When I found out my husband, Ray, was cheating again, I didn't scream or cry. I just sent him a link to a real estate listing I'd been looking at. "We should buy the kids a couple of condos here." He got the message. "Done." I immediately texted the real estate agent. "I'm bringing my husband in tomorrow to pay. Yes, two units, in full." After years of marriage, I've learned to focus my attention on only one thing: my husband's money. He, however, is full of regrets. He wants to come back to the family, to start over with me. Too late. His role in this house is now just an ATM. 1 Late one night, a woman sent me an intimate photo of herself and Ray. I didn't flinch. This wasn't the first time. I forwarded the photo to Ray, then sent him the brochure for the condos I'd already picked out. "How about we buy the kids a couple of condos here? Think of it as their high school graduation present." The development had just opened. It was in a prime location with great amenities and beautiful landscaping. I'd already taken my mom to see it twice. We both loved it. I was just trying to figure out how to get Ray to pay for it when this woman handed me the perfect opportunity on a silver platter. A few moments later, Ray replied: "Okay." I immediately messaged the agent. "I'm bringing my husband over tomorrow to pay. That's right, two units, paying in full, in my daughter's and son's names." The next morning, I was waiting at the sales office when Ray finally arrived, a glaring red mark on a conspicuous part of his neck. "Well, well. Looks like someone had fun," I quipped. He ignored the jab and just handed me a card. "Couldn't I just transfer you the money? Why do I have to come down here every time?" "Nope," I said, wagging a finger at him. "Can't do that." "These condos are a gift to the children, part of their personal assets. It's only right that you, their father, handle the transaction. It avoids any future confusion where you might claim I embezzled our shared marital assets." Ray rolled his eyes. "Alright, fine. You know I'm not that kind of person." I know he probably wouldn't go that far. But people change. When we were first in love, I never would have imagined he would betray our marriage. The agent we'd been in contact with greeted us with a beaming smile. The paperwork went smoothly, without any hitches. As we left the sales office, Ray gestured for me to get in his car. "No thanks, I drove." Then, after a moment's thought, I added a little piece of advice. "You know the only thing I care about is money. Have your fun with the women on the side, but don't give them too much. If it's too much, I'll start to miss it. And if I get upset, I might just have to go ask for it back, and that would be unpleasant for everyone." Ray let out a cold laugh. "Heh. You're so generous now. Not like you used to be." 2 What was I like before? The first time I found out Ray was seeing other women, I wanted him dead. Ray and I met in college. We fell in love, and I was with him when he started his business, through all the hardest times. When the business finally took off and the company started turning a profit, we got married. It felt like the natural next step. Not long after, we got the wonderful news that I was pregnant with twins. Back then, I thought this was the definition of a perfect life. Until the third trimester. That's when Ray cheated. I was heavily pregnant, and I caught him with his secretary in his office. The shock and anger nearly sent me into premature labor. I was in a hospital bed, trying to keep the babies from coming too early, and Ray was kneeling beside me. "Ava, she seduced me. Please, just forgive me this one time." Is that what all cheating men say? Blame the other woman? As if he had no fault in the matter. It takes two to tango. They were both disgusting. My parents rushed to the hospital. My mom held my hand, her face a mask of pain, while my dad kicked Ray square in the chest. Even his own parents were furious with him. Before he could react, his mother slapped him hard across the face. "Ava is carrying your children! How could you?" Listening to them scream at him, listening to Ray's pathetic apologies, my heart felt like it was being torn to shreds. The tears just wouldn't stop. What good were his regrets now? A crack had formed in our love, and it could never be repaired. To make up for what he'd done, Ray transferred all of our assets into my name. His parents also gave me a substantial amount of money, telling me to focus on my health. Soon after, through waves of agonizing pain, I gave birth to my son and daughter. That period was the darkest time of my life. I was filled with joy at the arrival of my children, but at the same time, I was consumed by the grief of their father's betrayal. The pain was indescribable. But life had to go on. I took all my anger out on Ray. I hated him, I loathed him, and every day, I silently cursed him. You think he learned his lesson then? Of course not. After getting caught the first time, Ray did behave himself for a while. He was a good provider, he loved the kids, and he was a family man. My parents advised me to give him another chance, for the sake of the children. But a dog will always return to its vomit. And cheating is never a one-time thing. 3 On the day of our children's first birthday party, Ray was late. He wasn't answering his phone. A cold dread washed over me. Sure enough, when he finally arrived, the first thing I saw was a smudge of lipstick on his shirt collar. Rage shot through me. I pulled him into a secluded corner. "What's wrong?" Ray asked, oblivious. "What's wrong?!" I hissed, my voice low and shaking as I pointed to the lipstick stain. "Today is our children's first birthday party. We've invited so many relatives, so many clients. And you, Ray, you were out screwing around?" My nails dug into my palms. Ray panicked and grabbed my hand. "Listen, let me explain." I yanked my hand away. "You have a clean shirt in the car. Go change. Now." My nose burned, and I could barely hold back the tears. But then I remembered what day it was, and I forced a smile onto my face. That night, we had a massive fight. I tore through his car, searching everywhere, until my eyes landed on the dashcam. Ray was still trying to deny it. "Nothing happened..." But when the sound of their flirtatious laughter filled the car, he fell silent. "You bastard, Ray!" I slapped him, hard. Ray lit a cigarette and pulled a card from the glove compartment. "There's eighty thousand on here." "Can't you just try to understand? I have all the pressure of the company on me. I'm tired, too." He was tired? Who isn't tired? Does being tired give you an excuse to sleep with other women? If that's the case, then maybe I should go find another man, too. "Ray, I want a divorce." I gave him one last, cold look, took the card with the eighty thousand dollars, and went home. 4 Of course, we didn't get a divorce. The whole affair ended with Ray buying me and the kids thirty thousand dollars' worth of gold jewelry. I never really wanted to divorce him. Maybe it was the old saying that a new baby brings good fortune, but after the twins were born, Ray's business boomed. In just one year, his assets grew to a level we had never dreamed of. Besides, the children were still nursing. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving them to go back to work. My job was to spend his money, to take care of myself, to raise my children well, and to ensure that we all lived a comfortable, prosperous life. That's the reason I've stayed with him all these years. In those difficult days, Ray used money to shut me up. He bought me and the kids cars, houses, and covered all our expenses. I took the money from Ray without hesitation and spent it lavishly on the children and myself. Horseback riding, archery, golf, skiing—whatever they were interested in, I supported them, encouraging them to learn and experience everything. They went to the best schools, the best after-school programs, and we traveled all over the country. For the past dozen years, I've been living this life, spending the money Ray earned, enjoying the benefits he provided. And slowly, my heart has detached itself from him. The only thing left between us is the pure, simple relationship of money. 5 Faced with Ray's mockery, I just laughed at myself. "I'm a very generous person. I was young and foolish to fight with you before. Don't worry, I've seen the light. As long as the money is right, you can go out and fool around as much as you want. Just don't catch anything. Because when you get old, I'm not taking care of you." My words were blunt, and for some reason, they seemed to annoy him. "Ava, is money really that important to you now?" "Of course it is. Without money, would the kids and I have the life we have now?" Thinking of the children, I pressed him again. "You need to transfer me some money. Their college entrance exams are coming up, and I want to take them on a trip to relax and de-stress. Also, my spa membership is about to expire." As I wracked my brain for other major expenses, Ray had already transferred fifty thousand dollars to my account. "Thanks, boss!" The moment the money hit my account, I beamed at him. As long as he pays, I have no problem being pleasant. "And one more thing. The exams are in two months. You need to handle last night's situation. If it affects the kids in any way, neither I nor their grandparents will ever forgive you." "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Ray scoffed, rolling up his car window. As his car sped away, I just shook my head. A mother's love makes you strong. As long as my children are not affected, I don't care about anything else. But if he ever dares to let my children get hurt in any way, I will drag him to hell with me. 6 When I got back to my studio, my two master tailors and their apprentices were already busy sewing a custom-made qipao for a client. I love wearing qipaos. At first, I had them custom-made by professionals. Back when I first found out about Ray's affair, I spent money as a way to vent my anger, splurging on the things I loved. Slowly, I started to think about making them myself. Once the kids were a little older, I traveled all over the country to learn the art of qipao making from different masters. I filled one of our spare properties with all kinds of fabrics and tailoring tools. Whenever the kids were at school, I would retreat to my little haven and lose myself in sewing. This small, focused work was what helped me heal from the pain. I made qipaos for my mother and my mother-in-law. I wore them to pick up the kids, to meet friends for lunch, and to accompany Ray to business functions. To my surprise, I received a lot of compliments. People kept asking me where I had my qipaos custom-made. An idea sparked. I had Ray buy me a commercial space, and I opened my own custom qipao studio. The money I made was nowhere near what Ray gave me, but it was my own income, and that felt good. I couldn't handle the work alone, so I hired two master tailors and took on two apprentices. After greeting everyone, I walked over to the fabric section. The college entrance exams were in two months. I wanted to make myself a special qipao to wear to bring them good luck. And soon after the results came out, it would be their eighteenth birthday. I also needed to make a special dress for my daughter to wear to her coming-of-age party. As I was focused on selecting fabrics, I heard a noise at the door. "Excuse me, is anyone here?" "Yes, we're here!" Knowing that everyone else was busy, I called out and hurried to the front of the studio. A beautiful young woman was standing there. Our eyes met for just a second. But a woman's intuition told me: this was the woman who sent me the photo last night. She looked me up and down, her hand subtly resting on her stomach. "I'd like to have a qipao custom-made. But I just found out I'm pregnant. Do you have any recommendations?" As I took her measurements, I started chatting with her. "Since we don't know how your pregnancy will affect you, whether you'll have morning sickness or gain a lot of weight, I'd suggest a fully-buttoned style..." Before I could finish, she cut me off. "I don't even know if this baby will be born. Ma'am, do you think my baby will be born?" If it was anyone else's, of course it could be born. But if it was Ray's, I would not allow it. The woman grabbed my hand. "Ma'am, Ray listened to you and wants to break up with me. But the baby is innocent. You have children too, so you must understand. I promise, after the baby is born, I won't cause you any trouble." As she spoke, tears started to well up in her eyes. The others in the studio looked over. I took a deep breath and led her to the seating area. "Does Ray know you're pregnant?" "No, he doesn't." "Alright. You go home and wait. I'll talk to Ray for you." I glanced down at her stomach. "Don't worry. I will make sure you get a proper resolution." The moment the woman left, I stormed over to Ray's office. "Honey, what are you doing here?" Ray asked, surprised. I slammed the office door shut and slapped him across the face. "How dare you create an illegitimate child to compete with my children for their inheritance?" I didn't care what Ray did on the side. My bottom line was, he could not let these women bother our children, and he could not have any illegitimate children. Ray's fortune was vast, and every penny of it had to go to our kids. He had been so careful for so many years. And now, just as the kids were grown, he messes up like this. The slap stunned Ray. "A child? What child?" "You're still going to pretend?!" I glared at him and slapped him again. "She came to my studio and begged me to let her have the baby." Realization dawned on Ray's face, and it turned dark. "I always use protection. Besides, before we even got together, I told her I had a family. We both knew what this was." "I don't care about any of that," I said with a cold smile. "This baby cannot be born. You will take her to get an abortion, and you will give her some money for her trouble." I looked down at his crotch with contempt. "Ray, if you can't control that little thing of yours, maybe you should just get it cut off. Or get a vasectomy." Ray's face turned ashen. "Ava!" I looked around his office, wondering how a man like this could be so successful. "You will arrange for her to have the procedure. Now."
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