My wife, Rochelle Willoughby, went on a business trip for five months. When I picked her up at the airport, she showed up with her true love instead. I noticed her baby bump and was about to ask some questions, but she shoved me away like I was some disgusting piece of trash.

"Don't touch me with your grubby hands. I'm pregnant with Samuel's baby. If you hurt it somehow, I'll kill you!" Then, she gently held Samuel Riverson's hand. "You must be exhausted. Let's go home."

She left me at the airport without so much as a glance. I saw them off and quietly rubbed the part Rochelle shoved. Then, I contacted my divorce lawyer.

Ten years. This marriage finally came to an end.

Cheating Wife

I came out of the airport, but the car was gone. It was two o'clock in the morning, and the streets were empty. I had to walk all the way home, shivering and pulling myself as close as possible.

My belly was aching, and sweat poured down my forehead. Yet, and yet, the memory of what I saw chilled my heart more than the cold could. Ten years. We went ten years without any children. The Willoughbys did not like that at all.

They told everyone I was sterile. They told everyone I was ruining their daughter's future. Of course, they were oblivious to the truth. I was a healthy guy, but their daughter refused to give me a child.

Every time I said I wanted one, she, in disdain, said she hated children and the role of a mother. But the night before she went on a business trip, she was unusually nice to me. She promised me a better future and even talked about children.

I thought she was having a change of heart.

Well, I was stupid. She was only learning how to be a mother for her lover. When I got back home, it was already dawn. Rochelle came out of her room, hearing the sounds I made.

I was shivering, but she only frowned and tossed me a jacket she grabbed off the couch. Without hesitation, she berated me, "Are you a moron, Timothy? Why did you freeze yourself and stay out all night? I was exhausted! I didn't want to wait for you!"

Five years ago, when she found out Samuel was coming home, Rochelle's attitude started to change. She made it a point to berate, mock, and belittle me every day.

The old me wouldn't have taken this lying down. I would have argued with her, but all I did was give her a look that said, 'You're a child.'

Then, I kept quiet.

My chilly attitude made her mad. "Don't give me that look! Samuel only came back because he wanted to fulfill his one wish of getting a child. I just want to help! No big deal! Not like I'm throwing our relationship away! I'll cut all my ties with him after the child's born. I could've made him stay away, but I took him home because I had to reassure you.

"You knew I've always wanted Samuel, and you married me despite that. Don't act like you're the victim here."

I just needed my rest. She was being a nuisance. However, Rochelle grabbed my arm and pushed me away. "Samuel's not feeling well, so he's using the bedroom. You just got back anyway. Get us breakfast. No big deal, right?"

And the door slammed shut. I stood in the corridor, laughing mirthlessly. No big deal indeed. That bastard took my bed, my woman, and my rest time, yet she thought it was natural.

If I defied her, I'd be called petty, petulant, and worse, trying to embarrass her. The only reason she had the audacity to do this was because I loved her. Well, I used to.

And thanks to that, she took everything I did for her for granted. I took a deep breath and was about to pull out my keys, but someone opened the door. Samuel.

He was in my pajamas, giving me a challenging look. "I just got off the plane. Jetlag's still bugging me, so can you get me the breakfast from that stall about a couple of miles away? You know the one. Here's the money."

He pulled out some money from the back and tossed it all over me. Putting on a fake act of surprise, he said, "Oh, sorry. My hand slipped. Pick it up, will you?"

Abusive Wife

I was going to wipe that smug look in his eyes, so I swung my arm as hard as I could and landed a big, fat slap on his face. The crisp ring of that slap echoed in the air, and following that ringing was the painful gasp of Samuel.

"What is wrong with you, Timothy?" A concerned Rochelle darted over and shoved me away.

The trek through the night exhausted me. I stumbled backward, missed a step, and everything around me spun as I fell to the ground. I felt the back of my head smash into something hard. Pain took over my head, and blood spilled to the ground.

Someone screamed, "He's bleeding!"

I felt the strength leave my hands, and before my consciousness left me, I noticed the look in Rochelle's eyes. There was horror in her gaze.

A year ago, in a drunken episode, Rochelle mistook me for Samuel. We went at it without protection that night, and it was a hole-in-one. She gave me the same look of horror back then, when she found out about her pregnancy.

Agitated, she grabbed my arms, her nails threatening to dig into my flesh. She hissed, "You did it on purpose, didn't you? I was drunk! You want to bind me to you with this baby? I'm rising through the ranks right now! I need a lot of time and effort to get what I want, but you're making me give up? Why? Because you don't like it? You're despicable!"

Then, her hands went to my throat. My face went purple as I felt the oxygen getting cut off, and I struggled hard to get away from her.

…

Then, a voice woke me from my nightmare. "Sir, wake up!"

My eyes snapped open.

"You passed out just now, sir." The nurse hung the IV, still shuddering from what she saw. "It was terrifying. For a minute there, I thought you were gone."

I rubbed the back of my head. It still throbbed. "Where's Rochelle?"

"Oh, the woman who sent you here? Her boyfriend took her home. He said she's pregnant, so she shouldn't work herself to the bone."

Though I knew that might be the case, hearing it still hit me hard, and I closed my eyes. I could feel my entire being twisting in agony. I was taken back to the day of our wedding, where she promised she would stay loyal to me forever.

Ten years was all it took for that promise to be burned into nothingness. And then my phone rang—it was Rochelle.

"Are you alright, honey? I have work to do, and they need me here," she said quietly. She tried to keep her voice low and make herself sound tired, but I heard it.

I heard Samuel's laughter in the background.

I laughed in sorrow and gave her short, random answers as I opened up her social media. Rochelle never posted anything on her wall, but for once in her life, she made an exception.

'Fifteen years have gone by since we met. I want you in my life forever, my love.'

There was a picture with that caption. A sturdy figure was holding a bouquet of roses and standing beside a window.

I noticed the diamond watch on his wrist. Samuel's watch. When I saw that watch for the first time, I thought it was a surprise present from Rochelle, since I shared his birthday.

Yep, once again, I was being delusional. I hung up on Rochelle. When I refreshed the app, her friends were already commenting on the post, and the happiest among them? Queenie Lawson.

'You're finally getting rid of that swine? Congrats. I'm finally free. Hey, dinner's on you, okay?'

Queenie was a childhood friend of Rochelle, and she hated me. She thought Rochelle was out of my league, and every time we had a meetup, she would do her best to belittle me.

After Samuel came back and started the affair with my soon-to-be ex-wife, Queenie would cover for them so they could enjoy their alone time. I exposed her in front of everyone one time, and she just shrugged it off.

The old me tried to get into her good graces and took a lot of her insults lying down, but now? Now I was going to hit back.

'Yeah. Buzzing around like a fly must've been hard on you. Congratulations, now I don't have to suffer the thought of living as your species.'

Then, I sent the draft of the divorce papers to Rochelle.

Cheater Caught

No response. I then told her I had proof of her infidelity, so she either signed the papers, or I would see her in court. Eventually, I was going to get discharged, and just when I was going through the paperwork, Rochelle called.

Furious, she asked, "Are you mad? I can't believe you're throwing a tantrum like a child! Divorce? What, you think you're the center of the world? I told you I'd end this relationship once I deliver his baby.

"What more do you want? You can't force everyone to do things the way you like! I'll pick you up later. We're having dinner with Queenie. Let this go. Don't make me choose. I can't."

She kept stressing how Samuel and I were both important to her. Nope. Reality told me I was just a free manservant for her, and one who had about as much dignity as a doormat. On the day of our wedding, she left me at the altar just to assuage the crying Samuel.

Samuel and I shared the same birthday, yet she only remembered his. Me? "Sorry, I forgot. I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

Anytime and anywhere he wanted, all Samuel had to do was say the word, and Rochelle would go to him immediately. I used to get mad about it every single time, and she promised it would be the last time.

That promise was often broken before the twenty-four hours were up. If I brought it up, she would call me petty and jealous. And so I asked, "Is Samuel going to be there?"

"Yes."

"Fine. I'll wait."

Well, I wouldn't want Rochelle to apologize to me alone.

She picked me up, and I saw Samuel in the passenger seat. He smiled. "You don't mind, do you? I do this all the time." There was that look again in his eyes—that challenging look.

I smiled. "It's fine."

Yeah, I used to fight over who got the front seat, but Rochelle told me that Samuel would get carsick to shut me up, no matter how disheartened I was.

I saw him scrolling his phone when he was in someone else's car, though. Now that I was going to divorce Rochelle anyway, I didn't care even if they wanted to go on a date, much less fight over a seat.

Rochelle went straight back home, and when we got in, a big banner read, 'Happy birthday, Timothy!'

Queenie and Rochelle's other besties were chatting on the couch.

Queenie was the first one to say hi. "Oh, you're back. Sit. We made this whole party for you. We had to make it up to you somehow."

There was arrogance in her voice, and she almost strutted like some sort of peacock. No, this was no apology. This was a blatant threat.

I scanned the decor and realized something was up with that banner. My name was just plastered over someone else's haphazardly, like it was an afterthought. I saw Samuel's name underneath.

Queenie grabbed a glass of wine from the table. "Well, apologizing to you is supposed to be beneath me, Timothy, but Rochelle insisted, so I'm doing this for her. Sorry, I'm brutally honest, so I say it like it is. You'll never be half the man Samuel is, but Rochelle wanted you, so what can I say?

"I'll finish this big glass of wine, and you let things slide, okay?" She drained the glass of wine, and her friends said sorry, though it was more in a mocking manner than anything.

I said nothing, and Rochelle thought I had let it go, so she tried to hold my arm, but I swung her off.

"I didn't peg you as an orator, Queenie. You shouldn't be explaining yourself to me. How about you explain Samuel's affair to his… drum roll please, mother-in-law!"

I went over to the entrance and yanked the door open.

Then in came a furious lady, bristling like a lioness.