In the third year of our marriage, I couldn't stand the sexless relationship anymore, so I slipped some drugs into my wife’s soup.

Cindy's cheeks became flushed, her eyes became hazy, and she gave me a seductive look.

This was the first time she had behaved like this around me...

However, when she realized that it was me, she grabbed my throat, furious.

"I told you, my career is my top priority right now. Romance should be set aside first. How could you drug my soup? Do you only think with your lower body?!"

I tried to explain, but she tossed me into the cold swimming pool despite the fact that I was still recovering from surgery.

"Soak in the pool water to clean your filthy mind!"

I pleaded desperately, but she completely ignored me and even had people keep watch to prevent me from getting out.

It wasn't until I was shivering and turning blue from the cold winter night that she finally showed mercy.

I stumbled back to our room, only to hear her suppressed moans.

And the guy on top of her was none other than her brother-in-law!

This was what she meant by putting her career first?

I wiped away my tears, went downstairs, and called my father-in-law.

"Stanley, I agree to let Cindy be a surrogate, but you have to promise me one thing."

Stanley's moment of confusion vanished instantly, his voice now filled with excitement.

"Really, Jeremy? You're willing to let Cindy bear Duncan's child? You're not sleepwalking, are you? Oh, it's great that you've come to your senses! I'll agree to anything you want. No, not just one thing, but a hundred!"

I hugged my shivering body, tears streaming down my face.

A year ago, my father-in-law, Stanley Johnson, proposed to let Cindy be a surrogate mother in order to leave an heir for his deceased eldest daughter. I was so angry that I made a huge scene at the family gathering.

The truth was, they just wanted to use the child to tie down Duncan Woods and make him work for the Johnson family.

How could I, as a man, accept sending my wife to another man's bed?

But now, my wife, who would never let me touch her, was indulging in pleasure with her brother-in-law. Their affair had clearly been going on for a long time.

What was the point of me guarding this marriage then? It was a marriage in name only.

She actually called me filthy when she threw me into the pool. How ridiculous. She committed adultery with her brother-in-law in our bed!

I chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I'm not sleepwalking, Stanley. As long as Cindy signs the document, I'll do as you say."

Stanley was overjoyed. "I knew from the first time I met you that you're an understanding and sensible man who's willing to make sacrifices. Don't worry, Cindy is just having a baby. You two will still be a loving couple after she gives birth. That will never change!"

A loving couple was the persona we had maintained without fail since our marriage.

Cindy played the role so well that even I believed the reason she wouldn't let me touch her was because she wanted to focus on her career.

But the moans from upstairs, which got increasingly louder, were like a rusty knife that was slowly cutting open the lie that had been maintained for three years.

Our marriage was a complete joke!

I tried to suppress the pain in my heart and fell asleep with my mind in chaos.

In my dream, I saw Cindy, vibrant and beautiful.

It was the first time I saw her.

At the company's annual party, she danced in a red dress, looking like a burning flame.

I fell in love at first sight.

But I knew she was the daughter of the company's owner, and I was merely a senior technical staff member. I wasn't worthy of her.

However, one late night half a year later, she grabbed my tie with drunken eyes.

"I know you like me. Let's get married."

We got married without a ceremony and without a ring. I quit my job and became her full-time husband.

After marriage, we treated each other with respect.

When I suggested intimacy, she gently kissed my cheek and said, "Jeremy, the company is at a critical juncture. I need to focus on my career. You understand, don't you?"

I did not understand. "We don't need to have a baby. It won't be a problem."

She reasoned, "Condoms aren't 100% effective. What if there's an accident? I would have to go through the pain of having an abortion. Could you bear to see me suffer?"

I loved her, and I couldn't bear to see her suffer.

I naively thought that once her career had stabilized, we would have a happier life.

But reality dealt me a heavy blow.

The reason she refused my intimacy was actually to preserve her body for Duncan.

The reason she was afraid of getting pregnant was because she wanted to save her womb for Duncan's seed.

I should have noticed the clues earlier.

She was always praising Duncan. Every time Duncan came to the house, she would dress up meticulously. Occasionally, when she met Duncan's eyes, her ears would turn red...

The surgery wound was excruciating, and my broken heart was also in pain.

With my last strength, I finished the divorce agreement, then called for an ambulance before losing consciousness.

The next day, I woke up in the hospital.

Cindy was by my bedside, her eyes full of concern and anxiety.

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling unwell? The doctor said you have a high fever. Does it hurt anywhere else?"

She reached out to touch my forehead.

I instinctively recoiled, my gaze sweeping over her neck.

There, several bright red hickeys remained, sharp and painful to my eyes.

Cindy noticed my gaze and tried to cover them up by pulling up her collar.

"You didn't come back to the room last night, so I was the mosquitoes' only target."

Why would there be mosquitoes in the dead of winter?

Her lie was so clumsy. She couldn't even be bothered to make up a better story.

I remembered last summer, it was really hot. There were many mosquitoes, and she was bothered by them. Therefore, I sprayed mosquito repellent on my body and lay down next to her naked so that she wouldn't get bitten.

But red marks still appeared on her body from time to time.

I thought it was because I wasn't doing a good enough job, but thinking back now, those marks were clearly left behind by Duncan.

Cindy asked me kindly, "What would you like to eat?"

I didn't answer. I closed my eyes, ignoring her.

Just then, Duncan came into the ward carrying a thermos.

"Jeremy, I heard you got sick, so I made this soup to nourish you."

He put down the thermos and deliberately removed his coat to reveal a low-cut undershirt that showed off a lot of skin. His chest was adorned with suggestive scratch marks.

"My skin is sensitive. I accidentally scratched myself and it became like this. Cindy said your skin is tough, so you shouldn't have this kind of problem, right?"

He meaningfully fiddled with the herb in the soup, and the smugness in his eyes was obvious.

I clenched my teeth and could taste blood on my tongue, but it couldn't compare to the pain in my heart.

Duncan smiled, bent down to feed me soup, and whispered in my ear, "You heard what we did last night, right? Cindy clung to me so tightly. She even helped me clean up afterwards, saying she hadn't had enough. Have you ever enjoyed that kind of treatment from her? I chose to do it in your bedroom on purpose. Cindy rolled all over the bed. She was so stimulated her whole body went limp..."

Now I know why they were so brazen. It turned out that Duncan wanted me to see it!

He was obviously trying to provoke me by telling me about Cindy's performance in bed!

I couldn't stand it anymore, so I pushed him away.

He used that chance to spill the hot soup and adopt a hurt expression.

"Jeremy, I just wanted to feed you something nutritious. If you don't want it, just say so. Why do you have to do this..."

Cindy, who had just finished a phone call, frowned and held Duncan's hand with concern.

She then turned to me and slapped me without hesitation, obviously furious.

"Did the fever damage your brain, Jeremy?! Duncan is kind enough to make soup for you, but you attacked him. Are you crazy?!"

Before I could speak, Duncan lowered his eyes pitifully.

"Cindy, it’s okay. Jeremy is sick, so it's understandable if he's feeling a little irritable. It's my fault for being insensitive and coming over to disturb you guys. Don't blame him."

"He deserves it!" Cindy's eyes were like cold blades. "Apologize to Duncan right now!"

Duncan humiliated me and framed me, yet Cindy wanted me to apologize to him.

Of course I refused. "Dream on!"

Cindy was enraged. She violently yanked out my IV drip.

"How dare you?! I know you're still angry about last night, but you brought that on yourself. Why are you attacking Duncan?! Since the cold water couldn't clear your head, go stay in the warm room instead!"

The warm room at home was a resting place that I designed and built for Cindy myself. I learned to do it from scratch.

The temperature inside could be adjusted and maintained at will, ensuring that she would be comfortable every second she was in there.

But now, she shoved me inside and turned the temperature up to an unbearable 120 degrees!

Duncan feigned concern. "Cindy, the temperature is too high. Jeremy won't be able to handle it. Although my hand was scalded, it's not a big deal."

Cindy cruelly locked the door. "Compared to the temperature of the soup, 120 degrees is nothing. I'll make him apologize to you!"

But only a small patch of Duncan's hand was red, and he didn't even need to apply ointment.

Meanwhile, 120 degrees was tantamount to death for me who hadn't recovered from the fever.

My body felt like it was being roasted on a fire. Every inch felt painful.

I clenched my teeth tightly, refusing to give in. "I did nothing wrong!"

Cindy scoffed. "You're so ungrateful. I don't think a verbal apology is enough now."

She turned around and called a servant over.

"Get him paper and pen. Let him out only after he writes an apology letter to Duncan."

After that, she left with Duncan.

Not long after, my phone rang. It was a video call from Duncan.

I answered it.

On the screen, Cindy looked tenderly at Duncan, softly asking if he was still in pain.

Duncan shook his head with a smile, saying that as long as she was concerned about him, he could endure any pain.

The two looked at each other affectionately and kissed.

Less than two minutes later, they took off all their clothes.

Cindy gasped passionately, "Be gentle, you hurt me last night..."

Duncan gently nibbled her earlobe, "It’s your fault for being too sexy. Do you like this? Hmm?"

"I like it, it feels so good..."

"I wish I could tie you to the bed and keep you here forever..."

"You're so bad..."

Teasing words, dripping with seduction.

I had never seen this side of Cindy before.

The conversation in the video became more and more outrageous. At the peak of their passion, Duncan breathily asked, "You're so good at this. Did Jeremy teach you?"

Cindy said without hesitation, "I've never slept with him."

Duncan chuckled. "I know, you feel disgusted when he touches you. Sorry for ruining the mood. I'll stop talking about him. Let's go to the window. Raise your leg higher..."

This was the wife I had shared a bed with for three years.

She locked me in a 120-degree warm room to torture me, then committed adultery with her own brother-in-law in broad daylight.

She told me she wanted to put romance aside, but she then bloomed freely in the arms of another man.

I smiled bitterly, tears streaming down my face.

The phone couldn't withstand the high temperature and shut down by itself, and the video call ended.

However, their voices still lingered in my mind.

My heart felt numb. I clutched the clothes on my chest, gasping for air.

A sense of suffocation assaulted me from all directions. I fainted in the warm room with tears streaming down my face.