1 Cheating Scum!

"Oh, finally it's over…" Anna — Iris's colleague — had a relieved expression as Iris walked over.

They worked as French-English interpreters and this was but one of the many jobs they had to take on— a debate among nations on environmental issues. For the past week, they had been working tirelessly to ensure the event flowed smoothly. Fortunately, this was the last session.

"You sure know a lot of government officials and celebrities," Anna jested as Iris stopped by her side. "I heard that there are some famous footballers present too."

With a wink and a playful jab, she continued, "Do you think I can get a rich husband from these events?"

Iris raised her head with interest, her gaze sweeping over the crowd below.

She knew that many of the interpretation jobs she had taken involved some celebrities, especially those aspiring to enter the political arena; they wouldn't miss these government events, not when this was a fantastic opportunity to accumulate political connections.

Of course, for some people, they were just here to look for marriage partners — people who were as famous as them or individuals involved in important conference work. This was also an unspoken secret among everyone.

No wonder Anna wanted to find a husband from one of these guys.

"Good luck then," Iris said. She took out her phone and began to scroll through her notifications. "I'd better go home now. I've not seen my boyfriend in a while and we're supposed to meet today."

Iris was always busy with work. She was the youngest interpreter in the company and because of that, she needed to work twice as hard to earn the trust of her clients and colleagues to show them that she was competent enough despite her young age.

As such, ever since she started working, she had been spending less and less time with her boyfriend, Lucas. They were once an envy-inducing couple back in their university years. Yet in the past few years, their paths seemed to be growing increasingly divergent.

Nonetheless, Iris always believed she would become Lucas's bride eventually. They had been together for years; it wasn't wrong for her to expect it to always stay that way. As such, despite her busy work schedule, she still tried her hardest to make it up to Lucas whenever possible.

"Pfft," Anna scoffed. "Go on then. Wouldn't want to keep lover boy waiting."

Iris shot Anna an apologetic smile before she hurried out and back home.

It was snowing heavily outside. Iris arrived at her apartment in a hurry, still catching her breath as she stood at the entrance. She had rushed the entire way back, eager to see Lucas. Just the thought of him warmed her heart.

As she pushed the door open, her gaze fell upon the scattered clothes strewn from the main door to the bedroom. Before she could even process her shock, the bedroom door swung open, and out stepped Lucas with a loosely wrapped towel around his waist. In his arms was a half-naked woman.

When he realized that Iris was standing right there, shock flashed through his eyes.

"Why did you come back so early?" he asked with anger in his tone.

As he spoke, the woman in his arms turned, revealing her face. Iris sucked in a gasp of cold air. It was none other than Iris's closest friend and former roommate, Michele.

Unlike Lucas's panicked expression, Michele acted as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She leaned lazily against Lucas's embrace, tilting her pale face towards Iris.

She asked, "Oh, Iris darling. I didn't know you would be back today." A slow smile spread across her face. "If I had known you were returning tonight, I would've met Lucas during the day instead," she stopped and emphasized, "as usual."

There was a triumphant smirk on Michele's face, her cheeks still flushed, evidence of the intense lovemaking session she just had with Lucas. Hickies littered her pale skin, the sight of it causing Iris's stomach to churn with disgust.

Her best friend and her boyfriend had just rolled in bed together behind her back. How dare they?! This was ridiculous, practically like some soap opera!

These were the two people Iris cared most about.

Back in university, when Michele was struggling with her limited funds, Iris was the one who stepped in and offered a helping hand.

When Michele contracted an STD from her toxic ex-boyfriend, Iris was the one who pulled her back out of that ditch. According to Michele, her family didn't have the money to provide support and her health was too poor to make a living on her own. It was Iris who worked tirelessly, juggling her internship and studies day and night to earn money for Michele's treatment.

And just how did Michele return the favour after all this time?

Michele was half-naked as she leaned against Lucas, scantily wrapped only in Iris's towel. Her breasts were exposed and she tilted her head, provocatively challenging Iris's gaze.

This shameless bitch!

Iris's hands clenched tightly into fists as she gritted her teeth. She had to remain calm— she didn't want this adulterous pair to see her unsettled state of mind.

"You two are disgusting," she said, her tone low and firm. "Get out of here. This is my house! I don't want to see you here!"

Lucas had been observing the dispute between the two women without saying a word. Upon hearing Iris's demands for them to leave, he disregarded Michele's feeble protests and threw her on the couch. He slowly adjusted the towel, deliberately glaring at Iris with icy eyes.

"You can't just kick me out like this," he said. "I'm still doing my Ph.D. and I have no job. There's no way I can afford the cost of living in Paris." He took a step forward. "We've been together for so many years. You can't be so cold-hearted and disregard the impact this will have on my life!"