The Housewife Strikes Back

I never thought my husband would betray me.

I always believed that while any husband in the world might stray, Preston was the exception. I never expected that I would underestimate human nature and overestimate myself.

We were introduced by mutual friends and dated for a year. When we got married, I was 26, and he was four years older, just entering his thirties.

Although we didn't have a particularly deep emotional foundation initially, and Preston wasn't very romantic, as we spent time together, both I and my family found him incredibly reliable and down-to-earth. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to me, even sharing all his earnings with me before we got married. My friends envied me for finding such a wonderful husband, and my parents were completely reassured about letting me marry him.

After marriage, our relationship flourished, and soon we welcomed a baby into our lives. On the day our child was born, as I lay on the delivery bed enduring the pains of labor, Preston held my hand and vowed that no matter what challenges we faced in the future, he would cherish me as if I were his very life. That day, for the first time, I saw Preston cry.

I joked with him, saying, "I can see you prefer a boy, but what if I give birth to a girl?"

Preston gently brushed my hair from my forehead and said, "As long as it's our child, boy or girl, it doesn't matter. If it's a boy, we'll protect you together. If it's a girl, I'll protect both of you."

During childbirth, no one could hear such words and not have been moved. I was no exception. So I hugged Preston and cried, saying, "Our little family of three will surely be very happy, happier than anyone else."

Preston nodded vigorously.

In the blink of an eye, our daughter had grown to be over three years old. Over those two years, Preston's career had been on a roll. He had swiftly risen from being an ordinary supervisor to the position of Sales Director at his company. He often spoke of how all this good fortune was due to me and our daughter, vowing to treat us well in the future.

Preston suggested that I quit my job and focus on raising our child at home. Considering that my parents were getting on in years and I didn't want to burden them further, and given that my in-laws didn't live locally and couldn't assist us, I agreed to become a full-time housewife.

Being a housewife was a bit tiring and monotonous, but it was all worth it, especially seeing our daughter grow day by day. My heart was filled with happiness.

Although my relationship with Preston had become a bit more mundane at times, and we sometimes argued playfully, overall, it was still very good. We were still considered the 'model couple' by others.

He was very indulgent towards me, and we had an agreement: whenever an argument arose, one of us would say, "I'm sorry, baby, I was wrong."

It was our little secret, and every time we did this, our relationship grew stronger.

Perhaps because life had been too peaceful and I had become too comfortable in my trust, I let my guard down when it came to certain matters between men and women. Everything changed after I received a call from my best friend, Eliza.

Eliza and I were high school classmates. We shared similar interests but had complementary personalities, naturally becoming good friends.

She was a high-ranking executive at a large company, a true career woman, always decisive and action-oriented.

But on this day, when she called me, her voice was filled with hesitation, and she spoke haltingly, "Louise, how have you and Preston been lately?"

I didn't know why she was asking this. She had witnessed our journey from acquaintance to intimacy. She used to often marvel at how lucky I was to find such a good man, finally rewarding my years of waiting.

Today, however, she was uncharacteristically asking this question. I chuckled and joked with her, "We haven't talked in a few days, and the first thing you ask is about Preston. Have you taken a liking to him, or did you see him cheating?"

Little did I know, my joke would turn out to be true, leaving me completely shocked.