After Three Years of Marriage, My Husband Cheated

Harold and I can barely bring up the fact that we grew up together. It’s not like we were childhood sweethearts, just classmates—spending most of our days in the same room. From his seat, Harold would often find himself staring at a man who just wanted to live quietly. One day, as he watched, Harold slowly walked over to that man.

He made the guy open his payment app and transfer a million to him, even marking it as a "voluntary donation."

I know this because that man is my father’s illegitimate son. After my father died, his mistress and their child lost their support. If it weren’t for Harold stepping in that day, both mother and son might’ve ended up in even worse shape.

At the time, I thought, What a coincidence.

But when I brought it up later, Harold said, “Coincidence? I knew exactly who he was.

“That kid’s mother donated her heart to your mom, and your dad slept with her as a way to say ‘thank you.’ Your mother died without ever knowing the truth, still thinking that woman saved her life.”

He looked at me, serious, and added, “You don’t have to keep treating that illegitimate brother and your stepmother with so much twisted resentment every day. Just handle things the way you should.”

Harold was only eighteen at the time. I forced a smile, trying to brush off his bluntness.

"Your stepmother, your stepmother," he’d say.

For a while, our relationship eased up because of that incident, but it didn’t last long. It was just a brief reprieve.

When we went off to college, Harold fell in love with a girl. But when the eldest brother of the Gray family found out, he nearly broke Harold's legs and made him kneel in the study for an entire day and night. That’s when he told Harold about our arranged marriage.

Anton, Harold’s eldest brother, was fifteen years older and had taken over the entire Gray family business after their parents died. His word was final.

Anton demanded that Harold marry me, and Harold didn’t dare disobey.

At first, Harold was indifferent toward me. Then, there was a brief period when things softened between us. But after that, he completely shut me out. It all happened so quickly, like the calm before a storm, only lasting a short while over a summer break.

To move on from the past, Harold and I had to follow the family tradition and go to the Gray family’s old house for dinner the next day.

I arrived early.

I told the eldest brother of the Gray family that due to my injury, I could no longer get pregnant. His gaze was piercing, though he tried to mask its intensity. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke, "Why didn’t you mention this earlier?"

"I thought I still had a chance to recover back then," I replied.

The tension in the air gradually dissipated, and eventually, he let out a soft sigh. "My younger brother is still so immature. He’s been acting out a lot lately. Just bear with him for now."

I looked up suddenly, but only smiled bitterly inside. So, Harold hadn’t bothered to hide his behavior from anyone.

It felt like holding onto a wound that only stayed alive temporarily. Just when I was ready to fully detach myself from Harold, I realized I wouldn’t be disappointed for long.

I didn’t stay to eat with the Gray brothers. Instead, I left early and wandered by the river for a while. As the night deepened, I went straight to a hotel and booked a presidential suite.

On my way, I ran into Harold’s brother, who called out from a distance, "Sister-in-law, why are you alone? Gray is with my other sister-in-law, isn’t he?"

My mind went blank.

The delayed humiliation hit me all at once.

"I met the new sister-in-law. She's lively and knows how to keep things light. Gray’s always smiling around her. Oh, and by the way, do you remember who Li’s first love was? Turns out the new sister-in-law is her sister—her real sister. What a coincidence," Harold's brother said with a smirk. The young woman beside him chimed in, "Men always fall for the same type, don’t they? So romantic."

"I heard Li’s first love died in a car accident. Quite the tragedy, really—something straight out of a sad movie. Makes people miss her," she continued. Then, turning to me, she added, "Sister-in-law, you really seem like the classic villain in those stories, the kind that doesn’t last more than a few episodes before they’re written off.”

I forced a chuckle, though the sting of her words lingered. Just then, I met Harold’s eyes—cold, distant, and unyielding.

"You seem to be in a good mood," he said, his voice low. "You don’t go home, but let yourself be ridiculed here? I’ve brought Ashley to the hotel; you can leave now."

Ashley, who had come with us, waved sweetly at me, her eyes narrowing in a fake smile. "Now that we’re here, why don’t you apologize to me? After all, my sister had her accident because she was devastated to hear about your engagement to Mr. Gray."

How absurd. No one with any sense would believe Ashley's words, but before I could respond, Harold frowned and snapped, "Sara, apologize."