I left work early to go home, only to walk in on my wife and her friend chatting away in the kitchen, deep in conversation. Ashley spooned some soup and offered it to Mark, her friend, to taste. Their expressions were completely normal, though, not a hint of anything out of place. At dinner, Mark even joked with me. “Leo, you’re not mad that I was just chatting with your wife, are you?” I smiled and shook my head. But then, something strange hit me. The bedsheets, which I’d changed that very morning, had been replaced with an identical set. A prickling sensation of unease began to creep over me. While Ashley was in the shower, I meticulously checked the bedsheets. That morning, I’d accidentally flicked a marker pen, leaving a faint black line on the bottom edge of the sheet. It was pretty light, barely noticeable, so I hadn’t bothered with it. I flipped the sheet inside out, top to bottom, but couldn’t find that black line anywhere. Just then, Ashley walked in, wrapped in a towel. “Honey, what are you doing?” “And why are you all sweaty?” I fanned myself with my hand, trying to act casual. “Just really hot, that’s all.” “Ashley, these sheets… weren’t they changed this morning?” She paused for a second, then furrowed her brow. “Yes, honey, you saw me change them, didn’t you?” My heart sank. The sheets really had been changed twice in one day. I rubbed my temples, forcing a smile. “Guess I’m just overheating and losing my mind.” Suddenly, Ashley’s phone buzzed with a text message. She quickly swiped her phone, staring at the screen, and let out a soft laugh. I tilted my head, trying to glimpse her phone, but realized she’d put on a privacy screen protector. “Ashley, what’s so funny?” At my question, she quickly put her phone away. “Just some funny internet memes, they’re hilarious.” I nodded, wrapping an arm around her slender waist. “Honey, tonight…” Before I could finish, she gently pushed me away. “Honey, you’re all sweaty. Go take a shower.” “Then you’ll wait for me, right?” I rushed through a shower, no more than 10 minutes from start to finish. But by the time I returned to the bedroom, Ashley was already in bed, eyes closed. “Honey, I’m really tired today. Maybe another time.” “Alright, you sleep. I’m going to have a smoke.” I stood on the balcony, angrily puffing on a cigarette. From all the signs today, Ashley and Mark’s relationship was clearly more than just platonic. I decided I needed to test them, to see if my suspicions were true.
My wife, Ashley, and I had been married for two years, and our relationship had always been harmonious. We barely ever argued, a model couple in the eyes of outsiders. Ashley had a very kind nature and quickly hit it off with my friends. Three months ago, after a promotion and a raise, I decided to treat my friends to dinner out. But Ashley insisted it would be more fun at home, easier for us to chat and drink. That day, she personally prepared a lavish spread of dishes. All my friends praised me for marrying such a wonderful wife. Mark was there too that day, sitting right next to Ashley. “Leo, you hit the jackpot marrying Ashley.” “She’s gorgeous and so capable, seriously makes a guy jealous.” Ashley’s face flushed then, and I thought it was shyness or maybe she’d had a bit too much to drink. Later, Mark kept pouring me drinks, and I ended up pretty wasted. I only remember Mark being the last to leave. He even suggested I add Ashley to our SnapChat group. Since that day, Mark became a regular at our house. He’d occasionally buy groceries and help Ashley in the kitchen. But each time, he’d notify me beforehand, almost as if to prevent me from overthinking things. Ashley’s style of dress used to be quite modest and conservative. But recently, she’d completely changed her look, going for a sexier vibe. She’d buy sensual lingerie, but she never wore it in front of me. I thought she was shy, but now I suspect it wasn’t meant for me at all. When it came to our intimate life, Ashley would either make excuses or just go through the motions. “Honey, I’ve been so tired from work lately.” After saying that, she’d roll over, close her eyes, and pretend to be asleep. I felt she was working too hard and suggested she quit. But she insisted that women needed financial independence. Before all this, I loved her, admired her, and trusted her completely. But today, Ashley had lied to me, and it left me with no choice but to doubt her.
The next day, I took half a day off work. I drove to a popular artisan bakery downtown and waited in line for bread. I bought a banana bread, which was much more expensive than regular bread. Unless you were told, you’d never guess it was banana bread from its appearance. That was precisely its unique selling point. After buying the bread, I called my friend Mark. “Mark, are you home?” Mark on the other end of the line sounded a little surprised. “Yeah, just got home from the morning shift.” “A client gave me some of that trendy bakery bread, it’s pretty pricey.” “You like bread, right? I’ll drop some off for you.” Mark didn’t refuse and even thanked me over the phone. As soon as I rang the doorbell, Mark opened the door. “Mark, here’s that bread for you.” Mark smiled as he took the bag of bread. “Thanks, Leo, you really didn’t have to.” He seemed reluctant to let me in. “Mark, we’re brothers, what are you talking about?” “I really need to use the restroom.” With that, I stepped forward, ready to walk inside. He awkwardly stepped aside, suddenly much more enthusiastic as he let me in. “Leo, the restroom’s over there. Go ahead.” I nodded, quickly made my way into the restroom, and closed the door. A quick glance around revealed nothing out of the ordinary. I flushed the toilet and then turned on the faucet to wash my hands. As I was drying my hands with a paper towel, I spotted an opened box of condoms. My heart skipped a beat. Mark was single, I was sure of it. This only intensified my suspicion about his relationship with Ashley. I took a deep breath, walked out of the restroom as if nothing had happened. “Leo, stay for a bit. Want a soda or bottled water?” “Bottled water is fine.” I twisted open the water bottle and glanced at the bag of bread on the coffee table. “Mark, this bread just came out of the oven, you should try some.” “I’m actually a bit hungry myself.” Mark opened the bag and started eating the bread. He even made an astonished expression. “This bread is so good!” He ate several pieces in one sitting. “Too bad Ashley doesn’t like this kind of bread.” I deliberately dropped that piece of information. Mark frowned, looking puzzled. “Why doesn’t Ashley like this kind of bread?” I answered with a serious face: “She says the smell makes her nauseous.” Mark nodded thoughtfully. To my surprise, he ate all the bread before I left. He even asked me to take the trash out with me. As soon as I got home, I received a text from Ashley. 【Honey, I’m working overtime tonight. Don’t wait up for me, I might be here all night.】 But Ashley had never worked overtime in all her years at this job. Most of the time, she even came home early. I typed out a reply. 【Okay, take care of yourself.】 Today, I had lied to Mark. Ashley didn’t get nauseous from the smell of the bread; she had a severe allergy to bananas. And what I had given him was banana bread.
I sat in the living room, smoking, watching the clock on the wall. Taking a deep drag from my cigarette, a bitter taste filled my throat. It was already nine in the evening, and Ashley still wasn’t home. I scrolled through my phone and saw Ashley had posted an update on Ins. The photo was of an office desk, piled high with documents. The caption read: 【Busy, busy, busy. Going to be an all-nighter.】 I called a mutual friend of Ashley and mine. I asked her if she’d seen Ashley’s Ins post. Her answer was no. At that moment, I was certain Ashley’s post was only visible to me. Meanwhile, Mark had also posted an update. A photo of gourmet food, clearly at a restaurant. The caption was: 【Good food for company.】 Originally, I thought about waiting outside Mark’s apartment complex. But after thinking it over, it didn’t feel right. I had been to his place today; if he and Ashley were really up to something, I’d already tipped them off. There was no way they’d be brazen enough to do it at his place tonight. Besides, a shred of trust for Ashley still lingered. Around one in the morning, I received a call. “Hello, are you Ashley Shen’s family?” “Yes, I’m her husband. Who is this?” “This is the hospital. Ashley Shen is in the emergency room. Please come down to sign some papers.” After hanging up, I rushed to the hospital. After signing the papers, I waited outside the emergency room. In the distance, I thought I saw a familiar figure at the end of the corridor. I walked over to check, but no one was there. Not long after, Ashley was wheeled out. I immediately went forward to ask. “Doctor, what happened to my wife all of a sudden?” “The patient suffered a severe allergic reaction to bananas.” I frowned. Ashley would absolutely never willingly touch anything banana-related. Unless she had come into contact with someone who had. Mark had eaten a lot of banana bread today; there must be residues in his mouth and system. And this time of night was perfect for a certain kind of activity.
After Ashley was moved to a hospital room, I found a nurse to inquire further. “Excuse me, who brought my wife here?” “The patient was brought in by paramedics. It seemed a man sent her. He said he was a colleague of the patient, and asked us to call you, then he left.” From all the clues, it seemed Ashley and Mark were indeed together. A sharp pain pierced my heart. I had been stabbed in the back by both love and friendship. What was even more unbelievable was that they had been so obvious, right under my nose. Yesterday, in the kitchen, their calm expressions and acting were truly remarkable. Since they loved to put on a show, I decided I’d play along. I sat by her hospital bed, looking at Ashley’s face, which now seemed so unfamiliar to me. Suddenly, Ashley opened her eyes, looking at me with confusion. “Honey, why are you here?” I forced a smile. “Ashley, the doctor said you went into shock. Did you eat something with bananas?” A flicker of panic crossed her eyes. She stammered, “Maybe there were bananas in the takeout I ordered.” “Ashley, how could you be so careless?” “You’re usually so particular about what you eat!” “This happened because you were working overtime. Your company bears some responsibility for this.” “I’m going to your office right now to talk to your boss.” Seeing me stand up, Ashley panicked and reached out to grab my hand. “Honey, it was my own fault. How can you blame the company?” “Look, I’m fine now, aren’t I?” Her expression was clearly agitated, and her lips were even paler. Just then, the doctor walked in, adjusting his glasses. “Mr. Shen, regarding Ashley Shen’s patient report, it shows she is pregnant.” “I’ve already called the OB/GYN to consult tomorrow.” The doctor finished speaking and left the room. Both Ashley and I froze simultaneously. A question gnawed at me: whose child was Ashley carrying? Mine, or Mark’s? But Ashley and I always used protection during our intimate moments. And Mark had condoms at his place, proving he also took precautions. Could it be that Ashley’s lover wasn’t Mark? Or perhaps, she had more than one lover? — The Story Continues Below —
Ashley spoke before I did. “Honey, we’re having a baby!” Her eyes actually sparkled with excitement. She began to gently caress her lower belly. She seemed to be wholeheartedly embracing this unexpected new life. A halo of maternal glow seemed to radiate from her. “Ashley, I remember us using protection.” I reminded her, gently. But Ashley seemed unfazed. “Honey, are you mistaken?” “Didn’t we go without a few times?” “Besides, nothing’s ever 100%, is it?” “Honey, aren’t you happy about becoming a dad?” Ashley suddenly sounded very clever. The times we “went without” were four or five months ago. I remembered all of it very clearly. What’s more, it was Ashley who, three months ago, had specifically said she didn’t want children yet. She wanted to enjoy more of our time as a couple. Everything had been premeditated, and I had been completely oblivious. Not only had Ashley made a fool of me, but now she wanted me to be a fool of a father. I tried to calm my emotions, planning my next move. First, I would play along, without revealing my hand, and find out who Ashley’s lover was. One, two, I’d find them all. “Ashley, I’m just… I’m going to be a dad, and I’m a bit overwhelmed right now.” I sat back down beside her hospital bed. Ashley took my hand and placed it on her stomach. “Honey, feel this, it’s our baby.” Her touch now made me feel sick, felt dirty. I slowly withdrew my hand. “Ashley, you should rest. Don’t get too excited.” “You’re right, honey.” “A client gave me some banana bread today. Knowing you were allergic, I gave it to Mark.” “I never thought you still couldn’t escape the banana allergy.” I stared intently at Ashley’s face, observing her reaction. Her face went pale, then red, and her hand trembled slightly. Her mouth twitched, and her expression looked unnatural. “Guess I couldn’t avoid the allergy today.” “Honey, I’m tired, I need to sleep.” “You should go home too. You have work tomorrow.” She seemed eager to get rid of me. Was she going to call her lover with the good news? “Ashley, you’re in the hospital. What kind of work can I go to?” Ashley shook her head. “Honey, I’m fine.” “Now that we have a baby, you need to earn money for formula, right?” Since she wanted me to leave so badly, I’d humor her. I didn’t argue further and walked out of the hospital room. But after lingering in the corridor for a while, I quietly returned to the side of Ashley’s room. Leaning against the wall, I pretended to be engrossed in my phone. As expected, I heard Ashley’s voice from inside the room, talking on the phone. “Mark, Leo gave you bread today?” “Did you know he gave you banana bread?” “You almost killed me!” “Alright, that’s it, I have to hang up now.” I peeked through the doorway; Ashley seemed to have sent a message. Soon after, she put down her phone and lay down to sleep. My friend, Mark, was definitely Ashley’s lover. But he wasn’t necessarily the baby’s father. Because Ashley hadn’t told him about the pregnancy.
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