Chapter 1

During Thanksgiving, my wife, Maya Golding, said that she had an important project to finish late at night and sent me to her parents' house to deliver the holiday gifts.

As soon as I started my trip with the gifts, my phone rang.

"Bro, move your car, please. My car can't leave the parking lot."

'Move the car? But I am already in the car,' I thought.

I answered, "You must have called the wrong person."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.

"Is the Audi in lot 695 not yours?"

I tightened my grip on the phone as a bad feeling rose inside me. Maya had driven that Audi today, and she had a designated parking spot at the office.

"Yes, where are you? I'll go move the car."

"Seaview Hotel, please come quickly; I'm in a hurry."

I remembered how Maya had spent two hours doing her makeup and wearing her new dress before she left home today. I stepped hard on the accelerator and drove straight to my in‑laws' house.

"Mom and Dad, it is a holiday today. Maya and I booked a table at Seaview Hotel; let us go out to celebrate."

Chapter 1

My in‑laws, Bob Golding and Annie Fisher, looked at me with puzzled expressions. "Noah Wilson, didn't Maya Golding say that she was working overtime today and couldn't come back for the holiday celebration?"

Yes, Maya had said that she would be working overtime today. She even told me that she would have meetings all day and might not be reachable.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized something was wrong. Maya usually had a busy schedule at work, so it was common for her to be unreachable. She never bothered to give me a warning in advance.

"Bob and Annie, this is a surprise. Do not concern yourselves with this. Today is a holiday, so we should be a happy family."

While Bob and Annie changed their clothes, I called Maya. The call rang until it ended on its own, yet no one answered.

As I stared at the black screen, my heart sank.

Maya's department had always been strict. Even if there were projects, they would not go somewhere high‑end like Seaview Hotel.

As soon as we got in the car, Annie started to nitpick as usual. She looked at the good luck charm hanging from the rearview mirror and spoke with pursed lips. "Noah, it is not that I want to criticize you. You have been married to Maya for so many years, and your taste has not changed at all. You are still like a hillbilly. Maya works for a professional organization. Watch yourself."

When I was still with Maya, Bob and Annie despised me, a small business owner. They wanted Maya to find someone with a suitable background who worked in an office.

Even though I built my company into a major success, everything they wore and the house they lived in were paid for by me. However, they still thought I was a nobody who married a princess.

"Mom, my mother made this for me for good luck."

She rolled her eyes and pinched her nose in disgust. "When you dine with Maya's colleagues in the future, do not mention your parents. Let alone what your parents do, so you do not embarrass Maya. Jeez, I wondered why the car smelled like chicken shit."

Both of them had retired and had always looked down on my parents for opening a chicken farm. In the rearview mirror, I saw the two of them frowning.

On the wrist Annie used to hold her nose was the Patek Philippe my mother bought for her when she visited during Christmas.

The gold cross on Bob's neck was bought by my dad from a jeweller at a high price.

"By the way, your parents will not be coming today, right? It is a holiday, so do not bother them to wash up before coming."

At the red light, I stepped on the brakes and turned to look at the two of them. "Do not worry, it is just us today."

When I saw Annie's relieved expression, I smiled.

For something this humiliating, it was enough to have the two of them there. Why should my parents be there?

I paused and stepped on the accelerator. "Maybe you will not see each other again. With luck, you will not even be able to see me, your hillbilly son‑in‑law anymore."

Chapter 2

Bob scowled at this. "Noah, what do you mean by that? Don't think you've made some easy money and can do whatever you want. If you don't behave, we have plenty of people who want Maya."

I tapped the steering wheel. "I know, Dad. Besides, we decent people wouldn't do something immoral like cheating."

After we reached the hotel, I unlocked the car with my phone and moved it.

As soon as I got in, I sensed that something was wrong.

Maya always positioned the driver's seat very close to the steering wheel whenever she drove. When I got in and moved the car, the driver's seat was very spacious.

I called Maya again, but still no one answered.

Then I called her colleague, Jacqueline Laker. "Jacqueline, sorry to bother you. Are you free today?"

Jacqueline paused for a moment. "Today is Thanksgiving, Noah."

Sure enough, I chuckled. "I need to ask you for a favor for Thanksgiving. Today is my and Maya's fifth wedding anniversary. I want to give her a surprise. Do you think you could help contact your colleagues to come to Seaview Hotel?"

Jacqueline did not think much and agreed right away.

Before I got out of the car, I took a deep breath.

If nothing happened today, I would go ahead and give her a surprise.

If Maya really betrayed me, the surprise would turn into a shock.

When I reached the hotel lobby, Annie complained, "You're even slow at parking a car. Where's Maya?"

"Annie, calm down."

The receptionist wore a professional smile. "Hello, sir. Do you have a booking?"

I stepped forward and answered with feigned nonchalance. "Yes, my wife already booked a room. Her name is Maya Golding. She didn't tell me which room, so you can take us upstairs."

The receptionist paused for a moment but kept smiling. "I'm sorry, sir. We can't look up a guest's room details for you. How about this: since your wife made the booking, you could give her a call. She can come down to meet you or tell you the room number, and then I can escort you up."

I understood. Hotels did this to protect guest privacy.

How absurd. She might have been upstairs right now, betraying our marriage, yet the law protected such privacy.

"Alright." Right there in front of the receptionist, I called Maya again, but still no answer.

"See? My wife is busy and isn't picking up. We're a family celebrating the holidays, so why not take us upstairs?"

Behind me, Bob and Annie already looked impatient.

However, the receptionist stood her ground. "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't take you up directly. Perhaps you could wait in the lobby for a bit? We can provide some drinks and snacks."

Annie finally lost her patience and strode over. "What is wrong with this hotel? My daughter booked the room, yet I'm not allowed upstairs? We paid for it, but you're making us wait downstairs?"

The receptionist looked apologetic. "I'm truly sorry, ma'am, but this is to protect our guests' privacy. I hope you understand."

Annie was used to being pampered at home. As I had become wealthy in recent years, she had lived a charmed life and never had to put up with any nonsense. "You're being impossible. Get your manager. I want to ask: my daughter booked a room, and I want to go upstairs. Whose privacy is that actually violating?"

Chapter 3

I asked Bob and Annie to come partly to liven things up, but also because Annie could genuinely help solve many things.

Maya and I went from campus sweethearts to husband and wife.

I started my business when I was in college.

After graduation, Maya got a good job.

Apart from Bob and Annie, everyone envied our marriage. We were a loving couple: one was stable, and the other earned a lot.

However, Maya completely inherited her parents' arrogance. When we were dating and newly married, I thought it was a good thing for a woman to have a higher vision. Besides, nobody was perfect. Her having a high vision was also the motivation for me to improve.

However, as the years went by, she grew more and more disdainful of me for being a "businessman". She spent my money extravagantly, yet claimed to be a successful career woman. We had no children and lived in different rooms.

At home, I needed to serve her like a servant, meeting all her emotional and practical needs. Even though I did my best, it was still not enough for her.

After returning home, she used the same rhetoric from her department to scold me.

When I discussed it with her, she said with a disgusted expression that I knew nothing. All she talked about was how hard the men in her department worked and how respectable the people in the government department were. Even the lowest‑paid contractors at her department were better than me.

The hotel manager, Henry Bennett, arrived quickly. "Good afternoon, ma'am. How may I help you?"

Annie crossed her arms. She had always looked down on service staff. "My daughter booked a room here. It is a major holiday; why am I not allowed to go upstairs?"

Henry bowed slightly and maintained a polite demeanor. "Of course, ma'am. How about this: tell me which room she is in, and I will escort you there myself."

"If I already knew the room number, would I need you to show me the way?"

Annie's rage surged, and her voice rose. "Take me upstairs right now. Do you know where my daughter works? One complaint from me, and your hotel could be shut down for rectification."

Henry nodded with a smile, yet remained firm. "I apologize for the unpleasant experience, ma'am, but we have strict rules against disclosing guest privacy. How about I make an exception today? Give me your daughter's name, and I can call to verify. Would that be acceptable?"

Annie snorted coldly. "That is more like it."

Before she could tell him Maya's name, I interjected, "We already called earlier, but no one answered. If my wife were free, she would not ignore our calls."

There was no way we should use the internal room phone. She would definitely answer it. If she did, she would realize we were there, and all my efforts today would go to waste.

Henry immediately offered a second option. "How about this? I will take you all to the reception lounge to rest first. You can head up once your wife answers. How does that sound?"

That would not work either. The whole point of my plan was the element of surprise.

If I could not rush straight up there without Maya knowing, this plan would be pointless.

Before I could speak, Bob waved his hand dismissively. "Let us do that then. We cannot just hang around the lobby; it is inappropriate. And you are always so unreliable when handling things; no wonder you are just a businessman."

Just as I tried to think of an excuse to stop them, a few familiar figures appeared at the entrance. They were colleagues from Maya's department.

Chapter 4

When Jacqueline saw me, she waved from a distance. "Noah, are we late?"

I smiled. "No, y'all arrived just in time."

I then introduced Bob and Annie to Maya's colleagues. "Bob and Annie, these are colleagues from Maya's department."

"Didn't I say we have a surprise today? This is part of the surprise."

When Bob and Annie heard that these were people from Maya's department, their expressions changed right away. "No wonder they look so proper and promising. It turns out they are Maya's colleagues. If they were small vendors, they would not look so commanding."

After some small talk, Jacqueline asked first. "Noah, which private room shall we go to? Don't worry, we haven't told Maya about anything today."

"Then I will thank y'all and also thank y'all on Maya's behalf."

After thanking them, I looked at Bob and Annie awkwardly. "How about we do as the manager said and go to the reception lounge to wait first?"

Neither party knew what I was planning.

Jacqueline looked puzzled. She did not understand why I was giving Maya a surprise but had not booked a room. However, she did not ask.

My in‑laws cared deeply about appearances, especially in front of Maya's colleagues.

They would not ask why Maya's colleagues were joining us for the holidays or agree to let them wait in the reception lounge.

Sure enough, Annie rolled her eyes at me. "Why go to the reception lounge? Let us go upstairs. Maya's colleagues are here today, so we need to make sure they are properly looked after."

Bob stepped away from the crowd and pulled out his phone to make a call.

I knew Bob had ways to get Maya's room number, though it would inconvenience someone else.

This hotel actually belonged to a friend of mine. I could have called him to get the room number. However, it would drag my friend into the mess and possibly cause him trouble if things blew up.

It was a different story with her parents getting the room number, though.

Before long, Bob walked over with a smile. "Come on; let us go upstairs. Maya is waiting for us on the 24th floor."

The group headed toward the elevators.

Jacqueline finally could not hold back and whispered to me, "Noah, you booked the presidential suite for Maya. It wouldn't be appropriate for us to go there."

The 24th floor of this hotel housed a luxurious presidential suite.

I suddenly recalled the credit card charge notification I had received a couple of days ago.

Maya was used to spending lavishly, so I had never paid much attention to those expenses.

It turned out she used my money to fool around with someone else.

I replied with a meaningful undertone, "It is appropriate. It is the most appropriate for y'all to go."

The elevator rose to the 24th floor. This was the only room on the entire level.

"Bob, Annie, and friends, be silent for a moment. The surprise is about to be revealed."

Instantly, everyone fell silent, waiting for the surprise I had promised.

I walked up to the door, my heart pounding, and pressed the doorbell. "Hello, room service here with your drinks."

There was a moment of silence inside. Meanwhile, Jacqueline and the others positioned themselves on either side of the doorway, ready with party poppers in hand.

The door opened a crack, and I gave it a firm push to swing it wide.

From both sides, Maya's colleagues triggered their party poppers in unison and shouted together, "Happy Thanksgiving, Maya!"