My husband and I are in an arranged marriage. He's incredibly busy, leaving him almost no time for me and our daughter. To keep myself occupied and stop my mind from wandering, I got a boyfriend. I told my boyfriend my daughter was my little sister. But just now, my daughter got hold of my phone and added both my boyfriend and my husband to a group chat. She even sent a voice message asking: "Which one of you is free to take me bike riding tomorrow?" 1 I stepped out of the shower just in time to see question marks pop up from both my husband and my boyfriend. I felt the blood drain from my face! My husband was an arranged match. We’ve been married for four years, have a three-year-old daughter, and rarely see each other. But he’s devastatingly handsome, incredibly successful, and makes a ton of money. Otherwise, I never would have agreed to marry him. After all, there’s a whole forest of options waiting for me out there. 2 Being with him, I thought, was pretty great. He’s mature, steady, and commands respect. He's stoic and reserved, but in bed, he's intensely dominant. The contrast is intoxicating; I can't get enough of him. Basically, whenever he’s home, all I want to do is drag him to bed. You could definitely call it a physical attraction. But human greed knows no bounds. Not long after we got married, I got pregnant, had our baby, and devoted myself to taking care of her. Meanwhile, he remained as swamped with work as ever. 3 And me? Having been raised since childhood with the mindset that “important men shouldn't be bothered while working,” I could only silently swallow my negative emotions. I didn't even dare show them, for fear of annoying him. I had to be the "understanding" wife. Once my daughter started preschool, I suddenly had a lot of free time. So, I started playing video games. While gaming, I met a total pro. His skills were god-tier, and he carried me through matches. Not only did he make me feel like a badass in the game, but he also chatted with me constantly, and eventually, we got "married" in-game. I figured, sure, his voice sounded amazing, but in real life, he was probably some short, broke, ugly guy. I didn't take it seriously; it was just a game, just for fun. 4 But the truth was, I really needed the company. So, I kept pretending he was my husband. We called each other "hubby" and "wifey" in the game. I don't know what possessed me, but I even gave my avatar a pregnant belly. Then I told him we were having a baby together. He bought me a ton of in-game gear. 5 Initially, I didn't add him on any social media because I was afraid of the hassle, and I was also worried my husband would find out I was gaming so much and think less of me. We kept all our chatting within the game. And, for some reason, even though my husband seemed so mature and normal, I caught him checking my phone on several occasions. It was like he was checking to see if I was cheating on him while he was away. It made me feel really uncomfortable at the time. What did he take me for? Only later did I realize he actually had great foresight. When a guy is constantly traveling for business, isn't it highly likely his wife might stray? 6 Back to my boyfriend. After playing together for a few months, we became a very close "online couple." He was gentle and considerate, and his voice was so deep and attractive it could make a girl swoon. I started relying on him a lot. Then, he asked to meet offline. He even sent me a picture of himself. 7 He was gorgeous. And not just regular gorgeous, but that rare, untamed, rebellious kind of gorgeous! Just to see if he was catfishing me, I agreed on the spot. At that time, I was also feeling incredibly empty. My husband was traveling more than ever. I felt like a machine. I desperately needed human emotional nourishment. When we met, I realized he was genuinely that handsome! Unlike my husband’s mature, steady, and stoic demeanor. My boyfriend radiated youth, rebellion, and a wild, untamed energy. Yet, this wild guy would lower his head, softly coax me, and ask why I was unhappy. He would cup my face and kiss me with intense focus. And then he would compliment me: "You smell like sweet milk." 8 I loved both my boyfriend and my husband. Honestly, human beings are capable of loving two people at the same time. Love isn't exclusively singular. Meeting my boyfriend offline filled the void left by my husband's business trips and brought so much more joy into my life. He was still a college student. When we first met offline, he was a junior. Two years passed, and he was about to graduate. He had started his own business and was very successful. Now, the gifts he gave me were luxury cars and houses. Yes, we had a love nest. He even got a dog and said it was the "baby" we had in the game. 9 When you love someone, you desperately want to share your life with them, especially everything you cherish. I couldn't share my husband with my boyfriend, so I could only share my daughter. But to rationalize my daughter's existence. I told him a tragic backstory. Divorced parents, an irresponsible father who only knew how to cheat and have kids outside the marriage. I claimed my daughter was one of my father's illegitimate children. No one took care of her, so I had to. I told him she was my little sister. My daughter is very sharp. She didn't call me "Sister"; she called me by my name. 10 Recently, my husband hasn't been traveling as much. He even makes time to play with our daughter. But he's still very busy with work. So, I shuttle my daughter between the two of them. This way, someone is always keeping her company, the best of both worlds. But my daughter is only three. She doesn't yet understand that her "Uncle" and her "Daddy" cannot know about each other's existence. She only knows that if Daddy is busy, I take her to play with Uncle. And if Uncle is busy, it's not as fun. She said she wanted to go bike riding tomorrow. My husband hadn't come home yet, and tomorrow was the weekend. So I said: "Let's wait for JJ to come home and see if he has time to take us? If JJ is busy, we'll ask Cole." (Translator's Note: I'm replacing "Jin Jin" with "JJ" and "Jia Yan" with "Cole" for smoother reading in English.) 10 (continued) "JJ" is James, my husband, her father. "Cole" is Cole Evans, my boyfriend, her "uncle." I never let her use titles; I just had her use their names. That way, I could avoid slipping up. In front of my husband, she would say: "Today Cole took us to the amusement park to ride the carousel and eat ice cream." My husband was confused at first, but I told him Cole was my best friend. He assumed a "best friend" was definitely a woman. In front of my boyfriend, my daughter would say: "This morning JJ washed my face and put lotion on me." My boyfriend was confused. I explained that JJ was our maid. Then I said we both have a lisp and trouble pronouncing certain sounds. The maid's name is actually "Jane," but it sounds like "JJ" when we say it. He knew my family was wealthy, just lacking love, so hiring a maid made sense. In front of my boyfriend, my daughter also called me: "Maya, hug me." "Maya, wipe my hands." 11 But I never anticipated that my daughter was so impatient. And that she knew how to use my phone. She sent a sweet, baby-voiced voice memo to the group chat: "Which one of you is free to take me bike riding tomorrow?" My boyfriend and my husband both instantly replied with a question mark. My daughter asked: "JJ, do you have to work overtime tomorrow?" Then I saw the replies that made my vision go black. My husband replied via voice memo: "Baby, you have to call me Daddy, not by my name." "Daddy isn't working overtime tomorrow; I can take you bike riding." My boyfriend's voice memo followed immediately: "Isn't he your maid? Why is he saying he's Calf's dad?" ("Calf" was my daughter's nickname.) Then they each sent another question mark. My daughter recognized my expression and cheered: "Maya, I asked! JJ has time tomorrow!" I instantly deleted the group chat. 12 By this time, my phone was already vibrating again. A direct message from my boyfriend arrived: "Your maid Jane is a guy? Why did he say he's Calf's dad?" I panicked and quickly explained: "He IS our dad. In my heart, he doesn't deserve to be a father to me or my sister! He's just a tool in the house. A total stud horse!" (I referred to my daughter as my sister. I couldn't forget that to my boyfriend, my daughter was my sister!) A major screw-up was not an option. Once I got my story straight, I continued: "But my sister lacks love and still craves a father figure. Ugh, I don't even want to talk about it." I added: "I deleted the group. I don't want my dad to know I'm dating. He'd definitely try to break us up; he's counting on marrying me off for money." My boyfriend sent a few hugging emojis, then said: "Baby, you've suffered so much." I replied: "I have, but meeting you makes it all worth it." 13 Having pacified my boyfriend, my heart was still in my throat. Why hadn't my husband texted to ask me about it? I had already formulated an excuse in my head. A moment later, I heard the iron gate downstairs open, and my husband's car drove in. My daughter was already asleep. I hurried to the master bathroom to run his bathwater. When I came out, he was already in the bedroom. His suit was immaculate. His stoic, handsome face was still as heart-stopping as ever. Every movement exuded a mature, steady aura. And the commanding presence of someone accustomed to being in charge. 14 I put on a bright smile: "Hubby, you're home! The bath is ready. Have you eaten? Should I go make you something?" But he doesn't eat after 8 PM. I was just being polite. Sure enough, his cool, textured voice replied: "I ate at the office. I'm going to shower." I said: "I'll get your pajamas." He took off his watch, placed it on the coffee table, and asked casually: "Calf is asleep?" I nodded: "She's asleep. She was so happy when you said you'd spend time with her tomorrow." I felt anxious, waiting for him to ask me about the WeChat group, watching his expression closely. But he didn't ask anything. His expression was the same as always, unreadable. Before stepping into the bathroom, he invited me: "Want to shower together?" I looked at his hard, handsome face, his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and his long legs wrapped in suit pants. Thinking of his stamina, I couldn't help but swallow secretly, drawn to follow him into the bathroom... 15 The moment I stepped into the bathroom, he roughly pinned me against the door. His turbulent kisses engulfed me like a tidal wave... Just as I thought he didn't care about the WeChat thing, this bastard decided to interrogate me at the most critical moment... Me: ... "Who is he?" I said between gasps: "He, he's my b-best friend Cole! D-didn't you k-know?" He pinched my chin, forcing me to look at him. His eyes were full of intimidation. I felt a little scared, hugged him, and whined: "Hubby, why don't you believe me?" "I thought your best friend was a woman." He said coldly: "So, you frequently take Calf to see a man?" 16 This animal. If he was going to ask, he should just ask. Why use physical force? I gritted my teeth and explained: "He likes guys." My husband let out a short laugh. He didn't say anything else, just continued to torment me. His laugh gave me the creeps. When I woke up the next day, it was almost noon. I was startled. My daughter hadn't come to pester me to take her out to play. I rolled over to get up, but the movement was too big, and the soreness in my body made me wince. I picked up my phone to check my messages. 17 My husband had sent a video of my daughter riding her bike. My boyfriend had sent a message asking me out to dinner. Ever since I added my boyfriend on WeChat, I changed my phone password. My husband could no longer easily unlock my phone. I still remember the day I came out of the shower and saw him holding my phone, staring blankly at it. I actually felt guilty. I almost forgot how controlling he could be. At the time, he asked: "What's your passcode?" I immediately deployed my prepared speech, saying married couples need privacy too, that I never check his phone, and asking him to respect me as well. I was almost loved to death that night. But I held my ground and refused to give him the passcode. 18 I told my boyfriend my dad was back and I couldn't go out. I crafted a tragic narrative where my dad was forcing me into an arranged marriage for money. I couldn't let my dad know I was dating. After handling my boyfriend and deleting the chat history, I went downstairs. Just in time to run into my daughter happily pulling my husband inside. Seeing me, my daughter ran over joyfully: "Maya Maya Maya Maya! JJ, Daddy, and I went bike riding. I rode so fast! Daddy couldn't catch up!" JJ? Daddy? I felt a surge of guilt. Terrified my daughter would spill the beans to my husband. But I usually took her to play with my boyfriend, and my boyfriend and I never did anything intimate in front of her. She probably just thought he was an uncle. It should be fine, right??? I looked up at my husband and realized he was also looking at me, his gaze dark and penetrating. I felt a chill run down my spine. My husband then said seriously to my daughter: "Maya Jr., how did Daddy teach you to address people?" My daughter looked at my husband and happily raised her hand: "Calf should call JJ 'Daddy', and call Maya 'Mommy'!" After saying that, she yelled at me: "Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy!" Me: ... 19 While eating lunch, my husband seemingly casually said to me: "By the way, Cole often helps take care of Calf. We should treat him to dinner." After he finished, he just looked at me. My scalp went numb. My daughter cheered beside us: "Yay! Calf and Cole are good friends, and Cole and JJ... Daddy are good friends. Cole and Daddy can be good friends too! Right, Maya... Mommy?" I looked at her innocent face, thinking, Look how smart my daughter is! Her communication skills are so strong! I thought sadly, Did her little mouth just sell me out? I said naturally: "He's out of town on a business trip recently. When he gets back, I'll ask him." My husband gave a short laugh.
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