On my drive home, I was hacked off with John for trying to stiff me out of £50,000. Hopefully, he’d take my “threat” seriously and transfer the money today. It felt disrespectful, especially after everything I had done to help him.

Returning home, I prepared to open my front door when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I expected John to come to his senses.

It was Anna!

I really hadn’t expected her to contact me after visiting the school. Maybe she was hoping that I would do another presentation.

“Hello,” I answered, my voice struggling to hide my confusion.

“Hi, David. It’s Anna. I hope you don’t mind me phoning.”

“Not at all. Are you hoping for another school presentation?”

Anna laughed. “No, no. I was hoping that we could have a proper catch-up. We’ve missed out on so much of each other’s lives.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. When are you thinking?”

“Tonight?” Anna suggested hopefully.

“Tonight works for me. Dinner or pub?”

“I’m going out to the stables tonight to tend to my horse, Sparrow, first. Fancy meeting there?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Send me the address and I’ll be there.”

“Excellent. See you at 7 p.m., David.”

The line went dead.

A smile crept across my face. It was the first nice feeling I’d had for a while.

A ping from my phone echoed throughout the house. I could sense my smile was about to end.

I retrieved my phone.

It was a message from John.

Money is in your account.

I logged into my online banking.

Confirmed at my end, I replied.

Before I could put down my phone, another message appeared.

Steve will video call you in the morning. It might be early, though. He lives abroad.

Dread returned.

I should have told John no.

But the money could be good again. Steve owned an estate; he wouldn’t be skint.

I really needed to cleanse myself before meeting up with Anna. A quick shower was needed. No singing today—lucky neighbours.

How should I dress for this? It’s not a date, but I don’t want to look shabby. Then again, the meeting was at the stables. What if I’m expected to muck in and help with her horse?

As I finished getting ready, my phone lit up.

Selkirk Farm, Gamrie. See you soon x

My eyes stayed fixed on the final character.

x

One tiny letter. Completely harmless. Yet my brain treated it like a coded message from another universe. Was it just Anna being friendly? Was it habit? Or did it mean something more? I forced myself to take a couple of deep breaths.

“Just relax. Don’t overthink things,” I muttered to myself.

I decided that smart casual was the look to go with. I completed the usual keys, phone and wallet check before leaving the house.

Nervously, I drove towards Selkirk Farm. As I approached the stables, I spotted Anna carrying a bale of hay. She was wearing a hoodie, jogging bottoms and bright yellow wellies. The strong smell of horses hit my nostrils.

Clearly, I had overdressed for the occasion. As I got out of the car, Anna laughed and shook her head while looking at my attire.

“What have you dressed up for, David?”

There was no way I could hide my embarrassment. My face was burning.

“Don’t worry!” Anna shouted as she threw me some overalls.

“Put these on to protect your clothes. What size are your feet?”

“Er… I’m a size ten.”

“Okay. These wellies are a size twelve, but they’ll do for now.”

Our meeting felt so natural. Conversation flowed with ease. Anna told me more about her children. I spoke about my time serving in the RAF and working for the MoD. Obviously, there were some things that I couldn’t discuss. Eventually, we started to reminisce about high school and former classmates.

Anna knew I was close to Scott, so she asked how I was coping with him no longer being here.

“It’s difficult. I miss him every day. I feel so guilty that I wasn’t there for him. He needed someone, and I wasn’t there.”

“You can’t blame yourself, David.”

“But I can’t help it. Scott was always there for others. And when he needed help, he felt like he had no one.”

“You were away for work, David. Scott had others nearby who didn’t help him.”

“I know, Anna.”

“David, do you remember Sandie, his girlfriend? She was particularly mean when talking about Scott after his passing.”

“Oh, yeah! I remember Sandie. I never liked her.” I wished I could tell Anna what I knew about Sandie now. But I knew I couldn’t. Anna might see the person that I had become, not the person she remembered from school.

After spending a couple of hours reminiscing, we called it a night. We gave each other a friendly hug. It felt more than friendly though. I felt a connection between us. Like we were meant to be. I really wanted to kiss Anna now but all I could remember was me walking in the direction of my car.

As I got back into my car, I looked at Anna once again and realised that this was the most human I’d felt for quite some time. She looked amazing, even in her mucking out clothes.

Tomorrow, the darkness would return.

Just before I went to sleep, my phone illuminated one final time.

Good night x

This morning, my sleep wasn’t ended by the cockerel. My phone was buzzing loudly.

An incoming video call.

From Dubai!

Oh, shit! It’s Steve.

I threw on a T-shirt before answering the call.

“Morning,” I answered, trying to shake off my tiredness.

“Good morning, David. Thank you for taking my call.”

“Not a problem. How can I help you?”

“John informed me that you had helped him with a problem in his life.”

“That’s correct, Steve.”

“Well, I was hoping for something similar.”

“Well, hopefully I can help you, Steve. Tell me what’s been happening.”

“David, I believe that I am being defrauded by one of my staff. I don’t know what they are doing, but I fear that they are taking advantage of me.”

“Okay. I can help you with this. My services aren’t cheap.”

“I know! John messaged me last night to say that you are worth the cost.”

“Okay. To secure my services, it’s £25,000 upfront and non-refundable.” I was confident that John hadn’t discussed his fee with Steve.

“I can do that, David. What is your fee for completion?” I took a moment.

“£100,000 if I find a staff member guilty of misconduct, £200,000 if I discover fraud. Those fees are per staff member. Are you happy to proceed?”

“Yes, David.”

“Excellent. I will send you details of my account. As soon as that is deposited, I will start my work.”

“Okay,” said Steve.

“And before we go, I need information regarding your staff. Names, phone numbers, etc. I may need to visit your estate to examine devices connected to your Wi-Fi network. I can work remotely, but it’s far more effective if I can connect directly to the local network… Also, don’t expect daily updates. When I have something worth telling you, you’ll hear from me. And one more thing… never question my methods.”

Not long after the call ended, £25,000 was deposited in my account. Within an hour, information regarding Steve’s staff was sent to my phone. Steve had quite a small staff team. The team consisted of five members: two gardeners, Alasdair and Archie; a cleaner, Theresa; a gamekeeper, Bryan; and an estate manager, Zoe Uxborough.

If someone was defrauding Steve, my instinct was to start with Zoe. As estate manager, she’d have access to the accounts, contractors, suppliers and the day-to-day running of the estate. Opportunity mattered.

Still, I couldn’t rule out anyone. Even Steve.

+++++

I needed access to the estate, especially its servers.

Working remotely was possible, but it meant fighting through layers of security. On-site, connected to the estate’s Wi-Fi, I could unleash my own tools and let them work without interruption. Every network has weaknesses; the trick is knowing where to look. If any of the staff had connected their phones to the network, that could open up entirely new avenues of enquiry.

Networks are like people. They all have secrets.

I sent a message to Steve:

Your estate’s Wi-Fi appears to have been compromised. I’ll be on-site tomorrow to fix your servers. Let your staff know they need to be present.

A single-word reply was returned almost immediately.

OK

Arbuthnot Estate sits on the south bank of the River Deveron, just outside Huntly. Over the past few years, Steve had poured a small fortune into restoring it to its former glory. The main house and estate offices had been renovated to an exceptionally high standard, while the working arable farm continued to generate income. A handful of lodges were scattered across the grounds, and Steve took particular pride in the estate’s conservation work. Native woodland was gradually reclaiming parts of the land, and efforts were underway to restore wild salmon to the River Deveron.

As I entered the estate, I noticed that the wall at the entrance had been knocked down. There was a long drive to the offices, where I first encountered the estate manager, Zoe. Zoe was pacing while on the phone. She was clearly unhappy but concluded her call as I exited my car.

“Bloody council!” exclaimed Zoe.

“Did you see the wall? Their bin lorry smashed into it last night.”

“I saw that. Are they going to repair it?”

“They should, but the insurance companies are now dealing with it.” Zoe took a moment to compose herself.

“Oh, sorry. I’m Zoe. You must be David. Steve said you were here to fix the Wi-Fi.”

“Hi, Zoe. That’s right. Steve asked me to check your servers as well. He is hoping I can protect them from any future compromises.”

“Thank you. The servers are through here. If you need anything, just give me a shout.”

Zoe left me all alone with the servers.

Within seconds of joining the Wi-Fi, the estate’s digital world lay within reach. I knew that I didn’t have a lot of time, so I acted quickly. My software was running, picking up all the devices connected to the Wi-Fi. All the information I needed was slowly downloading onto my laptop.

The printer appeared first.

Then the office PCs.

An iPad.

Archie’s phone.

Alasdair’s phone.

Theresa’s phone.

Bryan’s phone wasn’t connected to the Wi-Fi.

Then another device appeared.

Zoe’s phone.

Everyone leaves a trail. The only question is whether they realise someone is following it.

Zoe’s phone was passcode protected.

I launched my extraction software and watched it probe for weaknesses.

This could take some time. I needed a lucky break here.

Six digits were all I needed.

One million different combinations.

There was no way I could run through all those combinations. Even if I had the time, the technology built into her phone would simply protect it from such an attack.

I saw Zoe on the phone through the window. Did she open her phone?

No, she had just received a phone call. Her phone was still locked. I waited patiently, observing Zoe’s movements.

She had her phone out again.

I watched as Zoe touched the screen. My laptop screen came to life. I had access. The display from Zoe’s phone filled my monitor.

Photos. Contacts. Messages. Her life. Years of private information. Now laid bare.

Zoe returned to the office. She asked how I was getting on. A simple nod confirmed that it was going well. Zoe had no idea that I was looking for evidence to implicate her. The money was too good to walk away without finding out anything.

There was nothing of note until I checked her internet browser. One website appeared repeatedly in her browser history.

Lush Stories.

An adult literature website.

Was she moonlighting as an erotic author? She wasn’t.

Zoe spent a lot of time exchanging flirtatious messages and sharing fantasies with others. But one conversation stood out.

It felt different. It felt personal. The sort of conversation that I’d expect between two people in a relationship. I checked whether the conversation continued elsewhere.

It did.

And the messages were even more personal. Shared photos, videos and voice notes. They shared everything. They clearly trusted one another.

A name flashed up on my laptop screen.

Kevin.

The man from Lush was phoning Zoe.

I discreetly put in my AirPods and listened to their conversation. Kevin had just phoned to see if Zoe was having a good day at work. He called her beautiful as he hung up. Zoe smiled and went bright red with embarrassment. The phone call lasted about a minute, but it transformed Zoe. She couldn’t hide her smile.

Minutes later, Zoe sent Kevin a photo of a house on the estate with the message:

Do you want to live here with me?

Yes! replied Kevin instantly.

More photos followed.

And this would be our bedroom. Think of what we could get up to here, Zoe messaged Kevin.

My mind is in overdrive, Zoe. The possibilities are endless. I can’t wait for that to be a reality.

They must be really serious about each other. The way they chatted and flirted with each other was something special to watch. But I wasn’t here to witness people being happy. I needed evidence of fraud.

After spending another hour on the estate, I now had access to everything I needed. The difficult part was completed. Now I had to figure out who Zoe really was. On my drive home, all I could think about was Zoe and Kevin. Had I just stumbled across an online relationship? Did I need to investigate Kevin further?

My phone pinged.

A message from Anna.

Hope you had a good day x

That x made me smile.

It’s been busy with work, but it has been fruitful. How was your day?

Exams are on, so the students are all stressed. But I’m good.

Knowing Anna was good made me feel good.

Almost human.

+++++

Returning home, I made myself a coffee before delving into Zoe’s life. I already knew that this was going to be a long night.

So far, I had discovered that Zoe and Kevin met on Lush Stories. Kevin’s opening message was simple: you have the most beautiful eyes. From there, the conversation never stopped.

Zoe lived in Macduff and Kevin in Clydebank. Kevin had visited Macduff many times as a child. It must have been serious between them, as Zoe trusted Kevin with her address. Even their intimate exchanges revealed a deep level of trust that went beyond fantasy.

Zoe had even written an explicit story involving them both. The story had them sharing an experience with Emily. Kevin thought that Emily was fictional. Unbeknownst to him, Emily was a good friend of Zoe’s. This wasn’t fictional. Next time Kevin was in Macduff, Zoe was going to bring Emily to their rendezvous to help him fulfil a fantasy.

Kevin video-called as he was driving home from work. Zoe was at home making dinner.

Kevin asked if there was enough for him.

“There always is,” was Zoe’s response.

They both laughed. Clearly, this was an ongoing joke.

“That’s me home now,” Kevin informed Zoe.

“I hate that I have to do this to you, Zoe. But I need to go.”

“I know, Kevin. I hate the fact that you are married.”

That’s it.

Some leverage.

Zoe was involved with a married man. How do I use this secret?

Kevin was the vulnerable one here. As far as I could see, Zoe was single. But Kevin… I could manipulate him with ease at the perfect moment.

Despite Steve’s fears, I was struggling to find any real evidence of fraud. The rest of his staff came back clean—except Bryan, as I still wasn’t able to examine his device.

Do I continue investigating Zoe and Kevin? If I do, I can blackmail them in the future as an insurance policy.

I have a conference down in Perth, Zoe messaged Kevin.

What date?

The 24th. Are you off work?

I am now. Just need to make up a reason to be in Perth. Do you have a hotel booked?

Yes, work is paying for it.

That’s it.

If Zoe was using her conference as a ruse to meet up with Kevin, I could use this information to claim fraud. What I needed was evidence of them meeting up.

A trip to Perth beckoned for me. Reading through Zoe’s emails, I could see the confirmation email from the hotel. Paid for with Steve’s credit card.

Room 103.

I checked the hotel’s website. That room was available for the night before and after. I booked the rooms for both nights to install surveillance devices.

The room was prepared for their arrival. Cameras and microphones were installed to catch Zoe and Kevin in the act. I had accessed the hotel’s Wi-Fi system to hopefully gain access to Kevin’s phone.

Kevin paused outside Room 103, taking a deep breath before knocking softly.

The door opened almost immediately.

Zoe smiled the moment she saw him.

For weeks, they’d existed through phone calls, voice notes and messages. Seeing him standing in front of her made the miles between Macduff and Clydebank disappear in an instant.

Without a word, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered.

Kevin held her close.

“I’ve missed you more.”

She laughed quietly.

“That’s impossible.”

“It isn’t.”

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, studying her face as though committing every detail to memory.

“You look beautiful.”

“You always say that.”

“Because it’s always true.”

A faint blush coloured her cheeks.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply stood together, content to enjoy the closeness that distance so often denied them.

Eventually, Zoe reached for his hand and led him into the room.

“I kept wondering if you’d make it.”

“There was nowhere else I wanted to be.”

She smiled again—that smile that had first captured him months earlier.

“I made a promise to myself,” Kevin said.

“What was that?”

“That I’d stop measuring my weeks by meetings and messages.”

“And?”

“I failed.”

She laughed, shaking her head.

“I think I did too.”

They settled beside one another on the edge of the bed, talking about everything and nothing. Work. The drive to Perth. Plans they knew they couldn’t easily make. Small memories that only the two of them understood. Every conversation felt effortless, as though they were simply continuing one that had begun months before.

As the afternoon light softened through the hotel window, Zoe rested her head against Kevin’s shoulder.

“I wish life was simpler.”

“So do I.”

“But if it was…”

She looked up at him.

“…we might never have found each other.”

Kevin smiled sadly.

“I’d still spend my life looking.”

She reached for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

For a little while, neither of them cared about the complications waiting outside Room 103. In that quiet hotel room, they weren’t defined by distance, obligations or impossible choices.

They were simply two people who had fallen for each other, making the most of borrowed time.

They kissed like long-lost lovers before ripping each other’s clothes off, knowing that time was limited.

As Kevin’s fingers slide over her slick, wet clit, Zoe gasps, her hand tightening around his shaft, momentarily pausing, lost in the feel of his fingers circling her. As Kevin drags his fingers down Zoe’s soaked, swollen slit, dipping briefly inside her tight pink pussy, her hand begins moving, pumping his hard cock, her thumb swiping over the head, smearing the clear liquid, leaking from the tip down his length.

Zoe had stepped back and gently pushed Kevin onto the bed. Motioning for Kevin to move up the bed, Zoe knelt on the edge, slowly kissing his naked body. Starting on Kevin’s feet, which Zoe had “forgotten” were ticklish, resulting in Kevin giggling like a little schoolboy. Zoe moved up his muscular calves, taking her time, enjoying every moment, knowing it would be brief. Her hands pushed up onto Kevin’s well-defined thighs, and Zoe gently groaned as she squeezed his thighs and buttocks.

Zoe’s hand moved up onto Kevin’s excited cock. Zoe had previously spoken about her oral abilities, Kevin was moments away from experiencing her skills for the first time. Kevin was almost shaking in anticipation. Her tongue slowly teased his sensitive head, before licking the length of his cock. Kevin wasn’t the biggest, around five and a half inches, but Zoe made him feel massive.

Zoe took her time pleasuring Kevin with her mouth. He had never experienced a blow job like it before. Zoe’s mouth took him to the edge, his cock ready to erupt, but Kevin was desperate not to orgasm too early. Kevin sat up and asked Zoe for a kiss, further arousing himself as he could taste himself as their tongues danced in lust.

Kevin wanted to return the pleasure, he was incredibly nervous though as he hadn't performed oral sex for many years. His wife refused for Kevin to go down on her, way before she had outright refused sex altogether. Eager to impress, Kevin put his nervousness to one side and slowly began to tease Zoe’s clit with his tongue.

Through the audio, I could hear both of them groaning in delight. It was titillating to hear but I was growing disgusted with myself. I was not a voyeur. I was breaching their trust, trust that I never had. But I was here for evidence. I needed to exploit them. Any evidence that Zoe’s actions were fraudulent would lead to me being very rich.

I removed my headphones, as all I could hear was the groans and moans of two people in the throes of passion. Sitting there, I continued to watch the video link. The surveillance cameras recorded every moment of their sexual encounter. Even without the audio, it was clear that Zoe was convulsing in the middle of an intense orgasm. Surprising Kevin as she squirted during her orgasm. Kevin continued to tongue Zoe’s clit while fingering her pussy. I put on my headphones to hear Zoe's groans building up to another orgasm, as well as hearing the wetness of her pussy.

Growing more and more disgusted with myself, I felt that I couldn't watch anymore. Zoe asked Kevin to lie on the bed and she straddled his waist, taking her cock deep into her sodden pussy.

At this point, I couldn't watch anymore. I switched off my laptop monitor but could still hear their passion through my headphones. Both were clearly enjoying their time together, finally having the opportunity to explore each other's bodies.

I noticed that Kevin had left his phone unlocked. I took advantage of the opportunity. Kevin had made my life easier by signing into the hotels wifi.

His secrets were now mine to discover.

In the background, I could still hear the muffled sounds of their intimacy through the surveillance feed. Every laugh, every whispered word and every moment of affection made me increasingly uncomfortable. I wasn’t there to witness two people in love. I was there to find leverage.

I muted the audio.

Silence.

It was a relief.

A moment of hesitation overcame me briefly. Another phone just waiting to be hacked. Another life to be invaded by me. His private life was no longer private.

“He ‘willingly’ opened it up to me by keeping his phone unlocked,” I muttered to myself.

A lie I was telling myself on a regular basis. Just trying to justify my actions. Kevin wasn't a victim in this. I just needed to go through him to get my evidence.

I focused entirely on Kevin’s phone, hoping the device would reveal something useful. Messages. Emails. Notes. Banking apps. Social media. One by one, I worked through everything, expecting to uncover hidden accounts, suspicious payments or evidence that connected back to Steve.

Nothing.

There was no fraud.

No secret bank account.

No criminal conspiracy.

Why was there nothing?

Was Steve’s fear all in his head?

Only the complicated life of a man trapped between two worlds.

His internet history was almost painfully ordinary. A handful of searches about places Zoe had mentioned wanting to visit. Reading up on Zoe’s interests. Gift ideas she’d casually spoken about months earlier. Restaurants halfway between Macduff and Clydebank. An enquiry about a stay in Igloo Pods in Finland. Tickets purchased to see Zoe’s favourite comedian, with an overnight stay at a nearby hotel. Even searches for jobs in the Macduff area.

The sort of searches made by someone trying desperately to build a future they weren’t sure they would ever have.

His diary was even more revealing.

It wasn’t filled with plans to deceive people or excuses for his behaviour. Instead, it read like the private thoughts of a man slowly tearing himself apart.

Every entry carried the same conflict.

The guilt of lying to his wife.

The excitement of seeing Zoe.

The shame of returning home afterwards.

The impossible choice between loyalty and happiness.

He wrote about feeling trapped. About waking each morning convinced he would finally end the affair, only to hear Zoe’s voice and realise he couldn’t.

He didn’t want the affair to end.

He didn’t want an affair.

Kevin wanted to be with Zoe, and Zoe alone.

Kevin didn’t want to keep Zoe secret anymore. He hated the deception, yet the thought of losing her frightened him even more.

Kevin never stopped loving his wife, but the relationship had changed. He felt that they had just become friends. They didn’t do anything together. His wife had not initiated any intimacy for a long time.

Kevin carried a deep sense of emptiness and loneliness every day. Zoe changed his outlook on life.

Kevin had always been open about his marital status with Zoe. He hated that he couldn’t just be with her. Kevin was having to play “happy family” for a bit longer. Zoe didn’t want to put pressure on Kevin. She didn’t want a grand gesture, but Kevin wanted to show that he was fully committed to Zoe.

One sentence caught my attention.

I don’t want two lives. I just want the right one. And the right one is with Zoe.

I understood his pain.

There I was, reading up on this previously unknown man, seeing the mental turmoil he was suffering and all I could think of was Anna. I looked at her the same way Kevin was looking at Zoe.

Steve had hired me to uncover fraud within his business. Instead, I’d found two people hopelessly in love and one man whose conscience was destroying him from the inside out. There was still no evidence that Zoe had stolen a penny. Yet I’d crossed lines that couldn’t be uncrossed.

The cameras had captured everything.

Kevin’s phone had surrendered every private thought he possessed.

And despite all of that…I still had nothing that justified what I’d done. I had spent weeks looking for the alleged fraud.

Nothing.

After going forensically scouring through Kevin’s phone, I decided I needed to listen to the audio again. Both Zoe and Kevin are still at it, both are incredibly vocal. The residents in the neighbouring rooms must be hearing them. I’ve lost track of time, how long have they been fucking for?

Finally, what sounded like Kevin’s orgasm echoed through my headphones. Surely that must be them finished now? I switched on my laptop monitor to see their naked bodies cuddling into each other. Kevin gently stroking Zoe’s hair, telling her how beautiful she is. Zoe twisting Kevin’s chest hair in her fingers, thanking him for coming to the hotel.

Both Zoe and Kevin went for a shower before getting dressed. They chatted briefly before Kevin had to leave. Zoe left the room with Kevin only to return a few minutes later, looking sad as she returned.

That sadness was short-lived though as Kevin phoned Zoe, to thank her for being the most amazing person and that he can't wait till they next meet up.

Now I was fully invested in Zoe and Kevin. A voyeur enjoying the show in front of him.

Every Saturday, Kevin would go for a long walk to have a private conversation with Zoe, away from his family, away from those who would judge him. Zoe enjoyed putting on a show for Kevin. Lying there naked, playing with her pussy. Invoking the imagery of her vibrator is Kevin’s cock. Kevin loved these conversations. He would often return home and send Zoe a video of himself masturbating, wishing it was Zoe touching him.

Suddenly, Zoe ended the relationship by text. No phone call. Just a text.

Just days after their future plans and dreams had been discussed.

The timing of this decision was not good for Kevin. He was on holiday with his family. Committing to the last act of a married man before leaving his wife. He didn’t want to be on holiday. Kevin wanted to be in Macduff with Zoe, beginning a new life together.

Kevin was lost, struggling to find answers. Zoe wouldn’t respond to anything. I could see that she was active online but ignoring Kevin.

Kevin’s diary was concerning me. He was becoming more desperate. Pleading and grieving. A man trying to find his place in a new reality that wasn’t of his choosing. His mood would plummet at times. Messages were sent pleading for answers. Some hastily deleted messages as Kevin thought they looked demanding, but still no response. Struggling to see how tomorrow would be better. Kevin felt an emptiness and loneliness that he felt he still couldn't tell anyone about.

A diary entry popped up on my screen

Maybe life would be better if I didn't wake up. No one would miss me. I am an insignificant speck in life who doesn't deserve to be happy. Maybe Zoe has just realised that I am pathetic. I’m exhausted from burying my emotions. I have to cry in private because no one cares about how I feel. My thoughts and feelings are an inconvenience to others. I’m there for them when they need help, but when it's my turn to need help, everyone disappears.

The only time a man gets flowers is at his funeral. Hopefully they will choose the correct flowers for me. That's if anyone turns up.

Now, what was I supposed to do? Kevin shouldn't feel like this, no one should make you feel this way. He felt so much pain and wanted it to stop.

I had no choice but to go through Zoe’s phone once again.

A new contact had been added.

Rob Andrews.

I knew that name.

It was Zoe’s ex-boyfriend. The one who had treated her appallingly. The one she had confided in Kevin about. The man who had made her cry more than any other.

Zoe had sworn to Kevin that she would never be in a relationship with Rob.

Hopefully, he wasn’t back on the scene.

He was!

She had fallen for his charm, forgetting all that Rob had done before.

I delved into their messages. Rob was obviously good at guilting Zoe, but I couldn’t understand why she would give up on someone so caring for someone who was using negative reinforcement to get what he wanted.

His name rang a bell.

I had seen it recently.

But where?

How did I know his name?

Then it dawned on me.

Evelyn Bungay.

He was one of the six men in the car park.

He was there having sex with Sandie the night when she was initiated.

I had seen enough of Zoe to know that she wasn’t part of Evelyn Bungay’s scheme.

My mind switched back to Kevin.

How must he be feeling?

Oh, no!

Poor Kevin.

I checked on him. His Google searches were worrying me.

Kevin messaged Zoe

I’m on the verge of a breakdown, I need your help.

Both Kevin and I can see that Zoe was online.

Kevin tried phoning Zoe.

First time—no answer.

Second time—call declined.

Kevin was now desperately looking for help from the one person he trusted. The one person that he could be truly open and honest with.

Zoe, I’m sorry. I must have been a truly evil bastard to you for you to ignore me in a moment of crisis.

Zoe is typing appears on the screen.

Fuck off, Kevin. I’m not here to listen to your problems, appears on my laptop screen.

“What the fuck!” I think to myself.

Kevin had listened to every one of Zoe’s problems. He supported her with everything. Showing Zoe empathy and would offer suggestions or advice if the moment was right. He was the one Zoe turned to when she needed some help. Now it was his turn to need help and Zoe told him to fuck off. That was cold.

I was struggling to comprehend what I was seeing developing in front of my eyes.

Kevin’s phone was eerily inactive for a few minutes.

What is he up to?

Then on his phone, he had started writing a message to Zoe’s loved ones.

You don’t know me, but I am in love with Zoe.

She has chosen a path in life that doesn’t include me.

It’s more pain than I can cope with.

Please don’t hate her for my choices.

Support her, love her, be there for her.

She deserves the best in life.

Celebrate her successes.

Just let her know that she was my last thought.

Kevin

Panic ensued.

I couldn’t save Scott, but maybe this time I could be in a position to help Kevin.

I messaged him.

Don’t do it! The pain will go away. Trust me.

Who is this? How do you know?

You don’t need to know, but just don’t do it. Your life is too important to others.

I could see him deleting his message to Zoe’s family.

He phoned his friend, Maggie.

I turned up the audio. I could hear him breaking down. Kevin shared all his feelings with Maggie.

One of Kevin’s struggles was keeping Zoe secret from his friends, especially Maggie. She was someone he had developed a good friendship with over many years, despite the large age gap. Other friends always saw them as a bizarre father-daughter combo.

When Kevin had explained everything that had happened, Maggie was ready to drive up to Zoe’s home to confront her. Kevin refused to give Maggie Zoe’s address or phone number, telling Maggie that Zoe being confronted would not help him in any way.

Maggie accepted Kevin’s pleas but expressed her disgust that someone thought it was acceptable to treat her friend that way. She was trying her best to not get frustrated with Kevin. Kevin always tried to see the good in people, even with people that had hurt him. He always saw it as one of his weaknesses.

Maggie told Kevin not to move and rushed to Kevin to give him the support he so desperately needed.

Kevin was now trying to turn his life around. His diary entries were becoming more positive to read. He was trying to focus on a future that still had Zoe in his life.

I decided to check his online activity on Lush Stories. He had become increasingly inactive. Only signing in on occasion. On the other hand, Zoe had noticeably increased her online presence, sharing explicit photos in chatrooms. Craving attention from men who had no interest in her. Photos that were being passed around between random strangers. The change in Zoe’s behaviour was bizarre.

What was she looking for?

Was it even her that was managing her account now?

I couldn't figure out why Zoe had changed so much. Especially when she had met someone who made her incredibly happy.

Despite being hurt by Zoe, he sent her presents for her birthday.

Silence from her.

Kevin would message Zoe wishing her a good week and hoping that she was well.

Silence.

The silence was deafening. Silence doesn’t communicate anything.

Kevin was visiting Macduff, so he decided to hand-deliver a handwritten letter to Zoe and left a voicemail saying he was in the area.

A letter that Kevin has spent hours on. I could see multiple drafts saved on his phone. There were a couple of passages that I felt were very personal and hard to write for Kevin:

Despite how low I feel, I know I am not someone’s second prize. You were always your ex’s consolation prize. His first choice was not there for him. You rejected me to be someone’s backup. You were the only one I wanted. I just needed some time.

Remember when you phoned me when the lamb was viciously attacked by the badger. How I listened to you grieve for what that poor lamb had to experience before they passed. Now I know how that innocent lamb felt, you were my badger.

Just so you know, you never need to apologise. Apologies are for mistakes. What you did was a choice.

Kevin left all his feelings and emotions in that letter. He had to do it for himself.

In real time, I watched Zoe block him from contacting her and send him a threatening message.

Zoe was gaslighting Kevin, claiming his behaviour was concerning while ignoring everything that she had done to him. She made out that he was stalking her and threatened to contact the authorities.

Zoe claimed that she had told Kevin several times not to contact her. I can see all their messages in front of me, she hasn’t said that once.

It felt like Zoe was trying to rewrite history, making herself the victim.

It was completely out of character for her.

There was a nastiness to her words, an incredible lack of care. Especially when she knew that he was struggling with his mental health.

Where did the love go?

Why the change in attitude?

Had Rob influenced Zoe?

Had Kevin just offered Zoe a kind of love she didn’t know how to accept?

Did the distance make Zoe feel isolated?

Kevin had promised Zoe that he was leaving his wife but needed to play “husband” for a bit longer. Did she not believe him?

Or was Zoe now showing her true character?

Concerned that he was going to act out on this betrayal, I tracked his phone. He was heading towards Cullen.

The place where Scott ended things.

In a panic, I jumped into my car and sped down there.

When I got there, all I could see was a man happily sharing an ice cream with his dog.

Kevin looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Now I felt like I had to get revenge for him.

I got out my phone and messaged Kevin.

I know what Zoe has done to you. I can give you the information needed to destroy her.

From a distance, I watched Kevin looking at his watch, confused. He got out his phone and started texting.

Fuck off! Yeah, Zoe has hurt me more than anyone. But to hurt her would be cruel. I promised her that I would never hurt her, and I never will.

What about your wife?

Tell her. Hurt me more. I’m still not going to hurt Zoe.

Another message appeared on my phone screen.

You clearly don’t understand love. I am in love with Zoe. Because she has devastated me, my emotions don’t suddenly disappear.

Kevin knew everything about Zoe.

Her secrets, her fears, her weaknesses.

Why was he choosing not to use them?

He could destroy her.

But he had promised to protect her. And in the most vulnerable moment, he was choosing to remain loyal to Zoe, despite her not deserving that loyalty.

As I was leaving Cullen, I phoned Anna, asking if she was free to talk in person.

She was.

Her children were away at her mother’s in Lossiemouth for the weekend.

She said I could come to her house.

I was only ten minutes away.

I told her I’d be there immediately.

As soon as Anna answered her front door, I began to sob and apologise for what I’d done.

She was clueless about what I was talking about.

I came clean about everything.

Starting with John and Sandra.

Everything that I had uncovered.

Breaking the law on multiple occasions.

Everything that had happened with Zoe and Kevin.

Anna sat there and listened.

The silence scared me.

Had I just jeopardised everything with a person I cared for?

The silence had been deafening to me.

Anna took my hand and looked me straight in my tear-filled eyes.

“Yes, you have done some awful things, and I’m not going to pretend that you haven’t.”

“You have gone out of your way to hurt others.”

“I can’t fathom why you have chosen to follow such a path.”

“Actually, I’m struggling to understand a lot of what you are saying.”

“Are you trying to absolve yourself of blame here? Because you can’t!”

“But at the same time, you saved Kevin. You risked revealing your identity to stop him from ending his life. And this morning, you headed to Cullen, fearing the worst. Horrible people don’t do that. Compassionate people do that. That’s the real David.”

Anna made me realise that there was still a good person in me.

I just had to rediscover him.

“So, what should I do, Anna?”

“Finish your report. Tell Steve you found nothing.”

“What about the others?”

“David, you have to do what feels right for you. Think about what you want to be instead.”

“You need to choose your own path. I’m not here to make decisions for you.”

“Okay, Anna. Thank you.”

Anna’s words had somewhat comforted me, but still I felt ill at ease. I had exposed my most despicable side to Anna, and she hadn’t rejected me. But she hadn't absolved me either. What exactly did that mean?

On my drive home, I decided that I would do one more thing before compiling my report. This wasn’t for Steve. This was to test Rob’s loyalty. I pulled up Rob’s phone number and sent him a simple text message:

Need to get dirt on Zoe. Will pay for information. £1,000?

Within seconds, I received a reply.

£1,000! Yeah, what do you need? Fuck her!

+++++

Some time had passed since concluding my investigation. Life had moved on.

I told Steve exactly what he’d paid me to discover. There had been no fraudulent or criminal activity by any of his staff.

£25,000 for nothing.

It wasn’t the report he wanted, but it was the report he needed to see. It was an honest report with a couple of omissions. I kept Zoe’s meeting with Kevin out of the report. I owed it to Kevin. I also didn’t include any personal opinions of Zoe in my report.

John’s stabilisation system for offshore floating rigs was a great success. He launched the product at the Menie Estate, with President Trump there as a special guest. His creation brought a lot of new jobs and opportunities to the area. John became quite a private person afterwards, quietly using his fortune to help those less fortunate in life. Nobody could ever confirm it, but local rumour suggested John quietly financed much of the renovations at Tarlair.

Sandra left the country soon after John received my report. She put up no fight; she just left quietly. I believe she moved somewhere in the United Arab Emirates. The charity remains unaware of Sandra’s alter ego, Evelyn Bungay.

Rob is currently on the run from the police, as he was distributing explicit photos of girls online, including Zoe’s photos. He just saw her as nothing more than a quick way to make money. He sold her most vulnerable photos to anyone willing to buy them. We were too similar for my liking. We both used people in different ways.

Zoe wasn’t the first woman that Rob had treated this way, but I believe Zoe was the last. He will be caught at some point. He will receive the rightful punishment from the courts when he is caught, but Rob’s downfall won’t resolve anything that I have experienced.

Unfortunately for Zoe, Rob wasn’t the same man he’d always been. He was so much more sinister. He treated her even worse than before. There wasn’t a shred of decency in Rob.

Before finishing my report, I could see the messages between them. Zoe was accusing him of trying to get her involved in sexual behaviour that she wasn’t willing to participate in. Rob was trying to gaslight Zoe into thinking that this was all in her head.

But after witnessing his past behaviour, it was clear that Zoe was correct. Rob was the evil to Kevin’s kindness.

Steve received copies of the photos and videos from Rob as an act of revenge. Rob had been furious that Zoe had refused to participate in his sexual debauchery. He felt that he had to force Zoe into joining him in these acts. I was pleased that Zoe stood strong against Rob.

After receiving the photos, Steve expected Zoe to leave her post quietly. Zoe refused, reminding Steve that she was the victim here. The atmosphere at work became toxic and impossible to work in. Zoe had enough and left.

But not before discussing her case with lawyers. On their advice, Zoe took Steve and the estate to an Employment Tribunal. The publicity was embarrassing to both Steve and the estate. Zoe won a substantial settlement, but the damage was done to her reputation.

She had lost her position, but at least Zoe didn’t have to accept responsibility for something she hadn’t done. Any explicit photos that Zoe had shared with Kevin remained safe in his possession.

Zoe felt isolated in her community after losing her job. She couldn’t trust anyone, as she feared that they had seen her photos.

Well, there was one person out there she could trust.

Kevin.

If only she’d reached out to him. He would have stood beside her through it all. Kevin was her rock. It’s a shame that it took such a devastating series of events for her to realise it.

Did she feel too embarrassed or ashamed to reach out? Kevin wouldn’t have judged her. Her mum stepped in and encouraged her to leave the area and start a new life elsewhere.

Despite not liking her because of the way she treated Kevin, I felt so sorry for her. She really didn’t deserve this. It was no longer justice. Her life had become a modern-day tragedy.

I originally wanted to seek revenge for Kevin, but he didn’t want that. Perhaps some justice for Kevin, but he would find no comfort in what Zoe was experiencing at the moment.

I really wanted to hate Zoe, but Kevin’s compassion for her, even when he was considering taking his own life, was enough for me to realise that hate is not worth it.

To help her understand what really happened, I sent her a copy of my report, including all the texts from Steve and Rob. I included a couple of audio recordings. The first was Zoe telling Kevin where she lived, and the second was her giving directions to her house:

“…over the stone bridge, turn right and follow the road. I’m on the right-hand side.” I just felt that Zoe needed to know the truth. And hopefully change her perception of Kevin.

I struggled with the idea of giving Zoe any of Kevin’s messages or diary excerpts. I decided to include only my interaction with Kevin in Cullen, along with the evidence of what she had just done to him.

I didn’t want to punish her, as she had suffered so much already. But she needed closure. She had lost so much: her dignity, her employment and her standing in the community. But I believe that Kevin was the loss she struggled with the most.

Zoe was punished for trusting the wrong people, while my only punishment was the conflict in my conscience.

I included only a simple note:

Kevin never stopped trying to protect you. Even when he was at his lowest, his first thought was you. You hurt him more than you will ever know, but he refused to hurt you in return. Even after everything, he still chose to protect you when others chose to hurt you. In his eyes, you were his future—the only future he wanted.

Kevin tore himself apart for you. He had to lie and keep secrets from people that he cared for. People he loved. His wife, his child, his parents and brother, as well as his friends. The only person he didn’t keep secrets from was you.

He saw you as being perfectly imperfect, and that is what he loved about you the most. Kevin didn’t see flaws and weaknesses; he just saw things that made you special and unique. He was so proud of you. All he wanted was to be loved the way that he loved you.

I thought you deserved to know this.

I have no idea if Zoe read my report. I hope she did. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it was put straight in the bin. She might hate me for spying. And I wouldn’t blame her.

I haven’t heard about Zoe for quite some time. I still wonder about her now and then. What if she had chosen Kevin? How different would her life have been?

She had a business venture on the side which Kevin was really enthusiastic about. Hopefully, this opened up a new career for her. A while later, I noticed on social media that Zoe had a crowdfunding page for her business. It appeared to hit its target fairly quickly. A lot of the support was from the Clydebank area.

I never discovered who was behind the donations. But I had my suspicions. Even from a distance, he was still trying to look out for Zoe. She gained recognition within the industry and was shortlisted for a prestigious award. I really hope she shared the news with Kevin, he would be so proud of her. But wherever Zoe was, I hoped she was at peace.

Kevin still struggled at times, but he was rebuilding his life one day at a time. He’d started playing football again, committed to therapy and had been trying to repair his relationship with his wife.

Healing wasn’t easy, though, and there were days when he missed Zoe. It was the friendship he missed the most. He struggled to understand how he could have gone from being someone Zoe was making plans with to someone she now detested.

As far as I was aware, Kevin did not know what had happened to Zoe. Perhaps that was for the best. If he did know, he would want to make sure that Zoe was okay and being looked after. Kevin always wanted to protect Zoe.

Whenever something good happened, she was the first person he wanted to tell. I suspected he’d always carry a part of her with him. But for the first time since he entered my life, his future no longer felt impossible.

I don’t know what the future holds for them both, but I would hope that they find a way to be in each other’s lives, even if it’s just a friendship.

Seeing every interaction between them, they were really good for each other. But if that doesn’t happen, I hope both of them can remember the positive memories and find peace within themselves.

As for Anna and me, there had been a lot of change there. Especially for me. I decided to quit my ethical hacking role. It was turning me into someone I didn’t want to be. I couldn’t risk becoming someone so uncaring and ruthless, with no regard for the consequences of my actions.

My equipment was destroyed in a fire in my back garden. I could have easily sold the equipment, but I couldn’t risk it falling into the wrong hands. What if I sold it to someone as unethical as I had become?

Sitting on the ground was equipment worth thousands of pounds, now lying there charred. A scorched mark on this earth. No longer able to cause harm to others.

I wanted to use the equipment for good, but it ultimately led to me using it for sinister acts. Yes, my bank balance had benefitted from these dark acts. But at what cost to myself?

The darkness of the smoke now dissipating into the atmosphere. No longer was the stench polluting my lungs.

The physical remnants of everything that I had built were now ashes in my back garden. No longer did I have a copy of anything that I had collected.

Sex lists—gone.

Phone numbers—gone.

Evidence—gone.

It was particularly hard deleting Kevin’s number. But I had to move on. Every part of me wanted to check up on Kevin but I needed to make a clean break. If things were different, I would have liked to have more people like Kevin in my life.

I didn’t feel any sadness as my past life burned in front of my eyes. It felt like such a cleansing moment for me. Anna was with me for this “ceremony”.

Meeting Kevin reminded me that sometimes the greatest difference you can make isn’t by exposing secrets, but by helping people heal.

After a period of reflection, I have started training to become a counsellor. I am specialising in men’s mental health.

I felt like I was paying tribute to Scott and Kevin by changing career paths. My past actions are in the past, and they will remain there. I hoped with this new outlook, I could begin to correct some of my actions. I didn't think I’d ever be able to redeem myself, but hopefully over time I will be at peace with myself.

Training has been eye-opening. I’ve learnt that people respond very differently to pain. The old saying about “fight or flight” is very true.

Looking back, Kevin was a fighter. Even when things looked desperate, he still fought on. He fought for Zoe, even when she gave up on him, their relationship and, in many ways, on herself. Eventually, he fought hard for himself as well.

My training has made me respect Kevin even more. I’ve never met the man, but he has my utmost respect.

Anna is still teaching at Banff Academy, and we have been dating for the last couple of months. Everything has been going really well. I feel like a better person around her.

For the first time in a long time, I have been invited into someone’s life. I don’t know if I deserve this. I feel as though I still need to earn this. All of this feels so alien to me.

I’d experienced so much in my life. Every challenge I have faced, I have done so fearlessly. But nothing had prepared me for what I’m about to experience.

The nerves are getting to me. I feel nauseous. I can't stop sweating. The cool, calm David that I’d always been has abandoned me.

This shouldn't be this hard; it should be nice and easy. But this felt different. This mattered.

Tonight, I’m meeting her children for the first time.

I’m absolutely shitting myself.