My wife’s best friend and her husband couldn’t perform in bed. They had been married for two years and still hadn’t conceived a child.

She asked me to bring a daily herbal tonic upstairs for her best friend’s husband, hoping it would help them have a baby sooner.

Until one evening at a cocktail party, she and her friend described their affair game in French, right in front of me.

“Sarah Adams, I’ve got to hand it to you. You made me pretend to be married to the man living upstairs with you, and even had your husband bring us ‘health tonics’ every day under the pretense of helping us conceive.”

“Careful, or you’ll wear him out, and then you’ll end up with a husband who burns himself out chasing you.”

“Tsk, as long as you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything, he’ll never know.”

Daniel Carter sat right beside me, sneering like a madman: “What a pity for this fool. He has no idea, still treats me like his best brother, while I enjoy his wife with those tonics he personally delivers to me, ha!”

The wine glass in my hand slipped and shattered on the floor, a sharp ache stabbing my chest.

The wife I once thought so devoted had been mocking me all along.

…

“Michael, what’s wrong?”

Sarah’s face showed a flicker of panic and concern as she leaned closer. That’s when I noticed her perfume carried the same scent as Daniel’s cologne.

At first, I hadn’t paid attention to these details, but now I understood.

I sat there, soulless, staring blankly at the sofa. Even when shards of glass pierced my palm, I felt no pain compared to the agony in my chest.

I wanted to believe it was a misunderstanding—a cruel joke they were playing on me.

But then I saw Daniel grab Sarah’s hand, his fingers sliding dangerously close up her thigh before stopping just short of the sensitive spot.

“I’ll take care of it—watch out for the glass on the floor.”

Sarah, teased so effortlessly, flushed with desire, forgetting entirely to ask me how I was.

Linda Brown noticed her reaction and continued to tease her in French.

“Got turned on again, huh? Ha! Daniel must be incredible in bed to have you so hooked. Otherwise, why would a devoted wife like you dare to play such games?”

Linda laughed loudly, startling Sarah, who quickly hushed her.

“Don’t be so loud! I’m afraid Michael might understand.”

Sarah’s face stiffened, her guilty conscience showing. She gently pulled my hand, softly wiping away the blood with a tissue.

“Michael, please be more careful next time. Don’t make me worry.”

She pressed a kiss on the back of my hand, as though she truly loved me.

“Are you feeling bored? Well, there’s nothing we can do—this cocktail party is full of international guests, so they can only speak French. Let’s just wait a little longer, then we’ll head home, alright?”

I nodded absentmindedly, my whole body weighed down in misery.

So that was it—they mocked me so boldly only because they thought I didn’t understand French.

“Relax, Sarah! I checked into Michael Adams. He only graduated from some ordinary college, his English isn’t even good, never studied abroad, and he grew up poor. Apart from being tall and handsome, he has no redeeming qualities.”

“I don’t get why you’re so obsessed with him. If it were me, I’d have dumped him ages ago.”

“Why not just train with Daniel in the art of secrets, ha!”

“I think this isn’t fair—Michael treats us well.”

“Fair? That’s not what Sarah wants. She wants something else in bed, ha!”

Everyone chuckled quietly. I felt like a clown stripped bare, exposed to their ridicule, squirming in humiliation.

“By the way, isn’t Michael smaller than Daniel down there?”

“If that’s true, then what a waste of his tall, muscular frame. Useless.”

Sarah smirked proudly. “Not at all. They’re the same size.”

“I just didn’t want to ruin the pure image Michael has of me. That’s why I went for the mixed-blood thrill of Daniel.”

Daniel drained his wine glass and leaned in to tempt Sarah.

“So, how about trying out a wine jacuzzi I’ve had prepared?”

“Let’s go—you’re already in the mood.”

I saw the flicker of desire rising in Sarah’s eyes.

It felt like a slap in the face—burning, humiliating.

They didn’t know that everything they thought about me was false.

I wasn’t some ordinary man. I was the heir of the Adams family in New York City. Not only could I understand French, but I was fluent in eight languages.

I had only just returned to the U.S. when I met Sarah, saving her from being harassed, and by chance, we became close.

My father, worried I lacked experience with women and could easily be deceived, had me conceal my true identity.

“Michael Adams, that useless waste, just sitting there while his wife is about to hook up with another man.”

“He’s disgraced all men. Handsome looks can’t put food on the table. Without wealth or status, there’s nothing to connect them.”

“Exactly—just a broke loser. He should look in the mirror before thinking he belongs at this table.”

“I still think he’s inadequate. Sarah must just be protecting his pride.”

“Ha! Pride? He delivers energy drinks to Daniel every day, only for Daniel to bed his wife afterward. What an idiot!”

Sarah used to defend me, never allowing anyone to humiliate me.

But now her heart already belonged to Daniel.

“Michael, I have some business to take care of. Wait for me—I’ll be back soon.”

She hurried after Daniel, their figures disappearing together around the corner.

My fists clenched tight, rage boiling inside me.

Why? Why betray me this way? Why let me be everyone’s laughingstock?

I wanted to know if it was true. If she really had betrayed me.

So I followed.

When I reached the garden, a private place for secret encounters, I saw it with my own eyes.

Sarah and Daniel were soaking in a red wine bath together.

“Well? Bigger than your husband’s, isn’t it?”

“Of course. Why else would I choose you?”

“Ha! Don’t waste time—I’m afraid Michael will come looking. Let’s finish quickly.”

“Tch, that just makes it more thrilling. You already let him hear our bed creaking every night, and now you’re afraid of this? You’re the adventurous one.”

My nails dug into my palm, cutting into flesh, the pain searing my chest until I could barely breathe.

I didn’t have the courage to confront her. I staggered away in shame.

The night air was freezing, cutting into my skin like knives.

I wandered aimlessly until I found myself alone. That’s when the tears finally burst, falling hard onto the grass.

At that moment, my father called.

“Michael, it’s time you bring your wife to New York City to meet us. You don’t know how much your mother has been waiting to meet her first grandchild.”

“Dad… we’re on the verge of divorce. I may not be able to bring her to meet you.”

“What!” My father was shocked. I explained briefly before hanging up.

Sarah was filthy. I didn’t want her anymore.

I stumbled home alone, tossing all the herbs I had bought straight into the trash.

They had gone too far, with no shred of morality or conscience. They weren’t worthy of being compared with me.

Not long after, Sarah returned, her face pale with panic.

“Michael, why did you come home without telling me? Your phone was off—you nearly scared me to death.”

In their eyes, I was just a poor, pitiful office worker, a useless man who knew nothing.

She wasn’t alone—Linda and Daniel came with her.

Judging from Daniel’s unsatisfied expression, the wine jacuzzi hadn’t been enough for him earlier.

Unable to hold back, he complained in French.

“I told you the loser would come home on his own, but you didn’t believe me. We had to stop halfway.”

“Damn useless fool, such a big man yet still makes others worry about him.”

“Fine. I’ll put him to sleep soon. Don’t worry—I’ll slip sleeping pills into his milk. He’ll be out all night.”

Satisfied, Daniel left.

“Damn, you guys really know how to play! Too bad he doesn’t understand. I’d love to see Michael realize what we were saying about him. That would be even more fun.”

Linda glanced at her phone. “Alright, I’m leaving. You two enjoy yourselves.”

After they left, Sarah put on her loving-wife act again—feeding me dinner, changing my clothes, massaging my back.

I held her hand, still foolish enough to want to give her one last chance.

I had loved her deeply, and I couldn’t let go so easily.

“Sarah, you’d never cheat on me like those women on TV, right?”

Sarah panicked, quickly climbing onto my lap, cupping my face, swearing to the heavens.

“I would never betray you, Michael. If I ever did, may I be doomed to a lifetime of loneliness and sorrow, never to bear children…”

“I believe you.”

For a moment, I thought she had changed her mind.

But when she brought me a glass of milk laced with a heavy dose of sleeping pills, my heart shattered completely.

My hands trembled as I gripped the cup, my fingertips turning red.

But Sarah didn’t notice—she was too busy with her phone.

I pretended to drink, flushing it down the toilet instead.

When she saw me washing the glass, she sighed with relief.

After tucking me in as if I were a child, she slipped out quietly.

I followed her.

At the top of the stairs, she rushed straight into Daniel’s arms. They kissed passionately, unwilling to let go.

My eyes stung so sharply I couldn’t even keep them open.

Sarah, you deceived me so cruelly. How could one person toy with two men at once?

I didn’t know how I made it back to the couch. From upstairs came the violent creaking of a bed.

I collapsed, tears blurring my sight.

For as long as they played, I suffered.

By dawn, I had enough.

I went to a law firm and obtained divorce papers.

I once believed we would be the happiest couple in the world. Now, we were nothing but the world’s cruelest joke.

When I returned home, Sarah greeted me cheerfully, as if nothing had happened.

“My handsome Michael, you’re finally back. Come eat!”