My wife and her “male best friend” were fooling around in a car out in the suburbs when a truck came out of nowhere, sending them crashing down a hill. The doctor said, “If you want to save her leg, you need to come up with $30,000 for the surgery.” Hearing that, I, a grown man, broke down in tears. “My wife is the best dancer in this city! She makes a living and her reputation with those legs!” “If she loses them, she won’t want to live!” “So please, when you amputate, just be gentle, okay?” When I arrived at the hospital, I quickly tried to wipe the grin off my face that I’d had since the drive over. I rushed to the bedside, dropped to my knees, and started crying my heart out. “Emily, what were you thinking?” “If you’re going to have an affair, at least pick a safer spot! I wouldn’t have cared as long as you’re safe!” “Please, don’t think you owe me anything just because you did something so… disgraceful. Don’t go and do anything drastic, alright?” Even the nurse nearby was moved, probably not used to seeing such a “devoted” man. But the doctor pulled me aside and said firmly, “Quit stalling. You need to raise the money. Her leg can still be saved.” I stood up right away. “Right, I’ll get on it. I’ll call my mother-in-law.” I dialed Linda’s number. “Mom! Send me $30,000! Annie needs it for surgery!” “What kind of surgery needs 30 grand? Do I look stupid? I’m not giving you a penny! You’re useless! Get lost!” “But Mom, it’s serious…” “Serious my ass! I’ll deal with the next hand! You’re busted!” Click — she hung up. Everyone in the room heard her loud and clear, thanks to my phone’s speaker mode. The last beep beep sound of the disconnected call echoed through the room. I struggled to keep the smirk off my face and looked at the doctor helplessly. “I’m sorry, Doc. I’ve got no money.” “My wife cherishes those legs more than anything.” “So when you amputate, just… be careful, okay?” The doctor nodded toward my wife’s lover and asked, “What about him? Are we saving him?” “Of course! My wife really likes him. She can live with prosthetic legs, but if he dies, well, there’s no replacement for that. You have to save him!” I wiped my tears and added, “But, you know, I don’t think I’m really in a position to sign his consent form.” The doctor rolled his eyes and pushed my wife into the operating room. The nurse shot me a sympathetic glance before following. As soon as they disappeared, I sent a message to Jim, my father-in-law: “Annie’s leg is gone. Mom refused to help. This is unbearable.”
By the time Linda arrived at the hospital, Annie had already been wheeled out of surgery. “Annie! My baby, what happened to you?” “Mom, Annie just got out of surgery,” I whispered, “you should keep your voice down. It’s not good for her.” Linda shot me a look filled with venom. “Why wasn’t it you in the crash? How can you stand there, you worthless man? Annie’s in this mess because she married a loser like you!” “If you’re so capable, why don’t you get the money for her treatment?” I raised my hands. “Mom, I asked you for money, remember? You wouldn’t give it to me. Something about ‘beating the hand?’” Linda suddenly remembered and sprang up, her face flushed with rage, spraying spit everywhere. “You liar! You’ve never told the truth in your life!” Before she could finish, I played the recording from my phone. “Mom, Annie needs money for her leg…” “Money, my ass! Busted!” There was an awkward silence in the ER. “Mom, after my business went under, you took all the money we had left. Without your help, how could I save her?” “I told you about the situation first thing. You’re really going to act like it’s not your fault?” “You… you did this on purpose, didn’t you?!” Linda’s face turned bright red as she lunged at me, but two quick-thinking nurses stepped in to hold her back. One of them scowled, “Can you keep it down? The patient needs rest! What kind of mother are you, anyway?” After my earlier emotional performance, the nurses had clearly become my biggest fans. They glared at Linda like they couldn’t believe such a good man had to deal with someone like her. Linda sneered, “What, are you two his girlfriends? Standing up for him like that? Where’s your shame?” “Who are you calling shameless?” “You! You’re the shameless one!” “Say that again, I dare you!” Just as things were about to get physical, a weak voice came from the hospital bed. “Mom…” My wife was awake.
Linda rushed to the bed and took Annie’s hand. “Annie, are you okay? Are you still in pain? Mom’s here now.” Wiping her tears, she turned to me and spat, “You just had to marry a deadbeat like him! If he hadn’t crashed the car, would you have had to Uber to your student’s house for lessons?” “My student… wait, what about Brandon? Is he okay?” “Brandon? Who’s that?” Linda asked, confused. I stepped in helpfully. “He’s the one who was driving Annie to her lesson. I heard they were pulled out of the wreck pretty easily since neither of them were wearing clothes.” “You!” Linda’s hand trembled as she pointed at me. “How dare you humiliate my daughter like that! I swear, I’ll make sure you regret ever opening that mouth of yours!” “Enough! I want to see Brandon!” Annie tried to throw the blanket off, but underneath, her legs were gone. “My legs! Where are my legs?” Annie screamed, her voice filled with despair. I quickly covered my face, pretending to weep. I didn’t want them to see how happy I was. “Annie’s legs, where are they?” Linda shrieked, frantically searching the bed. Annie, meanwhile, started smashing everything in sight. “I knew it! You did this to her, didn’t you?” Annie’s bloodshot eyes locked onto me, filled with accusation. I waved my hands. “Annie, when you were unconscious, I already explained the situation to Mom. The doctors heard it all, too.” “You know the state of our finances. After the business failed, you told Mom I wasn’t cut out for it, and she took control of everything. All the money is with her!” “When they said they needed $30,000 for the surgery, I had to ask her for it. She refused. She’s the one who didn’t save you. Not me! I couldn’t get the money!” I played the recording again, and that damning busted echoed through the room. Annie’s face turned dark, and she glared at Linda. Anyone could tell Linda had spent more time playing cards than taking care of the family. She’d taken all the money under the guise of ‘saving it for Annie,’ and now, Annie’s chance for recovery was gone. Linda dropped to her knees, wailing. “Annie, you’re my flesh and blood! How could I not care? It’s your husband, this good-for-nothing, lying to both of us!” “Enough!” Annie was shaking with rage. She pointed at her mother. “Get out!” “How can you talk to me like that, sweetie?” Just then, Jim barged into the room, out of breath. “Annie!” “Dad…” Jim’s eyes fell on the empty space where Annie’s legs used to be, and his face froze. He’d spent years bragging about his daughter’s talent, how many awards she’d won. His comfortable life was all thanks to the income she brought in with those legs of hers. All the city officials who’d sent their kids to Annie for dance lessons, those gifts and favors they’d received—everything was over now. Her legs were gone, and so was everything else. “Jim, thank God you’re here! You’ve got to stop Adam! He’s ruining our family!” Linda cried. Slap! Jim smacked Linda across the face, hard.
My name is Adam Cooper. I used to be a successful business owner, a rising star in the tech world. Five years ago, I met Annie at a dinner party. She was still in college. I had dropped out of high school to start my business. I was totally mesmerized by her—smart, cultured, and beautiful. She seemed so innocent, like a delicate flower. I fell head over heels for her. I thought she was the most talented, gentle, and pure woman I’d ever met. I pursued her relentlessly. Her family didn’t want her to go to art school. They wanted to use the money to put her brother, Tyler, through college. The night she found out, she came to me crying. We had a few drinks and ended up sleeping together. From that moment on, I paid for her to stay in school. Basically, I became her sugar daddy. She went on to win awards, became a state-level dance teacher, and eventually married me. At first, I thought her parents were just petty and tightfisted, but out of respect for Annie, I tolerated them. But then I realized—Annie wasn’t any better than they were. She was just better at hiding it. When my company was struggling, I found out I’d been blackballed. One of my competitors got drunk and spilled the beans. “You know why everyone’s out to get you, right?” “Because you stole the big boss’s side chick!” That night, I checked her phone and found out she was still seeing other men—one of them was even her student! She had sent him photos and videos, driving him crazy. Every time she went to his house for “lessons,” it wasn’t about books. It was about something else entirely. She never acted that way around me. Furious, I was about to confront her when the hospital called… “That bitch! It’s all because of you!” Jim growled at Linda. Linda was still seeing stars from the slap, but she managed to sit on the floor, wailing. “Oh God, I can’t take this anymore!” She wasn’t exactly a refined woman—more of a backwoods type who always resorted to drama and screaming when things went south. “How the hell did this car accident happen?” Jim was livid, his voice a mix of anger and desperation. “Who was driving the car? Who caused this mess? Annie’s lost her legs, and now I’m going to find the bastard responsible and tear his arms off!” “Yeah, Annie! You need to tell us who was driving that car! We’ll sue them for all they’ve got!” Linda added, still hoping to get some kind of payout. I watched Annie’s face flush red, her lips pressed tight. She couldn’t even bring herself to speak. I clapped my hands together, unable to hide my amusement. “If Annie doesn’t want to tell you, I will.”
“Jim, Linda, you both know Annie is a truly dedicated teacher, always looking after her students, right? She goes above and beyond, making sure they have everything they need. Well, this time, she decided to help one of them… a little too much.” Jim was starting to lose his patience. “Just get to the point!” I paused for effect, raising my eyebrows. “That is the point, Jim. Annie took her student, Brandon, into the car for a little, shall we say, extra tutoring session. They were getting real close when that truck came out of nowhere.” “You’re saying what, exactly?” Jim barked. “That our sweet, innocent Annie was… well, let’s just say, ‘educating’ her student in the back seat when they got hit.” “You’re lying! You filthy liar!” Jim roared, swinging his arm, trying to punch me. I dodged him easily, and he nearly stumbled into the bed. “He’s been spewing lies from the moment he got here! He’s just jealous that Annie’s more successful than he ever was. Marrying our daughter was the best thing that ever happened to this scumbag!” Linda joined in, her voice shrill and furious. “Yeah! Annie’s pure and kind! If she ever did something like that, I’ll jump out of this window right now!” Jim added, pounding his chest like a righteous man. Jim and Linda were so worked up, they could hardly see straight. They couldn’t believe their precious daughter could be anything but perfect. I watched them closely. They had always been a family that valued their son over their daughter. Annie’s brother, Tyler, had been kicked out of college for fighting, and now both parents relied on Annie’s dance career to fund their cushy lifestyle. No matter how much money I made, I was never good enough for them. They pretended I didn’t exist when things were good, but when things went bad, they all turned to Annie to bail them out. When my business was doing well, I didn’t let it get to me. I figured, hey, it’s family. But after my company crashed, they treated me like a stray dog. Tyler used to offer to park my car; now, when I go to dinner, I can feel the disdain rolling off of him in waves. That’s what this family is: opportunistic parasites. “Who here is Annie Cooper?” a stern voice called from the doorway. Jim and Linda’s ranting came to a halt as two police officers stepped into the room. “Officers! Finally! Arrest this lying scumbag! He’s been slandering our daughter this whole time, and he’s the one responsible for her accident! He’s the reason she lost her legs!” Linda screamed, jumping up and pointing at me like I was public enemy number one. The officers didn’t bother acknowledging her theatrics. They walked straight up to Annie’s bed and pulled out a stack of photos. “Mrs. Cooper, we’ve got surveillance footage from the crash site. Is this you?” One of the officers held up a photograph.
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