For Myself, I Left My Wife and Her First Love

Eight years of marriage, and my wife and I never fought. We were the neighborhood's golden couple.

Our friends were green with envy over our relationship, calling us a model couple.

But it was all fake. My wife and kid weren't really mine.

*****

If I hadn't had that business trip to Seaville, I'd never have heard with my own ears that my wife had been cheating on me for ages.

"Frederick... Babe, I love you." The room echoed with comfy moans now and then. It was clear what was happening, and the woman in the mix was none other than my wife, Claire Lambert.

A deep voice chimed in, "You're such a siren. Who's better, huh? Me or Yosef Lambert?

Between loud moans, Claire responded, "Oh, definitely you. I barely slept with him. And I really don't like him. I wouldn't have married him if it weren't for you."

Frederick laughed smugly, "Does Yosef even know that Bella is our kid? He thinks she's his daughter, doesn't he?"

Claire giggled. "Of course. Why else would I have married him? Just because I was pregnant. If it weren't for my mom making me get married, he wouldn't have been my pick. Everyone at Worania University knew Yosef had a crush on me for three years."

"Because you're charming, Claire. When are you gonna divorce that damn loser?" Frederick asked.

Claire, annoyed, said, "It's so annoying. Yosef just won't agree to a divorce. I'll make it happen when I get back."

"Well, make sure you squeeze him for plenty of alimony and a fat divorce settlement," Frederick added.

Claire promised confidently, "For sure. And even if I can't, I've got you, babe, right?"

Their voice went on and off in the room.

I was standing outside the door, flowers in hand, ready to surprise my wife. Instead, she surprised me.

Claire never called me "babe" or anything sweet like that. Once, when I asked her why, she dismissed it with, "Why should I have to call you like that? 'Yosef' just rolls off the tongue, and I'm used to it."

Back then, madly in love, those little things didn't bother me. All I cared about was marrying the woman of my dreams. Love had me completely blinded.

There I was, frozen outside the presidential suite, teeth clenched, fists tight, breathing hard, my body trembling.

I realized, "Claire always knew I had a crush on her.

Bella isn't even my own.

Claire's still in touch with her first love."

I couldn't even remember how I made it back home from Seaville.

I slumped on the couch, looking drained and pale, still clutching those wilted flowers.

The voices of Claire and Frederick kept echoing in my ears, loud and torturous.

Our 32-inch wedding photo hung on the clean white wall, mocking me, as if saying, "Look at you, can't even keep your own wife in line."

My head felt like it was about to burst.

With bloodshot eyes, I held my head and roared, "No, it's not true. She does love me. She must!"

But deep down, I knew everything Claire had said was true.