A Baby Store’s Halloween Prank Exposed My Husband’s Secret

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A Baby Store’s Halloween Prank Exposed My Husband’s Secret

NovelMaster new Completed

I had just gotten my son to sleep when I received a call from an unfamiliar number. “Mrs. Carter, this is Baby Luxe. Congratulations! You’ve won our grand prize.” I froze. “What grand prize?” The caller quickly apologized. “Sorry, Mrs. Carter. Just a little Halloween trick! There’s no grand prize, but we do have a gift for you.” Assuming it was another pointless scam call, I was about to hang up. Then she continued, “You and Mr. Ethan Parker have spent over two million dollars at our stores. We’ve prepared a gift package worth a hundred thousand dollars for you. When would you like to pick it up?” My hand stopped moving the instant I heard Ethan Parker’s name. That was my husband’s name. But my last name wasn’t Carter. And we had never shopped at any baby store. My eyes drifted to the stroller sitting awkwardly in the corner of our rented apartment. The words Baby Luxe on its frame made my heart lurch. I had thought it was strange the day Ethan brought it home. Baby Luxe was a high-end baby boutique. Even its cheapest stroller cost thirty thousand dollars. But Ethan only made forty-five hundred a month. I had asked him where the stroller came from. He said his boss had given it to him as a reward for being an outstanding employee. As he spoke, he rubbed his nose. He didn’t know that was something he did whenever he lied. Ethan was lying to me. Before I could press him, the baby woke up, and I forgot all about it. Now that flicker of suspicion came rushing back. “Ma’am? Are you still there?” I snapped out of my thoughts. After murmuring a response, I heard myself ask in an unusually calm voice: “I remember buying a seafoam-green stroller from your store recently. A friend saw it and really liked it. Do you have any more in stock?” Even I thought the question sounded absurd. Ethan and I were as ordinary as a family could get. How would we know anyone who could afford a stroller that cost tens of thousands of dollars? But once a seed of suspicion took root, it could only grow. I hoped I was being paranoid. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. The polite voice on the other end turned apologetic. “Do you mean the one purchased on January twenty-fourth?” “I’m sorry, Mrs. Carter. That’s a new model. Mr. Parker was able to get early access as a VIP customer. Your friend will have to wait until its official release in May.” My eyes trembled, and my grip tightened around my phone. January twenty-fourth. That was the day Ethan had brought the stroller home. He said it was an employee perk. But the stroller hadn’t even been released yet. He had brought home an unreleased stroller on the very same day another man named Ethan Parker had supposedly bought one. Could that really be a coincidence? It felt as though someone had sliced open my heart. A chill spread through my entire body. If the employee was telling the truth… Where had Ethan gotten two million dollars? He made forty-five hundred a month and transferred four thousand of it to me. What money could he possibly be spending at a luxury baby boutique? Was Ethan having an affair with a rich woman? Or was this really just a coincidence? My eyes kept darting toward the stroller. I heard my own hoarse voice say slowly, “Thank you. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.” After hanging up, I hesitated for a long time before calling Ethan. He didn’t answer. Suddenly, I couldn’t stop thinking about the time we went shopping for a crib shortly after I got pregnant. The prices at regular baby stores were so high that I hadn’t even dared to step inside, let alone somewhere like Baby Luxe. In the end, we saved money by taking my cousin’s old crib. Back then, Ethan told me he would work hard so our baby could have the best of everything. My eyes burned as I looked at my sleeping son. We had recently started weaning him, and his little face had grown noticeably thinner. The thought of the two of us doing everything we could to save Ethan money while he might have spent over two million dollars elsewhere… My heart clenched. Just then, Ethan called back. I pulled myself together and answered. “Honey, work’s sending me out of town at the last minute. Don’t wait up for me tonight.” Business trips were routine for Ethan. Every time he checked into a hotel, he sent me a video to let me know he had arrived. I had never suspected a thing. But after that call from the baby store, I was painfully alert to everything. After a moment of silence, I said softly, “Okay. Be safe.” I wasn’t going to ask him. Tomorrow, I would find out for myself.Early the next morning, I dropped my son off at my best friend’s place and went straight to the nearest Baby Luxe. Since it was a chain, I could collect the gift package at any location in the city. All I needed was the customer’s registered name, phone number, and ID number. My voice shook slightly as I gave them Ethan’s information. Half a minute later, the employee looked up, her expression even warmer than before. “Everything checks out, ma’am. Mr. Parker has spent 2.4 million dollars with us over the past few years. As a VIP customer, he qualifies for a gift package worth a hundred thousand dollars.” “We can deliver it to your home if you prefer.” I watched her lips move, but all I could hear was a roaring in my ears. My heart plummeted. My knees weakened, and I stumbled back a few steps. It really was Ethan. He had spent over two million dollars at a baby store with another woman. He was having an affair. He even had a child. But where had that money come from? How many secrets was he hiding? My face must have looked awful because the employee stepped closer, concerned. “Are you all right, ma’am?” I took several deep breaths to steady myself, then forced a smile. “I’m fine. Could I take a look at our purchase history?” “A friend is having a baby soon. She asked which products I’d recommend, but I can’t remember everything we bought. I’d like to check our past purchases so I can give her some suggestions.” At the prospect of more business, her smile grew even brighter. But when she pulled up the records, my heart turned colder. The earliest purchase was two years ago. I had only just gotten pregnant then, yet he had already been bringing another woman and child here to buy baby supplies. I blinked hard and scrolled through the screen. Five thousand dollars for a pack of diapers. When I first got pregnant, I had spent a month staying up late to research diapers, trying to find the cheapest reliable brand so I could save him money. Eight thousand dollars for a can of formula. Purchased regularly for two full years. Meanwhile, I had been forced to wean our baby early to cut household expenses. Remembering how miserable and worn out my baby looked during the process made my heart twist into a knot. Then there was a hundred-thousand-dollar crib and all kinds of snacks for young children. They had shopped here almost every week. I dug my nails into my palm, but I was so numb I could barely feel the pain. By the time I finished going through more than thirty pages of transactions, my heart had gradually settled. I took out my phone and pretended to make a few notes. Then I asked the employee casually: “Could you pull up the delivery address on file?” “The drivers have had trouble finding our exact location before. I want to make sure it was entered correctly.” She immediately apologized and pulled up the address. Number 21, Section A, Riverview Estates. The most luxurious gated community in the city. I repeated the address silently through clenched teeth, then told her: “It looks fine. Please have the gift package delivered in two weeks.” Now I was going to Riverview Estates to see whether Ethan, who was supposedly away on business, was there.I had forgotten how strict security was at places like that. A guard stopped me outside. Unable to get in, I decided to wait nearby and see who came out. I had barely taken two steps when a familiar voice behind me made my entire body go rigid. “Honey?” It was Ethan. I turned slowly. He was still wearing the suit he had left home in yesterday morning. Beside him stood a woman holding a child. Was he really standing in front of me with his mistress, without even trying to hide it? I looked at Ethan. There wasn’t a trace of guilt on his face. He simply looked surprised. “Honey, what are you doing here?” Then he turned to the woman beside him with an apologetic nod. “Ms. Hayes, this is my wife, Olivia Bennett.” He looked back at me. “Honey, say hello to Ms. Hayes.” I froze. Ms. Hayes? Had I misunderstood? But then I remembered that Ethan had said he was going out of town. Why was he here today? I asked him outright. Ethan looked ready to scold me for making a scene. But Ms. Hayes gave an apologetic smile. “I did arrange for Ethan to travel with me yesterday. But just before we left, my nanny called to say my child had a fever.” “I was worried, so I canceled the trip and asked Ethan to help me out.” “He’s been running around taking care of things. He probably hasn’t had time to update you. Ethan works very hard. I’ve already told my assistant to arrange a promotion and a raise.” Normally, hearing about Ethan getting a promotion and raise would have had me jumping for joy. Instead, my frown deepened. Ethan chimed in. “That stroller I brought home a while ago was a gift from my boss.” “She didn’t like the color. When she heard we’d recently had a baby, she gave it to me.” “I knew you’d insist I return it if I told you, so I didn’t tell you the truth. Now you can thank Ms. Hayes yourself.” Neither of them looked remotely uncomfortable. Maybe I really was being too suspicious. But what about the two million dollars spent at Baby Luxe? I couldn’t help asking. Ethan stared at me for a few seconds, then laughed and flicked my forehead. “I was buying things for Ms. Hayes. She’s busy with work, and I used to work in purchasing, so she asked me to handle it.” “Why else would she give me the stroller when so many employees at the company have children?” Judging by his expression, he seemed to be telling the truth. And his explanation accounted for everything. Still, something felt wrong. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. On our way home, Ethan asked, “Honey, you don’t think I’m cheating on you, do you?” Since he had brought it up, I decided to be direct and asked him whether he was. He immediately raised both hands in surrender. “Of course not! I wouldn’t want to, and I wouldn’t dare.” “Besides, Baby Luxe is ridiculously expensive. Unless I was shopping for my boss, how could I afford any of it on forty-five hundred a month?” I stared at him for a long time before giving a cold snort. “You’d better not be. If I ever find out you’ve betrayed me, I won’t let you get away with it.” He immediately clung to me like an overgrown puppy and wrapped his arms around me. I let out a breath of relief. But when I went to pick up my baby, my heart leaped into my throat again. I finally realized what had felt wrong. The child Ms. Hayes had been holding looked just like my son—less than a year old. But the Baby Luxe purchase history went back two years. Ethan was still lying to me!

Chapters (3)

第1章

I had just gotten my son to sleep when I received a call from an unfamiliar number. “Mrs. Carter, this is Baby Luxe. Congratulations! You’ve won our grand prize.” I froze. “What grand prize?” The caller quickly apologized. “Sorry, Mrs. Carter. Just a little Halloween trick! There’s no grand prize, but we do have a gift for you.” Assuming it was another pointless scam call, I was about to hang up. Then she continued, “You and Mr. Ethan Parker have spent over two million dollars at our stores. We’ve prepared a gift package worth a hundred thousand dollars for you. When would you like to pick it up?” My hand stopped moving the instant I heard Ethan Parker’s name. That was my husband’s name. But my last name wasn’t Carter. And we had never shopped at any baby store. My eyes drifted to the stroller sitting awkwardly in the corner of our rented apartment. The words Baby Luxe on its frame made my heart lurch. I had thought it was strange the day Ethan brought it home. Baby Luxe was a high-end baby boutique. Even its cheapest stroller cost thirty thousand dollars. But Ethan only made forty-five hundred a month. I had asked him where the stroller came from. He said his boss had given it to him as a reward for being an outstanding employee. As he spoke, he rubbed his nose. He didn’t know that was something he did whenever he lied. Ethan was lying to me. Before I could press him, the baby woke up, and I forgot all about it. Now that flicker of suspicion came rushing back. “Ma’am? Are you still there?” I snapped out of my thoughts. After murmuring a response, I heard myself ask in an unusually calm voice: “I remember buying a seafoam-green stroller from your store recently. A friend saw it and really liked it. Do you have any more in stock?” Even I thought the question sounded absurd. Ethan and I were as ordinary as a family could get. How would we know anyone who could afford a stroller that cost tens of thousands of dollars? But once a seed of suspicion took root, it could only grow. I hoped I was being paranoid. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. The polite voice on the other end turned apologetic. “Do you mean the one purchased on January twenty-fourth?” “I’m sorry, Mrs. Carter. That’s a new model. Mr. Parker was able to get early access as a VIP customer. Your friend will have to wait until its official release in May.” My eyes trembled, and my grip tightened around my phone. January twenty-fourth. That was the day Ethan had brought the stroller home. He said it was an employee perk. But the stroller hadn’t even been released yet. He had brought home an unreleased stroller on the very same day another man named Ethan Parker had supposedly bought one. Could that really be a coincidence? It felt as though someone had sliced open my heart. A chill spread through my entire body. If the employee was telling the truth… Where had Ethan gotten two million dollars? He made forty-five hundred a month and transferred four thousand of it to me. What money could he possibly be spending at a luxury baby boutique? Was Ethan having an affair with a rich woman? Or was this really just a coincidence? My eyes kept darting toward the stroller. I heard my own hoarse voice say slowly, “Thank you. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.” After hanging up, I hesitated for a long time before calling Ethan. He didn’t answer. Suddenly, I couldn’t stop thinking about the time we went shopping for a crib shortly after I got pregnant. The prices at regular baby stores were so high that I hadn’t even dared to step inside, let alone somewhere like Baby Luxe. In the end, we saved money by taking my cousin’s old crib. Back then, Ethan told me he would work hard so our baby could have the best of everything. My eyes burned as I looked at my sleeping son. We had recently started weaning him, and his little face had grown noticeably thinner. The thought of the two of us doing everything we could to save Ethan money while he might have spent over two million dollars elsewhere… My heart clenched. Just then, Ethan called back. I pulled myself together and answered. “Honey, work’s sending me out of town at the last minute. Don’t wait up for me tonight.” Business trips were routine for Ethan. Every time he checked into a hotel, he sent me a video to let me know he had arrived. I had never suspected a thing. But after that call from the baby store, I was painfully alert to everything. After a moment of silence, I said softly, “Okay. Be safe.” I wasn’t going to ask him. Tomorrow, I would find out for myself.

第2章

Early the next morning, I dropped my son off at my best friend’s place and went straight to the nearest Baby Luxe. Since it was a chain, I could collect the gift package at any location in the city. All I needed was the customer’s registered name, phone number, and ID number. My voice shook slightly as I gave them Ethan’s information. Half a minute later, the employee looked up, her expression even warmer than before. “Everything checks out, ma’am. Mr. Parker has spent 2.4 million dollars with us over the past few years. As a VIP customer, he qualifies for a gift package worth a hundred thousand dollars.” “We can deliver it to your home if you prefer.” I watched her lips move, but all I could hear was a roaring in my ears. My heart plummeted. My knees weakened, and I stumbled back a few steps. It really was Ethan. He had spent over two million dollars at a baby store with another woman. He was having an affair. He even had a child. But where had that money come from? How many secrets was he hiding? My face must have looked awful because the employee stepped closer, concerned. “Are you all right, ma’am?” I took several deep breaths to steady myself, then forced a smile. “I’m fine. Could I take a look at our purchase history?” “A friend is having a baby soon. She asked which products I’d recommend, but I can’t remember everything we bought. I’d like to check our past purchases so I can give her some suggestions.” At the prospect of more business, her smile grew even brighter. But when she pulled up the records, my heart turned colder. The earliest purchase was two years ago. I had only just gotten pregnant then, yet he had already been bringing another woman and child here to buy baby supplies. I blinked hard and scrolled through the screen. Five thousand dollars for a pack of diapers. When I first got pregnant, I had spent a month staying up late to research diapers, trying to find the cheapest reliable brand so I could save him money. Eight thousand dollars for a can of formula. Purchased regularly for two full years. Meanwhile, I had been forced to wean our baby early to cut household expenses. Remembering how miserable and worn out my baby looked during the process made my heart twist into a knot. Then there was a hundred-thousand-dollar crib and all kinds of snacks for young children. They had shopped here almost every week. I dug my nails into my palm, but I was so numb I could barely feel the pain. By the time I finished going through more than thirty pages of transactions, my heart had gradually settled. I took out my phone and pretended to make a few notes. Then I asked the employee casually: “Could you pull up the delivery address on file?” “The drivers have had trouble finding our exact location before. I want to make sure it was entered correctly.” She immediately apologized and pulled up the address. Number 21, Section A, Riverview Estates. The most luxurious gated community in the city. I repeated the address silently through clenched teeth, then told her: “It looks fine. Please have the gift package delivered in two weeks.” Now I was going to Riverview Estates to see whether Ethan, who was supposedly away on business, was there.

第3章

I had forgotten how strict security was at places like that. A guard stopped me outside. Unable to get in, I decided to wait nearby and see who came out. I had barely taken two steps when a familiar voice behind me made my entire body go rigid. “Honey?” It was Ethan. I turned slowly. He was still wearing the suit he had left home in yesterday morning. Beside him stood a woman holding a child. Was he really standing in front of me with his mistress, without even trying to hide it? I looked at Ethan. There wasn’t a trace of guilt on his face. He simply looked surprised. “Honey, what are you doing here?” Then he turned to the woman beside him with an apologetic nod. “Ms. Hayes, this is my wife, Olivia Bennett.” He looked back at me. “Honey, say hello to Ms. Hayes.” I froze. Ms. Hayes? Had I misunderstood? But then I remembered that Ethan had said he was going out of town. Why was he here today? I asked him outright. Ethan looked ready to scold me for making a scene. But Ms. Hayes gave an apologetic smile. “I did arrange for Ethan to travel with me yesterday. But just before we left, my nanny called to say my child had a fever.” “I was worried, so I canceled the trip and asked Ethan to help me out.” “He’s been running around taking care of things. He probably hasn’t had time to update you. Ethan works very hard. I’ve already told my assistant to arrange a promotion and a raise.” Normally, hearing about Ethan getting a promotion and raise would have had me jumping for joy. Instead, my frown deepened. Ethan chimed in. “That stroller I brought home a while ago was a gift from my boss.” “She didn’t like the color. When she heard we’d recently had a baby, she gave it to me.” “I knew you’d insist I return it if I told you, so I didn’t tell you the truth. Now you can thank Ms. Hayes yourself.” Neither of them looked remotely uncomfortable. Maybe I really was being too suspicious. But what about the two million dollars spent at Baby Luxe? I couldn’t help asking. Ethan stared at me for a few seconds, then laughed and flicked my forehead. “I was buying things for Ms. Hayes. She’s busy with work, and I used to work in purchasing, so she asked me to handle it.” “Why else would she give me the stroller when so many employees at the company have children?” Judging by his expression, he seemed to be telling the truth. And his explanation accounted for everything. Still, something felt wrong. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. On our way home, Ethan asked, “Honey, you don’t think I’m cheating on you, do you?” Since he had brought it up, I decided to be direct and asked him whether he was. He immediately raised both hands in surrender. “Of course not! I wouldn’t want to, and I wouldn’t dare.” “Besides, Baby Luxe is ridiculously expensive. Unless I was shopping for my boss, how could I afford any of it on forty-five hundred a month?” I stared at him for a long time before giving a cold snort. “You’d better not be. If I ever find out you’ve betrayed me, I won’t let you get away with it.” He immediately clung to me like an overgrown puppy and wrapped his arms around me. I let out a breath of relief. But when I went to pick up my baby, my heart leaped into my throat again. I finally realized what had felt wrong. The child Ms. Hayes had been holding looked just like my son—less than a year old. But the Baby Luxe purchase history went back two years. Ethan was still lying to me!