The night my son had a high fever, I overheard Jack flirting with his secretary, Scarlett, in Spanish on the phone. Jack’s lips curved into a smirk as he said, “Emma’s had a kid. She’s not as tight as you are. Don’t worry, she’s busy taking care of Tommy’s fever. She won’t notice I’m gone.” Scarlett’s coquettish voice came through the speakerphone, “Where should I wait for you, Mr. Harrison?” Jack glanced at me, “The usual hotel. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied tonight.” I held my son close, my fingers trembling with heartache. Jack didn’t know that I had minored in Spanish in college. I understood every word he said to his secretary tonight. Jack put on his coat, turning to leave. I stroked Tommy’s feverish little face, looking at Jack anxiously, “Jack, could you please take Tommy and me to the hospital first?” Jack frowned, “There’s an urgent matter at the company. I can’t delay.” Urgent matter? Urgent to have an affair with Scarlett in bed? I held back my anger, “Tommy’s fever is so high. He could have a seizure at any moment. What urgent matter could be more important than our son’s life?” Before I could finish, he had already slammed the door shut. Looking at my son who had fallen unconscious from the fever, I hesitated for a moment before calling Jack’s brother, “Daniel, Tommy has a high fever that won’t break. Jack said he has an urgent matter at the company tonight. Could you take us to the hospital?” A steady male voice came from the other end of the line, “Of course, I’ll be right there.” I hung up the phone, tears welling in my eyes. I was once the daughter of a wealthy family in New York, growing up alongside the two brothers of the city’s wealthiest family. Both brothers had deep feelings for me. Jack was lively and outgoing, while Daniel was calm and reserved. In my youth, I was captivated by Jack’s sweet talk and went on a private island vacation with him. I often wonder now, if I hadn’t drunk that spiked wine he gave me, would my life be completely different from what it is now? In less than twenty minutes, Daniel arrived. The headlights of his Bentley cut through the thick darkness of the night. He drove steadily, and I could smell the familiar scent of his cologne, a fragrance both silent and domineering. When Tommy’s fever finally broke after receiving IV fluids in a private hospital room, I felt relieved at last. I went out to the corridor and gratefully looked at Daniel, “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you tonight.” He replied softly, “It’s my duty to take care of my nephew. I’ve sent a message to my brother. He’ll be here soon to take you both home.” Under the dim light, his cold, handsome features softened with a touch of tenderness. Suddenly, my eyes welled up with tears. “Why are you crying?” Daniel raised his hand to wipe away the tears on my face, but then, as if realizing something, he quickly withdrew his hand. I shook my head, covering my face. Suddenly, a cold laugh came from behind us. Jack strode towards us, “Emma, Tommy’s fever has broken. Instead of taking our son home to rest, you’re here getting cozy with my brother in the hallway. Hm? What’s this about? Tired of the younger brother and want to play with the older one now?” My face turned pale. Daniel frowned deeply, “Jack, what nonsense are you talking about? Tommy was burning up so badly he passed out. Instead of taking your son to the hospital first, you rushed off to the company. What could possibly be more important than your child?” Scarlett, following behind Jack, her face still flushed with passion, chimed in, “Mr. Harrison recently closed a big deal with Spanish clients. He’s been busy with the contract signing these past few days. Isn’t Mr. Harrison working hard to provide a better life for Tommy and you, Emma?” No one responded to her. Jack pulled me into his arms, looking at Daniel provocatively, “Brother, thank you for tonight. I’m taking my wife and son home now. In the future, unless it’s absolutely necessary, you shouldn’t meet Emma alone. You understand the concept of avoiding suspicion, don’t you?” I struggled out of his grip, my eyes red, “Jack, the doctor said if we had brought Tommy in any later, the fever could have damaged his brain. Can you stop throwing dirt on your brother and me?” Scarlett blinked and giggled. Jack suddenly glared at her, “What are you laughing at? Go home now. Don’t be late for work tomorrow morning, or I’ll dock your attendance bonus.” Scarlett smiled seductively, “Yes, yes, of course. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Mr. Harrison.” As she brushed past me, I caught a whiff of her strong rose perfume. My face immediately changed.
When I was two months pregnant, I had smelled this same scent on Jack’s shirt. Perhaps it was a woman’s keen sixth sense, but even then, I felt that Jack might be having an affair. But Jack was extremely attentive to me at that time. He always informed me about his business dinners, never stayed out all night, and frequently gave me expensive gifts. During his vacations, he would turn off his phone to spend time with me wholeheartedly. He even hired a specialist to give prenatal education classes for our baby. So apart from that perfume, I couldn’t find any evidence of Jack’s infidelity. Looking back now, Jack had mastered the art of “counter-surveillance,” keeping everything perfectly hidden. If it weren’t for overhearing him flirting with Scarlett in Spanish tonight, I might have continued to be deceived, constantly reflecting on what I had done wrong, wondering if my postpartum recovery wasn’t good enough, unable to give him ultimate pleasure at night, causing his mood swings! After returning home, I looked at Tommy’s adorable sleeping face, tears streaming down uncontrollably. Tommy is only three years old this year. I don’t want him to grow up in a broken family at such a young age, nor do I want his childhood to lack a father’s companionship. I’m really afraid that when he grows up, he might say something like, “I don’t need a lot of money, I just want a lot of love.” In wealthy families, pearls and gold may be plentiful, but love and companionship are especially precious. So even though I knew Jack had betrayed me and was having an affair with his young and beautiful secretary Scarlett, I didn’t bring up divorce. But I never expected that my forbearance wouldn’t awaken Jack’s conscience. Instead, it invited Scarlett’s provocation. On Sunday night, Jack actually had Scarlett move into our villa. This was our marital home, where he once stood at the front door, smiling and vowing to love only me for the rest of his life. But now, for another woman, he had forgotten all those vows. As he helped Scarlett carry her suitcase into the guest room, he said to our housekeeper, “Mrs. Johnson, please make some Sichuan dishes tonight. My secretary loves spicy food.” I stood on the second floor, coldly watching them, “Tommy just recovered from his illness. He can’t eat spicy food.” Jack’s eyes flashed with guilt, “Oh right, my son was sick recently. Mrs. Johnson, could you also make some seafood porridge?” Perhaps he knew this situation was inappropriate. That night, he came to my bedroom to explain, “Emma, listen to me. The reason I let Scarlett stay at our house is because this Spanish business is urgent. It’s not unprecedented for a personal secretary to temporarily stay at the CEO’s home. Please understand, this is all for work.” I smiled faintly, “Mm, I understand. Work is important.” Seeing that I wasn’t arguing or making a fuss, Jack kissed my forehead with satisfaction, “Emma, you’re so good. Once I’m done with this busy period, I’ll take you and Tommy to Lake Tahoe for a few days.” I watched his back as he left, then took out a tissue to wipe the spot he had kissed. The kiss of an unfaithful person is truly dirty.
Early the next morning, Scarlett was busy in the kitchen, wearing a tight-fitting nightgown that accentuated her slim waist and shapely buttocks. Moments later, she brought milk and sandwiches to the dining table. Jack’s eyes kept lingering on Scarlett. He took a bite of the sandwich, “This is really good. The cheese is melted perfectly.” I looked at the sandwich, feeling no appetite at all. “Tommy, try Aunt Scarlett’s cooking. Is it good?” Scarlett smiled, pointing at the sandwich in front of Tommy. Before I could stop him, Tommy had already grabbed the sandwich and taken a big bite. Suddenly, he started coughing violently, his cheeks turning bright red. “Baby, what’s wrong!” I panicked, picking Tommy up and patting his back to help him breathe. His coughing got worse. I grabbed the sandwich he had eaten and looked at it, only to find it was spread with a large amount of peanut butter! I couldn’t help but scream, “Call 911 quick! Tommy is allergic to peanuts! He can’t eat anything with peanuts in it! He’ll have an anaphylactic reaction!” Standing in front of the emergency room, Jack’s face was grim. Scarlett’s face was pale, her eyes red. She said softly, “Emma, I… I really didn’t know Tommy was allergic to peanuts.” I sighed, “From now on, let’s leave the cooking to Mrs. Johnson.” Scarlett’s tears fell, “It’s all my fault. Emma must be angry with me. Mr. Harrison, I should move back to my apartment.” Jack frowned, “Move back? What for? This wasn’t intentional. You didn’t mean to harm Tommy. Just stay here.” I stared at him in disbelief. Two weeks after the sandwich incident, Jack suddenly called me into his study. Scarlett was there, wiping her tears pitifully. Jack looked at me unhappily, “Emma, can you stop making things difficult for Scarlett?” I laughed bitterly, “When did I ever make things difficult for her?” Jack tapped the desk, “You and Mrs. Smith cleaned the guest room where Scarlett is staying, right?” I nodded. His eyes were full of anger, “The window in Scarlett’s room won’t close properly, and the draft is giving her headaches. She likes spicy food, but when I’m not home, you always have Mrs. Johnson make such bland dishes. She’s not used to it and has lost weight. And can you stop letting Tommy bother her all the time? We don’t want another incident like last time where he ends up in the emergency room!” The truth was, Scarlett had specifically requested a well-ventilated room. The truth was, I had asked Mrs. Johnson to prepare two different flavors for each meal. The truth was, Scarlett often wanted to play with Tommy, and I was afraid she might unintentionally harm him, so I kept Tommy away from her. Now she had turned everything around and blamed me! I silently looked at Jack, not defending myself at all. After all, no matter what “grievances” Scarlett suffered, Jack was willing to stand up for her. No matter what mistakes she made, Jack was happy to find excuses and cover for her. My expression darkened. Suddenly, Scarlett looked at me timidly, “Emma, I’d like to speak with you alone.” The study door was closed, and Scarlett sat on the desk, her eyes seductive, “Emma, let’s be frank. I’m pregnant with Jack’s child.” My expression remained calm, “What do you want?” Scarlett smiled charmingly, “I want the position of the mistress of the house. I hope my child will be an only child, with no one to compete for the family fortune. I want Jack to stop hiding me under the guise of a secretary. Emma, are you willing to give him to me?” So everything had been her machination behind the scenes. For this wealth and status, she had repeatedly distorted facts, played mind games, pretended to be pitiful, and even tried to harm my son with peanut butter. Looking at her confident smile, I felt both ironic and pitiful. Men love the feeling of “stealing”. Having an affair with a mistress under the pressure of the original wife is an intense stimulation for men. If the original wife lets go, the man will quickly lose interest. By then, even a passionate rose-like mistress will become a boring mosquito bite. That night, I prepared two copies of divorce papers, slipping one into the documents Jack was to sign the next day. Early the next morning, I took Tommy on a flight back to my parents’ home in New York. As I left, I smiled at Jack and Scarlett. By the time he discovers the signed divorce papers, I should have already arrived at the New York airport.
“Emma? Why didn’t you tell me you and Tommy were coming back? I could have asked our housekeeper to prepare a table of your favorite dishes,” my mother said with a surprised look as she saw Tommy and me. Our housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, took Tommy back to the bedroom. I sat down next to my mother, tears suddenly streaming down my face, “Mom, I’m divorcing Jack.” My mother’s expression changed slightly, “He wronged you, didn’t he? Your father and I never approved of Jack. When you insisted on going on that island vacation with him alone, I tried to persuade you for so long, but you wouldn’t listen. You even snuck out with fake IDs. Sigh, we wanted you to marry his brother Daniel back then, but then Tommy came along…” I sniffled and interrupted her, “If it weren’t for Tommy, I would have cut ties with him long ago.” My mother sighed, lovingly patting my head. “He and his secretary…” I choked up, unable to continue. “Emma, men who crave novelty never end up well,” my mother said with a cold smile. At 10 PM, I lay in my childhood bedroom, lost in thought. In our teenage years, Jack was always the one with witty words to make people laugh, while Daniel was like a gentle and silent shadow. I was too young then, always captivated by Jack’s grand promises and sweet talk, forgetting to pay attention to the one who consistently took action. I remember one snowy night in New York when I was playing chess with the two brothers at their house until late. Jack looked at the dancing snowflakes outside the window and yawned, “It’s snowing heavily today, so cold outside — Emma, since our houses are close, could you just wrap your scarf tightly and go home by yourself?” Before I could respond, Daniel silently stood up, put on his coat, ready to brave the snow to send me home. Under the dim streetlight shrouded by wind and snow, Daniel stood there looking at me, his eyes full of endless cherishment and tenderness. My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively avoided Daniel’s gaze, rushing towards the gate of my family’s house in a few quick steps. I also recalled the incident during the island vacation with Jack. Unknowingly, I drank the glass of spiked wine Jack handed me, falling drunk into his arms, leading to a night of passion. Afterwards, he apologized pitifully, “Emma, I love you so much that I resorted to this. I just wanted to make you mine before anyone else could. I know my brother has feelings for you too, and I was so afraid he would steal you away.” When the doctor diagnosed me as one month pregnant, Jack caressed my belly with a joyful expression, “That night’s effort wasn’t in vain after all. Now that you’re carrying my child, I can rightfully marry you.” I lowered my gaze, hesitating for a long time before deciding not to tell him about my application to study oil painting abroad. The next day, I quietly canceled that application. After all, at that time, the aunts and sisters around me were all women who sacrificed themselves for love and family. I thought my sacrifice was also necessary. Later, when I married Jack while carrying our one-month-old child, everyone was smiling and applauding in congratulations. Only Daniel stood in the crowd, his expression solemn as he gazed at me from afar. After that, Daniel never got involved with any other woman. He immersed himself in his archaeology career, using his skilled hands to restore many precious and rare artifacts. I took a deep breath and covered my face with my hands. Perhaps, I had loved the wrong person from the very beginning? When I woke up again, I found that Jack had called me twenty-six times. What was he in such a hurry for? I rubbed my temples and called him back, “Hmm?” Jack quickly picked up the phone, his voice hoarse, “Emma, you want to divorce me?!”
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