He said he'd be busy all night and might even stay at the company until morning.
I nodded lightly, "Alright."
He didn't know that I had a tracking app on my phone linked to his location. At first, I installed it because he'd come home drunk every night and I worried he'd get into trouble.
A woman's wild imagination made me worry each night. Would he drink himself to death? Would he pass out drunk by the roadside and get run over? Or would he collapse somewhere, with no one there to take care of him?
But now, the tracker served a different purpose, to see which hotel he visited or which bar he was frequenting for his indulgent escapades.
Gerald didn't go to the office. His location had been moving around a shopping mall all morning.
Men generally don't spend time there unless they're accompanying a woman.
Aren't you all convinced that Gerald was a well-behaved, dutiful child? Today, I will show you his true colors.
I also wanted to see, after all these years, who this woman was that haunted his dreams and captivated him so deeply.
A crazy plan for revenge began forming in my mind. Before our divorce, I wanted to see him utterly ruined and condemned by everyone.
He had dragged me down into the abyss, so why should he remain untouched? I would pull him down too, make him feel the torment of absolute despair.
By around nine in the evening, his location stopped at the Hilton Hotel.
I made call after call, "Hello, Mom! Tonight is Gerald's birthday. I want to invite all of you to come and celebrate with him."
The first call was to Gerald's mother. Her reaction was both surprised and puzzled. Was this really the Clara who had been hospitalized just days ago, beaten so severely by her son that she miscarried, demanding a divorce?
Maybe out of fear that my emotions would erupt again, Gerald's mother agreed, albeit reluctantly. She said, "Clara, I'm glad you've come to terms with everything. Quarrels and scuffles are normal between couples. Seeing you gather everyone to celebrate his birthday tonight will surely make Gerald very happy."
I smiled, replying calmly, "Don't worry, Mom. I guarantee this birthday will be unforgettable for Gerald. Make sure to bring all the relatives along." Over the phone, his mother eagerly agreed.