My wife, Chloe, had been cheating on me with my best friend, Austin, for six whole years, and I had absolutely no idea. It wasn't until her birthday party tonight. Everyone was drunk, laughing, and throwing around jokes. "To be honest, Ive always thought Ethan was a pretty pathetic guy." "Without Austin, he wouldn't have even been able to hold Chloes hand." Through the cracked door of the VIP lounge, I heard Chloes voice. "If Austin hadn't gotten married first, do you really think I would have married that spineless loser?" So, that was how she saw our six-year marriage. I was about to kick the door open when her next words made me freeze completely. "Well, you might not have married Austin, but he was the one in your bed on your wedding night. What is there to regret?" My mind went completely blank. On our wedding night, I had been so drunk that I passed out, and when I woke up, the guests were already gone. It turned out someone else had taken my place in my own bed. Since they all thought I was a spineless loser. Then it was time to bring in someone who wasn't. They seemed to have forgotten that Austins wife, Victoria Sinclair, was a notorious, unhinged control freak. Once, a girl had innocently placed her hand on Austins shoulder. Victoria ended up chasing her down three blocks with a kitchen knife. I wondered how she would react when she found out Austin was sleeping with my wife. 1 I pulled out my phone and sent Victoria a Snapchat message. [Austins had too much to drink and got into a fight with someone. You need to get here right now.] I put my phone away and listened as the laughter inside grew louder and more excited. "Isn't it hilarious?" "Ethan actually thinks of Austin as his brother." "Brother?" The group couldn't stop laughing. "He doesn't even deserve the title." "Austin only calls him 'bro' to be polite." "Did he really think he was on the same level as Austin?" "One is in heaven, the other is in the dirt." "His greatest value is being Austins loyal dog." Someone asked Austin. "Austin, am I right?" Austin just smiled and shook his head. "Don't say that." "After all, Ethan has been by my side for so many years." Someone immediately mocked: "Austin, youre just too soft-hearted." Standing outside the door, I suddenly smiled. Eight years ago, Austin wasn't the powerful man he was today. Back then, he was just a fresh graduate, full of passion but failing at every turn. I was the one who helped him start his business. Later, when his company faced bankruptcy, I emptied my life savings to save him. At that time, Austin patted my shoulder. "Ethan, you are my brother for life." "As long as I have a bite to eat, you will never go hungry." He said it so sincerely, and I believed him. But I never expected this "brother" of mine would steal my wife. And treat me like a dog. More laughter echoed from the room. "But honestly, Chloe, youre pretty pitiful too." "The one you love is Austin, but you ended up marrying Ethan." "Who could ever accept that?" My fists slowly tightened. Chloe, my wife. We had been married for six years. I always thought she was just naturally cold and distant. But it turned out her heart had never belonged to me. Chloe spoke in a careless, bored tone. "If it weren't for Austin, I wouldn't even know who Ethan was." "The only reason I agreed to marry him was because he was Austin's friend." At that moment, it felt like a heavy fist had punched right through my chest. The marriage I had fought so hard to protect for six years. In her eyes, it was just a pathetic second choice. "But have you ever loved Ethan, even just a little?" Chloe exaggeratedly covered her mouth and burst into hysterical laughter. "How could I ever love him?" "Hes just a doormat." The pain in my chest was suffocating. Someone chimed in. "If Ethan ever found out, wouldn't he completely lose his mind?" 2 Chloe's merciless words stabbed into my heart like ice-cold knives. "Lose his mind? If he dares to make a scene, I'll divorce him on the spot." "Believe it or not, even if I sat on Austins lap right now, he wouldn't dare say a word." "Hed probably make excuses for me, saying I drank too much and accidentally fell into Austins arms." "To put it bluntly, even if I slept with Austin right in front of his face, hed still find a way to forgive us." Someone jeered, "No way, could a man really be that pathetic?" Chloe sneered, "Don't believe me?" "Lets make a bet. Ill kiss Austin right in front of him. Lets see how he reacts." The atmosphere in the VIP room grew wilder. People began placing bets. "I bet fifty thousand." "One hundred thousand from me." Chloe shouted loudly, "I bet Ethan won't dare to utter a single sound tonight." "I bet hell storm out." "I bet hell actually fight. No real man could take this." "What if he just swallows his pride?" The crowd laughed hysterically. The bets kept going up. They treated me like the biggest joke of the night. "Hey, why isn't Ethan here yet?" Someone checked their watch. "How long has it been?" "Is he hiding behind the door, too scared to come in?" "I'll go check." A guy, completely drunk, stood up to walk toward the door. "Don't worry," Austin suddenly spoke. "Today is Chloe's birthday." "There's no way Ethan wouldn't show up." "Hes probably just stuck in traffic." The person next to him laughed immediately. "Austin, you really do know him best." "He can't bear to lose sight of Chloe for even a minute." Another guy smirked. "Maybe he got distracted by some pretty girl on the street?" Laughter erupted in the room again. Chloe leaned back on the sofa, slowly swirling her wine glass. "Him?" She let out a soft scoff. "He can't live without me." "After all these years, don't you guys know what kind of man he is?" "He has eyes for no one but me." "Forget about some girl." "Even if a woman stripped naked in front of him, he wouldn't dare to look." So she knew exactly how much I loved her, yet she used my love as a cheap joke. In the next second, she sat directly onto Austins lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I can't let your bets go to waste. Watch closely!" As soon as she finished speaking, she leaned down and kissed Austin deeply on the lips. The room instantly went wild. "Oh, damn! Keep that pose, don't move!" Someone yelled in excitement. "Lets wait for Ethan to walk in just like this!" "We have to see his face!" "Hahaha!" "I can't wait to see him play the coward!" They laughed like maniacs. And I stood outside, separated only by a door, my fists clenched so hard my knuckles turned white. Chloe. Austin. I hope you can still laugh like this in a few minutes. I looked down at my phone. The screen lit up with a Snapchat from Victoria. [Tell me the room number. Im almost there.] A cold smile crept onto my lips. Victoria Sinclair was on her way. And I had heard enough. Everything I should and shouldn't know, I knew now. If I didn't go in, wouldn't I be ruining their show? Since they wanted to see my reaction so badly, I would give them exactly what they expected. I pushed the door open, and the noise instantly stopped. Every single eye in the room turned to me. Chloe was still sitting on Austins lap. Her smile froze for a split second, but she quickly recovered. Some people were holding back their laughter, waiting for the drama to unfold. I looked at Chloe, then at Austin. I feigned a confused, worried expression. "Chloe, did you drink too much?" "How could you mistake Austin for your own husband?" 3 After a second of dead silence, the entire room exploded into deafening laughter. "Hahaha! I knew it! I knew hed react like this!" "Ethan, you are too funny!" One guy was laughing so hard he was slamming his hand on the table. "Mistake him for his husband!" "Does he seriously think Chloe is just drunk?" Chloe laughed too. "I won!" "Pay up, pay up, transfer the money!" Everyone groaned and started transferring money through PayPal. Someone complained, "Man, you really do know Ethan best." Chloe said proudly, "Of course. Who do you think I am? Just wait, it gets even better." She didn't get up. Instead, she deliberately adjusted herself into a more intimate position on Austin's lap. "Ethan, do you really think Im drunk?" The room fell quiet again. I didn't say a word. Chloe stared at me like I was a clown. "Im not drunk. Im completely sober." "I just wanted to sit in Austins lap." My fists slowly clenched tighter. For six years, she had taken my patience and love, thrown it on the ground, and stomped all over it. Seeing my silence, Chloes laughter became even more arrogant. "Ethan, theres no point in getting angry!" "The one Ive always loved is Austin. Youre just his substitute." "If you can't take it, you can ask for a divorce!" She knew exactly how to manipulate me, thinking I would swallow my pride and accept it all. But this time, she was dead wrong. A simple divorce would never be enough to quiet the rage burning inside me. Austin smiled, looking down at me. "Alright." "Don't push him too hard." His tone was still filled with that insufferable superiority. "Ethan, weve known each other for eight years." "You should know that without me, you wouldn't be where you are today." He acted as if he was doing me a favor. "Were brothers." "Between brothers, theres no need to get so worked up over little things." Someone next to him laughed and added: "Exactly. Without Austin, could you have even married Chloe?" "Good things should be shared." Austin raised his glass and took a slow sip. "Brothers share everything." "With our relationship..." "Sharing a piece of clothing with a bro is nothing." "After all, Im the one who let you have her first." Another round of laughter erupted in the room. Blood rushed to my head, but I forced myself to hold back. I didn't rush forward to beat these two pieces of trash. But I knew someone else wouldn't hold back. I forced a slow smile, as if I had actually been convinced by them. "Austin, you're right. Were brothers." "Since you love Chloe so much, I don't mind stepping aside." Everyone froze. Clearly, they hadn't expected me to be this pathetic. Chloes smile stiffened for a moment, then she let out a cold sneer. "At least you know your place, Ethan." I ignored her and kept my eyes on Austin. "But... what about Victoria?" "Doesn't she keep a very tight leash on you?" "If she finds out youre with Chloe..." The moment Victoria's name was mentioned, the laughter in the room noticeably died down. A few people exchanged nervous glances. Someone muttered under their breath. "Victoria's temper..." "Yeah, shes fucking terrifying." But Austins expression didn't change at all. He scoffed in disdain. "Who cares about her?" "Shes nothing without her family's money." "My company has grown so big over the years, and she actually thinks its all thanks to her?" "Even without her, I would have made it this far." "Right now, her only value is playing the quiet housewife." "As for anything else..." 4 Austin sneered. "If she knows whats good for her, Ill let her keep some dignity." "If she doesn't," "Ill just divorce her." "Do you really think a man like me is short of women?" The people around him immediately started agreeing. "Exactly!" "Look at Austin's status now." "Women are practically lining up for him." "No matter how crazy Victoria is, she wouldn't dare do anything to Austin." Austin swirled his glass gently. "If she dares to make a scene, I'll leave her penniless after the divorce." "Without me, what does she even have left?" He spoke so casually, completely forgetting how violent and ruthless Victoria could be. I smiled and didn't argue. Instead, I looked back at Chloe. "Chloe." "You know what Victoria is like." "Years ago, just because a girl stood too close to Austin, Victoria chased her down the street with a knife." "Aren't you even a little worried about what she might do to you?" Chloe acted as if she had just heard a joke. "Why should I be worried?" "Austin will protect me." Austin wrapped his arm around her waist, looking smug. "Of course." "With me here, no one touches you." Chloe looked at me with pure contempt. "No matter how crazy she is, she can't beat the law." The crowd chimed in again. "Exactly." "Shes just a woman." "Can she really stab someone?" "That's illegal." "If she dares to raise a hand, shell be the first one thrown in jail." I had said what needed to be said. You can't save fools from their own doom. Austin gave me a dismissive look, suddenly pushing Chloe down onto the sofa and pressing himself against her. They acted as if I, her husband, was just invisible air. The crowd smiled knowingly and stood up to leave. "Haha, let's not disturb Austin." "Lets get out of here." When one guy walked past me, he deliberately shoved my shoulder. "Ethan, youll get used to it." The group laughed as they walked out. I stood in the same spot, motionless. Chloe frowned, looking at me with pure annoyance. "Why are you still standing there?" I looked at her calmly. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Chloes face was filled with mockery and disgust. "Ethan, youre a spineless loser." "Just looking at you makes me sick." "Who I want to be with is my business." "Now get the hell out." She pointed a finger at the door. "Wait outside." "When Austin and I are done, you can drive us home." With that, she didn't even bother to look at me again and kissed Austin. Austins grin widened. "Oh, and if it gets a bit loud in here," "Don't mind us." "Chloe and I have always been pretty wild." The two of them began to make out as if no one else was in the universe. Just then, my phone vibrated. The screen lit up with a Snapchat from Victoria. [Im at the door.] My lips curved into a cold smile as I typed back. [Come straight up.] I turned around and walked out of the room. Right as I stepped into the hallway, desperate, heavy breathing started echoing from inside the room. Three minutes later, at the end of the hallway, the elevator doors slid open. A pair of designer high heels stepped out first. Behind her were a dozen burly bodyguards in black suits. Victoria Sinclair had arrived. She walked quickly up to me. "Where is Austin?" I slowly raised my hand and pointed to the VIP room behind me. Through the door, the unmistakable sounds of a man and a woman in the heat of passion could be heard. Victoria's face instantly turned stone-cold. In the next second, she kicked the door open with a loud slam...
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