The Wife and Her Adulterer

My wife, Catherine, often placed a cactus on the balcony, claiming it absorbed sunlight.

However, on rainy days, I come home to find her doing the same.

Once, when I made the excuse of going on a business trip, she quickly set the cactus outside again.

I secretly watched from downstairs until I saw a figure enter our home.

I pulled out my phone to call the police, "Officer, I want to report someone offering pornographic services."

Recently, Catherine had developed a passion for cacti.

She would put them out whenever I left, even in the rain.

One day, when she was out, I secretly put the cactus outside.

Shortly after, the doorbell rang.

Looking through the peephole, I saw a man with a ducktongue hat lurking at the door.

The thoughts of TV dramas filled my mind, women meeting their lovers under the guise of lanterns.

Catherine had been giggling at her phone and dressing coolly lately, fueling my anger.

I stormed to the kitchen for a knife and burst into the room.

Our eyes met, and I shouted, "Dad?"

Nicolas stared at the knife and asked with wide eyes, "What do you want to do?"

Mortified, I glanced at the fruit he held and quickly said, "I thought you were here to buy me fruit. I can peel it for you."

Just then, Catherine rushed back, saying, "I forgot something."

Surprised, she asked, "Dad, why are you here?"

It turned out that Nicolas came to ask for money to buy a car for Julius.

Realizing I had misjudged Catherine, I silently transferred one hundred thousand dollars to him, and he left happily.

Catherine, seeing this, kissed me.

I wanted to take things further, but her phone rang, and she hurriedly grabbed her bag and left.

As I prepared to tidy up, I noticed the gift she had given her best friend still on the couch.

I grabbed it and chased after her.

Just as I reached the stairs, I heard Catherine's voice, "You nearly got us caught. I forgot to grab something to meet you, or else..."

The man replied, "Your dad reacted quickly to help us cover."

I froze, feeling my blood run cold.

I wanted to confront them.

But when the man turned, I was shocked to see who it was.

They left hand in hand.

I suddenly understood why Nicolas helped them hide it.

When Catherine and I were dating, he disapproved of me due to my background had no house or car.

I had begged him for three days, promising a five hundred thousand dollar bride price in three years before he would allow me to marry her.

I worked tirelessly, climbing from a lowly position to market manager.

Over time, Nicolas had come to respect me more.

Life was getting better day by day, and we had even planned to have a child, but now she had betrayed me for someone richer.

Of course, Nicolas would cover for them.

Returning home in shock, I found Nicolas had come back without me noticing.

Sensing something was off, he asked, "Erik, what's wrong?"

I searched his face for guilt, but there was none.

Instead, he nervously asked, "Why are you staring at me?

"Are you reluctant to let me take your two bottles of wine?"

I realized he had returned for the two bottles of wine I had just bought.

I couldn't help but sneer internally, "This family is greedy."

At two in the morning, Catherine returned, humming and carrying a new bag.

Surprised to see me in the living room, she asked, "Honey, why are you still up?"

I didn't respond directly but pointed to her bag, "When did you buy this?"

"Oh, it's a birthday gift from my best friend," she replied.

I asked, "Chanel? Which girlfriend is so rich?"

Her demeanor shifted slightly, "A college friend you haven't met."

She then went to shower.

I took the opportunity to check the closet and found numerous luxury items tucked away.

I recalled when we first got together, we didn't have much money, and she would envy others with designer bags. Now that we had some financial stability, I sometimes advised her to buy what she wanted, but she always directed her funds to support her family instead.

Thinking of this, I finally understood.

She was using my earnings to support her family while tapping into other men's money for herself.

Anger simmered within me.

At this time, Catherine's phone buzzed.

A message from Nicolas caught my eye. [Catherine, one hundred thousand dollars from your husband isn't enough. Your brother wants a two hundred thousand dollar car. Ask him for more.]

[If that fails, ask the richer one for cash.]

I felt manipulated by this family.

When Nicolas saw she hadn't replied, he addressed me directly, "Erik, your brother still needs one hundred thousand dollars for the car. Bring me that in a couple of days."

I suppressed the urge to yell, replying, "Okay."

Remembering my hard work to give Catherine a better life, I found one betrayed me and one treated me like a mere ATM. A plan for revenge began to form in my mind.

The next morning, Catherine got up early and bought me breakfast.

At the table, she seemed hesitant to speak.

Sensing her intentions, I said, "I'll give your brother one hundred thousand dollars for the car in two days."

She feigned concern, "Honey, my dad goes too far. How about I ask them to choose a new car? Otherwise, you will be under too much pressure."

If in the past, I might have believed her worry, but now it felt insincere.

I changed the subject, "Catherine, there's a reception at my company tonight. Will you join me?"

Catherine said in surprise, "Sure. I just bought an evening gown and was looking for a chance to wear it."

She dashed to the bedroom to find clothes.

I texted my contact, [The fish is hooked.]

At seven o'clock in the evening, I took her to the banquet hall.

Upon entering, I noticed her scanning the room as if searching for someone.

"Catherine, what are you looking for?" I asked.

Her secret was exposed, and she smiled awkwardly. "I'm not looking for anyone. I'm just a bit hungry, checking for food."

I let go of her hand, telling her I'd made a toast and asked her to walk around.

Unexpectedly, she turned into someone else's car.

Watching a video on my phone, I felt disgusted.

I realized the time and knew the rendezvous shouldn't be over yet.

Suddenly, I wanted to play with them.

In the underground parking lot, I saw a black Cullinan shaking at a glance.

I approached and knocked on the window.

Inside, the movement stopped abruptly.

An impatient voice came out, "Who is it? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Hearing the familiar voice, I couldn't help but clench my fists.

I shouted, "Mr. Webber, it's me, Erik. I saw your car shaking and came to check."

There was silence before the window lowered halfway, revealing Will's annoyed face.

He forced a smile, "Oh, Erik. I'm talking to my wife."

I was furious.

The person inside was my wife.

Pretending embarrassment, I apologized but was suddenly alerted by a woman's voice from the car.

Turning serious, I asked, "Why does Mrs. Webber sound different?"

His face drained of color as he stuttered, "I... she..."

"Is she catching a cold?" I continued with a smile.

He let out a long sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly.

Returning to the banquet hall, Catherine rushed toward me, breathing heavily and flushed.

"Honey, I'm a bit uncomfortable. Let's go home," she said.

Seeing my plan had succeeded, I didn't press her.

Instead, I made one last request, "Sure, but let's toast Mr. Webber before we leave."

When she heard the name "Mr. Webber," she refused to leave, but she had no choice.

I just wanted to embarrass them.

Soon, Will arrived with his wife on his arm, looking serious.

When Catherine saw them, she tried to slip away, but Amelia called out, "This must be Mr. Pearson's wife, right?"

Catherine turned and nodded stiffly, and I noticed her shaking.

Amelia also noticed it. She smiled, approached, and took Catherine's hand. "Why're you in a cold sweat? Are you feeling unwell?"

Catherine was so nervous that she stepped back repeatedly, clearly afraid of being exposed.

Will noticed her distress and stepped in, saying, "Honey, Mrs. Pearson looks pale. Let's visit another day."

He tried to pull her away.

Amelia nodded. Just as she was about to release Catherine's hand, she suddenly frowned and asked, "Mrs. Pearson, what perfume are you wearing? It smells so familiar."

Panic spread across both Will's and Catherine's faces.

The cologne's scent was unmistakable, despite Catherine's attempts to cover it.

"I... I bought this perfume casually," Catherine stammered.

Amelia scrutinized her, "Oh really? It smells just like what my husband usually uses. Right, honey?"

She stared at Will.

Will looked caught off guard and struggled to respond.

Seizing the moment, I interjected, "That must be the scented bag in my car."

Relieved, Catherine quickly agreed, "Yes! The scented bag."

It was a flimsy excuse, but she didn't notice it.

I didn't have a scented bag in my car.

But I didn't want to expose them so early. I wanted to bring disgrace upon them and make them suffer the consequences.

Later that evening, Catherine wrapped her arms around me, and the scent of her perfume hit me hard.

I mentioned an upcoming business trip, and her face lit up with joy as she dashed to pack.

Taking advantage of her distraction, I secretly installed a tracking program on her phone to monitor her whereabouts.

The next day, when I was about to go out, I found that the cactus pot had already been placed on the balcony.

The show was about to begin.

Just as I got into the cab, my phone buzzed.

Catherine: [Come quickly, he is gone.]

Cactus Supplier: [Then forget today. I think he suspects something.]

Catherine: [No way. He adores me.]

Cactus Supplier: [Eh...]

Catherine: [Do you regret being with me? If you don't like it, we can break up, and you can go back to your wife.]

Cactus Supplier: [No, but I can't run my company without her father's support.]

Catherine: [I don't need you to divorce her or give me promises.]

Cactus Supplier: [Kiss.]

Catherine: [Still coming?]

Cactus Supplier: [Right away.]

I waited downstairs, watching Will ascend the stairs, wrapped tightly and fully armed.

I pulled out my phone and called the police. "Officers, I want to report that someone is providing pornographic services in 6603."