Just as I finished speaking, my stomach let out an embarrassing growl."There's an excellent Chinese place around the corner," Luke said."You've been here before?""No.""..." Then how did he know about a good restaurant?Did he research every place this thoroughly?He'd make a perfect travel companion.I later learned he'd researched local restaurants knowing my passion for food.I'd only had water since waking up. The film crew would have finished lunch by now, with no leftovers available. I needed to find something on the way.Being in a bad mood lately, I hadn't researched any local restaurants before coming here.Craving authentic Chinese food, I decided to take Luke's suggestion.It was an upscale Chinese restaurant specializing in spicy cuisine. As soon as we sat down, a cheerful server brought out place settings and started listing their specialties."Our portions are generous. For a couple, I'd recommend one appetizer and a soup to start.""We're not a couple," I
Last night at ten o'clock, when I was getting ready to go to sleep, I got a call from an unknown number in our city.The voice on the line, clear and pleasant, asked, "Are you Jen Middleton?"I didn't hesitate and said, "Yes, that's me. Who's this?"Instead of answering, the woman laughed and said, "Your husband is so wild in bed"I was completely confused and was about to ask who she was and how she knew anything about my husband, but the call was abruptly cut off, leaving a dial tone.At first, I thought it was just a prank and didn't think much of it.But as soon as I hung up the phone, a troubling thought crossed my mind: if it was just a prank, how did the caller know my name so accurately?Lost in my thoughts, I received a video through text from the same unknown number, followed by a message."Don't believe it? Take a close look at the true colors of your husband, Max Jennings."Even the mention of my husband’s name ‘Max Jennings' was alarmingly accurate.A few seconds
It took every ounce of courage I had to tremulously tap open the second video clip.In the video, Max was shown bathing in a transparent glass shower, and two used condoms were lying on the carpet.The mistress purposefully zoomed in and asked Max in the video, "Max, you're so naughty, lying to your wife about being busy with work out of town.""How else would I find time to be with you?" he replied."Isn't she about to give birth? Shouldn't you be there for her?"Max responded nonchalantly, "What's so special about a woman giving birth? If I were there, would it make her suffer any less?""You bad boy! Is it because your wife is pregnant and it's inconvenient that you can't bear to touch her, and now you're so horny? Tonight, I almost broke under you.""Do you think she tastes as good as you?" Max scoffed dismissively, "Even if she wasn't pregnant, I would be too lazy to touch her.""Liar, if you're too lazy to touch her, how did she get pregnant? Could it be that the child in
Max, who was two years ahead of me in college, caught my eye during freshman orientation and it was love at first sight.Clad in a white shirt and black casual pants, Max stood tall at six feet, boasting a lean and beautiful physique reminiscent of a masterpiece crafted by skilled sculptors. Emerging from beneath the lush camphor trees along the campus path, he waved and smiled, with the bright sunlight casting a dappled glow upon him, his eyes sparkling.It was impossible not to be captivated.Once we began dating, I learned that Max was enrolled in the Business School, while I pursued studies in the School of Foreign Languages. On the day we met, he mistook me for a Business School freshman and kindly carried my luggage all the way to my dorm.It was only upon reaching the entrance to my dorm building that he realized I belonged to a different department. However, driven by his love at first sight, he boldly continued with his mistake.He confessed to me that from the moment he
I sat against the headboard of the bed, tears streaming down my face all through the night.I didn't know how to address this unhappy marriage.A cheating husband is like finding a crumpled bill in a ditch—keeping it is distasteful, but throwing it away feels wasteful.If it weren't for the baby on the way, I would easily choose to divorce Max. I, Jen, am not one to hold onto what isn't worth keeping. If it starts well, it should end well too!But with a little one about to enter the world... what should I do?Perhaps sensing my turmoil, the baby kicked against my belly repeatedly, as if trying to calm my emotions.With each kick, my agitation only grew, tears flowing incessantly like a broken faucet.Divorce, then abortion? That's not an option.I believe any mother, after feeling the baby's movements, couldn't bear the thought of parting with them.So, should I divorce and raise the child alone?In today's world, single mothers are common, and women can raise children on th
At that moment, I instinctively held my breath and squeezed my legs together, but the amniotic fluid kept flowing uncontrollably. It was leaking from my nightgown and my mother-in-law didn't seem concerned. Instead, she grumbled, "What's there to cry for when you're in labor? Don't you know crying brings bad luck?"I felt abandoned by both my mother-in-law and likely Max, who was probably cosying up with his mistress in some hotel. I took a deep breath to calm myself and carefully moved to the head of the bed. I elevated my legs as much as possible to slow down the flow of fluid. Then, I reached for my phone on the bedside table with the intention to call 911 for an ambulance.But before I could dial, my mother-in-law snatched the phone away and ended the call. She pocketed the phone, glaring fiercely at me. "You think calling 911 is free, you wasteful woman?"During my pregnancy, I often came across news stories about women whose water broke but didn't go to the hospital in time, l
When I regained consciousness, Max sat beside me, dozing off while holding my hand.Thoughts of those repulsive videos sent a shiver down my spine. I quickly withdrew my hand, repulsed by the touch that once brought comfort.He awoke, pleasantly surprised. "Darling, you're awake!"The term "darling" made me nauseous, as if I had swallowed a swarm of bugs wriggling in my throat. But I lacked the energy to argue with him at that moment.I asked directly, "Where is the baby?"In his usual gentle tone, Max replied, "The baby is in the incubator, sweetheart. You just had surgery, so you need to stay put. Let's wait a couple of days before you see the baby."I refused, standing my ground. "Max, I want to see my child now."However, just as I spoke, the doctor arrived and informed me that I couldn't leave the bed yet. Reluctantly, I agreed.Yet, as three or four days elapsed, Max continued to find excuses to keep me away from the baby. He claimed the baby was in the neonatal intensive
Max brought me to see the baby at the hospital. The baby's body was being kept there temporarily. It was wrapped in a white cloth and placed in a cold compartment, appearing curled up like a small kitten.Max explained that our daughter had congenital defects affecting her limbs and heart. Additionally, her amniotic fluid had dried up before the cesarean delivery, resulting in her being stillborn.As I gazed at the tiny, cold bundle, tears streamed down my face. It felt as though the whole world was collapsing around me. How could fate be so cruel?In the end, I fainted in Max's arms. The emotional turmoil caused my wound to tear severely. Over the next two weeks, I rarely left my bed. I fainted multiple times from crying and was afraid to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was the deformed body of our baby.I didn't utter a word to Max, isolating myself in a small, solitary world. I felt like a lifeless shell.Within those two weeks, I lost over forty pounds.On