely emotional but hadn't entirely surrendered to physical desire either.
Every couple experiences such a unique phase. The majority of couples transition quickly from this stage to the next, culminating in physical union and transforming the ambiguous relationship into a stable one. However, once that fragile window was shattered, rendering the relationship transparent and stable, it often lost the thrilling uncertainty that ignited passion. For various reasons, Audrey and Kevin had long remained in this intoxicating yet perilously forbidden transitional phase.
Reflecting on her relationship with Jason, Audrey remembered the sweetness they once shared. However, they quickly moved in together and got married within a year. The initial intense passion had rapidly waned. Even the most beautiful woman can become dull with over-familiarity, and countless domestic annoyances gradually eroded their initial romantic idealism.
This explained why Audrey tolerated Jason's many transgressions. Most married couples faced similar challenges post-marriage: frequent quarrels or mutual indifference. Even if she'd married someone else, it likely wouldn't have been better.
Looking at the married female teachers at school, Audrey knew their struggles well: Alissa's distant relationship with her husband led to her secret affair with Kevin; Vanessa's extramarital flirtations highlighted the discontent in her own marriage; Kimberly’s severe arguments resulted in her seeking refuge at school. Every family had its struggles.
Therefore, Audrey didn't want to be harsh on Jason. Although he had squandered their savings in Starhaven due to gambling, and his company was entangled in legal troubles, she wouldn't easily give up on him as long as he could muster the strength to recover. After all, they were partners in marriage, and temporary difficulties didn't completely negate Jason's worth.
After tidying the living room, Audrey returned to the bedroom to organize her suitcase. She had bought numerous items in Starhaven — some for Bethany, others for her colleagues, primarily for Alissa. Alissa was still attending training in the provincial capital, and it was uncertain when she would return. During this period, Audrey had been spending an hour or two each night coping with Kevin's fervent advances. Though they hadn’t made love, she struggled to resist the young man's intense passion, hoping Alissa would return to share some of the burden. With Kevin busy with his classmates today, Audrey finally had a day of peace.
As she separated and organized the items in her suitcase, Audrey casually picked up her worn clothes. Suddenly, a small object fell to the floor. It was a USB drive. Puzzled, she picked it up, wondering how it had ended up with her.
A memory flashed through her mind: the night before she left Starhaven, Harry had invited her to dinner but didn't say much. Instead, he handed her a USB drive. That night, she also ran into Derek and Peter. The fateful encounter ended with Peter shooting Harry, who fled in panic. Audrey, deeply shaken, had returned to her dormitory and promptly left for home the next day, forgetting about the USB drive.
She distinctly remembered Harry's earnest request for her to view the contents of the USB drive. Recalling Harry’s valiant and kind demeanor, Audrey felt a pang of sadness. This brave man was now gone. If it hadn't been for him, she might have fallen victim to a predatory driver on her first night in Starhaven. Later, he had saved her from Peter. Regrettably, she had never reciprocated his kindness. Perhaps Harry had left her a message he couldn’t deliver in person, which was why he gave her the video.
Audrey hurried to Kevin's bedroom, powered on the computer, and inserted the USB drive into the port. A folder quickly popped up on the desktop, its contents revealing several gigabytes of video files. She pressed play on the first video, her hands trembling.
The footage showed surveillance from a room. Soon, a man entered, his back turned, making it impossible to discern his features. A neatly dressed girl followed, sitting beside him on the sofa and serving tea with evident respect. Audrey watched in confusion. Why would Harry want her to see this? It seemed like a private gathering among friends. Had Harry mistakenly given her the wrong USB drive?
No, Harry was a meticulous police officer. Based on their brief interactions, she knew he was shrewd and precise, unlikely to make such a careless error.
As Audrey continued watching, the man and woman suddenly embraced, discarding their clothes and engaging in explicit acts. Though the video had no sound, their fevered movements were unmistakable.
Audrey blushed furiously, fumbling to shut the video. But in a glance, she noticed the man's face and was struck as if by lightning. She stared blankly at the screen, recognizing a familiar face.
Jason!
How could this be? Audrey's mind went blank. The man fervently thrusting himself into the woman was unmistakably her husband, Jason. Hand shaking, she immediately closed the laptop, collapsing onto the bed, her heart aching with disbelief. She told herself it couldn’t be true; it was just someone resembling Jason.
But if it wasn’t true, why would Harry show her this? Harry, who had seemed hesitant to speak that night at dinner, wasn’t trying to confess affection but warning her about Jason. As a police officer, Harry would have thoroughly investigated before contacting her.
Audrey felt as though she were plummeting into an abyss. Despite the sweltering summer heat, a bone-chilling cold enveloped her, making her shiver uncontrollably. After a while, she numbly got up and restarted the laptop, her fingers hesitating over the mouse as if the videos were bombs ready to obliterate her life.
Resolutely, Audrey opened the video again, fast-forwarding to the revealing moment. The man’s face, though slightly blurred, was unmistakably Jason’s. Despair washed over her as she looked at the man she had trusted and loved for years betraying her so blatantly.
For half a year, she had endured loneliness and isolation without confiding in anyone, surrounded by predatory men who saw her as prey. She had never considered betraying Jason, yet he had betrayed their marriage. Her steadfastness suddenly seemed laughable, her trust in him naïve.
Audrey coldly laughed as she played the remaining videos. In the same room, with the same woman, but on different occasions — always when Jason claimed to be on business trips. She felt utterly abandoned, her efforts to repair their relationship in vain while Jason deceived her.
As she sat, trembling with laughter and tears, her phone rang. It was Jason. Audrey stared at the number, not answering. When he called again, she finally picked up, her voice faint.
"Hello?"
“Hey, hon, how have things been at home? Why haven’t you called me?” Jason’s voice sounded slightly annoyed.
“Oh, school has been keeping me busy. What’s up?” Audrey wanted to confront him about the videos but couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“Not much. I’ve been job hunting. Jobs are hard to find these days, but I’ll get one that pays better. Don’t worry.” Jason prattled on about his plans.
Audrey abruptly interrupted him, “Jason, are you hiding something from me?”
The line fell deathly silent. After a long pause, Jason replied, “What are you talking about? Of course, I’m not hiding anything. Don’t joke around.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Alright then,” Audrey said softly. As Jason stubbornly denied it, she felt a wave of hopelessness and decided not to pry further. "I'm a bit tired. We'll talk later."
After hanging up, Audrey closed her eyes, her face pale. After an indeterminate amount of time, she opened her eyes, a cold resolve shining within them. She was going to get back at Jason. She wouldn’t compromise her own happiness any longer.
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