Blurb：
Returning from a business trip, I discovered my car seat had been moved – a detail my OCD wouldn’t ignore. Only my husband Daniel and I had keys, but his 6’2″ frame would never need the seat positioned so close. When I confronted Daniel, his nervous pause and unnecessary explanation about “adjusting the seat back” raised red flags.
At the hospital awaiting DNA results from hairs found in my car, I witnessed Daniel’s ultimate betrayal. There he was, during work hours, tenderly guiding a pregnant woman from the OB/GYN department – the same man who claimed he couldn’t leave work early when I had a high fever. The DNA report confirmed another woman had used my car, while Daniel’s lies about being in meetings unraveled when I saw him caressing her belly.
The anniversary roses Daniel offered felt like cruel irony. For three years of marriage and twenty years of friendship, he’d been secretly starting a family with someone else while pretending to support my career goals. Mrs. Reynolds’ pressure for grandchildren had been answered – just not by me.
Now investigating Daniel’s schedule and finances, I’m selling the car he gifted me – tainted by his infidelity. The man I thought I knew has become a stranger.
Content：
After returning from a one-month business trip, I got into my car, planning to surprise my husband by picking him up from work.
But the space of driver’s seat felt smaller.
It couldn’t be that I’d gained weight, could it?
Skeptical, I pulled out a tape measure and checked.
Sure enough, the seat was pushed forward by 2 centimeters compared to my usual setting.
Alarm bells rang in my head.
Only Daniel and I had keys to the car.
He’s six-foot-two. There was no way he’d only need that little space. And he rarely drove my car anyway.
So who had used it?
I immediately called Daniel,
“Who did you lend my car to?”
There was a distinct pause on the other end before he replied,
“No one! I know you have OCD, honey, why would I lend it to anyone?”
“I just adjusted the seat back for you.”
I didn’t say another word, just hung up and drove straight to the hospital.
At the hospital, I anxiously waited for the DNA test results of several hair strings collected from the driver seat.
Though I already suspected Daniel was cheating, I still hoped I was just being paranoid until I had proof.
Otherwise, over twenty years of knowing him since childhood and three years of marriage would become a cruel joke.
But Daniel’s words on the phone were hard to ignore.
He never adjusted the seat back after using my car. That deliberate comment felt suspiciously unnecessary.
Just then, I heard Daniel’s voice echoing in the hallway.
“Careful, sweetheart, don’t hurt our baby.”
Sweetheart? Baby?
Shocked, I turned.
Daniel, who was never late or left work early, was carefully helping a woman now at the hospital at working hour.
He hadn’t noticed me, his wife, standing there watching.
I remembered one time when I was home with a high fever, Daniel had only called his assistant to take me to the hospital.
“I’m sorry, honey, you know those old guard at the company are always watching me.”
“I can’t leave early without a reason under their pressure.”
I was a workaholic myself, so I hadn’t made much of it then.
But now reality showed me he could leave early – just not for me.
They were coming from the OB/GYN department. That woman was pregnant.
How long had this cheating been going on?
I called Daniel again. He didn’t seem flustered, answering smoothly,
“What’s up, honey? I just finished a meeting.”
Watching him standing there, blissfully stroking another woman’s belly, I swallowed hard.
“You wanted kids, right? Let’s have one.”
Daniel was clearly startled this time. He looked around, didn’t see me, and sighed in relief.
“Honey, has someone upset you? Did my mom say something again?”
“Don’t take it to heart. Mom’s just like that. She really wants a grandchild.”
“Don’t feel pressured, focus on your career. I’ll always support you.”
Mrs Reynolds had started pushing for kids the day after our wedding.
Yet I wanted to focus on my career for five more years, leading to several fights.
Daniel always took my side.
I thought I’d found a partner who understood and supported me.
Turns out, he just found another woman to carry his child.
Getting my answer, I hung up curtly, took the DNA report the doctor handed me and left.
Thinking it over, I called my assistant.
“Look into Daniel’s recent schedule, including everyone he met and his financial transactions.”
“And sell my car. I don’t want to see it again.”
That car was bought with the first money Daniel made from his startup.
It was his engagement gift to me. I’d been treasuring it.
Now he’d let another woman make it dirty.
When I got home, Daniel suddenly emerged from the foyer, holding a huge bouquet of roses.
He smiled warmly, handing me the flowers.
“Happy anniversary, honey.”
I froze, instinctively taking the vibrant roses.
Daniel reached out to hug me, but I stepped back.
“What’s wrong?” He looked confused, “You didn’t forget our anniversary, did you?”
“Working too hard? I might get jealous.”
Looking at this affectionate man, my heart clenched like an invisible hand was squeezing it.
If I hadn’t seen him with that pregnant woman at the hospital half an hour ago, I might have believed him now.
His acting was perfect. And disgusting for its perfection.
Who would think this man, who never forgot anniversaries, was keeping another woman?
“I remember,” I heard my own voice say calmly.
Of course I remembered.
I’d pushed through work abroad to finish early and surprise him today.
Just unexpectedly, he’d “surprised” me first instead.
Daniel relaxed, smiling as he took my hand.
“I booked your favorite restaurant, 7 PM. We still have time to get ready.”
I stared at him for a few seconds, suddenly wanting to laugh at my own weakness:
Even now, I wanted to give him a chance to explain.
But a phone call interrupted me.
Daniel glanced at his phone, his face instantly changing.
He answered hurriedly, turning away and lowering his voice.
After a few words, he hung up and turned back with an apologetic look.
“Honey, it’s an emergency at work. I have to go. I’ll make it up to you tonight.”
He grabbed his jacket and rushed out before I could respond.
I stood there, holding the roses.
Though I hadn’t seen the caller’s name clearly, but the profile pic on his screen was unmistakable – the woman from the hospital.
The door closed softly, but it felt like a hammer to my heart.
This was the second time he’d lied to me for her.
I put the roses in a vase and sat on the sofa to wait.
The clock ticked on, from dusk to deep night, then dawn.
My phone only lit up a few times with voice messages from Daniel.
[Sorry honey, looks like I’ll be at the office overnight. Don’t wait up.]
[I ordered you some takeout. Eat and get some sleep.]
Another woman’s voice could be heard faintly in the background.
“Is that Sophia?”
So she knew about me.
As dawn broke, I got up and threw the roses in the trash.
I mechanically packed Daniel’s clothes into a suitcase.
Then the doorbell rang.
I opened it and froze.
Mrs Reynolds stood there, arm-in-arm with a young woman sporting a visible baby bump – the same woman from the hospital.
Were they here to confront me?
Mrs Reynolds frowned at me.
“What are you gaping at? Let us in.”
“Useless at everything. Can’t give him a child, can’t cook…”
She muttered as she pushed past me, guiding the woman to the sofa and arranging a cushion behind her back.
“This is Amber Collins, my goddaughter.”
“She’s come to the city for her confinement. Nowhere to stay, so she’ll stay here.”
Watching Mrs Reynolds bustle around getting Amber water and peeling fruit, I felt a wave of bitter absurdity.
So she’d known all along, even helped cover it up.
Whenever she visited before, I was the one running around, bearing her scolding for any little thing.
“Does Daniel know about this?” My voice was terrifyingly calm.
Mrs Reynolds didn’t look up.
“Of course he does! You think I’d just bring someone?”
“And stop standing there! Move your things to the guest room. Amber needs the master bedroom, pregnant women need comfort.”
This woman had used my car and my husband, and now she wanted my room too?
I grabbed their bags and threw them out the door.
“Get out,” My voice trembled, “Now!”
Mrs Reynolds shrieked.
“Have you lost your mind?! She’s pregnant! Just because you’re barren, you’re jealous?”
Amber clutched her stomach, looking terrified.
I pushed them out and slammed the door.
Less than twenty minutes later, the lock turned.
Daniel burst in, breathless, his tie askew.
He’d left work early for her again.
“Honey, I’m sorry. It’s my fault for not telling you earlier about it.”
“But Mom meant well. Amber’s pregnant and alone in the city. We have to support her.”
He reached for me, his tone gentle, but I heard the reproach underneath.
He thought I was being petty, kicking a pregnant woman out.
I stepped back.
“Daniel, that call last night wasn’t from work, was it? And Amber’s baby… it’s yours, isn’t it?”
Daniel’s face froze. He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone rang.
His mother’s shrill voice blasted through.
“That jealous wife of yours threw us out! Amber had a fright, her stomach hurts! We’re on the way to the hospital!”
Daniel was silent for a few seconds. He turned, poured a glass of water, and handed it to me.
“Honey, just calm down. I’ll explain everything when I get back.”
I took the glass and drank it all, thinking this was probably our last tangle.
As I set the glass down, a wave of intense dizziness hit me.
I staggered, Daniel’s face swimming before me.
What was he doing?
When I woke, I was tied to a chair on the balcony.
It was pouring rain.
The front door opened. Mrs Reynolds and Daniel helped Amber inside.
Amber clutched her stomach, pale, playing the frightened victim.
Daniel carefully settled her on the sofa, murmuring soothingly as if she were porcelain.
Once Amber was settled, Daniel came out to the balcony.
“Honey, you’re awake. Feeling calmer?”
He spoke to me as gently as ever, as if I were merely throwing a tantrum, not tied up in the rain.
“Don’t blame me, honey. This is what you owe Amber.”
He sighed, wiping rainwater from my face.
“You shouldn’t have thrown her out. The wind was so strong, she’s pregnant. What if something had happened?”
I stared at him, my throat too dry to speak.
“Don’t worry, Amber won’t threaten your position.”
His tone was light, as if it were nothing serious.
“You didn’t want kids, right? Perfect.”
“When her baby is born, we’ll raise it. We’ll tell everyone it’s yours.”
“That way, Mom stops nagging, you keep working. Win-win.”
“So stop being angry, okay? We’ll go back to how things were.”
He said it as if this were all for me, as if he’d only cheated to ease my burden.
“I love you, truly. I can’t live without you.”
He leaned closer, fingers brushing my cheek.
“So, please, stop making trouble for Amber, okay?”
I felt a wave of terrifying unfamiliarity to him wash over me.
This man was a frightening stranger.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently.
An earthquake.
Daniel froze. Instinctively, he reached to untie me, but Amber’s scream came from inside,
“Daniel! I’m scared! Help me!”
He pulled his hand back,
“Honey, Amber’s pregnant now. Cut her some slack.”
“I’ll get Mom to untie you.”
Having quickly finished his words, he rushed inside, scooping Amber up and running out without a second glance.
Mrs Reynolds followed close behind.
Passing the balcony, she simply gave me a cold look and kept moving.
They left me behind.
The building shook harder. Walls cracked. The ceiling started to collapse.
I struggled desperately, but the ropes held fast.
In the final moments, I heard Daniel’s distant shout – calling Amber’s name in great concern.
Not a word about me.
Crash.
The building collapsed completely.
My heart died with it.
In the hospital, Daniel was feeding Amber slices of apple.
He expertly cut the fruit, speared a piece with a toothpick, and held it to her lips. Amber opened her mouth shyly, eyes fixed on him.
“Thank you, Daniel,” her voice couldn’t be sweeter.
Daniel forced a smile, but unease gnawed at him.
He thought of Sophia tied up on the balcony. Had she escaped?
The earthquake attacked in such a sudden.
He’d heard buildings collapsed all over.
The door opened, interrupting his thoughts. Mrs Reynolds walked in, carrying a thermos.
“Mom.” Daniel stood quickly, taking it, “What are you doing here?”
Mrs Reynolds glared, “Who else will take care of Amber without me here?”
She turned to Amber with a sentimental smile.
“Dear Amber, I made you some broth. Have it hot.”
Daniel flinched at it. He never knew they were that close.
Pushing it aside, he whispered to his mother,
“Mom, did you untie Sophia?”
Mrs Reynolds didn’t look up.
“Of course I did! You think I’d leave her to die? I’m not a monster, Daniel.”
Daniel sighed, some tension easing.
“I’ll go pay the hospital bill.” He grabbed the paperwork from the bedside table.
At the payment counter, Daniel scrolled absently on his phone.
News reports detailed earthquake casualties.
His neighborhood was hard hit, dozens of buildings down.
His fingers trembled as he tried calling Sophia.
No answer.
Just then, the attending doctor came to him.
“Mr Reynolds, your wife’s test results are in.”
Daniel hesitated before realizing the doctor meant Amber by “your wife”.
He took the report. The doctor sighed.
“I’m sorry. The fetus didn’t make it. Your wife had a shock, and with her previous weakness…”
Daniel nodded mechanically, his mind reeling.
Amber lost the baby… maybe Sophia wouldn’t be so angry now?
He walked back to the room, hearing Amber and his mother talking at the door.
“Mrs Reynolds,” Amber’s voice was worried, “What if Daniel finds out you didn’t untie Sophia?”
Daniel froze, crushing the report in his fist.
“What’s he going to do?” Mrs Reynolds scoffed, “I’ll say I’m an old woman, barely escaped myself!”
“Besides, maybe the earthquake took care of that barren woman. Then you can marry Daniel properly.”
“But… I wasn’t pregnant at all, was I?”
“Silly girl,” Mrs Reynolds hissed.
“I paid off the doctor. Later, we’ll say the shock caused the miscarriage.”
“Focus on getting pregnant with Daniel’s child now, understand?”
Daniel couldn’t take it anymore. He shoved the door open.
Amber and Mrs Reynolds paled, stunned by his sudden appearance.
“Mom!” Daniel’s voice shook, “You… Sophia… she…”
Mrs Reynolds recovered fast, turning aggressive.
“Don’t you yell at me over that b**ch!”
“That trash Sophia threw my goddaughter out and caused her ‘miscarriage’! Serves her right!”
“I never wanted you to marry her! Lounging around, useless… What kind of woman lives like she did?”
Daniel couldn’t believe his ears. He stared at the venomous old woman, suddenly finding her unrecognizable.
The report slipped from his hand. He turned and ran.
“Daniel! Where are you going?” Mrs Reynolds yelled.
Daniel ignored her, bolted out of the hospital, and hailed a cab home.
He tried calling Sophia non-stop during the ride. No answer.
He reached the neighborhood entrance. The sight made his legs buckle.
His building was a pile of rubble.
Rescue workers were searching the wreckage, the area cordoned off.
Daniel stumbled forward, stopped by a worker.
“My wife! She’s in there!” His voice was a raw scream.
“Sir, calm down. We’re searching,” the worker tried to soothe.
Daniel collapsed to his knees before the ruins of his home.
He pictured Sophia tied to the chair on the balcony, her final look at him.
Pain ripped through his chest. A guttural, inhuman wail tore from his throat as he crumpled.
The rescue crew pulled out several bodies.
Daniel staggered over to look. None of them were Sophia.
Hope and despair warred within him until darkness fell, and the search paused.
Daniel sat by the rubble, clutching a hair clip Sophia always wore – it was found in the debris.
Blood stained the clip, glaring under the moonlight.
His tears had long dried, leaving only endless regret and agony.
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