Three years into our marriage, my successful entrepreneur wife cheated. When I found out and asked for a divorce, she brought me to my parents’ house. She gathered my parents, my brother, my uncle, and his family, then calmly declared: “I cheated, and Adrian wants a divorce. You all need to talk some sense into him!” Her brazen shamelessness utterly shocked me. But in the next moment, my shock doubled. 1 My dad laughed, looking at my wife, Amy. “No, Amy, there’s no way you could cheat. You’re such a sweet person. No way, absolutely not!” He then turned to me, his brow furrowed. “What’s wrong with you, as a husband, making jokes like that about your wife? Apologize to her at once, go home with her, and stop messing around!” My mom and brother chimed in, echoing his sentiments. “Exactly! Amy’s not that kind of person, how can you just make things up?” “Adrian, stop it. Apologize to Amy. This isn’t funny!” I was momentarily stunned. “I’m not messing around. This isn’t a joke.” My voice was tight with suppressed fury. “Amy Vance cheated. I have the chat logs, the pictures…” Amy had left her laptop open, logged into her messaging app. When I went to close it for her, I saw her messages. At the top of her chat list were two men. One called her "Wife," the other called her "Baby." Their conversations dated back half a year. The content was explicit, with many graphic photos. Most damning were the hotel records. Both men, mentioned in the chats, had met her no less than fifteen times each. As I scrolled through and saved them, I felt a wave of nausea, my hands shaking with rage. This was no joke! I was about to pull out my phone to prove it. But my uncle’s son, my cousin, stepped forward. 2 He grabbed my hand, fixing me with a steady gaze. After a brief pause, he snatched my phone away. “No… no, that’s impossible. You’re just talking nonsense!” He gave me a stern look. “Cousin, just focus on your marriage, okay? Don’t be like those overbearing men you see online!” My mind immediately filled with questions. Amy was the one who cheated, she was the one who wronged me. I was simply stating the facts, trying to prove them. Yet, my family members, one by one, were looking at me with cold eyes. Not only did they disbelieve me, they blamed me, and they stopped me? Why? Before I could even voice my confusion, Amy spoke. “You don’t have to defend me. I did cheat.” Her voice was calm, almost detached. “I brought Adrian here so you could talk some sense into him. He’s set on a divorce, but I don’t want one. I still have feelings for him.” A wave of nausea hit me. Forgetting my bewilderment, I immediately erupted. “Feelings? What a load of crap!” I snarled, my voice raw. “If you had feelings, would you have started cheating over half a year ago, with two men at the same time? If you had feelings, would you be playing the ‘new bride’ role out there every other day, calling them ‘husband’ with such glee?” I practically spat the words. “Cut the deep affection act, you despicable wretch. Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning, or hit by a car the moment you step outside?!” I cursed venomously. But midway through my tirade, my dad stepped forward. He raised his hand and smacked me hard on the shoulder. “Adrian Hayes! What’s wrong with you? Can’t you speak properly? You just started yelling curses and hexes!” He glared at me, his face red with anger. “You’re not acting like a man at all! Shut your mouth and stand back!” He roared, yanking me roughly behind him. Beside him, my mom and brother, in perfect sync with my dad, also tried to pull at me. A deeper surge of confusion washed over me. In a fit of anger, I broke free, glaring at them. “Are you all out of your minds?!” I demanded, my voice shaking. “I’m your son! I’m your family! You’re not helping me; instead, you’re helping this rotten person! You’re truly insane!” 3 My dad looked uneasy. He forced a placating smile at Amy, seemingly afraid of upsetting her. At the same time, he quickly raised a hand, trying to cover my mouth. I struggled, pushing him away. Seeing he couldn't silence me, and my face etched with uncooperative fury, my dad grew more agitated. Grimly, he motioned to my mom, my brother, and my cousin. They grabbed me, dragging me forcefully aside. He then gave a meaningful look to my uncle and aunt, signaling them to lead Amy away. Once they were a safe distance, out of Amy’s earshot, they spoke through gritted teeth, their voices hushed. “Adrian Hayes! Don’t you dare make a scene here! If you upset your wife and mess up your brother’s job, I swear I won’t forgive you!” My cousin’s face was equally grim, his jaw clenched even tighter. “And my job too! Don’t you dare mess that up!” Looking at their angry faces, I finally understood their strange behavior. My cousin and my brother worked at the company Amy and I had built. They dared not offend Amy; they were afraid of losing their jobs. Amy brought me back here, confidently expecting them to talk sense into me, precisely because she knew this. A deep sadness welled up in my heart. Everyone was gathered. Amy announced her infidelity. Less than thirty seconds passed. My family members exchanged no words. But in that brief time, they instinctively thought of their jobs. Silently, implicitly, they chose to belittle me. To demand that I admit my mistake, that I swallow my pride and endure. Amy saw this, and she exploited it. Family. This was my family. To hell with family! My voice trembled. “For the sake of your jobs, you’re twisting black into white, ganging up on me like this? Do you even have a conscience anymore? Don’t forget, when you were unemployed, sitting at home, I was the one who brought you into the company!” 4 “I’m the one who gave you jobs, I’m the one you’re related to by blood, not that garbage woman!” The economy had been tough; my brother graduated straight into unemployment, couldn’t even get an interview. My cousin was laid off when his company downsized, and he was driven to despair sending out resumes. At the time, Amy and I had successfully started our own company. We had opened it, even built a small factory. We happened to need manpower, and my brother and cousin’s specializations fit, so I brought them into the company. What was originally a good deed had now become a knife aimed at me! I spoke faster, growing more and more furious, eventually almost roaring the words. But instead of feeling even an ounce of wrongdoing, they merely sneered at me. “You brought us into the company, and that’s your accomplishment? Aren’t you thinking a little too highly of yourself?” “The company belongs to Amy, the factory belongs to Amy, and Amy pays our salaries!” “The one who truly calls the shots, the one with the credit, is Amy, not you!” “Exactly. We’re already being generous by not calling you a sugar baby. You’re just her appendage, enjoying the good life thanks to her.” “Still haven’t figured yourself out, huh? Truly believe you’re something special now!” “Alright, stop losing your mind! Don’t you know what the economic climate is like right now? Don’t you know how hard it is to find a job?” “For your brother’s and cousin’s jobs, what’s wrong with you compromising a little? Besides, you’re not really suffering. She’s beautiful and she earns good money; you’re living a comfortable life!” “You’re a sugar baby and you’re still not satisfied? Always wanting more, wanting this and that. I don’t know how you were raised to be so greedy!” My voice suddenly grew hoarse, as I gritted my teeth and spoke. “I didn’t rely on her!” I insisted. “We built the company together! In fact, my contributions were even greater than hers…” My dad scoffed, cutting me off. “You’re my son. I know what you’re like. A good-for-nothing man, no talent whatsoever!” 5 Watching the sneer on my dad’s face, my heart clenched. Right out of college, I’d landed an eight-thousand-dollar salary during the worst economic downturn, all by my own ability. After that, it only climbed higher. Ten thousand, fifteen thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand… I spent a significant portion of that money on my family. My brother’s computer, phone, bicycle… My dad’s teapot, tea leaves, fishing rods… My mom’s necklace, gold bracelet, cosmetics… At that time, I didn’t even know Amy Vance! My abilities were evident to them! But now, I was talentless. I was a good-for-nothing, a sugar baby, dependent on a woman… My dad paused, then softened his tone. “Alright, alright, don’t be angry. Whether you love her or not, whether she cheated or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is keeping your life together! She didn’t even try to hide it from you; she’s already been very good.” My dad nudged my cousin’s shoulder, and they exchanged a glance before my cousin left. My dad continued, “…You cannot get this divorce. And your brother’s and cousin’s jobs absolutely cannot be lost. Go back and sweet-talk your wife. Make her give you a son! That way, even if she goes out to ‘play’ again later, you can tie her down with the child, and you won’t have to worry about your life falling apart.” He lowered his voice. “I’ve already sent your cousin to bring her back. Just lower your head, admit your mistake, and we’ll consider this matter settled…” As he spoke, footsteps approached, and a smile spread across my dad’s face. He shifted his gaze, then pushed my back. “Amy, we’ve talked to him. He knows he was just confused for a moment. This divorce is off. Remember to live a good life from now on, okay?” My dad’s hand pressed harder into my back. He even winked at me, the meaning clear: What are you waiting for? Hurry up and bow your head, admit your mistake! 6 Amy stepped closer, nodded to my dad, and reached out to take my hand. “Alright, let’s go home. I’ll try to control myself…” I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, twisted away, and slapped my dad’s hand off me. Family? They didn’t deserve me. And that rotten woman? Even less so! No one could bully me! No one! As my dad stared at me in disbelief, I raised my hand and smacked Amy hard across the face. Crack! The crisp sound of the slap made both Amy and my dad freeze. Amy clutched her cheek, staring at me blankly. “You… you dared to hit me?” I didn’t answer, nor did I stop. I brought my knee up, delivering a vicious kick to Amy’s body. The Amy who had just questioned me let out a gasp of pain, immediately doubling over like a cooked shrimp, sent sprawling to the ground by the force of the kick. I then stomped my foot onto her face, causing blood to gush from her nose and mouth. I pressed down, grinding my heel into her face as she wailed, one hand clutching her face, the other her stomach. “Control yourself? You think you can control me?!” My voice was a low snarl. “Anyone who wrongs me, not one of them will get away with it!” I had barely finished speaking when my dad’s roar suddenly erupted. He lunged at me, grabbing my hair and yanking with all his might. “Ah! Adrian Hayes, you’re really asking for it! How dare you lay a hand on her, and with such brutal force…” My dad yelled, delivering a smack to my face. He’d always been a physically active man. Instantly, blood appeared on his rough, dry palm. He’d scratched my face. But perhaps caught up in the fury, I felt no pain. Yet, the blood on his fingertips and the coppery taste in my mouth told me it wasn’t a light blow. Without a moment’s hesitation, I twisted, raised my hand, and smacked my dad squarely across the face. 7 In my dad’s stunned expression, I grabbed his hair in turn. With a pull and a yank, I slammed his head against Amy’s. Thud! The sound echoed, and both of them tumbled to the ground, their faces contorted in agony. I watched them coldly. “Anyone who wrongs me, not one of them will get away with it!” My brother and mom were startled. Their steps, which had been moving forward, hesitated, then retreated. Beyond their fear, their faces were etched with anger. Glaring at me, my mom instinctively ordered my brother, “Call the police! Call the police!” The precinct was nearby; the officers arrived quickly. They surveyed my blood-streaked face, my dad’s swollen forehead, and Amy, whose forehead was swollen, her nose and mouth bleeding. An officer gestured. “Alright, everyone, let’s go down to the station!” My dad had recovered somewhat. One hand clutched his forehead, the other held back the officer. “You take this bastard, lock him up. My wife isn’t going! My wife needs to go to the hospital first…” The officer glanced at Amy, then grunted, “Alright.” He then surveyed the faces of everyone else, his gaze finally settling on me. “One man against a whole family, huh? What kind of person are you, with such nerve? Let’s go!” I followed the officer’s gaze, sweeping over the faces of my dad, my brother, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin. Every single one of them looked at me with seething resentment. No wonder the officer immediately recognized them as a family unit and saw me as the outsider. But… “I’m that man’s son. His biological son.” All the way there, my thoughts drifted. I remembered a colleague from a previous job. I recalled a conversation I’d had with him. He had just finished a phone call, and on the other end was his father.
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