Bird Talk Exposed My Husband’s Affair

My husband Andrew and my best friend Andy went to the mountains to find inspiration for his new art exhibition, and they both went missing.

The rescue team was conducting a carpet search through the forest, and I had cried while running from one end of the mountain to the other.

Suddenly, a sparrow landed on a branch by my shoulder, tilting its head and chirping:

[Oh my! My eyes! Two humans naked and kissing each other, don't even know the cave is about to collapse.]

I froze. So this is what they meant by "finding inspiration"?

I immediately wiped away my tears, rushed to the rescue captain, and clutched my ankle with a pained expression:

"Captain! I twisted my ankle."

"Captain, my ankle... it hurts so much..."

The rescue captain was a dark-skinned middle-aged man. Seeing me collapse to the ground, he hurried over to help me up.

"Kristen, don't panic. Let me check your injury first."

He crouched down and gently touched my ankle. I immediately exaggerated with a sharp hiss, scrunching up my face.

"No, I can't move it at all. It feels like needles stabbing me when I move!"

The captain frowned deeply.

"If it hurts this badly, it might be a serious soft tissue injury. You can't walk anymore."

He turned to his team member and ordered, "Paul, escort Kristen down the mountain first and find her a place to rest."

My heart sank. Go down the mountain? How could that work?

I needed to stay here to make sure that cheating pair got buried good and deep.

I grabbed the captain's arm and shook my head, crying.

"No! I won't go down the mountain! Andrew hasn't been found yet. How can I leave!"

"I'll wait right here! I'm not going anywhere!"

My sincere appearance moved all the rescue team members and several kind-hearted villagers present.

"What a devoted wife. She's injured but still worried about her husband."

"Yeah, such a loving girl."

The captain couldn't persuade me otherwise, so he had someone find me a flat rock to sit on and brought over a first aid kit for simple treatment.

While pretending to groan in pain, I used the corner of my eye to survey my surroundings.

Perfect. This position gave me a clear view of the main route leading to that dangerous mountain area.

The forest here was dense and rarely visited by people.

From earlier until now, apart from our group, we hadn't seen a single soul.

As long as I delayed long enough, once the cave collapsed...

A sharp sound of brakes screeched through the air.

A brand new Maybach roughly stopped by the mountain road. The car door opened, and Andrew's brother Tobias jumped out.

Andrew had bought him this car with my money. We'd even fought about it.

Tobias had posted on Twitter subtly accusing me of being stingy.

Tobias immediately spotted me surrounded by the crowd and rushed over in a few strides.

"Kristen! Why are you sitting here? Where's Andrew? Have you found him?"

I lifted my red, swollen eyes and pointed at my ankle. "I twisted my ankle..."

He raised his voice in disgust. "What's the big deal about a twisted ankle?"

"Andrew's life or death is uncertain, and you can't even put in more effort? All these people are searching, and here you are, taking a break!"

Everyone around was stunned. The rescue captain's face darkened.

Tobias completely ignored everyone's stares and barked orders at the rescue captain.

"What the hell are you all doing? It's been so long and you still haven't found anyone!"

"Let me tell you, Andrew is the breadwinner of our family! If anything happens to him, can you afford the responsibility?"

Seeing no one paying attention to him, he started with the moral blackmail.

"Now that Andrew is missing, I'm his only family member!"

"I'm ordering you, right now, immediately, increase the search and rescue efforts! No one is allowed to rest!"

That self-righteous look on his face made my stomach churn.

However, his timing was perfect. I needed someone to take the blame.

On the branch by my shoulder, the sparrow started chirping again.

[Oh! That cave is dropping dirt! They're scared and hugging each other, still kissing!]

[The man says even if they die, they'll die together. So romantic!]

Romantic?

I lowered my eyelids, hiding the hatred in my eyes.

Then I'll grant your wish to become a pair of dead lovebirds.

Tobias was still over there verbally attacking the rescue team, spitting as he spoke.

"Are you even professional? It's been hours and you haven't found a single ghost!"

"Andrew is a renowned artist! His time is precious! Can you afford to compensate?"

I knew what he was anxious about.

Tobias hadn't held a proper job since graduating from college. He loafed around all day, relying entirely on Andrew's support.

The car was bought with my money, the apartment he lived in had its mortgage paid by Andrew, and even his dating expenses came from asking Andrew every few days.

His eagerness to find Andrew was simply to perform his "brotherly love" in front of relatives, so he could continue to leech money from Andrew in the future.

The rescue captain's face turned iron-blue from his yelling, but he still patiently explained, "Sir, we are professionals. Please don't interfere with our work."

Tobias snorted coldly. "Professional? Professional means running around like headless chickens?"

His eyes rolled, and seeing me sitting on the rock crying, he immediately redirected his attack.

"Kristen! Stop just crying! You know best where Andrew likes to go. Quickly give the captain a direction!"

The opportunity had come.

I lifted my tearful face, putting on an effort to recall, deliberately hesitating for a long time.

After a while, I extended my trembling hand and pointed in the completely opposite direction from the dangerous mountain.

"I... I remember now. Andrew mentioned once that... that the scenery at Lover's Valley to the south is especially beautiful, and it could inspire his creativity."

"He said... he said he wanted to go see it with Andy..."

I choked up at the right moment.

Lover's Valley was a famous scenic spot in this mountain area. The scenery was beautiful, but the terrain was flat. It had no adventure value whatsoever, and it was impossible for anyone to go missing there.

The rescue captain was somewhat skeptical. "Lover's Valley? We already checked that area. The signal is good, the roads are easy to walk. It's unlikely..."

Hearing a lead, Tobias's eager, opportunistic brain immediately ignited.

"What do you mean unlikely! Kristen already said Andrew was going there for inspiration!"

"It must be that Andrew, to be with... cough, for the sake of art, deliberately found a secluded corner, and his phone just died!"

He snatched the map from the captain's hands, pointing at the direction of Lover's Valley with a grand wave.

"Stop wasting time! Everyone, follow me to Lover's Valley! Hurry!"

The captain frowned. "But the mountain roads there aren't accessible by vehicle, and..."

"And what!" Tobias shouted impatiently.

"Is Andrew's life important or your rules? Main force, everyone follow me! Just leave a few people to watch Kristen!"

Watching Tobias lead most of the rescue team and the media reporters who caught wind of the story marching magnificently in the wrong direction, I sneered inwardly.

Go ahead, go as far as you can. Best if you can't make it back until nightfall.

That way, no one could disturb Andrew and Andy's "private time together."

The weather changed in an instant.

Just moments ago there were only dark clouds. In the blink of an eye, rain the size of beans came pouring down.

No wonder the sparrow said there would be a collapse. Turns out there's a rainstorm today.

The few rescue team members who stayed behind and I quickly found a temporary shelter.

The wind grew stronger, carrying the rain and beating against us at an angle. It was actually getting cold.

The sparrow also flew to the beam at the top of the shelter, shaking its wet feathers.

[It's raining hard! The cave entrance is starting to gush water!]

[The woman is crying out, saying she's cold and wants to leave.]

[The man is holding her tighter, saying it's raining heavily outside and she'll get sick if they go out. Wait a bit longer.]

Ha, how considerate.

The rain grew heavier, and the mountain roads quickly became muddy.

The squad leader who stayed behind looked at the dark sky in the distance, deeply worried.

"With such heavy rain, the mountains are very dangerous. Landslides and mudslides could happen at any time."

"I've already notified Mr. Tobias and his group, suggesting they immediately stop the rescue and take shelter nearby."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tobias's roar came through the walkie-talkie.

"Take shelter from what rain! Scared of a little rain, and you call yourselves a rescue team!"

"Andrew is still waiting for us to rescue him. Anyone who dares to stop, try it!"

"It's just getting a little wet. No one's going to die! Everyone keep searching!"

The squad leader's face changed. He shouted into the walkie-talkie:

"Mr. Tobias! This is no joke! The mountain could collapse at any time. Everyone will be in danger!"

"I'm in danger, my ass!" Tobias cursed on the other end. "If you don't find Andrew, I'll make sure none of you get away with it!"

The walkie-talkie transmitted some commotion, as if other team members were trying to persuade him.

I suppressed the smile on my lips.

Tobias, you truly are my good helper.

Less than half an hour later, Tobias returned with his team in a sorry state.

He and the search and rescue members behind him were all soaked through, covered in mud. Obviously, they found nothing at Lover's Valley and had been drenched by the rainstorm, looking like drowned rats.

Tobias's face was darker than the bottom of a pot.

As soon as he saw me sitting leisurely in the shelter, he flew into a rage.

"Didn't you say they were at Lover's Valley? Where are they!"

He rushed over in a few strides, pointing his finger at my nose and cursing:

"Now it's raining so hard, we've wasted the golden rescue time. If anything happens to Andrew, I won't let you off!"

I timidly shrank back, tears flowing at just the right moment.

"I... I only said maybe... I didn't know it would be like this..."

"You didn't know?" Tobias was shivering from the cold. "I think you did it on purpose!"

He looked at me, dry and comfortable, then at his soaked self.

Suddenly he grabbed my arm. "Stop pretending! You must know other clues! Get up! Take us to find him!"

My ankle "timely" sent a sharp pain. I screamed and my whole body went limp.

"Ah! My ankle! It hurts so much!"

"Let her go!"

The rescue captain, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't bear it anymore. He knocked Tobias's hand away.

"Mr. Tobias! Please calm down! Kristen is injured!"

Several young team members also gathered around, glaring at Tobias.

"How can you put your hands on a woman?"

"Exactly! Her husband is missing, she's injured herself. She's miserable enough. What more do you want?"

The villagers also started pointing and whispering.

"What's wrong with you? How can you treat her like this?"

"Looks decent on the outside, but has such a cruel heart."

Tobias, accused by everyone, turned red and white, but still stubbornly retorted.

"What do you all know! This is our family business!"

I huddled to the side, watching the people about to break into a fight, with only one thought in my mind.

Fight. Fight even louder.

The heavy rain grew fiercer. Seeing it was getting dark soon.

The captain feared that rescue would be even more difficult after dark, so he gritted his teeth and decided to risk going up the mountain.

Tobias followed the rescue team with a dark face, full of resentment.

The search dog led the way, sniffing around with its head down.

Soon, it stopped and barked in front of a cluster of bushes.

A team member pushed aside the wet branches and picked up a foil wrapper from the muddy ground.

"Captain, we found something!" Everyone immediately gathered around.

It was a wrapper dirtied by muddy water, but the brand logo on it could still be vaguely seen.

It was an expensive imported condom brand.

Before I could react, Tobias excitedly called out.

"This is Andrew's!"

He snatched the wrapper and examined it from all angles.

"That's right! It's this brand! Damn, so expensive. I asked him to buy me some and he refused, but he's generous when it comes to using them himself!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized what he had said and quickly shut up.

But it was too late. Everyone's eyes became meaningful.

Missing, adventure, deep mountains, Lover's Valley, condoms...

When these words were combined together, even an idiot would know what had happened.

The rescue captain's face became extremely ugly. He glared at Tobias and said in a low voice, "Keep searching!"

The search dog pulled the rescue personnel step by step in one direction, and at the end of that direction was a pile of dirt and stones.

Could this be the cave the sparrow mentioned? Were they about to be rescued?

At this critical moment, the sparrow suddenly flew over and let out a sharp screech.

[Collapse! Water is flooding in! Half the cave entrance is blocked by mud and rocks!]

[They can't get out! Oh! The man is using a rock to smash at the crack, but it's useless!]

My heart jumped violently.

No, I couldn't let them be discovered now!

Half blocked meant there was still a chance to rescue them!

Tobias also saw where the search dog was pointing. Like he'd been injected with adrenaline, he excitedly shouted.

"Found them! They must be down there!"

He yelled at the rescue team, "Quick! Andrew must be inside!"

I watched as several team members with shovels had already rushed over.