The Second Day of the Business Trip
On the second day of Lin Hao’s business trip, the house felt particularly empty. The usually noisy home was now silent, with only me left. My name is Su Qing, and I have been married to Lin Hao for five years; our life has always been simple and happy. This time, he went south for a week to discuss a project, and it was the first time he had been away from home for so long.
In the evening, after finishing dinner and washing the dishes, I sat on the couch with a pillow, lost in thought. My phone lit up with a message from Lin Hao: “Wife, I miss you.” My heart warmed, and I replied, “I miss you too. How’s work going?” He quickly responded, “Everything is fine. You should rest early and not wait for me.”
I put down my phone and walked to the window, looking out at the city lights. This city is vast, yet I felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness. Suddenly, I wanted to listen to some music to break the silence. On the coffee table lay the smart speaker we bought six months ago. This little gadget was rarely used, except for Lin Hao occasionally listening to the news.
I walked up to the smart speaker, took a deep breath, and softly called out, “Xiao Ai, play a song.”
The Strange Voice
I expected to hear the mechanical female voice of the smart speaker respond and play one of my favorite songs. However, after a few seconds of silence, a soft, alluring female voice slowly emerged from the speaker.
“What’s wrong? Did you miss me so soon?” The voice was tender and carried a hint of playful charm.
I was stunned. This was not the voice of the smart speaker, nor did it belong to anyone I knew. The voice felt so real, as if someone was whispering right next to me. A wave of inexplicable panic washed over me.
“Who are you?” I instinctively asked.
The voice seemed startled by my question, paused for a few seconds, then returned to its previous tone, but this time with a hint of caution: “You… who are you? Why are you here?”
My scalp tingled, and my mind was in chaos. Could it be that the smart speaker was malfunctioning? I shook my head vigorously, trying to clear my thoughts.
“I am the mistress of this house,” I said firmly, with a hint of accusation.
The speaker fell into a dead silence.
Fragments of Lies
I repeatedly called out “Xiao Ai,” trying to get it to respond normally, but the smart speaker remained silent. My unease grew; I felt that what had just happened was not a coincidence. I began to inspect the smart speaker, flipping through the manual, but found nothing unusual.
That night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The alluring female voice lingered in my mind like an inescapable nightmare. I picked up my phone and, almost unconsciously, opened Lin Hao’s WeChat. I saw his message: “Rest early, don’t wait for me,” and a wave of indescribable sadness surged within me.
I began to recall the bits and pieces of our life over the years. Lin Hao had been busier at work, coming home less frequently. He always said it was for our future, for this family. I had once believed it wholeheartedly, but now, that strange voice had planted a seed of doubt in my heart.
The next day, I didn’t go to work. I sat in front of the smart speaker, staring at it, feeling it was a silent informer. I suddenly remembered that this smart speaker was bought by Lin Hao and that he had set it up himself. A thought struck me, and I began to try different commands to wake it up.
The Inescapable Truth
I tried repeatedly, using various commands and tones, but the speaker remained silent. Just when I was about to give up, I inadvertently said, “Darling, when will you be back?”
With a “ding,” the speaker lit up again. This time, it emitted Lin Hao’s voice, but it was a recording: “Baby, I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry, everything is fine.”
I felt dizzy. This voice was not a real-time conversation but a pre-recorded message from Lin Hao. But why would he record such a message with terms of endearment like “baby”? And clearly, this was not meant for me.
Suddenly, I remembered something. I opened my phone and found an app that Lin Hao rarely used, which he used to control smart home devices. I opened the settings, and in the voice assistant section, I discovered a hidden option for “custom voice.” I clicked in and saw a voice pack named “Xiao Mei.”
I tried to wake this voice pack with the phrase “Darling, when will you be back?” but failed. I fell back into confusion.
At that moment, I inadvertently blurted out, “Xiao Mei, I miss you.”
From the speaker, that alluring female voice responded again: “I miss you too, Lin Hao.”
My heart plummeted into an abyss.
Chapter Five: The Final Call
I trembled as I dialed Lin Hao’s number. The phone rang for a long time before he picked up, sounding slightly impatient: “Hello, wife, what’s up? I’m in a meeting.”
“Lin Hao, where are you?” My voice was surprisingly calm.
“Me? I’m in a meeting, what’s wrong?” He seemed to be trying to hide something, but the panic in his tone was unmistakable.
“Is that so?” I scoffed, opened the voice recording on my phone, and played the previous conversation for him, “Listen to this voice, does it sound familiar?”
On the other end, Lin Hao’s voice instantly became stiff. He fell silent, and only a heavy silence remained.
“Lin Hao, I’m giving you one last chance.” My tears could no longer be held back, streaming down my face, “Tell me, who is Xiao Mei?”
“Qing Yuan… I…” Lin Hao’s voice trembled, he was at a loss for words, wanting to explain but unable to start.
“No need to say more.” I interrupted him, my voice devoid of emotion, “I understand now. You used this smart speaker as your secret communication tool, didn’t you? She thought it was you talking to me, but she didn’t know I am the mistress of this house!”
On the other end, Lin Hao began to wail in pain. But I no longer had the strength to listen to his explanations. I hung up the phone, looking at the smart speaker before me, feeling it was a silent mockery. I picked it up and smashed it on the ground, listening to the crisp sound of it shattering.
A New Beginning
I didn’t cry or make a scene. I just sat quietly in front of the broken smart speaker, staring at it. I thought my world had collapsed, but I realized it hadn’t.
I felt an unprecedented sense of relief. For a long time, I had been living in Lin Hao’s lies, trapped in a happiness I had woven for myself. Now that the dream had ended, though it hurt a little, at least I could see the real world.
I stood up, walked to the window, and opened it, letting the night breeze flow into my room. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I told myself that everything would be alright.
The next day, I packed Lin Hao’s belongings and placed them at the door. I left no message for him and made no calls. I simply walked calmly into the civil affairs bureau and submitted my divorce application.
I knew this marriage had come to an end. But I also knew that my life was just beginning.
