Wife's Secret: She Never Left the City

"I've been assigned to work out of town for a year, Hunter, but we'll finally be able to buy a house once I return," Queenie Sorenson, my newlywed wife, says. She then moves her paralyzed grandfather, Oscar Sorenson, and her younger brother, Adam Sorenson, straight into our rental apartment after telling me that. She looks at me and says, "I'll have to trouble you to take care of Grandpa and Adam." She leaves in a hurry after that. I have taken care of Oscar's daily needs entirely on my own and handled dropping off and picking up Adam from kindergarten since that day, working around the clock. Queenie goes from frequently sending messages to check in on me to claiming she is too swamped with work to have any free time, rarely even calling. I finally make it through the year, but Queenie sends me a message, saying, "I'm still not done with my work, so I might need to stay for another year." It isn't until Adam's birthday that I find a message from Queenie on his smartwatch. "Joseph and I will pick you up at the usual spot on Friday to celebrate your birthday. You can just tell Hunter that you're sleeping over at a classmate's house Friday night and won't be home. You have to make sure he doesn't catch on." I realize then that Queenie's supposed out-of-town assignment has actually always been within the city. Chapter 1 I flipped through the chat logs on the smartwatch of my brother-in-law, Adam Sorenson, my finger trembling slightly on the screen. It was no wonder he barely ate his dinner sometimes after coming home from school. I had assumed he just didn't like my cooking, but it turned out he was full because my wife, Queenie Sorenson, had bought him snacks ahead of time. I recalled how Adam came home excitedly holding a shopping bag last fall. He proudly held it out to me and said with a smile, "Queenie bought us gifts!" I understood now that Queenie hadn't bought them at all. They were from that man named Joseph Dixon. He had even been thoughtful enough to buy a set for me, too. Just then, the frail voice of Oscar Sorenson, Queenie's grandfather, echoed from the room, "H-Hunter…" I instantly snapped out of my daze and turned off the smartwatch. I swallowed the stinging words, together with the anger and resentment surging inside me, and restored my usual calm expression. I got up and hurried into Oscar's room. I skillfully grabbed a clean diaper and carefully replaced the soiled one. I then wrung out a warm towel to wipe him down and massaged his limbs with gentle, seasoned movements. I had gone through these motions so many times in the past year that they were deeply ingrained in my muscle memory. Oscar was old and bedridden with paralysis. He sounded somewhat slurred as he looked at me and mumbled, "I-It's been hard on you, H-Hunter…" I managed a weak smile and said hoarsely, "It's no trouble at all, Oscar. It's the least I can do." It wasn't long before the bathroom door swung open and Adam went back to his room in his pajamas. He came skipping over a moment later, his face brimming with excitement. "I have something to tell you, Hunter! It's my classmate's birthday this Friday, and he has invited me over to his house for a sleepover. I'm allowed to go, right, Hunter?" I fell silent for a moment, my fingers clenching briefly before letting go. I then flashed a gentle smile and nodded slightly. "Of course you're allowed to, Adam. You have to make sure to mind your manners at your classmate's place, listen to the grown-ups, and behave yourself, alright?" Upon hearing my reply, Adam whooped with delight and nodded vigorously. Chapter 2 I stood in place, looking at the closed door. It felt as though every bit of strength had been sucked out of me, while weariness and a deep sense of injustice swept over me like a tidal wave. I didn't sleep at all that night, staying awake until dawn. It was Friday morning, and I made breakfast for Adam and helped him check his backpack. I slipped the wrapped paintbrush set into the side pocket of his bag and said, "You have to remember to give Xavier his birthday present—and not to kick off your blankets tonight, Adam." Adam ate his cereal, his cheeks stuffed. "Got it, Hunter! You're the best!" I patted his head, my heart freezing over. I had cared for this child so devotedly, so his current innocence felt like a blunt knife slowly sawing at my heart. I messaged my supervisor to request leave after sending Adam off to kindergarten. I found a hidden spot that still gave me a clear view of the entrance outside the kindergarten, put on a mask and a hat, and waited quietly. It was finally 3:20 pm, and the children rushed out of the gates like a flock of chirping little birds. I caught sight of Adam right away in the crowd. He stood at the entrance with his blue backpack, glancing around as if searching for someone. It wasn't long before a white SUV pulled up in front of him, and the front passenger window rolled down, revealing a man's profile. He smiled and beckoned to Adam, who ran over cheerfully, opened the rear door, and climbed into the car. I clenched my hands in my pockets until my fingernails dug painfully into my palms. I then hailed a cab, pointed at the white SUV that was turning around, and said to the driver, "Please follow that car ahead, but don't get too close." Upon hearing that, the driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror. He seemed completely used to this kind of situation as he asked, "You're trying to catch the cheater, huh? You'd better hold on tight, then—I won't lose track of them." It wasn't long before the SUV drove all the way to a well-decorated restaurant downtown. I pulled my cap lower over my face and followed them into the restaurant, sliding into a table toward the back corner where I had a decent line of sight on them but was unlikely to be noticed. "I want to eat that bear-shaped cake, Joseph!" Adam exclaimed in a crisp, cheerful voice. "I'll order the biggest one for our darling Adam," Joseph said in a gentle, deep voice. Queenie turned around and asked softly, "What would you like to eat, Joseph? Didn't you say you were hungry?" Joseph smiled faintly and said, "I'm fine with anything. I mean, what matters most right now is what you want to eat, Queenie. You're eating for two now, so you need to eat more." I froze completely. I peered through the gaps in the decorative plants and noticed Joseph holding Queenie's hand. Queenie, on the other hand, was smiling with a tenderness I hadn't seen in a long time. I noticed that she had a visible bump that even a loose dress couldn't hide. "When is the baby coming out to play with me?" Adam asked curiously. Joseph ruffled Adam's hair and replied, "There are still four months to go, Adam. You'll become an uncle, then. Oh, and next week, Queenie and I are getting married. Do you want to be our ring bearer, Adam?" "I'd love to! I want to wear a suit!" Adam exclaimed. Queenie suddenly said, "It's just that we have to make up an excuse for Hunter…" Adam asked innocently, "Why can't you tell Hunter, Queenie? He's such a nice person!" In that instant, the atmosphere became tense. Queenie spoke somewhat stiffly, saying, "You're too young to understand what's happening. You'll get it when you grow up. You should eat your cake now, Adam." I hadn't even taken a single sip of the lemonade I ordered, and the ice had completely melted. There were droplets of condensation covering the outside of the glass, blurring its surface like my thoughts at that moment—numb and heavy. I kept thinking about Joseph and Queenie's baby and the wedding next week—each thought landing like a blow, dismantling my remaining illusions about our relationship. Chapter 3 I quickly took a few photos and walked out of the restaurant before Queenie and the others left. I got hit by the glaring sunlight outside, causing me to squint my eyes in pain. I squatted on the side of the road and finally couldn't stop myself from dry-heaving, though nothing came up. Oscar was already awake when I returned home. He was trying to reach for the cup of water by himself. I rushed forward to help him, my movements remaining gentle and careful, as if nothing had happened earlier. Oscar looked at me with concern. "You don't look so good, Hunter. Have you been overworking yourself?" I managed a smile and replied, "I'm fine, Oscar. I might just have a slight cold. What would you like for dinner tonight, Oscar? Why don't I make you some broth?" "You shouldn't bother with all that. You should go get some rest, Hunter." I shook my head and walked into the kitchen. While the broth was boiling in the pot, I leaned against the kitchen counter and contacted a private investigator. I spoke to the investigator over the line, my voice sounding surprisingly calm. "I want to know everything—Queenie's whereabouts over the past year, all the information on that man, and the progress of their relationship. Don't leave out anything." I turned on the tap and slumped onto the floor after hanging up the phone, finally breaking down. It wasn't a hysterical wailing but a suppressed, quiet sobbing. I barely made any noise as tears streamed down my face. I had developed such a habit after taking care of Oscar for a year, where I had to keep silent even during a breakdown. I locked myself in the bedroom after dinner. I opened my laptop and started gathering every document that could prove our marriage and shared assets—the marriage certificate, bank statements, property rental contracts, various receipts for paying for Oscar's medical treatments, receipts for paying Adam's tuition, and so on. I gathered them one by one, printed, scanned, and backed them up. The private investigator was very efficient, sending over the preliminary information by noon the following day. That man was Joseph Dixon. He was 28 years old, a local, and working as an administrative supervisor. He and Queenie met a year ago at an industry networking event. They confirmed their relationship three months later, and Queenie got pregnant five months ago. Queenie, on the other hand, was currently on leave, awaiting childbirth. Queenie had lied to me about being sent on an overseas assignment. She had actually been in the same city, cheating on me with another man. She had even lied about her work being unfinished and requiring her to stay an extra year because she had gotten pregnant. The private investigator specifically noted that Joseph was well-off, with parents running a medium-sized business. His parents were initially against the relationship but reluctantly accepted it once Queenie got pregnant. They still insisted that they register the marriage and hold a respectable wedding, though. I continued scrolling, my breath catching when I hit the bank statements. There were consecutive withdrawals from our joint savings account—a total of 29,500 dollars altogether—paid directly to a well-known wedding planning company. In addition, just yesterday, another 4,400 dollars was transferred out with the memo "final payment on wedding rings" attached to it. I closed my eyes, remembering how we used to huddle in our rental apartment and figure out our down payment together. I had skipped buying new clothes while Queenie had given up buying snacks. We had agreed that once we bought a place, we'd give Oscar a room with good sunlight and set up a quiet corner for Adam to study. We had even picked out names for our future kids—one for a boy and one for a girl. I recalled all those nights we spent falling asleep in each other's arms, dreaming about the future, and all the hardships we endured to build that future together. It turned out it was just a one-man show all along. I turned off my phone, went into the bathroom, and turned on the tap. I then splashed the water on my face, making it impossible to distinguish between the water and my tears. Chapter 4 I looked at myself in the mirror, looking haggard with bloodshot and swollen eyes. I suddenly burst out laughing, and as I did so, tears streamed down my face. I thought to myself, "You're truly amazing, Queenie. You really pulled no punches!" I acted like everything was perfectly normal after that day. I got up at 6:00 am to help Oscar wash up, feed him, and give him a massage. I woke Adam up when it was 7:00 am, fixed breakfast, and dropped him off at his kindergarten. I then head to the grocery store, come back home to clean up, do the laundry, and prepare lunch. In the afternoon, I worked on some freelance copywriting, then went to pick Adam up from kindergarten, helped him with his homework, made dinner, cleaned Oscar up, and got Adam tucked into bed. I went through the motions every single day, running smoothly like a piece of clockwork. Adam seemed to sense that something was a bit off with me, but being a kid, he was quickly distracted by something else. It was Tuesday evening when Adam exclaimed with excitement during dinner, "James' family opened a strawberry farm, Hunter! They invited us to pick strawberries this Saturday! Can I go, Hunter?" I hesitated for a moment while serving the food, then calmly placed it onto his plate. "Of course you can. How long will you be gone, Adam?" "James' father said we can hang out there after picking strawberries, and they're having a barbecue at night, so we might stay over for a night. Is that alright with you, Hunter?" Adam asked, looking up at me with his big eyes. I smiled faintly, replying, "Of course, Adam. Just remember to bring a jacket—it gets chilly at night." "You're the best, Hunter!" Adam exclaimed cheerfully. He then lowered his head to continue eating, though I noticed his hand trembling slightly as he held his spoon. I kept my head down and continued eating, seeing through it all. I knew that the strawberry picking and the classmate's invitation were nothing but an excuse to get him to serve as the ring bearer at Joseph and Queenie's wedding. Adam eagerly packed a small suitcase that Friday evening, carefully placing the suit and bow tie Joseph had bought for him. He had tried them on more than once in front of the mirror, something I had witnessed myself. I helped him zip up his suitcase and pulled him into a hug. "Go have a great time, Adam." Queenie unexpectedly called me on her own accord on Saturday morning. She sounded slightly off over the phone—maybe from guilt. "We're in the middle of a deadline push, Hunter, so I'm going to be slammed for the next couple of days and won't have time to call you." I found it utterly ridiculous. Queenie was clearly busy with the wedding, yet she was lying to me about working overtime. I replied in an eerily calm voice, "Got it. You should take good care of yourself, Queenie." "I-Is everything alright at home? Is the money still enough?" "It's enough," I replied curtly. Queenie hesitated momentarily, seemingly caught off guard by how cold I was being. She quickly recovered and said, "That's good, then. I'll definitely make it up to you once I'm back. I have to go now—my supervisor is calling for me." I held onto my phone until the screen faded to black once the call disconnected. I got the full file and the wedding address from the private investigator at 10:00 am. I put my phone away and started getting ready. I dug out that off-white suit from the back of the closet—the same one I wore for our wedding. It wasn't anything custom—just a very simple suit. I even remembered her telling me back then that we would hold a proper wedding ceremony once we bought a house together. I realized now that she had probably never intended to marry me at all. I got dressed and noticed that the suit was a little baggy on me. I had lost way too much weight over the past year. I got myself all cleaned up and even went out of my way to blow-dry and style my hair. I went in to check on Oscar before heading out. I noticed that he was taking a nap, breathing steadily. I left a letter on his nightstand explaining everything clearly, along with my plans moving forward. I had already arranged for a caregiver to come and take over his care next Monday. Chapter 5 I whispered, "I'm sorry, Oscar, but I can't live like this anymore." I took a cab to the hotel, the wedding venue. I stood outside the glamorous grand ballroom and caught sight of the welcome sign reading "Wedding of Queenie Sorenson and Joseph Dixon", complete with their wedding photo right next to it. In the photo, Queenie was in a white wedding gown with a slight baby bump, looking absolutely delighted, while Joseph wore a custom-tailored suit, smiling brilliantly. They made a picture-perfect couple. I tightened the grip on my bag, which held our original marriage certificate, bank statements, the photos from the private investigator, and the divorce agreement I had drawn up the night before. I noticed that the ballroom was already packed with guests, and the MC was warming up the crowd. I slipped in through a side door and found a seat in a corner. The wedding march began on time. Queenie slowly walked in wearing a pure white wedding gown. Joseph stood at the other end of the red carpet in a custom-tailored suit, unable to hide the smile on his face. Adam, acting as the ring bearer, walked at the front in his suit with the ring box in his hands, his face flushed with excitement. He ran up to the couple and held up the box. Joseph crouched down to his level, ruffled his hair, and took the rings in the box. The emcee animatedly shared the story of how the couple had met and fallen in love, while the guests applauded at all the right moments, thinking that it all looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. It was such a heartwarming scene. If I weren't the husband who stayed home to take care of an elderly relative and waited for her to come back—all while she cleaned out my savings—I probably would have been moved too. I couldn't take it anymore. I slowly pulled off my mask and hat, squared my shoulders, and headed straight for the stage. The emcee I had hired beforehand suddenly grabbed the microphone. The emcee, with a mysterious smile, announced to the guests below the stage, "Hold on just a second, everyone! The bride's side has specially arranged a unique gift for the newlyweds for this joyful occasion. It's an incredibly meaningful gift, so let's now turn our attention to the main screen to see what it is!" Upon hearing what the emcee said, everyone was caught off guard, though they still turned their attention to the main screen at the back of the stage. Queenie and Joseph looked just as stunned and confused, as this was clearly not a scheduled part of the ceremony. In the next instant, the main screen slowly lit up, and the first thing to appear was a photo of a marriage certificate, which had both my name and hers written on it. Once Queenie saw the photo, her face turned deathly pale, and her expression was fraught with shock and panic. She turned her head sharply, scanning the room in a frenzy, until she noticed me standing to the side. In the meantime, murmurs spread through the audience below the stage. I walked up onto the stage and stepped right up to Queenie and Joseph. I looked at Queenie with a freezing gaze, a mocking smile playing on my lips. I then spoke slowly, making sure my voice was loud and clear enough for everyone in the room to hear, "How could you not tell me you were getting married, Queenie?"