After Three Years of Marriage, My Husband Cheated

The air felt thick with tension. I stood there, weighing my options. If I truly loathed myself, staying would only invite more abuse. I knew the right move was to turn around and leave, without hesitation.

But before I could act, Ashley slapped me, hard. "Since you won’t speak up, I’ll silence you myself," she spat. "Remember, you’ll always carry a life on your conscience, and I have every right to make you pay for it whenever I want. Every time I see you, I'll make you suffer."

Her boldness came from Harold’s backing, and she knew it.

I was about to strike back when Harold grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. "Harold, what gives you the right to treat me like this? You resent marrying me, but instead of facing Anton, you take it out on me, again and again."

Harold's face twisted with anger. "Walter, I’ve had enough of your act! Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on between you and my eldest brother!" he shouted, voice shaking with rage.

I froze, completely caught off guard. What could he possibly mean? There was nothing between Anton and me. The fifteen-year age gap meant we barely even crossed paths in daily life. Anton had always been more like a distant elder, someone I was expected to respect, nothing more.

Harold’s fury only deepened. "Don’t pretend," he hissed, losing all control in front of everyone.

Harold's brother gently tried to calm him down, urging caution, but Harold shoved him away angrily.

"Didn’t you know it was my eldest brother’s idea to handle that situation with the illegitimate child? And now, he’s still not married, constantly distracted when you’re around. And you’re telling me there’s nothing between the two of you?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the absurdity of his accusation. His logic was completely deranged.

I raised my free hand and slapped him hard. "I have no idea what you're talking about, and even if any of it were true, that’s your brother’s problem, not mine."

Without another glance at Harold, I turned on my heel and left, heading back to my place, just as he wanted. But to my surprise, Anton was already there, waiting for me.

He stood tall and imposing, his broad shoulders filling the doorway. His presence felt as unmovable as a mountain.

I walked up to him. "Brother," I greeted him quietly.

His gaze swept over me, not in any intentional way, but it made me feel as if he could see right through me.

"I found your hotel check-in record and asked Harold to bring you back. Did he act foolishly again?"

"I thought, now that he’s 30, he might have grown better than before. Clearly, I was wrong. I'll handle it. Ashley won’t be a problem anymore."

I didn’t thank him, my discomfort only deepening. I wrapped my arms around myself, said nothing more, and nodded, brushing past him as I walked inside.

The Gray family was full of men who made promises they never kept. And Harold—he refused to let go of Ashley, even if it meant losing everything.

The next day, Anton summoned us all to the Gray family’s Buddhist temple. He sat quietly, fingering the Buddhist beads in his hand, his eyes steady as he opened them.

"Kneel," he commanded Harold.

Anton was more than just a brother to Harold; he’d been both brother and father. Harold had never resisted him—until now.

"I won’t!" Harold shouted, his voice trembling with defiance. "Brother, I’m 30 years old, not a child. You can't trample on my dignity and control my life!"

Anton’s response was calm, cutting through the air like a blade. "Everything you have, I gave you."

Their parents had died when Anton was only eighteen, leaving him to raise Harold, who had been just three at the time. Anton carried the weight of their family for years, a burden Harold could never fully repay.

But this time, Harold stood firm. "Then take it all back, if you must."

Anton paused, the Buddhist beads stilling in his hand as he lifted his gaze slightly. "Are you certain?"

"Mr. Gray, please don’t do this. It’s not worth it for me," Ashley interrupted hastily, tugging at Harold's sleeve. "You’ve been looking out for me ever since my sister passed away. She’d be at peace knowing that. You don’t owe either of us anything. President Gray gave you so much. Sure, they were your parents' legacy, but without President Gray, the Gray family wouldn’t be where it is now. Don’t throw it all away so easily, or I’ll feel guilty."

Harold let out a sharp, cold snort. "I’m sure," he replied.

He knelt, bowing his head in a brief, forceful kowtow, then stood up. "From this moment on, I, Harold, have nothing to do with you, Anton!"

With that, he grabbed Ashley’s hand and stormed out without so much as a glance in my direction. Anton groaned behind him, the sound heavy, as if he had just swallowed back blood.

I stared at him coolly. "If that's how it’s going to be, when you take back everything, make sure you take back my marriage as well. I want nothing more to do with the entire Gray family."