I was the last to know about my wife’s second pregnancy. After two years of working in South Africa on a company assignment, I returned home to find my wife about to give birth. I didn’t lose my cool and question her. Instead, I calmly said, “Now that I’m back, we can proceed with the divorce.” My wife panicked, grabbing my hand and explaining anxiously, “Honey, let me explain… You’ve been away for two years, and David has been helping us with everything. I’m just having this baby to repay him, don’t overthink it.” Our six-year-old daughter chimed in to defend her mother, “Dad, you jerk! You’ve been gone for so long. If it weren’t for Uncle David, Mom and I would have starved! What’s wrong with Mom having a baby for Uncle David? Don’t be unreasonable!” Looking at the mother and daughter duo in front of me, I nodded calmly, “You have a point.” I did feel guilty about neglecting my wife and child. I hadn’t been able to be there for them these past two years. But during my time in South Africa, I sent all the money I earned to Rachel. Sixty thousand dollars a year was enough to ensure they lived comfortably. I worked hard abroad to provide them with a better life. But I never imagined it would end like this. Actually, I had heard rumors while I was away. A colleague back home had mentioned something in an email, but I couldn’t believe it. I still had hope for Rachel, thinking she had just gained weight. I finished my project half a month early and rushed back home, only to have my worst fears confirmed. At that moment, I felt no urge to lose my temper, only endless disappointment. Rachel knew she was in the wrong. She poured me a glass of water and handed it to me cautiously, “Honey… have some water.” I took the water from her and calmly said, “Your belly’s big now, you shouldn’t stand for too long. Sit down.” Seeing my calm demeanor, Rachel’s tense emotions eased a bit. She awkwardly sat down next to me with her big belly. I took a sip of water and continued, “Now that you’re pregnant, I won’t be the bad guy and separate you and David. Since David isn’t married yet, after we divorce, you can be with him.” Hearing this, Rachel’s emotions flared up again. “Jack, what do you mean?” She stared at me in disbelief, angrily saying, “Are you abandoning me? I’ve been with you since I was twenty, supporting you from nothing to where we are today! I’ve given so much to this family, how can you talk about divorce so easily!” Yes, she was right. But years of weathering storms together couldn’t withstand two years of loneliness and emptiness. It was laughable. I turned to our daughter watching TV and asked, “Emily, if Mom and Dad get divorced, who will you stay with?” Without even looking at me, Emily replied without hesitation, “I’ll stay with Mom! If you and Mom divorce, Mom will marry Uncle David, and then I can call Uncle David ‘Dad’. I’ve wanted to call him Dad for a long time!” An expected answer, but it didn’t disappoint me much. I nodded calmly, “Alright, if that’s what you want.” I got up resolutely, ignoring Rachel’s protests, and left the house with the suitcase I had just brought back. I went to a bar and called up some old friends I hadn’t seen in two years. At the table, my friends teased me, “Jack, why are you here with us instead of going to see your wife first thing after coming back?” I took a big gulp of alcohol and said hoarsely, with disappointment, “I don’t have a wife anymore.” My friends exchanged glances. One who had heard rumors asked, “Jack, I heard your wife is pregnant… is it true?” “Yeah, the child is her childhood friend’s.” The table fell silent, and the atmosphere became heavy. I kept drinking, trying to numb myself with alcohol. After a few rounds, Rachel called me. I answered groggily, and Rachel’s scolding voice came through, “Jack, stop this nonsense, okay? We haven’t seen each other for two years, and you come back giving me the cold shoulder and running away from home. How childish can you be?” Emily’s childish voice could be heard in the background, “Mom, don’t call Dad anymore. If he wants to leave, let him! He’s been gone for two years, and we’ve been doing just fine without him!” I said nothing and hung up the phone. Yes, they had been doing just fine without me.
My two years in South Africa weren’t easy. The conditions there were harsh, with scarce water and frequent power outages. I often worked in temperatures of over 100°F. But whenever I thought about the $150,000 salary I could earn in two years to provide a better life for my wife and child, I felt more motivated. I never imagined that when I returned, everything would have changed. After drinking with my friends, when I sobered up a bit, I still went back home. There were still some things I needed to take from the house. When I got home, it was already past midnight. Rachel wasn’t asleep yet. Seeing my drunken state, she frowned with disgust and scolded me, “Jack, don’t you know pregnant women shouldn’t be exposed to alcohol smell? You come back drunk without any consideration for me!” “I’m here to pack some things, then I’ll leave,” I said flatly. “Leave?” Rachel’s voice rose, asking me unhappily, “Where are you going again?” “I’m moving to the company dormitory.” Rachel got angry again, pointing at my nose and yelling, “Jack, how long are you going to keep this up! As a man, can’t you be more generous! Don’t you know how much David has helped me these two years while you were away! “When I was sick, when Emily had a fever or cold, it was David who took care of us! Even when my mom was hospitalized, David was the one running around helping! I’m just having a child for him, fulfilling his wish to be a father. Do you have to be so petty about it!” “Mm, I don’t,” I sneered, “If you want to have his child, go ahead. I’m not stopping you.” After packing my things, I slammed the door on my way out. Rachel shouted angrily behind me, “Jack, you have no class at all. What kind of man are you!” I laughed bitterly. Perhaps in her eyes, only David was a real man. I had given so much to this family, but in the end, I couldn’t warm her cold heart. Early the next morning, I submitted a request for an overseas assignment to the company. This time, the destination was Europe. Before the South Africa project ended, my boss had intended to send me to Europe as the general manager of the European branch, with a salary several times higher. But at the time, I declined to return home to be with my wife and child. Now, I had no attachments left. In the afternoon, I went back home once more with divorce papers. Rachel and Emily weren’t home. I called Rachel and asked, “Where are you? I want to discuss the divorce with you.” These words angered Rachel again. She replied irritably, “I’m at the hospital for a prenatal check-up. I’m busy!” “Which hospital? I’ll come to you.” Rachel snapped at me, “Jack, I’m about to give birth, and you’re trying to stress me out at a time like this! I’m at the Women’s Hospital, but even if you come, I won’t agree to a divorce!” When I arrived at the Women’s Hospital, I ran into Rachel who had just finished her check-up. Beside her were Emily and the father of the child – David. David carefully helped Rachel sit down, looking at her with concern, as if she were a priceless treasure. Emily sat next to them, excitedly saying, “Uncle David, I hope Mom gives me a little brother. When he grows up, he can protect Mom and me with you! Our family will be together forever!” David affectionately ruffled Emily’s hair, saying with adoration, “I asked the doctor, it is a little brother in Mom’s tummy. Emily, you’re going to be a big sister soon!” “Yay!” I thought my heart had turned to stone, but seeing this warm, harmonious family scene, I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. The wife and child I had cherished were now someone else’s treasures. And I was just an outsider. I had given everything, only to end up with nothing. How ironic.
My appearance broke the harmonious scene. The three of them stopped smiling when they saw me. I walked towards Rachel, waving the divorce papers in my hand, and said calmly, “I’m here to talk to you about the divorce.” Rachel’s gentle expression immediately darkened. David shielded her behind him and scolded me, “Mr. Carter, Rachel is about to give birth soon. Please don’t trouble her at this time. Pregnant women can’t handle stress!” “Please step aside,” I said coldly to David, trying hard to control my anger. David took a righteous stance and argued, “Mr. Carter, I have no intention of breaking up your marriage. After the child is born, I’ll take him away. I won’t affect your relationship as husband and wife, and you shouldn’t blame Rachel for this. “Rachel did a noble thing. I’m over thirty with no wife or children. Rachel only carried a child for me out of pity for my loneliness. As a man, you should be more understanding!” I laughed at his shamelessness. “You’re right,” I said with a cold smile, “As a man, I should indeed be more understanding. Since that’s the case, why don’t I give you my wife and daughter too? Is that understanding enough?” David looked at me suspiciously. “Enough!” Rachel’s face was extremely unpleasant. She instructed David, “David, please take Emily for a walk. I need to talk to my husband alone.” After David and Emily left, Rachel stood up, holding her waist. She snatched the divorce papers from my hand, didn’t even look at them, and tore them to shreds. “Jack, I’ve told you I won’t divorce you. Give up on that idea! I’m due in half a month, don’t upset me and risk the baby at this critical time!” I bent down to pick up the paper scraps and calmly said, “In that case, I’ll have to file for divorce through the court.” Hearing my words, Rachel became agitated, “I’m pregnant now, the law won’t allow you to divorce me!” “The child isn’t mine.” “Even if it’s not yours, you can’t divorce me! You don’t have DNA evidence, the court won’t rule in your favor!” Faced with her stubbornness, I sighed helplessly, “Rachel, since you and David are in love, and now you’re carrying his child, why do you still refuse to divorce me?” Rachel paused for a few seconds, then softened her tone. She lowered her voice and said, “Jack, David and I grew up together. He’s liked me for over ten years and even stayed single for me. I couldn’t bear it, so I’m just having a child for him to fulfill his wish and leave him with something to remember me by.” “Honey, the one I love has always been you.” Her words didn’t move me. Instead, I found them laughable. She loves me, so she cheats on me? How can she be so righteous and shameless about it?
Actually, when they were younger, Rachel and David had liked each other, but before they could confess their feelings, David went abroad to study as arranged by his family. Later, Rachel met me in college. I fell for her first and pursued her. I persistently chased her for two years, and finally, at the age of twenty, she accepted my pursuit. We got married when we were twenty-four. For years after our marriage, I always treated her with the utmost care, afraid she might melt if I held her in my mouth, afraid she might break if I held her in my hands. I worked hard to earn money, just to provide her with a comfortable life. Six years after our marriage, which was the year I went to South Africa, David returned to the country. I thought my hard work away from home was for the family, but it also gave her and David a chance to rekindle their relationship. Eight years of marriage ultimately couldn’t withstand the test of time. My deep love for her couldn’t compete with her childhood bond with David. … Since Rachel refused to divorce, I had to put the matter aside for now. I stopped going home, busy with work every day and preparing for my move abroad. Before I knew it, it was time for Rachel to give birth. On the day Rachel went into labor, she called me in pain, urgently saying, “Honey, I’m about to give birth… Come to the hospital quickly!” I coldly replied, “The child isn’t mine, why should I come?” “You’re my husband!” she exclaimed. My mother-in-law took the phone from Rachel and scolded me, “The child may not be yours, but the wife is! Don’t you know childbirth is a matter of life and death? How can you be absent as her husband!” Rachel seemed to be trying hard to endure the pain, her voice trembling, “Honey, at a time like this… please stop being difficult, okay?” I felt these two women’s logic was beyond comprehension. I didn’t bother arguing and simply hung up the phone. I continued focusing on my work without distraction. A few hours later, my mother-in-law called again. This time, her tone was urgent, “Jack, your wife is having a difficult labor. The doctor says they need to do a C-section. I order you to come to the hospital immediately!” Unable to withstand my mother-in-law’s constant phone bombardment, I finally went to the hospital. When I arrived, my mother-in-law and Emily were anxiously waiting outside the delivery room. As soon as I arrived, my mother-in-law rushed over. “You’re finally here! Your wife is having a difficult labor, the doctor says they need to do a C-section. The hospital is asking for payment. Quick, go pay the surgery fee!” Without thinking, I refused, “I won’t pay.” My mother-in-law became agitated, “If you don’t pay, who will?” “Whoever the child belongs to should pay.” My mother-in-law cursed at me, “Jack, I never thought you could be so heartless! My Rachel has been married to you for so many years, given birth to your child, and now you disregard her life and death. You’ve really disappointed me!” Emily also pointed at me accusingly, “Bad Dad, if anything happens to Mom, I’ll never forgive you!” Faced with their condemnation, I remained unmoved. Just then, David, who was late in arriving, finally showed up.
As soon as David arrived, he paid the $15,000 medical fee for Rachel without hesitation. My mother-in-law praised him repeatedly, “Young David is reliable, a man of honor who values relationships. He’s worth entrusting with one’s life!” Then she turned to me with sarcasm, “You heartless thing. Rachel was truly blind to have chosen you back then!” David also mocked me, “Jack, you’ve really opened my eyes. You can be so cruel to your own wife. What kind of man are you!” Emily chimed in, “Bad Dad, you’re so mean! I’ll never call you Dad again!” Faced with the three of them berating me, my heart remained unmoved. When the heart is dead to a certain degree, it becomes immune to all poisons. Soon after, accompanied by a baby’s cry, the child was born successfully. David was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes, “It’s born… our Davis family has an heir now!” Soon, the nurse brought out the swaddled infant. “It’s a girl, 7 pounds 8 ounces!” Hearing this, the joy on David’s face instantly froze. Emily asked him puzzled, “Uncle David, didn’t you say Mom was having a little brother?” David was also in disbelief, “Nurse, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” “No mistake, it’s definitely a girl.” My mother-in-law looked at the baby in the nurse’s arms and scolded David disapprovingly, “So what if it’s a girl! David, are you discriminating against girls?” David waved his hands awkwardly. I coldly watched everything unfold before me, saying nothing. Just as I was about to leave, the delivery room door opened again. The doctor came out with blood-stained hands, urgently calling out, “The mother is hemorrhaging severely. We might need to remove her uterus. Who is her husband? Come sign the consent form quickly!” “What?” My mother-in-law was shocked, nearly collapsing to the ground. She hurriedly urged me, “Jack, quick, go sign!” I hesitated for a moment, then refused, “I can’t sign.” I knew very clearly that if I signed now, and Rachel lost her uterus later, she would definitely blame everything on me. I didn’t want to get involved in this mess. My mother-in-law stamped her feet in anger, cursing at me, “This is a matter of life and death! How can you be so cold-blooded? The woman lying in there is your wife!” “Not for much longer,” I said coldly. “What do you mean?” My mother-in-law glared at me, her nostrils flaring in anger. “How can you be so heartless!” “You’re her mother, you can sign too,” I said, looking at her coldly. “You… you!” My mother-in-law’s chest heaved violently. “Fine, I’ll sign! Once Rachel is out of danger, I’ll make sure she divorces you, you ungrateful, heartless man!” My mother-in-law had always looked down on me. Now that she had latched onto David as a son-in-law, she had even less regard for me. I nodded calmly, “Good, I’ll be waiting.” Emily ran over to me, crying and hitting me, “Bad Dad, I hate you! From now on, I’ll only recognize Uncle David as my dad. I won’t recognize you anymore!” I looked down at my young daughter, feeling a chill in my heart. She, who shared my blood, had abandoned me just because I had been away for two years and neglected to accompany her. Yet at this moment, her beloved Uncle David, whom she adored, wasn’t concerned about her mother at all. He just stared blankly at the baby in the nurse’s arms, muttering repeatedly, “It’s impossible… it was supposed to be a boy…”
When my mother-in-law returned after signing the consent form, David had already quietly left. After several hours of emergency treatment, Rachel finally escaped life-threatening danger, but she couldn’t keep her uterus. She was pushed out of the emergency room by a group of nurses, still unconscious. My mother-in-law was busy taking care of both the baby and Rachel, running around in a fluster. Taking advantage of her distraction, I secretly took a few strands of the baby’s hair. After leaving the hospital, I took the baby’s hair for a paternity test. Once the results came out, I immediately filed for divorce in court. It was time to end this absurd marriage. A few days later, Rachel was discharged from the hospital. After she recovered a bit, she called me. On the phone, she weakly questioned me, “Jack, I just came back from the brink of death, and you’re not even here to take care of me. Now you’re even filing for divorce?” “Isn’t divorce good?” I said sarcastically. “Your mom is happy about it too. She can’t wait for us to get divorced.”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295917”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #校园School #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller
Leave a Reply