When I returned home, my wife was already awake, having just finished getting ready in the bathroom.
I noticed she was wearing a pair of suspenders stockings, something she wouldn't usually wear, and she looked surprisingly sensual.
Normally, I might have pounced on her like a wolf in such a situation.
Even though we had been married for six years, the initial passion still lingered between us.
She was beautiful, and back when I was flourishing, with numerous beautiful women vying for my attention, why did I choose her?
But now, seeing her, I couldn't help but feel repulsed.
As I was changing my shoes, my wife approached me coyly, asking, "Honey, did my mom leave?"
I replied indifferently with a simple "Yes" and asked her coldly, "Why dress like this early in the morning?"
My wife sighed softly, "Well, I know delivering takeout is tough for you, so I thought of finding a job too, especially now that our son is in kindergarten."
Internally, I chuckled bitterly, thinking she was more likely going out to seduce men than to find a job.
Of course, I didn't voice these thoughts; it wasn't the time to reveal everything. But expecting me to be good to her again was impossible.
Once something is tainted, it stays tainted.
Even when I saw her charming face and those long legs hugged tightly by black stockings, I could only feel disgust.
The feeling was unbearable, a kind of suffering that couldn't be shared with the person next to you, something I had to endure alone.
If possible, I would exchange ten years of my life to restore her chastity.
Unfortunately, that wasn't an option.
Like a crumpled piece of paper, once wrinkled, it couldn't be restored to its original state.
I sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and my wife's soft body leaned against me.
"Honey," she murmured by my ear.
Ignoring her, I continued smoking.
She breathed gently on my ear and tenderly said, "Our son is still sleeping. Want to?"
I turned my head, looked at her coldly, and she instinctively withdrew her hand, then asked, "Do you really suspect me of cheating?"
"Isn't there a reason to?" I coldly questioned, staring at her intently.
"Absolutely not. I swear."
"Hmm."
"Aw, do you really want me to swear?" She started to act cute.
"I said I believe you." First, I needed to stabilize the situation.
She smiled sweetly, leaned in a bit more, and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Honey, you're so good. I'll go look for a job now. I'll make it up to you tonight."
I felt nauseous for real, on the verge of vomiting.
As she stood up, ready to leave, she suddenly remembered something, bending down to ask me, "By the way, honey, is your family's house going to be demolished? I heard there's over a million in compensation."
I was momentarily stunned, finally understanding why she suddenly acted so agreeable. It turned out she overheard my conversation with my mom.
I sneered inwardly, having completely seen through this woman.
I didn't hide anything from her, calmly nodding, "Yes, my mom plans to use that money as startup capital for me to reopen the company."
Her brows furrowed, "What?! Reopen the company? Do you still think you're the old Alex Phoenix? Thinking you can just start a business?"
I glanced at her, and before I could speak, she continued, "Your reputation in the industry is tarnished. No one will want to cooperate with you. You need to understand reality."
Listening to her increasingly hurtful words, I finally realized she had long lost hope in me.
"I have a way," I said coldly, no longer wanting to argue with her.
She adamantly opposed, "I disagree. You're just wasting money. Why not sell this house and use that money, along with the compensation, to buy a bigger one?"
This woman was trying to ruin me!
If I were that foolish, I wouldn't have built the company so successfully before.
She was still trying to take advantage of the fact that I had some assets left and grab a lump sum of compensation.
Before I could speak, she continued, "Even if you don't consider me, think about our son! The three of us cramped in this tiny less than sixty-square-meter house, don't you think our son won't hold his head up in front of his classmates in the future? You should take out the money now to give us a better life."
I laughed a little. Really, at this moment, my heart, surprisingly, had no complicated thoughts. I just wanted to laugh.
So much talk, but perhaps, in the end, this last sentence was the only truthful one!
Every day, I went out to deliver takeout before dawn, earning money for my family.
I worked so hard, yet she cheated on me, and now she wanted me to use the money to improve her life.
Dream on!
Still, I wouldn't reveal everything to her yet. Without exposing that adulterer, I wouldn't have a peaceful day.
Considering this, I spoke in a low voice, "Let's talk about it later. I'll think about it."
Her face, like a Sichuan opera face-changing mask, changed from serious to a smile. She said, "That's more like it, honey. Later, you can take our son to kindergarten. I've arranged an interview with a company. I need to leave now."
She spoke while putting on the high heels from the shoe cabinet and then left.
I didn't believe she was really going for a job interview, so I checked the time and prepared to follow her to see where she was going.
Following my wife out of the neighborhood, I saw her get into an Audi parked at the entrance.
Before I could react, the Audi drove away.
I couldn't think too much and immediately rode my electric bike to catch up.
During rush hour, my electric bike proved more agile than cars, allowing me to closely follow her.
I wanted to overtake and see who was driving, but I was afraid of alerting them, so I had to stick to the back.
Following for about thirty minutes, the Audi unexpectedly stopped at the entrance of a relatively high-end hotel.
Then, a portly middle-aged man stepped out of the driver's seat, took my wife's hand, and walked into the hotel.
Witnessing this scene shattered my heart!
Didn't she say she was going for an interview? Why was she going to a hotel with a man?
Moreover, it's early in the morning, couldn't she restrain herself?
I immediately parked my electric bike in a non-designated spot and rushed into the hotel, only to see my wife and that man entering the elevator.
When I caught up, the elevator doors had already closed. I stood there, watching the elevator stop on the thirteenth floor, then took the nearby elevator to the same floor.
I didn't know which room my wife was in, and the idea of knocking on doors one by one crossed my mind. However, that could either result in a few verbal insults if the person inside was tolerant, or, if they had a bad temper, I might end up at the police station.
Thinking it over, I decided to wait here. I'd catch them when they came out, wouldn't that be perfect?
As time passed, they hadn't emerged yet, and my patience wore thin. I took out my phone and dialed my wife's number.
After a while, the call connected.
"Where are you?"
"I'm at a job interview, what's up, honey?"
Her gentle voice fueled the flames of my anger.
She dared to deceive me when I had witnessed everything. How many times had this happened?
Just as I was about to speak, a moan echoed through the phone.
That moan was haunting, sending shivers down my spine.
"What's that sound?" I tried to control the trembling anger in my voice.
"Something fell, honey, it's my turn soon, I can't talk now. Uh…"
Her voice was intermittent, as if she were deliberately suppressing something. Finally, a chilling groan escaped.
A thunderous roar echoed in my head, leaving me dizzy and disoriented. The call was abruptly cut off.
Enraged, I raised my phone high and slammed it onto the ground.
Disturbing scenes played over and over in my mind.
That man was relishing my wife while she was on the phone with me. He intensified his efforts, pushing her to the brink, and she couldn't contain herself, letting out those joyous sounds.
I couldn't bear to think further. Gripping my hair with both hands, I slowly squatted against the wall.
Today, I decided to stand guard here, waiting for this despicable couple to come out.