Caught on Live: The Ultimate Divorce Game

I found a hotel key card in my wife's coat pocket. The date on the receipt matched the night we had a fight, the night she claimed she was staying at her parents' house.

She went to wash up. Her phone screen lit up on the counter. A pinned unread message popped up. [Baby, that Victoria's Secret lingerie was so hot last night.

Same place tonight?] Chapter 1 When I grabbed the shredded black lace nightgown from the backseat of the car, my wife, Stella, was touching up her lipstick in the rearview mirror.

Her eyes darted away for a second before she forced a look of sheer arrogance. "I wear it when I take naps at work.

Stop being so paranoid." The stench of cheap men's cologne and sharp pheromones radiated from the fabric.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging so hard into my palms they almost broke the skin. Stella snatched the lingerie back with an impatient huff. "Enough.

It's just a piece of clothing, stop overthinking it.

Let's go home and eat, I'm starving." Instead of tossing it into the trash can by the garage, she crumpled the fabric into a ball and shoved it deep into her designer handbag.

She powerwalked to the front door, terrified I would ask more questions. Once inside, she practically sprinted into the master bedroom.

By the time I followed her in, the handbag and the torn lingerie were nowhere to be seen.

She tossed her phone onto the mattress, her movements stiff as she tried to play it cool. "I've been working overtime all week, I'm exhausted. I'm going to take a shower.

You make dinner." The bathroom door clicked shut, followed by the rush of the showerhead. Right on cue, the phone she left on the bed lit up. I glanced over.

A notification flashed across the lock screen. [Baby, that Victoria's Secret lingerie was so hot last night. Same place tonight?] My mind flatlined.

Even though I had my suspicions, seeing it in plain text made the blood pound in my ears. I pressed my lips together into a hard line, picked up the phone, and unlocked it.

The contact saved as "Ashton" had sent a few photos. It was the exact same torn black lace nightgown I had just held in the car. My fingers trembled as I scrolled up.

The rest of the chat history had been wiped clean. I dug through her texts and emails. Nothing. The water suddenly stopped.

The second the bathroom doorknob turned, I killed the screen and dropped the phone exactly where she left it. Stella walked out wrapped in a towel.

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Why haven't you started dinner yet?" she asked, immediately grabbing her phone off the bed.

One glance at the screen, and a smirk she couldn't hide tugged at the corners of her mouth. She practically skipped to the walkin closet.

She had no idea I had just seen the explicit photos sent by the guy saved as "Ashton." She just stood there, spritzing on her expensive perfume like she was heading out for a romantic date. "Good thing you didn't cook.

The hospital is slammed today.

I have to go back in for an extra shift." Even though it was freezing outside, she slipped into a skintight leather pencil skirt and a silk blouse with a neckline plunging deep enough to show off her cleavage.

That wasn't an outfit for a late shift at the hospital. That was an outfit for grinding on the dance floor at a club. Dark, mottled hickeys trailed down the side of her neck.

She only noticed them when she checked herself in the fulllength mirror. Her eyes darted toward me, her pupils dilated.

When I didn't say a word, she let out a quiet breath of relief. She casually shifted her collar to cover the marks and gave me a sickeningly sweet smile. "I'm heading to work.

Make sure you eat something and take care of yourself, okay?" I returned her smile, keeping my expression perfectly composed. "Okay.

I'll make some food and bring it to you in a bit." Stella's smile froze. It took her a few agonizing seconds to process that. She gave a stiff nod. "Sure, drop by whenever.

They're rushing me, I gotta go!" I watched her walk out the door. The second it clicked shut, my smile vanished. Later that evening, I walked into the hospital carrying takeout.

A few young nurses cheered when they saw me. "Evander is here! Stella is so lucky!" I handed out the iced lattes and donuts I brought from Starbucks one by one.

They took them with bright smiles.

Chapter 2 Maya, the college intern, efficiently popped a straw into her iced latte and looked up at me. "The hospital has been dead these past couple of days. We're all pretty free.

It's so dedicated of Stella to volunteer for an extra shift." Before she could finish, Joanne, the senior nurse, stomped hard on Maya's foot under the desk, letting out an exaggerated cough to cut her off. "Not even coffee can shut you up.

You talk too much," Joanne muttered. My gaze swept over them. "Where is Stella? I don't see her." The nurses exchanged awkward, stiff glances.

Maya, oblivious to the sudden tension, pointed down the hall. "She's in the oncall room, of course.

She went straight in there as soon as she arrived and hasn't come out since." "Alright, I'll go check on her." I gave them a curt nod.

I walked toward the oncall room, feeling their uncomfortable stares burning into my back. I didn't even make it to the door. The handle clicked, and the door swung open.

A man and a woman walked out. The guy was wearing a slightly oversized white coat, sporting dark circles under his eyes, and breathing a little heavily.

The woman was my wife, Stella. The moment she saw me, a deep flush crept up her neck. "You're here early. Let me see what you brought me." She reached out for the food.

When I didn't move, my eyes locked onto the guy, she let out a forced, airy laugh. "Don't get the wrong idea. This is Ashton. He's the new intern here.

As his mentor, I was just teaching him how to properly conduct a gynecological exam." The young man raised an eyebrow provocatively. "That's right.

I was just giving her a very deep physical exam.

After all, when it comes to her body's actual needs, you seem completely clueless." Ashton sneered. "As her personal doctor, I should remind you that a sexy woman like her needs real satisfaction.

If you can't keep her happy, there are plenty of Alpha males willing to step in." They exchanged a knowing smirk right in front of me.

It was like they shared an inside joke and I was the outsider intruding on their space. The hospital wasn't packed, but the corridor wasn't entirely empty either.

My motherinlaw, who happened to be visiting, along with a few patients and their families, glanced over, wondering what the commotion was about.

Stella playfully slapped Ashton on the shoulder, giving him a scolding look that was dripping with flirtation. "You never filter what comes out of your mouth.

Talk to a patient's family like that, and you'll get reported." Ashton maintained his shameless, fratboy smirk. "Come on, she's not just any patient, is she?" He winked at Stella.

Stella rolled her eyes playfully and snatched the takeout bags from my hand. "Thanks, honey. You can head home now.

Once I get through this crazy shift, I'll definitely make it up to you." I ignored her.

Instead, I stepped right past them, pushing my way straight into the oncall room. "I've got nowhere to be.

Might as well hear the results of this little exam myself." What should have been a pristine oncall room was a total disaster.

The bedsheets were crumpled and pushed aggressively to one side.

Medical files were scattered wildly across the floor, and right in the middle of a manila folder was a faint, undeniable footprint.

Chapter 3 Stella yanked the crumpled bedsheets flat. She swept a men's lighter—stamped with a frat house crest—into her white coat pocket.

She tucked a messy strand of hair behind her ear, forcing a composed look. "Hospitals are just like this.

Emergencies come in all the time," she said, her voice tight. "I've been too slammed to even clean up the room." I gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Messy is normal.

But it must have been a real emergency to rip a lace nightgown to shreds." Stella's face hardened. "Evander, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" I shrugged, keeping my eyes locked on hers. "Exactly what it sounds like.

Do you need me to spell it out?" Her jaw tightened. "It's just a cheap piece of clothing! You've been nagging me about it since this morning.

Are you done?" I stepped closer, refusing to back down. "Why don't you ask yourself if hiding in a cramped room alone with Ashton is fun?" Her voice pitched up, shifting instantly into defense mode. "Are you losing your mind?

Evander, we've been married for seven years. Are you seriously acting like a control freak and spying on me now?" "Ashton is a student. He's eager to learn.

As his mentor, it's my job to teach him clinical skills.

Our relationship is purely professional, and you're actually accusing us?" I let out a sharp laugh. "A professional exam that ends up in bed?" "The hospital is full of seasoned gynecologists.

You have actual exam rooms.

But you bypass all of that to cram yourself into a tiny oncall room with an intern, in the dark, for a checkup?" Stella's chest heaved rapidly. "Evander, you're being completely irrational.

Ashton and I are clean." "There is nothing going on! Your own mind is in the gutter, so you see dirt everywhere!" The smirk never left my face. "Right. Completely clean.

Stella, do I need to read your hotel room number from last night out loud?" Stella froze.

The color drained from her face. "How… how did you…" "How did I know you lied about taking an overnight shift just to book a room with Ashton?

If you didn't want to get caught, you shouldn't have done it." She scrambled to regain her composure. "You're twisting everything!

We just finished a massive surgery." "We were exhausted, so we got a room to crash and catch up on sleep. Nothing happened between us!" The door pushed open.

Ashton poked his head in. "Are you two done? I heard you yelling from the hallway." "I couldn't hold back, so I had to step in.

A delicate, sensitive woman like Stella needs to be spoiled.

Your bad attitude is breaking her heart." "As her husband, if you can't even keep her satisfied, you're nothing but a useless loser." "Ashton!" Stella warned, though her voice dropped lower, trailing off with an undeniable flirtatious hook.

Ashton puffed out his chest. "I just can't stand seeing this guy treat you like trash." "Come on, Stella. Let's go.

Ignore him." Chapter 4 Stella froze, then actually laced her fingers through Ashton's right in front of me. The two of them walked out of the oncall room together.

Just before they disappeared down the hall, Ashton turned back and flashed me a cocky, victorious smirk. From that day on, our marriage hit a dead end.

Stella started staying out all night. On the rare occasions she did come home, her phone was practically glued to her hand, heavily guarded.

I refused to drag out this toxic stalemate any longer. I handed her an ultimatum: divorce. The moment the word left my mouth, her entire demeanor shifted.

Tears welled up in her eyes, the tip of her nose turning a perfect, pitiful shade of pink. "Are you throwing me away?" I shifted my weight, forcing my eyes away from her. "The connection is gone.

It's better for both of us if we just cut our losses." "Who says it's gone? I love you! I will only ever love you!

There is absolutely nothing going on between Ashton and me!" Stella swore up and down, weaponizing every good memory we had built over the years and dragging my family ties into her guilt trip.

Finally, she wiped her tears. "I know I've neglected our marriage lately because of work. Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Let me take you out for a candlelight dinner.

We can sit down and really talk, okay?" My resolve cracked. This was the woman I had known inside and out for nearly a decade.

No matter how coldly I delivered the word "divorce," the suffocating tightness in my chest was real. "We'll lay everything out on the table," she pressed, stepping closer. "Didn't you say you wanted a baby?

I was too focused on my career before, but now I'm ready to take a break and start preparing for a pregnancy." Stella knew exactly which of my buttons to push.

A few calculated sentences, and she had me cornered. Eventually, I gave a stiff nod. Her face instantly lit up. She washed her face and hurried out the door for her shift.

By early evening, my phone buzzed with a location drop for a highend French restaurant. [Hurry up and get here. Let's talk properly.] My jaw tightened as I stared at the message.

Neither of us was into fine dining. Instead of this pretentious Michelinstar French food, we used to prefer grabbing latenight street tacos and spicy hot dogs.

Why the sudden pivot to a luxury steakhouse? Was it just for the upscale atmosphere? I swallowed my doubts and drove to the address. I gave the hostess the private booth number.

She paused, her polite smile faltering. "Sir, are you certain you have the right reservation?" "Positive. I'm here for Stella.

Is there a problem?" The hostess gave me a long, unreadable look before gesturing toward the back. "Right this way, please." Her weird reaction made the knot in my stomach pull tighter.

Then, she stopped at the door of the private booth. The answer to my suspicion hit me like a physical blow. The polite smile on my face shattered.

Ashton was sitting across from Stella, casually enjoying a meal. Under the flickering candlelight, they looked exactly like a deeply devoted couple celebrating an anniversary.

What did that make me? The hallway was deadly quiet. The hostess had already tactfully slipped away. Stella smiled brilliantly and waved me over.

I pointed a rigid finger directly at Ashton. "Why the hell is he here?" Before Stella could even open her mouth… Chapter 5 Ashton shot me a judgmental frown. "Evander, I've never experienced fine dining before.

Stella just wanted to treat me to expand my horizons.

Are you really going to throw a tantrum and treat her like this over something so harmless?" I ignored him, keeping my eyes locked on Stella. "Is this your idea of laying everything out on the table?" Stella meticulously sliced her filet mignon into bitesized pieces and pushed the plate directly in front of Ashton.

She looked up at me with feigned innocence. "Ashton is practically family. What could we possibly have to hide from him?" "You've been so paranoid about us lately.

I brought him here to prove I have absolutely nothing to hide!" She crossed her arms. "If you're going to have this kind of attitude, we have nothing left to discuss." I turned on my heel toward the door. "Stop right there!" Stella snapped. "I'm pregnant!" I whipped around, staring at her in disbelief. "What did you just say?" "I said, I'm pregnant!" A hollow, chilling laugh scraped its way up my throat.

During the first few years of our marriage, I desperately wanted a kid. But whenever I brought it up, Stella would react with explosive hostility. "Absolutely not!

Do you have any idea how much pregnancy ruins a woman's body? A single complication and I could die. I am never having a baby!" Her stance was absolute.

She swore that if she ever got pregnant, she would get an abortion immediately and then threaten suicide, making sure everyone knew I was a toxic, controlling monster who only saw her as an incubator, ruining my reputation completely.

I really loved kids. But she was so militantly against it that I eventually caved.

To ensure there were absolutely no accidents, I voluntarily went to the hospital and got a vasectomy.

Knowing even that wasn't foolproof, I made sure we took every extra precaution possible. And now, she was sitting here telling me she was pregnant.

The woman who threatened to end her life if I ever got her pregnant had betrayed me, gotten knocked up by another man, and actually expected me to happily play the role of the proud father?

My hands twitched. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to grab the edge of the table and shatter everything on it.

Ashton glanced up at me lazily. "Is Evander too shocked to speak? Guys like you, working yourselves into the ground, usually have pretty weak swimmers.

It's tough for guys your age to conceive, so you better cherish this miracle baby." Stella dropped the innocent act completely.

Her gaze turned calculating. "You promised me." "As soon as I got pregnant, that Beverly Hills mansion and the Porsche would be put in my name, and we'd set up an exclusive trust fund.

You wouldn't want to go back on your word, would you?" I smiled. Flipping the table would be letting this cheating pair off way too easy.

A meticulously cruel plan was already taking shape in my head.

I forced my muscles to relax, painting a bright, completely natural smile across my face. "Of course I won't go back on it." "You just focus on resting for the baby.

I'm going to go look at real estate for our growing family right now." I stepped out of the luxury restaurant into the chilly night air.

The adrenaline was still pumping heavily through my veins, refusing to settle. I chainsmoked three cigarettes, letting the nicotine cool the fire in my lungs.

Then, I pulled out my phone and dialed my buddy who owned several hotels downtown. Chapter 6 "Man, I need a massive favor.

Can you wire up the penthouse honeymoon suite at your hotel with hidden cameras and slide me the key card?" My buddy sounded totally thrown on the other end of the line. "What's going on, bro?

Who are you getting a room for?" "Don't worry, I'm not dragging you into anything illegal. I'm sending the card to Stella." "Oh, oh, I get it.

You two are just spicing things up, huh? Say less." "I've got you covered. I'll rig it with highdef microlenses.

It won't ruin the vibe, but it'll catch all the action perfectly." "Thanks, man.

Next round of beers is on me." After that call, I threw myself into work, making myself completely scarce.

Stella quickly caught an attitude about it. "Why does it feel like you've completely checked out of this marriage ever since I got pregnant?" I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing in her face.

Why have I checked out? Are you seriously asking me that? But outwardly, I kept my expression perfectly smooth. "We've got a baby on the way.

I need to grind harder to build a solid trust fund for the kid." The moment I mentioned the baby, the fake annoyance melted off Stella's face.

She gently rubbed her flat stomach with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Hear that, baby? Daddy is already building your empire.

You just focus on growing up strong and healthy." Since I was playing the role of the workaholic husband, Stella used the opportunity to boldly stay out all night, handing me a constant stream of pathetic excuses. "When I go on maternity leave, my team is going to be drowning in work.

I'm just covering extra overnight shifts now so they won't resent me later." "It's way too late to drive back, and I don't want to risk getting into an accident and hurting the baby.

I'm just going to crash at the hospital." She and Ashton grew so arrogant that they stopped trying to hide it.

A buddy of mine was at the hospital for a checkup and texted me a blurry photo. [Yo, isn't this Stella? She's holding hands with some doctor in the hallway.

You might wanna check on this, bro.] I smirked and anonymously forwarded the photo directly to the hospital's HR department and the Medical Ethics Committee.

Suddenly, Stella's overnight shifts miraculously ended.

She came home with her chest heaving, her eyes darting around before landing on me. "Honey, has anyone… said anything weird to you lately?" I tilted my head, feigning total confusion. "No?

Did something happen at the hospital?" Stella let out a loud, forced laugh. "No! Nothing at all." "Just making small talk. You keep working, I'm going to bed." She didn't go to bed.

Instead, she locked herself in the master bathroom with her phone. I moved silently down the hallway and pressed my ear against the cold wooden door.

She was on the phone with Ashton. "We have to keep our distance for now," she hissed, her voice tight with panic. "If this blows up, the ethics board will kick you out of the residency program." A brief pause. "Are you crazy?

Of course I'm not divorcing him! Evander is a walking ATM for our son. I need him to fund the trust, the mansion, the cars." Another pause. "Just lay low until the heat dies down.

If I ever find out who reported us, I'll ruin their life." Her voice softened into a sickeningly sweet purr. "I love you too, baby.

Just hold on a few more months." "Once my bump is showing, I'll claim a highrisk pregnancy, go on bed rest, and find a way to get Evander out of the house." Chapter 7 Listening to Stella's venomous voice through the door, a cold smile tugged at my lips.

Keep your distance. Play it safe. That was exactly what I needed for the next phase of my plan. Valentine's Day finally rolled around.

I slipped the two cloned key cards into separate envelopes and had them delivered to Stella and Ashton. I perfectly forged their handwriting on the attached notes. [Same place.

I've got a surprise for you.] Later, I settled into a booth at the cafe across the street from the hotel, sipping a black coffee as I watched the evening rush hour traffic.

Right past 6:00 PM, a text from Stella popped up on my screen. [The hospital is a complete madhouse today. I won't make it home tonight.

I'll make up for Valentine's Day when things slow down.] [Love you, babe. Muah.] Staring at her sickeningly sweet lie on the screen, I downed the rest of my black coffee.

My gaze locked onto the tablet resting on the table, already synced to the hidden cameras in the penthouse. Let the show begin. The fish took the bait