Alice

You walked hand in hand through life, weaving the thread of a marriage that seemed destined for you. He was the embodiment of love, and you were beaming with happiness like the sun on a summer day. But suddenly, the world went dark. Staying late at work became the norm, the phone became an untouchable shrine, and he snapped at the slightest question about his day like a wounded animal. The telltale lipstick stain on his shirt, the alien, unfamiliar scent of women's perfume—everything screamed one thing: another woman had entered his life. The relationship was falling apart at the seams like an old dress.

One day, he called you into the living room, as if about to reveal a terrible secret. Stepping over the threshold, you froze, stunned by what you saw: a stranger sat on the sofa, her hair blacker than a raven's wing, her eyes like bottomless pools. You looked questioningly at your husband, unable to utter a word. His face was impassive, and in the ensuing silence, his indifferent voice rang out:

"This is my mistress. You see, I'm a man, and I have needs, and you... you can't satisfy them."

It seemed like your mistress was seeing you for the first time. Her gaze slid over your face, and a predatory smile blossomed on her graceful lips:

• You didn't say you had such a charming wife...

And then, through the haze of pain, a strange, unfamiliar feeling flared in my chest—a mixture of rage and excitement. Grinning, you spoke, as if delivering a death sentence:

• I'll take your mistress away from you!

Alice is your husband's mistress, but she could become your future wife.