My wife was never an ordinary woman.

…

Emily Watson got off work and came straight home. She walked in, set down her bag, and washed her hands first. Then she came over and took the baby from my arms.

"Thanks for doing all this, honey. If I didn't have business I couldn't step away from, I should've been the one doing all this."

I shook my head. "You just gave birth—that's the hardest part. Besides, plenty of people would love to stay home and be a pampered husband."

She let out a soft laugh and stood on tiptoe, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

At twenty-four, Emily took over her family's business and tripled its market value in three years. She was ruthless in business and uncompromising at the negotiating table. Even her own father once said she had a mind as deep as the ocean.

Someone like her—I didn't believe she'd fall for a cheap act like Kyle's.

The next afternoon, Kyle arrived. He was wearing a tailored suit and carrying a bag of bruised apples.

The overpowering scent of cologne hit the room the moment he stepped inside.

As soon as he walked in, he exclaimed, "Jason, man, you look terrible!"

He raised a hand like he was going to touch my face, but his eyes were already drifting toward Emily.

"Even if you're staying home with the baby, you still need to take care of yourself. Look at me—I work out an hour every day. My muscle definition is perfect."

He said this while standing proudly in the middle of the living room, chest slightly puffed out. His arms were as thin as twigs—no sign of any real training.

I looked at him and suddenly felt amused. That over-the-top act… how had I never seen through it before?

Emily was on the couch reviewing reports, not even looking up.

Seeing that no one was responding to him, Kyle froze for a second, then turned toward the crib.

"Oh, the baby is so cute! Come here, let Uncle hold him!"

He reached out right away.

But Emily stood up first and took the baby.

"You didn't sanitize. You're not clean."

Without another word, she carried the baby into the bedroom.

The door clicked shut.

Kyle's hand froze in midair, his face darkening.

I almost laughed out loud.

'That's my wife. Well played.'

Kyle wandered around the living room, loudly criticizing the decor as he went.

When I still didn't play along, he finally sat down at the edge of the couch.

"Hey, Jason, where's that new Rolex of yours? The one you wore last time looked amazing. Let me borrow it for a few days. And Mom said your father-in-law gave you a gold watch? Let me see it—I might buy one too."

His eyes kept scanning the room.

I used to spoil him without hesitation. Whatever he wanted, I gave him.

Now I realized—I'd been nothing but a fool.

I smiled faintly.

"I sent the watch in for maintenance."

"The gold one? Oh, that's locked in the safe. Your sister-in-law has the key."

His expression visibly darkened.

Just as he was about to say something, the bedroom door opened.

Emily came out holding the baby, heading to change the diaper.

Kyle instantly switched his expression.

"Oh, hey, Emily! You shouldn't be doing this yourself!"

He rushed over, trying to grab the baby.

"Jason, come on, you should be helping out!"

Emily sidestepped him.

"My baby. Not your business," She said it flatly and skillfully spread out the diaper.

Kyle's hand froze in midair.

At that moment, his phone rang. He glanced at it, and a strange flush immediately spread across his face.

"Jason, something came up with a friend. I gotta go."

Emily had just finished changing the diaper.

She set the baby down, grabbed a wipe, and cleaned her hands.

"I'll see you out."

Kyle's eyes lit up instantly.

"Thanks, Emily!"

He reached out, trying to take her arm. But Emily had already turned and walked ahead. He missed completely.

After the door closed behind them, I sat on the couch, staring at their departing figures, a chill creeping through my entire body.

That earlier satisfaction vanished without a trace.

Half an hour later, Emily finally came back.

I sat on the couch with my arms crossed, staring directly at her.

"Who told you to see him out?"

Emily froze at the doorway.

"Didn't you?" Emily said.

I frowned.

"When did I ever tell you to see him off?"

She walked over and slowly crouched in front of me.

"Last time, when Kyle came over for dinner, he insisted I walk him out when he left. I didn't want to, but you said I was being disrespectful to you."

"We argued about it. A huge fight. In the end, you even made me swear I'd always treat your brother properly in the future."

Her voice grew more and more hurt.

"Babe, you lectured me for half an hour that day. Don't you remember?"

Then it came back to me.

It had happened. That day, Kyle was wearing a pair of leather shoes I'd just bought, complaining he couldn't walk in the rain.

I asked Emily to see him out. She refused coldly.

I thought she was looking down on my family, and I ended up fighting with her.

In the end, she gave in—and I still thought her attitude wasn't good enough.

Now that I thought about it, maybe she had already noticed something back then.

I was just too blind to see it.

"I… I…"

I had no defense.

Emily slowly moved closer and rested her head against my knee, speaking carefully.

"Honey… haven't you ever felt like Kyle is a little too… toward me?"

She trailed off.

I let out a slow breath.

"He wants me to divorce you. So he can marry you himself."

Emily snapped her head up.

"You know?!"

Her eyes lit up so sharply it was almost startling. She grabbed my hand tightly.

"Honey! So you finally see it! Do you know how miserable I've been lately?!

"Every time he comes over, his cologne makes me want to throw up!

"Last time, he spilled red wine on my dress and insisted I take it off so he could wash it for me!

"I hide in the study and lock the door, and he still finds excuses to knock just to bring me fruit!"

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, like a little kid who had finally found someone to complain to.

Then she suddenly froze.

"Wait… how do you even know about this?"

I handed her my phone.

Screenshots of the anonymous post. My mother's chat logs. The AI-generated photo.

One by one, I laid them out before her.

Emily's expression changed—from shock to a deep, ugly darkness.

"This is… your mom?"

Her fingers trembled slightly.

"But she's your biological mother!"

I said calmly, "I've always known she favored Kyle. I just didn't expect her to be this vicious."

Emily suddenly stood up. For a moment, I thought she was about to explode.

Instead, she pulled me into her arms. Tight. Very tight.

"Jason," she murmured into my shoulder, "I love you. No matter whether it's your brother or anyone else, they shouldn't even think about breaking us up."

She rubbed lightly against my neck, like a large cat that had finally found its owner.

No one knew this. The formidable CEO in the business world was, in fact, painfully starved of affection. When she was young, her parents were always busy with business and left her with a nanny.

Money was never lacking. Love was.

In university, on her birthday, she once hid alone on the sports field and cried. I happened to pass by and gave her a piece of candy. She said it was the first piece of candy she had ever received in her life.

After that, she started pursuing me—relentlessly—for three full years.

"Babe… what do we do now?" Her voice was muffled.

I stroked her head, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Let them play their game. We collect evidence and deal with it through the law."

She immediately looked up, eyes bright again.

"Okay! I'll have people install cameras tomorrow!"

Just then, my phone buzzed twice. The post had been updated again.

"Good news, girl! My daughter-in-law has already started falling for my younger son! She even personally walked him home today! I'd say this is basically done—eighty to ninety percent there!"

I exchanged a glance with Emily.

She quickly waved her hands frantically, blinking as if to plead innocence.

I looked away and kept scrolling.

The "girl" who had been giving advice earlier appeared again:

[Congratulations! But I actually have a faster and more effective method. Do you want to hear it?]