My husband's sister-in-law, Sophie Foster, had an unusual condition—she craved physical touch. But her husband worked abroad most of the year.

"Noelle, when I have an episode... could you let me spend a night with Mark?"

Did she just ask to sleep with my husband?

"Sophie, do you hear yourself? Mark is my husband—your brother-in-law!"

I turned to my husband, Mark Johnston, in shock. As I expected, he immediately turned her down.

I used to think he truly loved me... until the next night when I walked in on him in bed with Sophie.

While catching his breath, Mark said, "Sophie, I made it just in time, didn't I?"

I closed my eyes, my heart sinking. Fine. If that's how it is, I won't let either of them walk away unscathed.

I picked up the phone and called Flynn Johnston, Mark's elder brother.

***

Flynn got in touch with Mark.

"Mark, I've got a traitor to deal with and won't be back anytime soon. Sophie's condition hasn't improved. While I'm away, make sure you look after her when she has an episode."

I glanced at Mark and asked, "If your brother doesn't come back soon, what are you going to do the next time Sophie has one of her episodes? This isn't some common flu you can treat with pills."

Flynn, the Johnston family's eldest son and grandson, was in charge of their hidden affairs.

He handled the family's darkest business.

He loved Sophie deeply. If he ever found out she turned to another man for help with her illness, the consequences—for her and that man—would be terrifying.

Sophie showed up looking like she'd been crying.

"Mark, your brother said he won't be back this time. Why is my life so hard? I have a husband, yet I feel like I'm a widow. And I still have this awful illness."

Her voice shook as she went on, "I almost didn't make it through my last episode. Since Flynn doesn't care if I live or die, can't you just ignore me? The pain is unbearable when it hits."

Mark replied awkwardly, "But I can't let you go find someone else."

Sophie stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then she turned to me and asked, "Noelle, could I borrow Mark for one night while I'm sick? I swear I won't come near him once I get better."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Was she asking to sleep with my husband?

"Sophie, have you lost your mind? Do you hear yourself? Mark is my husband—your brother-in-law!"

She grabbed my hand like she was clinging to her last hope. "Noelle, you're also a woman. Please try to understand me. You have a husband. You don't know how much it hurts when my illness strikes.

"They won't let me go out to find relief, but Mark is always around."

I stared at Mark, trying to read his reaction.

He gave me a firm look and rejected Sophie with a frown.

"Sophie, stop talking nonsense. How could I ever face Flynn if I did something like that? And what about Noelle? I love her. I'd never betray her."

Sophie started crying again, her eyes full of blame.

Mark took my hand firmly and stood up. We were ready to walk her out.

"Sophie, we'll forget everything you just said today. But if you bring it up again and upset Noelle, I won't stay calm."

That moment reassured me. I felt like I'd trusted the right person.

Five years ago, my family hit a financial wall. My parents wanted me to marry an old, overweight client to save their business.

I was on a bridge, unsure if I should end it all when Mark appeared like a light in the dark.

His kindness and warmth touched me deeply. When he asked me to marry him, I didn't think twice.

Sophie wasn't done. She stepped up and grabbed Mark's collar. "If you won't help me, then just look away. Pretend you didn't see anything. Let me go find someone else."

I pulled her hand off him.

"Sophie, you're putting Mark in a terrible spot. How about this? I'll get you a ticket and send you to Flynn."

Sophie quickly shook her head. Her father died in a plane crash. Since then, she'd been afraid to fly. That was why she stayed in America.

"I was wrong to ask something so unreasonable. I'm sorry."

She lowered her head and walked out slowly, almost stumbling.

Mark stood there, frowning.

During dinner, Sophie kept shifting uncomfortably on her chair. Her skin had turned red—another sign her condition was acting up again.

She didn't finish eating and returned to her room early. I could hear her pained groans now and then.

I turned to Mark. "Should I go check on her?"

He gently tugged me closer, picked up one of my favorite dishes, and placed it on my plate. "Don't worry about her. Eat while it's still warm, or it won't sit well later. I don't want you feeling sick."

Then, he went into the kitchen and brought back a bowl of comforting soup.

"Honey, I asked the nanny to prepare this for you. Sophie might be unwell all night. I'm worried it'll disturb your sleep."

His care touched me deeply. I felt a wave of warmth in my chest. "Thank you, Hubby. It's my blessing to marry you."

Mark kissed my forehead softly. "I'm the lucky one."

Later that night, he held me from behind, smoothed my hair, and gently wrapped his fingers around mine. I soon drifted off in his arms.

I didn't know how long I'd been asleep when Sophie's scream suddenly woke me.

I reached over and found the bed empty. Mark was gone.

I called his name toward the bathroom, but there was no reply.

His phone was still on the nightstand, so he couldn't have gone far.

Sophie's screams got louder, but something about them had changed.

Her voice carried a strange softness and even a hint of pleasure.

Out of curiosity, I went upstairs to her room.

Her door was slightly open, and an ambiguous, soft yellow light spilled out.

Just as I was about to call her, I suddenly heard a man groaning.

I froze, stunned at the thought that Sophie had brought a man back to the Johnston's villa.

I leaned closer and peeked through the narrow gap.

To my shock, the man leaning over her was someone I knew too well—it was Mark.

The headboard was banging rhythmically against the wall, mixed with the sound of Mark's heavy breathing.

When I finally snapped out of my daze, a sharp pain spread through my chest. Mark had deceived me.

The person I loved the most—the one I believed saved me—was hurting me in the worst way possible.

I quietly walked back to my room. My cheeks were already soaked with tears.

I lay down, listening to the noise from upstairs. The sounds came and went until the sun came up.

Before heading to work, Mark came back to the bedroom, got changed, grabbed his phone, and left.

He wasn't in the room long, but a peculiar fishy smell lingered after he was gone.

The stench made my stomach turn, so I opened the door and windows to air it out.

Sophie came downstairs looking thrilled, humming a happy tune.

Compared to her, I looked exhausted, with dark circles under my eyes.

She noticed my door open and shamelessly walked in like nothing happened.

"Noelle, I was sick and kept screaming all night. Hope I didn't wake you. Mark even made you some comforting soup. He's so sweet to you. I'm honestly a bit envious."

Before, I would've smiled and agreed with her, maybe even praised Mark.

But now that I knew the truth, their kindness felt fake and disgusting.

He always brought me comforting soup whenever Sophie had one of her episodes.

I used to think he genuinely cared. It turned out that he just didn't want me waking up and finding out what they were doing behind my back.

I told her indifferently that I wanted to rest.

"The soup worked well. I still feel sleepy, so I'm going to take a nap."

Sophie gave a tiny smile, almost smug.

"That's great. I was so worried I might have kept you up all night."

Then, Mark texted me.

"Honey, did you sleep well? I ordered you a little cake. Share it with Sophie. She had a rough night."

When I read his message, I couldn't help but think it was a shame he never became an actor.

That cake was likely meant for Sophie, but he acted like it was for me to win me over.

It was obvious that he and Sophie had been having an affair behind my back for a long time. I was just the last one to figure it out.

That night, I cried until all my foolishness seemed to vanish.

They thought I was clueless, so I decided to play along and watch for now.

Sophie's episodes were happening more often. Every time Mark gave me the so-called comforting soup, I'd dump it out when no one was looking.

They assumed I was still out cold, so they got louder during their "treatments."

This time, Mark actually took Sophie into the bathroom connected to our bedroom.

He shamelessly said, "Sophie, didn't you say things have been too boring lately and that the treatment hasn't felt good enough? Noelle is asleep just outside the door now. Isn't this exciting enough?"

Sophie opened the bathroom door. "It's more exciting this way."

I looked up and saw their reflections clearly in the mirror. I grabbed my phone, zoomed in, and took a sharp photo of what I saw.

They were so caught up in their indulgence that they didn't even notice I was awake.

Once people gave in to their worst instincts, it was hard to pull back. Mark wasn't satisfied with just playing doctor anymore.

They were clearly trying to get me out of the house, so they could do as they pleased.

Mark spoke sweetly to me, "Honey, haven't you always wanted to go to Koh Samui? The weather is perfect right now. I'll buy you a ticket."

I remained calm. "Yeah, it's been a while since we traveled. I'd love to go with you."

He gave an apologetic smile. "I won't be able to come this time. Work has been hectic. But you could go with your friends. I'll pay for everything."

I acted a little upset. "It's not much fun if I'm not going with you."

He must've wanted me gone because he handed me a card right away.

"Here is 30,000 dollars. I feel bad for not being able to join you. Get yourself whatever you want. Just enjoy yourself."

I grabbed the card right away. "Then this card is mine now."

Mark didn't seem to mind. He smiled and hugged me. "Bring all your nice outfits. Stay a bit longer and have fun."

I immediately bought a few small hidden cameras and placed them in corners around the villa where no one would notice.

As soon as I arrived in Koh Samui, I checked the recordings. What I saw was shocking.

If I hadn't known better, I would've thought I stumbled across some adult film site.

Mark had skipped work completely. He and Sophie did whatever they pleased in the villa.

They showed up everywhere—the bedroom, balcony, living room, kitchen, and even the stairwell.

While holding Sophie, Mark said as he moved, "Flynn told me yesterday he's coming home soon. Once he's back, you won't need me anymore."

She sounded breathless. "But I think you can help me more. Please do this a few more times before he returns."

I saved every clip. That footage alone was enough to destroy Mark's image completely.

Flynn would be home soon. I couldn't help but wonder how he'd react when he found out about their affair.

I gave Flynn a call. "Flynn, I heard you're heading back to America. When are you flying?"

He replied, "I haven't booked it yet. I was thinking of leaving next week, but everything suddenly wrapped up early. I might come back sooner."

"I'm in Koh Samui right now. What do you say we head back together the day after tomorrow? Don't mention it to Mark or Sophie. Let's surprise them."

He agreed right away. I could hardly wait to see how it would play out.

We picked flights that landed at the same time and arranged to meet at the airport.

Two days later, I greeted Flynn cheerfully and said on purpose, "You should thank Mark. Sophie has been sick a lot lately, and he didn't want it to affect my rest. So, he sent me on vacation and stayed home to care for her."

Just as I expected, Flynn's face tightened.

"But when I called Sophie, she told me she's been doing fine and hasn't had any symptoms in a while. She also told me not to rush back."

I sighed.

"She's just trying to make you feel better. Her episodes used to only happen at night, but now they even happen during the day. If you don't believe me, go see for yourself."

The moment we stepped into the villa, Sophie's happy shrieks echoed from upstairs.