Goodbye, Unfaithful wife!

I raced home, floored the gas pedal, and drowned my sorrows with a bottle of liquor.

No matter the truth, I at least needed to confront them face-to-face. That's what I told myself.

At 3 AM, the doorknob rattled - Sophie was back.

With her was Ethan.

Ethan looked deathly pale, wincing with every step. Sophie helped him into the guest room.

After getting him settled, she finally noticed me sitting silently on the couch, watching them.

"You're still up?" Sophie started fidgeting, cleaning the coffee table - a clear sign of discomfort.

"The hospital had no spare beds, so Ethan's staying with us for now. You're a doctor, so it'll be easier for you to look after him."

Did I hear that right? She wanted me to care for the man my wife was entangled with?

Sophie picked up knick-knacks, dusting them one by one. She never did housework.

Of course, when you're guilty, you pretend to be busy.

I scoffed. "So what happened today? Care to explain?"

"Ethan and his girlfriend were fooling around at the gym. She got spooked and left, so I took him to the hospital."

"Then why did you call him 'husband' and sign as his wife?"

Sophie's face darkened, her tone dripping with irritation.

"Don't you know? Without a close family member's signature, they can't operate on him."

I sneered.

Ethan was conscious and it wasn't a high-risk surgery - he could've signed himself. This excuse was flimsy at best.

Sophie must have seen the fury in my eyes, because she looked like she was ready to kill.

To say there’s nothing between them would be foolish.

"You think I'm an idiot? You two have been together all along, haven't you? Before or after the personal training sessions?"

Sophie paused, then suddenly started smashing everything on the coffee table.

"It's been a day and you still can't let it go? I've had a tiring day, and now I have to deal with you too!"

"I don't even know what to explain! How could I do something so twisted? Ridiculous!"

I couldn't believe how impatient she was being.

"I, as your husband, don't even have the right to ask?" I retorted.

She snapped back, "Ask, ask, what's there to ask? He and I are just friends, believe it or not!"

"Your mind is filthy, seeing filth everywhere!"

She stormed into the kitchen, deflecting the blame onto me.

If I kept pressing, I'd be unreasonable.

If I kept doubting, I'd be untrusting.

She was in the wrong, yet I was the bad guy now.

I flipped the coffee table, the loud crash echoing through the room. I wanted her to know this wasn't over!

The kitchen was enclosed, so I couldn't see what Sophie was doing.

But the guest room door was ajar - Ethan was in there.

My anger boiled over. I rolled up my sleeves, ready to give him a good beating.

As I stood up, Sophie emerged from the kitchen.

She handed me a glass of milk, gently guiding me to sit on the bed. It was like she was a different person.

"There, there, I was wrong just now, a bit too harsh."

"I've just been so stressed lately, hormonal imbalance, unstable emotions."

"I saw you had a drink, so have some milk and rest. Otherwise, you'll have a headache tomorrow."

Although she still hadn't directly addressed what happened earlier, her change in attitude gave me some comfort. My anger dissipated.

I still loved Sophie and wanted to make things work.

"Honey, I'm so sleepy, drink up and let's sleep."

Sophie cuddled up next to me, clinging to my arm like before.

I laughed at myself, realizing how foolish my earlier impulse was. If I had rushed to beat up Ethan, it might have been impossible to smooth things over.

I gulped down the milk in two swigs, eager to burrow under the covers and pour my heart out to Sophie.

I wanted to tell her everything I said and did was because I loved her so much.

But as I set down the glass, I noticed a yellow powder residue at the bottom.

I recognized it instantly - it was the sleeping pills I had brought home a few days ago.

I took them often for my insomnia, and Sophie knew that.

If she wanted me to sleep well, she could have just given them to me openly.

But with Ethan next door, was she planning to sneak off to be with him while I slept? I couldn't help but overthink.

So I decided to play along.

I pretended to go to the bathroom, then discreetly vomited the milk back up.

Afterwards, I "groggily" lay back down, "falling asleep" within minutes.

About half an hour later, Sophie stirred.

She repeatedly checked my face to ensure I wouldn't suddenly wake up, then relaxed.

"He finally fell asleep, but I was dying to hold it in!"

I peeked through half-closed eyes as she changed into a lacy negligee and opened the guest room door.