I discovered my wife was having an affair. Instead of confronting her, I played it cool. I didn’t expose her. In fact, I became even more doting and attentive, and far more generous with her parents. It was only later that she finally realized just how terrifying I could be. My name is Alex, and I’m a web novelist. Two years ago, I found out my wife was cheating on me. That day, I was supposed to go to New York for a web novel platform’s annual author conference. Charlotte was packing my suitcase in the bedroom, and I was in the living room when I happened to see a text message pop up on her phone: “See you tonight, babe. Room booked.” So, I secretly canceled my trip. That night, I quietly followed her and watched with my own eyes as a man put his arm around her and led her into a hotel. But I didn’t do what most men would, rushing in to fight the guy or staging a dramatic confrontation in the hotel room. All I felt was a bitter irony: my seemingly gentle and virtuous wife was also out looking for some other man. After a few days of wallowing in a motel, I pretended to return from New York. The moment I got home, I gave Charlotte a big hug. Charlotte and I had been married for six years and had a five-year-old son. My in-laws usually helped take care of him. Our life seemed perfect and harmonious. People always told me I was lucky to have such a wonderful wife. But this enviable family was about to face a massive storm. After discovering Charlotte’s infidelity, the more I looked at Leo, the less he seemed like me. Without realizing it, a terrible thought began to form in my mind. Yet, I didn’t take Leo for a DNA test. Instead, I showered him with affection. I bought him all the toys he liked, frequently took him to amusement parks, cooked him delicious meals every day, picked him up from preschool, and played games with him until we were both covered in sweat. My reasons and goals for doing all this were simple. If he was my son, he’d soon face a broken home, and my actions were just a small compensation. If he wasn’t my son, then my kindness to him was a crucial part of my revenge plan. My wife, Charlotte, wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but she was pretty and elegant with a good figure. She used to be one of my book fans, often sending me generous gifts on the novel platform. Over time, we added each other on SnapChat, and eventually, we started living together. I really liked her. She wasn’t just attractive and classy; she was also gentle and virtuous. My friends all said I must have done something truly amazing in a past life to marry her. I was secretly thrilled at first, until I discovered she’d betrayed me. What drove me crazy was that her betrayal was incredibly consistent. For the past two years, she’d been exclusively involved with one man – her direct supervisor, Daniel Sterling. If she’d been with different men, I could have called her promiscuous or sleazy. But her “loyalty” to him made me think she’d actually fallen for the guy. That morning, Charlotte reminded me it was Arthur’s birthday and asked me to buy some specialty coffee and prepare some ingredients to cook dinner at their place. I nodded in agreement. Eleanor used to run a small diner, making a living through hard work, and hadn’t saved much for retirement. Arthur had retired from a manufacturing plant; he was a factory worker, so his pension wasn’t huge, but it was enough for the two of them. That would have been fine, but as Arthur got older, he suddenly started clamoring for another son, saying that raising one grandson was the same as raising another child. Naturally, Eleanor and Charlotte strongly objected. Their reasons were the usual: societal norms, age, physical and mental energy, and financial security. Actually, I didn’t mind. After all, I was making a good income from my writing, and I wanted to help Arthur. But the problem was, his daughter was cheating on me. “Alex, have you seen this news? A woman in her sixties had IVF and gave birth to twins,” Arthur said, pointing to a news page on his computer as soon as I walked into their house. “Dad, I know about that news. I actually support you. If you want another child, go for it. I’ll always be your strong supporter.” Right then, I transferred Arthur $5,000. “Here’s some money for you to start the IVF process at the clinic. If it’s not enough later, I’ll give you more.” Ever since Charlotte’s affair, I’d been increasingly kind to Arthur and Eleanor, arguably even more so than their own daughter. Because they were indispensable pawns in my revenge plan.
Arthur’s eyes lit up when he received the money. He pulled out two bottles of his finest reserved wine, declaring we’d drink to our hearts’ content that night. As I started cooking, Arthur happily joined me, picking, washing, and chopping vegetables. I knew he truly saw me as his personal ATM this time. After Eleanor brought Leo back from preschool, I messaged Charlotte on SnapChat, asking when she’d be off work and telling her to drive carefully. Then, I arranged the cooked dishes on the table, finally placing the birthday cake in the center. In the glow of the candlelight, I looked at the familiar yet strange faces around me, a cold laugh echoing in my heart. Charlotte urged us not to drink too much, but Arthur, beaming, said he was so happy to have such a great son-in-law like Alex that he wanted to drink until he passed out tonight. Before we even finished dinner, Charlotte received a SnapChat message. She said something urgent came up at work and she had to go in for overtime, thoughtfully telling me to just sleep at her parents’ house if I drank too much. Ha. I knew exactly what Charlotte was up to. My eyes hazy from drink, I looked at her. “Honey, if you didn’t eat enough here, grab something else to eat on your way, don’t go hungry.” After Charlotte left, I received several photos and a video on my phone – all of Charlotte and that man. The first time I discovered her affair, I’d hired someone to monitor their every move. Now, my cloud drive was full of evidence of their infidelity. These would be very useful later. After Arthur passed out, I played Plants vs. Zombies with Leo for a while, then Red Light, Green Light. I made sure he drank his warm milk, then told him stories to lull him to sleep. I had spoiled him into being the little king of the house, letting him live without restraint. I had only one goal: I wanted him to be completely dependent on me. When I divorced Charlotte, I certainly wouldn’t want him. Then, I’d let Leo resent her, and watch mother and son tear each other apart. Thinking of this, I felt much lighter. I handed Leo over to Eleanor and went home. Now, my novel royalties far exceeded Charlotte’s salary. Two years ago, I used to give all my royalties to Charlotte. After discovering her affair, I only gave her a small portion, but it was still twice her salary, so she didn’t suspect anything. To be safe, I used my father’s ID to apply for another pen name, and the bulk of my royalties went into his account. Besides, the house we lived in was my pre-marital property, so it would naturally remain mine after the divorce. Therefore, my assets wouldn’t be significantly affected after the divorce. Charlotte didn’t get home until the middle of the night. A twisted urge suddenly surged through me. She had just closed the front door and hadn’t even turned on the lights when I lunged out of the darkness, embracing her and letting out a strange, cackling laugh. She thought I was staying at her parents’ house and wasn’t prepared. My sudden action scared her badly. She cursed me, calling me insane. She wasn’t wrong! I was like a lunatic now! But then again, if she hadn’t cheated, how would I have ended up like this? My mind growing darker, more twisted! After Charlotte fell asleep, I lay awake in the dark, my eyes wide open. More and more evidence, like magma secretly surging beneath the earth’s crust, accumulated, seemingly waiting for the final eruption.
Now, I went to Arthur and Eleanor’s house almost every day. First, to spend more time with Leo, making him clingier to me; second, to impress Arthur and Eleanor, laying the groundwork for the final explosion. The next day was a public holiday, but Charlotte went to work for overtime again. At the mall, I spent $40 on an action figure set for Leo. I also spent $800 on a pair of emerald bracelets for Eleanor and another $150 on two bottles of fine wine for Arthur. I didn’t feel bad spending money on them. Even though Arthur had always been somewhat opportunistic, Eleanor had always treated me well, and she helped us take care of Leo. There was a component of gratitude in spending money on her. But overall, it was still about revenge. “Alex, why did you buy so much stuff again? What’s the point of spending all this money? You two are just starting to get financially comfortable, you should save more when you’re young, you’ll need it later.” Eleanor saw me with more shopping and chided me for wasteful spending, but a hint of joy still showed in the corner of her eyes. I handed the jewelry box to Eleanor and the wine to Arthur, saying, “Dad, Mom, please don’t be so formal with me. You both work hard taking care of Leo for Charlotte and me. It’s only right for me to show my appreciation.” As I spoke, I infused my voice with deeper emotion: “You raised your daughter so well and entrusted her to me. Buying you all this is the least I can do.” “Oh, Alex, you’re such a good kid…” Eleanor was touched by my words, her eyes starting to well up. At that moment, Arthur put the wine away and walked over, grinning. “Alex cooked a fantastic dinner yesterday, so tonight, my dear wife, it’s your turn.” After Eleanor went into the kitchen, Arthur leaned in close and whispered, “I told your mother about the IVF last night. She hesitated for a long time, but she finally agreed.” Hearing this, I excitedly slapped my thigh. “That’s great news!” Arthur flinched, clearly startled by my overly enthusiastic reaction. I quickly composed myself and feigned an explanation. “Dad, I’m truly happy for you both. This way, Charlotte and I will have a little brother too.” “Yes, yes, as long as you see it that way,” Arthur said, his face full of relief. Then, he paused for a moment before saying, a little sheepishly, “I also looked into it, and I heard that the chances of having twins with IVF are higher than with natural conception.” “That’s fantastic! Who wouldn’t want twins?” Arthur and I were both elated, though for different reasons. “But if we have two boys, considering our age…” Arthur looked at me intently, a troubled expression on his face. Seeing his dilemma, I quickly declared, “Dad, that’s absolutely no problem. My novel royalties are very substantial now. Raising two younger brothers is definitely something I can handle.” Arthur nodded, satisfied with my words. After a moment, he cautiously added, “The main thing is housing… If boys don’t have houses when they grow up, it’s hard for them to find wives.” “Don’t you two worry about that. They’ll be my little brothers, and I’ll figure out the housing situation!” I looked at Arthur, my words firm and decisive. After saying that, I controlled myself, trying not to laugh. I couldn’t believe my revenge plan was progressing so smoothly. My words instantly made Arthur beam with joy. “Alex, the whole family will be counting on you from now on!” Arthur patted my shoulder. “You’re much better than my own daughter.”
A few days later, Arthur and Eleanor went for IVF… Unfortunately, it wasn’t successful. When Charlotte came home that night, I directly told her about it, suggesting we use our savings to send Arthur and Eleanor to a large hospital in the city. But to my surprise, my words completely enraged Charlotte. “Alex! Are you out of your mind? You supported them getting IVF behind my back? If they actually have kids, won’t *we* be the ones taking care of them? They’re almost sixty!” At this point, Charlotte looked at me like I was an idiot. “Alex, tell me, what are you thinking? Why are you so desperate for them to have another son? Are they your parents or my parents?!” I put my hands on Charlotte’s shoulders, patiently explaining: “Honey, Mom and Dad haven’t had it easy. They raised you, then they helped us with Leo. Now they have this longing for a son. Since we’re capable now, I just want to help them more. I’ll write a few more novels, and all these difficulties will pass.” As I said this, I sneered inwardly, but on my face, I maintained a look of thoughtful sincerity. Charlotte probably thought I was taking on all the responsibility, so she stopped objecting. She looked at me, unsure what to say. I knew this was almost a done deal! The house was my pre-marital property, and most of my royalties were already transferred to my dad’s account. Now I just wanted to get rid of all the money Charlotte had! The thought of her being left with nothing after leaving me made my heart sing. “But if Mom and Dad have children, besides the living, medical, and education expenses, what about housing?” Charlotte finally brought up the crucial point. “Honey, I’ve already discussed this with Dad. I’ll buy the kids a house. A long-form novel I wrote two years ago is currently in the process of signing a film and TV rights deal. Let alone one house, there’ll be enough money for two then,” I said, patting Charlotte’s shoulder, completely making things up. “Film and TV rights are worth that much?” Charlotte’s eyes lit up. I smiled and nodded. Seeing me nod, Charlotte finally smiled.
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