Betrayed at the Hospital: A Shocking Discovery

My ankle was injured when a basketball hit it. After I was sent to the hospital, I unexpectedly ran into my husband's entire family, who were accompanying another woman for a prenatal checkup.

Darlene Wall, my husband's sister, was usually cold and sarcastic to me. But she was holding the other woman's arm. And my mother-in-law was taking good care of the woman.

My husband stood silently beside them. He even exchanged a smile with that woman.

The college student who brought me to the hospital glanced at me and then at Cristian. He asked awkwardly, "Is he your husband?"

I wished I could disappear into the ground at that moment.

I first met Cristian as a client when I bought an apartment through him. He then pursued me relentlessly.

He didn't have an apartment. What he only had was a somewhat old car. But I thought he was hardworking and treated me well, so I agreed to date him.

His family had struggled to put him through college, and he had an eighteen-year-old sister who was still at school. He couldn't afford a wedding, let alone a traditional marriage gift from the groom's family, so I didn't ask for a penny.

That year, I was thirty, and he was twenty-seven.

After we married, his parents and sister moved into the new apartment I bought. I treated them as my family.

I worked as a financial director at a large company and had just been promoted to vice president. Plus, I held some company shares. So my income was much higher than Cristian's.

It was not easy to sell apartments in Heatherville. Cristian was not a local and had no connections. So I introduced many of his clients to him. Thanks to me, Cristian's family could lead a comfortable life in Heatherville.

I had believed that sincerity could be reciprocated, but reality gave me a heavy blow.

My tolerance only led to their increasing demands.

Not long ago, I returned home, exhausted, only to find the apartment a mess, with food scraps and stains everywhere, and the dining table was piled with leftovers. It was clear that they had a good meal, with chicken, duck, fish, and seafood. But they left me with the mess.

I was irritated and lost my appetite for dinner. Suddenly, I noticed my traditional dress was on the sofa like a rag. My heart sank.

I rushed over to pick it up, only to find it stained, wrinkled, and the hem frayed, which made me furious.

The dress was a gift from my grandmother for my eighteenth birthday. She sewed it by herself. Because she was old and had poor eyesight, it took her a long time to finish it.

She had been a renowned tailor, and in her time, only wealthy ladies hired her to make traditional dresses.

Anger surged through me instantly.

Just then, the door opened, and Cristian returned with his mother and Darlene. I questioned Darlene with the dress in hand, "Did you wear my dress?"

Darlene's eyes darted around, and she stammered.

"Helen, Darlene is your sister-in-law. It's not a big deal for her to wear your dress for a short while." Cristian's mother shamelessly defended Darlene and believed I was too fussy.

"Did she wear it for a while? Look at what she's done to it. How can I wear it now?" I shouted, and my face turned pale with rage.

After my grandmother passed away, that dress was my only keepsake. I had only worn it once at my wedding and never put it on, as it was too valuable for me.

"I just wore it to a celebratory banquet for my teachers. How was I supposed to know it was so fragile?" Darlene cried and ran to her room.

Cristian's father was smoking a cigarette and flicking ashes everywhere. "Cristian, did you see it? I've told you she doesn't treat us as her family."

"I don't treat you as my family? You don't treat me as your family." I pointed to the messy kitchen, and my eyes were stinging. "When you all eat and drink well, do you ever think of me?"

"Didn't I cook for you before? I cooked so many expensive dishes for you. You ate them for nothing. After nearly three years of marriage, you haven't given birth to a baby by now," Cristian's mother sneered as she rolled her eyes at me.

I suddenly realized her resentment stemmed from that and why she was always sarcastic to me.

My heart ached, and tears welled up with anguish.

I wanted to give birth to a baby too.

Back then, a position was open for promotion to vice president in my company. And many were eyeing the position. After years of hard work, I was so close to success. So I couldn't give up.

Cristian wanted me to get promoted even more eagerly than I did, as he wished I'd introduce more clients to him after I got promoted.

We agreed to have a baby after my promotion.

I pulled Cristian over and said furiously, "Tell your parents, was it just me who insisted on not having a baby."

"No," Cristian said, lowering his head.

His mother suddenly pushed me away forcefully, and her voice was venomous. "Don't bully my son. We didn't raise him for you to bully him."

She stood in front of Cristian and was about to slap me, but he stopped her. "Mom, Helen works hard for this family, and we plan to have a baby soon..."

"That was before today," I interrupted him coldly. "With your parents like this, why do I give birth to a kid? Look at your father. He makes me passively smoke every day. How can I get pregnant?"

His father said, "You can't get pregnant but blame me. Cristian's mom smoked secondhand smoke for years and still had Cristian and Darlene. If you can't get pregnant, divorce Cristian, so we will have a descendant in our family."

"Enough," Cristian snapped, exasperated.

He tried to pull me back to our room. "Helen, stop arguing. I'll buy another dress for you."

"Really? Can you afford it?" I shook off his hand and shouted hysterically.

I couldn't have the same dress unless my grandmother came back to life.

Cristian had been gentle usually, but he turned cold at that moment. His gaze was sharp as a knife when he looked at me.

I froze and realized that he was terrifyingly unfamiliar.

He suddenly turned and kicked over the glass tea set. His eyes were bloodshot, and he shouted, "I've had enough. Do whatever you want."

The loud crash stunned everyone, and I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.

I couldn't stay in the mess apartment for another second. I stormed out, leaving everything behind. So I returned to my parents' place without anything with me.

The next day, Cristian went to fetch me. He brought many gifts for my parents and apologized sincerely. He almost got down on his knees to beg me to return.

I knew that it wasn't entirely his fault and that he was caught in the middle. I thought he and I had been through a lot for so many years, so I chose to forgive him once more.

But I made it clear that I wouldn't get pregnant until his parents changed.

Ironically, I never saw his parents change, but only the betrayal of his entire family.

...

I received the information soon. Cristian's mistress, Rachel Owen, was from the same village as Cristian. She was twenty years old and had dropped out of school to work when she was a teenager.

More ironically, she lived right downstairs from my apartment in the same building. Cristian probably rented it for her. Now I understand why he complained about poor performance at work and low earnings lately. He was spending money on Rachel.

Did he think I was stupid?

After those people bought apartments and houses through him, I would naturally pay back their favors. I knew exactly how much he earned and never cared about his meager earnings.

But everything was different now. Since they did such a thing to me, I wouldn't let them leech off me anymore.

I packed my stuff and told Cristian that I was going on a business trip for at least a week.

I had to get everything I had given to his family back before I divorced Cristian.

He pretended not to wish me to leave. He hugged me from behind and said, "Honey, now that you're a vice president, why are you going on a business trip by yourself?"

His familiar scent enveloped me. I had loved the scent before, but it was painful to bear for me, like a dagger piercing me.

He must have secretly hugged Rachel in his arms, and she must have smelled the same scent.

"Just because I'm a vice president, I have more responsibilities," I replied with a faint smile, calm and composed.

He kissed my cheek and then reached to caress my clothes. He wanted to do something intimate with me.

I couldn't help but think of Rachel and imagine she and he had sex passionately. It made me feel nauseated. I pushed him away and adjusted my clothes. "Stop it. I'm in a hurry."

"Helen, what's going on with you lately? You won't even let me touch you." Cristian's expression changed, and he scrutinized me seriously. "Could another guy have satisfied you out there?"

Indeed, guilty minds were always suspicious.

"How could that be? Don't you know how much I love you?" I smiled and stood on tiptoe to peck his cheek lightly. Then I went out with my suitcase. As soon as I was out of his sight, I stubbornly wiped my lips.

Since he had kissed another woman, I didn't let him kiss me again.

To assure him I wouldn't return home, I even took a photo before boarding the plane and posted it on social media.

After I landed and reached the hotel, I immediately checked the surveillance footage at home. As expected, Rachel had been there.

She sat on the couch in the living room with Cristian, his parents, and Darlene. Their expressions were dramatic and seemed to be in a soap opera.

"Mom, after much consideration, I can't divorce Helen. Think about it. My salary is high now, but it's all because of Helen." Cristian suddenly stood up resolutely, as he was well aware that he couldn't afford a divorce.

Rachel started sobbing after hearing his words, and Darlene comforted her. Cristian's mother said, "Rachel is carrying your baby. You can't let her suffer. Helen won't even give birth to a baby with you. Why do you keep such a wife?"

So that was her reason for letting Cristian's infidelity. My heart ached so much.

I felt immensely lucky that I hadn't given birth to a baby and could cut my losses in time.

Those people argued for hours without reaching a conclusion.

Cristian's mother insisted, saying, "If anyone dares to ignore Rachel, I'll never forgive them. Since Helen isn't home these days, let Rachel stay here so that we can look after her better. I don't want her to go upstairs and downstairs repeatedly."

That night, I watched as Rachel wore my pajamas, cuddled with my husband, and the two of them were so intimate on the couch in the living room.

"Cristian, you don't want to divorce her because you love her, do you?" Rachel looked at him pitifully.

"Nonsense." Cristian held her tightly and said, "How could I like that old woman? I don't divorce her mainly because she has money. I have to rely on her for many things."

Damn it!

I was only three years older than him. I told him from the start about it, and he insisted on dating me. He said an older woman was a treasure, and he pursued me relentlessly.

I clenched my phone and shook with rage.

I saved that surveillance footage and planned to use it as evidence of Cristian's infidelity in a divorce lawsuit in the future.

The next day, I went straight home without calling him as I dragged my suitcase behind me. I had the evidence, and it didn't matter if things got ugly now.

Beep...

The fingerprint lock clicked open, and I pushed the door wide.

The air froze in that instant. The whole family was having dinner in the living room. They all froze at that moment.

Seeing their awkward smiles, I walked in nonchalantly, set down my suitcase, and glanced at Rachel. "Oh, do we have a guest?"

My in-laws simultaneously put down their knife and fork. Clearly, they lost their appetite.

Cristian lowered his head and avoided my gaze.

Darlene said, "She's my friend. I invited her home for dinner."

Cristian finally reacted. He hurriedly pulled out a chair for me and said, "Honey, have dinner with us."

I glanced at the table. There were all health-boosting dishes.

"Your dinner looks good." I sat down, smiled coldly, and ate heartily.

Why did I refuse to have dinner? They bought these things with my money, after all.

Rachel was tough. She ate without flinching. She even took a drumstick in front of me. "Pregnancy makes me crave. Helen, you won't mind, will you?"

"No problem. I hope you enjoy it," I replied sharply.

After dinner, Rachel said she was leaving. I warmly insisted she stay. "Why will you leave just as I returned? It makes me seem unfriendly. Stay here overnight and chat with Darlene. She is lonely and needs some company."

After I said that, Rachel didn't dare leave, as she was afraid that I could see her guilt.

I deliberately pulled Cristian's arm in front of her and headed to the bedroom. "Honey, I missed you so much."

I couldn't let her just disgust me. I had let her feel the same way.

"We have a guest here," Cristian said hesitantly, as he followed me into the room.

He locked the door and immediately changed his demeanor. He gently embraced me with a dreamy look. "Helen, I want you."

He had those captivating eyes. Whenever he looked at everyone, he seemed to be with deep affection.

I impatiently pushed his hands away and collapsed onto the bed. I was so exhausted. "I'm tired from the trip. Give me a massage."

"What?" He paused, and disappointment flashed across his face. "I thought..."

"We have a guest." I smiled as I threw his words back at him.

...

When I got up in the morning, Rachel had already left.

My phone rang with an unfamiliar number. "Hello? Who is that?"

"Helen, it's Jarrod Payne. Is your foot better?" It was the young man from the basketball game.

"I can walk now. There is no problem," I answered.

He hesitated and said, "Maybe you should save my number."

Then he chuckled.

"Who was that?" Cristian suddenly appeared behind me. He looked serious.

If I didn't know he was with me for money, I might have thought he genuinely cared about me.

"A friend." I smiled lightly and hung up the phone.

I tossed my phone onto the bed and went to the closet to change. Suddenly, I remembered my phone was powered off, so I charged it before getting out. But I noticed that Cristian was sneaking a look at my phone.

Luckily, I had deleted all the important information on it. I pretended not to notice it and returned to the closet. So he could do whatever he wanted to.

After changing, I checked my messages and saw one from Jarrod. "Helen, if anything happens, you can come to me. I'll take responsibility."

The message was ambiguous and open to interpretation. But Cristian didn't question me.

Judging by the timestamp, he had seen it but deliberately left it unread.

What was he plotting?

He came home late that night, drunk and reeking of alcohol. He was brought back by his colleague.

I helped him to bed. In his stupor, he clutched my hand and said in a hoarse voice, "Helen, don't leave me. Don't leave me..."

My heart ached as I looked up at the wedding photo hanging by the bed. I recalled our first meeting.

He had taken me to see a building that wasn't fully built. I tripped on a stone in my high heels and sprained my ankle. It happened that the elevator stopped working. I was anxious to get back to the office to deal with my work.

He carried me down from the eighteenth floor on the stairs. His white shirt was soaked with sweat in the summer heat, and his face was flushed.

He didn't complain a word after he went down 18 flights of stairs.

Later, I left my purse in his car, and he returned it to me. He had been so kind-hearted and sincere.

But when my foot was severely injured by the basketball, he seemed blind to it.

He held my hand tightly, and for a moment, I felt like going back in the past, and tears welled up in my eyes.

It was the weekend the next day, and I didn't go to work. I woke up late to find that Cristian's mother had already made chicken soup. But amusingly, the best parts were missing, and only the bones were left.

I couldn't be bothered to expose her.

Cristian glanced at the dish with little chicken, put down his spoon, and looked at me with a bright smile. "Helen, let's go out to have dinner today. We haven't gone camping in a while. And it'll be nice for us to enjoy it."

His eyes were bright and clear and sparkled like stars when he smiled.

Perhaps he still had some feelings for me and was guilty, and I wanted to get some fresh air, too. So I agreed.

We packed a few things, and he held my hand with one hand and pulled the suitcase with the other as we took the elevator down to the underground garage.

He got into the car but asked me to put the suitcase in the trunk myself.

I was stunned. It wasn't like his usual considerate behavior.

As soon as I opened the trunk, I was stunned.

Colorful balloons flew out, and red roses filled the entire trunk. Their fragrance was overwhelming, and the twinkling starlights wrapped around them were dazzling.

"Helen, have a great weekend," Cristian said, stepping out of the car with a gift.

"You're so old-fashioned," I replied, and my smile was bitter.

Though it was cliché, I still liked it.

If I hadn't accidentally uncovered the dirty truth, I would have been as happy as a kid at that moment.

The car drove up the mountain for camping, and a call came from my lawyer.

I took my phone and quietly stepped aside to answer it. The lawyer said, "Ms. Gibson, hello. I've finished preparing the evidence you submitted. When do you plan to file for divorce?"

I turned to look at Cristian, who was busy at the grill, and my heart ached.

He seemed to notice me watching him and waved to me happily. "Honey, come over here. I've grilled corn, your favorite."

Was he possibly pretending to love me? Could he feign deep affection?

We dated for a year and were married for three years. The countless nights we spent together fell apart.

I was lost in thought.

"Ms. Gibson?" The lawyer asked me again as he didn't hear my response.

"I... I'll think about it," I said. I hung up the phone awkwardly and forced a smile as I walked toward Cristian.

He placed the grilled food on the picnic cloth. They were all my favorite.

In the oppressive summer heat, he was sweating profusely around the grill.

I wanted to help him, but he refused me. He told me that he didn't want the smoke to bother me. He let me eat first without waiting for him.

I hadn't been sitting for long when the buzzing of mosquitoes reached my ears. Cristian reminded me, "Helen, I put some bug spray in the bag. Spray some before you eat."

I had a mix of emotions, and as I ate the barbecue, tears began to fall.

I hated myself for not being as carefree as I had imagined. I failed to make a clean break.

After dinner, we sat on the grass together and gazed at the stars.

"Helen, I'm sorry," Cristian suddenly said with guilt, as he lowered his head and buried it in his arms.

I held my breath. Was he about to tell me the truth?

I pretended to know nothing and forced a smile. "Why do you say that?"

He lifted his head to look at me, and his eyes became misty. "I just can't resolve some things."

"What do you want to do?" I asked seriously and waited for him to say "divorce."

"I thought about it. The main issue between you and my mom is about giving birth to a kid. How about we adopt one?"

My heart skipped a beat, but I pretended to be calm. "Where do you plan to adopt from? Will your parents agree to adopt a baby with no blood relation?"

He said, "You've met my sister's friend. She's pregnant now, and her boyfriend is irresponsible. It's too late for her to have an abortion. So she plans to give the baby up for adoption. I had persuaded my parents. Even though it is not related to us by blood, it can carry on the family name. Besides, we're not saying we won't have our own baby. If you like the baby after spending some time with it, you might want to give birth to one of our own."

I listened to his serious nonsense, and my mind was already in turmoil.

It was ridiculous that I still held onto a shred of hope for him. It turned out that all his kind behavior was just to make me a fool. He wanted me to help him and his mistress raise their baby.

His plan was well-calculated.

"Okay," I said. I agreed with him and let him enjoy his happiness for a few days.

He was indeed overjoyed. He hugged me and kissed my forehead with excitement.

I felt cold to the bone in the hot summer.

...

Not long after returning home, I received a message from a private investigator. "I have some dirt information on Rachel. Do you want it for a thousand bucks?"

"Yes," I replied. I transferred the money quickly and received the file soon after.

It turned out that Rachel had worked in nightclubs before, dated a thug who frequently asked her for money, and still harassed her.

In other words, the father of her baby was uncertain.

I had an idea and called Cristian. "I talked to my parents about adopting the baby. They said we must wait until the baby is born and have a health check, just in case."

"Your parents are really considerate," Cristian agreed.

I inquired about Rachel's due date, which was four months later. During those months, I deliberately left early and returned late, distancing myself from the chaotic home.

At night, Cristian turned over and hugged me, but I coldly pushed him away.

After a long silence, he suddenly said, "Helen, I feel like things aren't the same between us."

"Don't overthink it. I've been tired from work lately. We've been married for over three years. It's normal for us to be like this. Besides, the relationship between your parents and me has improved. What are you worried about?" I tried to convince him, but even I didn't believe the excuse.

Since I discovered his affair with Rachel, I hadn't let him touch me.

He began to suspect and occasionally visited me in my office. He even secretly followed me once.

Since that was the case, I decided to play along.

I called Jarrod and asked him to meet me.

"Helen, what a surprise to have dinner with you," Jarrod said happily. He even offered to carry my purse. I deliberately let Cristian see us. So I didn't refuse Jarrod.

"I remember you mentioned a friend who does live streaming," I said.

"That's right. Are you interested in live streaming?"

"No. I need you to do me a favor."

"Sure," he said without hesitation.

After dinner, Cristian called me, and I used work as an excuse. Then I walked into a hotel with Jarrod.

...

When I returned home, Cristian wasn't back yet. I felt empty in my mind and tossed and turned all night without sleep.

After that night, Cristian seemed different. Though he was still gentle and considerate, he no longer showed affection for me.

Perhaps it was for the best. But it spared us both the discomfort.