In the fourth year of our marriage, both Arthur and I had affairs. He kept a young college student on the side, treating her like a precious treasure. Behind his back, I kept a pure, sweet college boy to relive the passion of my youth. I originally thought he had long since grown tired of our messy, exhausting marriage. But to my surprise, the day he discovered my betrayal, he acted like a madman, desperately demanding that we both return to our marriage. 1 Arthur slept in the study again tonight. When I went in to bring him some coffee, I happened to catch him working on documents while on the phone with his young mistress. His phone, placed next to his laptop, was on speaker. The girl's voice was sweet but laced with a bit of bratty entitlement: "Why aren't you answering my video calls? Are you with that old woman and afraid I'll see?" Arthur coaxed her with a good temper: "What are you talking about? I'm looking at a contract. I'll FaceTime you when I'm done. Be a good girl." The girl was relentless: "Arthur Sterling, don't forget what you promised me. You won't touch her ever again." "I know, you little jealous thing. "I've been sleeping in the study lately, you know that." Hearing his unconsciously softened tone, I felt a momentary daze. Once, when I threw little tantrums, he used to lower his pride and coax me just like that. After all this time, he was still the same Arthur—once he liked someone, he would spoil them unconditionally. It was just that the object of his affection had changed to someone else. A girl as young as I was back then. 2 Arthur's smile froze on his face the moment he saw me. Perhaps afraid I would say something harsh to his little girl, he quickly hung up the phone, frowned, and scolded: "Why didn't you knock?" I slammed the mug down on the table with a loud clack. "Your coffee. Maria has an upset stomach, so she asked me to bring it up. "And, I did knock. You were just too absorbed in your little romance to hear it." Arthur tugged at his shirt collar and leaned back against his chair. The expression on his face relaxed. "Sorry, my fault. "Chloe has been a little fussy the last two days. I was just dealing with her." The moment he mentioned Chloe Davis, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, and even his voice lightened considerably. 3 Ever since I caught him cheating, Arthur stopped hiding his affection for Chloe. I had cried, made scenes, and even threatened suicide to make him cut ties with her. The result? He just watched me coldly, calling me a lunatic. Thinking back on it now, I definitely looked like a lunatic. It took me a very long time to detach myself from the trauma of that heartbreak. Even if it wasn't agonizing, I was definitely left covered in scars. After calming down, I considered divorce. But that thought was quickly swallowed by resentment. Yes, resentment. I had been with Arthur from the very beginning when we had nothing, all the way to his current success. How could I possibly just step aside and let them have their happy ending? Moreover, from what I knew, Arthur was working on a massive project. Once completed, his assets would at least double. If I was going to divorce him, I would wait until the project was over. I didn't care about the man anymore, but there was no reason to let a cheating bastard mess with my money. I don't claim to be a saint. When I loved him, I gave him my all, but since he betrayed me, I had to find a way to maximize my own interests. Treating Arthur as a money-making tool made this marriage much more bearable. 4 A close friend had warned me before: never feel sorry for a man, and never try to save money for a man. Because the money you save will eventually be spent by another woman. At the time, I laughed and told her she was overthinking it. Now, it seems her words were absolute wisdom. I, who used to be frugal and calculated every penny, started spending lavishly. If Arthur could use our joint marital assets to keep a college student, why couldn't I? So, using the money Arthur earned, I comfortably became the sugar mama to a very handsome male college student. I have to admit, having a ridiculously good-looking, fit, and clingy "puppy dog" sweetly calling me "older sister" was quite enjoyable. Thinking about this, I had no desire to stay and watch his performance of deep devotion to Chloe. These past two days, it wasn't just his little girl making a fuss; my little puppy dog was also getting pretty jealous. 5 Back in my bedroom with the door locked, I video-called Leo Vance. Soon, a stunningly handsome face appeared on the screen. He was wearing white earbuds. He must have just taken a shower; his hair was still damp. He had a beautiful, sun-kissed complexion and perfectly sculpted muscles. He looked like an intoxicating male siren. I swallowed hard. "Pan down, let me see those abs." Leo shyly lowered his head, his earlobe, visible on the edge of the screen, turning a soft pink. So incredibly innocent. But he obediently moved the phone further away. "There are people in the dorm," he whispered. Even his voice was so husky it gave me goosebumps. I chuckled darkly, acting like a total creep: "Doesn't that make it more exciting!" Leo's earlobe turned even redder, the color spreading down his neck. Afraid I would say something even more inappropriate, he quickly changed the subject: "Sister, a girl has been hitting on me the last couple of days. She looks a bit like you." 6 Given Leo's looks, it was obvious he had a lot of girls chasing him. But this was the first time he had mentioned it to me. I suddenly remembered Chloe calling me an "old woman." An inexplicable wave of irritation hit me. A six-year age gap... to Leo, I suppose I was a bit old. "So... do you like her too? If so, I'll let you go." He clearly hadn't expected me to say that, and he panicked. "That's not what I meant." He waved his hands frantically, explaining: "My roommates told me I needed to let you know how high in demand I am, so you'd feel a sense of crisis. "I don't want freedom. I just want you to care about me a little more. "Sister, I only like you." He spoke with such urgent sincerity, as if he was genuinely terrified I didn't want him anymore. I sighed. We originally started this as a mutually beneficial arrangement. The worst-case scenario was one of us actually catching feelings. "Leo, I like you a lot too. But the gap between us is too big. It won't lead anywhere. "You should find a girl your own age and have a normal, healthy relationship. "Let's just end it here." Just as I finished speaking, a frantic knocking came from the door. Through the wood, Arthur's voice sounded furious. "Maya, who are you talking to?" 7 I quickly hung up the video call. The project Arthur was working on was in its final stages. I had endured for over half a year; I didn't want any complications at the very end. I opened the door and looked up at him. "What, you managed to coax your mistress? Does she know you ran over here in the middle of the night to bang on my door?" Arthur frowned, his face dark. He lowered his voice and asked again, "Who was it?" I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but curse: "None of your damn business." "Maya, are you seeing someone behind my back?!" Looking at his tightly clenched hands, the knuckles white from the strain, I found it hilarious. He was having an affair so blatantly, acting like he wished the whole world knew he was cheating on me. And now, he couldn't handle a tiny hint of suspicion? "In what capacity are you asking me?" I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. "As my cheating husband, or as Chloe's boyfriend? "Is it that people who are dirty themselves think everything else is dirty too?" Arthur glared at me, his eyes looking like they wanted to slice me into pieces. He held out his hand. "Give me your phone." I couldn't be bothered with him. I stepped back into my room and slammed the door right in his face. 8 Arthur went crazy, pounding on the door relentlessly. Annoyed, I texted Chloe directly. [Your man is banging on my door right now. He probably wants to spend the night with me. Should I go open the door?] A few minutes later, it was finally quiet. I let out a long breath, tossed my phone aside, and collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. My phone kept buzzing with notifications. I didn't know if it was Leo or Chloe, or maybe both of them frantically messaging me. Regardless of who it was, I didn't want to look at it right now. It was so annoying. 9 When I woke up the next day, Arthur had already left for the office. Maria brought out breakfast, hesitated for a moment, and asked: "Ma'am, did you and Mr. Sterling have a fight? He didn't look very happy today." Maria was great, but a bit old-fashioned. I had told her many times to just use our first names, but she insisted. She said she couldn't break the rules. Eventually, I just let her be. I picked up an egg, tapped it twice on the table, and shrugged indifferently. "He probably had a fight with the girl he keeps on the side." Chloe had been acting quite entitled lately, spoiled by Arthur's indulgence. Arthur probably didn't have a good time last night. Maria's expression changed a few times: "Ma'am, you can't just let Mr. Sterling continue like this. You've been married for so many years, it's time you had a child. "Maybe with a child, he'll come back to you." Trying to use a child to tie down a man who has already checked out... how pathetic do you have to be to resort to that? I shook my head. "That's not fair to the child. Besides, I don't want to win him back." When threatening suicide didn't make him change his mind, I had already decided I didn't want this man anymore. 10 When the company got on track, I stepped down from the General Manager position and opened my own studio. I focused on jewelry design, which I loved, and I had achieved some minor success over the past two years. I had just parked my car in the studio's underground garage when Leo appeared out of nowhere. His eyes were red, and his upper eyelids were still swollen. "Sister..." He called out to me, his voice noticeably hoarse. He looked at me with pitiful eyes, like an abandoned puppy. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "You didn't reply to my messages, and I didn't dare call you. I could only wait for you here." He took a few steps forward and carefully tugged at my sleeve. "Don't push me away. If I did something wrong, you can tell me. I'll change." 11 I started feeling irritated again, an irritation mixed with a heartache I couldn't ignore. "Leo, think clearly. Our relationship is toxic. "If we separate, we can't even use the word 'breakup,' it's just 'termination.' Do you understand?" The color drained from Leo's face. He lowered his head, refusing to speak, his hand still stubbornly clutching my cuff. Holding on very, very tightly. I took a deep breath, ultimately giving in to my softer side. "Leo, find a girl your own age and love her properly. "Go have a healthy relationship, one that can be out in the open." Leo sniffled and rejected my suggestion without a second of hesitation. "I only want you." We went back and forth in the underground garage for a long time, but in the end, I couldn't dissuade him. Whatever. He's still young. Give him time, and he'll eventually get tired of me. Just like Arthur—he used to love me so much he would have jumped in a river for me, and now hasn't he moved on to someone else? 12 After sketching designs all morning, I stretched and decided to take a break. As soon as I opened my phone, I saw that Chloe had sent me a barrage of messages. This mistress was getting increasingly arrogant. At first, when she added me as a friend, she didn't even dare say who she was. She only dared to subtly show off her relationship on her Instagram stories. Now, she had the nerve to provoke me directly. She sent two photos. In one, she was wearing a very expensive necklace, smiling brightly. In the other, it was also a necklace, a very beautiful design, just noticeably less extravagant than the first one. But I recognized it instantly. It was the exact one I had loved a few years ago but couldn't afford. That year, Arthur and I were preparing for our wedding, and he took me to pick out jewelry. I fell in love with that necklace at first sight. But at the time, our business was just getting off the ground, and we couldn't support such a high expense. He held my hand, his eyes red from holding back tears. He said: "Honey, I'm sorry I can't give you what you want. "In the future, I will definitely make a lot of money. When the time comes, I'll buy out an entire mall's worth of jewelry for you." Later, he did make a lot of money, enough to buy dozens, even hundreds of malls. It's just that he forgot his promise to me. 13 Below the photos were a few lines of text. [Arthur bought me two necklaces to make me happy. But I don't really like the second one.] [I thought about gifting it to you, Sister, but I was afraid you wouldn't like it either. But Arthur told me you actually liked this design a few years ago.] [So I told him to bring it back for you tonight. I hope you don't mind, Sister.] This two-faced, competitive, 'pick-me' attitude was truly disgusting. I didn't hold back. [My mother only had one child. Stop with the 'Sister' nonsense, it's pathetic.] [From now on, just call me Mrs. Sterling.] Maybe the words 'Mrs. Sterling' hurt her fragile ego. She didn't reply, but a moment later, Arthur called. "What did you say to her now? "Can you stop causing drama and leave her alone? I bought you a gift." I cursed again: "Fuck your drama! Get lost!" Then I hung up without hesitation. I think I might have developed a phobia of massive idiots. 14 I sat in my chair, fuming, feeling increasingly disgusted the more I thought about it. I picked up my phone again, took screenshots of my conversation with Chloe, and sent them to Arthur. Even though I had already decided to divorce him once the project was over, I needed him to see clearly what kind of trash he had fallen for. Running over to lecture me? Telling me I provoked her? If you make me uncomfortable, I won't let anyone else have a good day either. [Open your damn eyes and look closely! Who provoked who first?!] [Are you trying to tell me the gift you prepared for me is the necklace your little mistress rejected? Don't fucking disgust me! I don't want it!] Without waiting for his reply, I swiftly blocked him on every single platform. Rather than letting them drain me, it's better to act crazy and drain them. It felt fucking great! 15 Arthur tried calling me from several different numbers, but I blocked them all. It started drizzling in the evening. When I got home, Arthur was sitting stiffly on the sofa. On his white collar, a smeared lipstick stain was glaringly obvious. On the table in front of him sat a beautifully wrapped gift box. Seeing me enter, he stood up and held the box out to me. "Listen to my explanation. "I specifically bought this for you. I didn't know Chloe would sneakily try it on. And I didn't know she would say those things to you." I took it, turned around, and tossed it into the nearby trash can. "I find things she's touched filthy. "Including you." Arthur's face darkened. He gritted his teeth and glared at me fiercely: "Maya, don't push it." "I'm pushing it? "Do I need to remind you of everything you've done?" He froze, shifting his angry gaze away from me, his hands clenching into fists and then slowly releasing. He didn't argue back, nor could he. 16 I couldn't be bothered to continue arguing with him. I bypassed him and went straight to my bedroom. Afraid Arthur would hear, after showering, I didn't video-call Leo; instead, I texted him. We were in the middle of a lively conversation when there was a knock on the door. Arthur stood in the doorway, dripping wet. He awkwardly shoved a gift box into my hands again. "I just went out and bought a new one. "She hasn't touched this one. It's not dirty." He wet his lips and continued: "I remember you really liked it before. I just couldn't afford it back then. I..." I cut him off: "Oh, sorry. I don't like it anymore." Arthur frowned, looking confused: "Why?" I sneered: "People's feelings change, let alone a piece of jewelry that's out of style. "Stop bothering me from now on." I slammed the door in his face again. 17 Because he got caught in the rain, Arthur developed a fever. He's always been incredibly fussy when he's sick. Maria made him various nutritious meals, but he refused to eat a single bite, only demanding the pork and century egg congee I used to make. Back when we were just starting the business, maybe because he was stressed and overworked, Arthur got sick a lot. Every time he got sick, I would make him pork and century egg congee. After he finished eating, he would rest his head on my shoulder, hugging me and acting like a baby. "Wifey, why are you so good to me? You're the best wife in the whole world!" We had no money back then, living in a tiny, cramped apartment. But every day was so happy. But later, I don't know how things changed. Do men really turn bad once they get money? Maria looked at me, clearly conflicted. "Ma'am, maybe you could make him some congee? He's not eating anything, his body won't be able to handle it." I nodded. True, if he stays sick, wouldn't his project get delayed? I opened the chat with Chloe again. [Your man is sick, come take care of him.] 18 Seeing Chloe at the house, Arthur's fever-flushed face looked even worse. He coughed and asked darkly: "Why did you come to my house?" Not expecting him to say that, Chloe was stunned for a moment, forcefully suppressing her rising temper. She lowered her head, looking pitiful. "I heard you were sick, so I came to take care of you." Arthur glanced at me, and seeing my amused expression, suddenly became very impatient. He aggressively started kicking her out: "I don't need you here, go back." Chloe had been treated like a precious jewel by him all this time; there was no way she could handle this kind of attitude from him now. She turned and ran out crying. She ran very slowly, though, probably expecting Arthur to chase after her and comfort her. But Arthur stood ramrod straight in place, not moving an inch. I clicked my tongue, secretly mocking them. Just the day before yesterday they were so lovey-dovey and sweet. Is he bored of her already today? "I know, you little jealous thing~" Yuck~ Disgusting! 19 Chloe felt wronged at Arthur's place, so she decided to take her anger out on me. [What did you say to Arthur! He's never treated me like this before!] I thought about it. [Maybe because I took screenshots of our conversation and sent them to him?] [Oh, he also said the necklace was meant for me, and you secretly tried it on yourself.] I guess that was the only thing I did. Chloe must have been furious; she started aggressively cursing me out: [You bitch!] [Filthy slut! Serves you right Arthur doesn't want you!] [You're old, go find a nursing home and rot there, stop making a fool of yourself!] I calmly took a screenshot and replied: [Wow~ So vulgar~] [Aren't you afraid I'll send these screenshots to that blind, idiotic asshole?] As soon as the message sent, she started frantically unsending her messages one by one. Too late, honey~ I unblocked Arthur, sent the screenshots, and blocked him again. Before blocking him, I didn't forget to curse him out thoroughly. Equally destroying both the scumbag and the bitch. It felt so fucking good! 20 Before, I had never thought about causing trouble for Chloe. Even when I tried to use suicide to save this severely damaged marriage, I never said a single bad word about her. I always believed that flies don't bite seamless eggs. The main reason for cheating is the man's lack of commitment. But the more I acted this way, the more she thought I was a pushover. She provoked me over and over again. She even blatantly attacked me to my face a few times. I slashed my wrists and lay in the hospital, and she came to see me. She pressed her hand on my bandaged wrist, her face full of sympathy: "Arthur is so cruel to you, Sister. You're in this state and he doesn't even feel bad. "If I even get a tiny scrape, he gets anxious for half the day." She brought her friends to my studio and judged my work. Several of them laughed loudly, making reckless comments. They said someone would have to have terrible taste to like the ugly things I designed. If I kept tolerating this, Notre Dame would invite me to ring their bells.
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