I Ruined My Husband's Reputation

In the seventh year of running my jewelry store, a woman came in to order a set of gold jewelry for her future mother-in-law.

As I introduced the designs, I noticed the gold bracelet on her wrist.

It was identical to the one my husband had crafted for me.

Just as I was about to take a closer look, her phone lit up.

The wallpaper was a photo of a couple, and the man in it was Julian Holt, my husband of seven years.

My expression froze. I walked to the far end of the counter and placed a call.

“Honey, do you remember the gold bracelet I asked you to keep when we got engaged? Can you take a photo of it and send it to me?”

There was a brief pause on the other end.

When he spoke, his tone of voice was tense.

“Why are you suddenly asking about the bracelet? I stored it in a bank safe deposit box. It’s probably too late to go get it now. Tomorrow, I’ll bring it to you.”

I smiled and agreed.

After hanging up, I returned to the female customer.

She appeared to be in her early twenties, with delicate features and a touch of youthful charm.

As I approached, she pointed at a set displayed on the tablet. “I’ll go with this one.”

I smiled and asked her to leave her contact information behind so we could reach her. The name she wrote down was Tessa Zander.

“Miss Zander, right?”

Tessa nodded with a smile.

I asked casually as I entered her details. “The workmanship on your bracelet is remarkable. I’ve hardly seen anything so finely made since opening my shop. Was it… a gift from your husband?”

At my compliment, Tessa’s smile widened.

“For now, he’s still my fiance but not for long. He said he’ll take me home to meet his parents this New Year’s Eve. After that, I’ll be part of the family.”

It all seemed perfect, if only she were not with my husband.

“Is that him on your lock screen? He really looks at you with so much love.”

I looked down and recorded the design details, letting just the right amount of envy slip into my tone.

Tessa nodded with pride.

“Right? Even you can tell! He treats me… pretty well. He always gives me whatever I want. He’s just a little too clingy sometimes, which is a bit annoying.”

She spoke as if she were complaining, but her words were almost overflowing with self-satisfaction.

I gave her a faint smile, though my eyes held no warmth.

“Can I ask how you two met? I could learn a thing or two myself about finding someone so caring and attentive.”

She seemed very receptive to my flattery.

Tessa said while stroking her chin thoughtfully, “Around three years ago, during a business trip, he clung to me from the very first meeting. I just couldn’t get rid of him…”

The phrase “three years ago” pierced my ears like a shard of ice, and all her sweet, boastful words that followed faded into indistinct noise.

Three years ago, I suffered a miscarriage while helping Julian Holt, my husband, secure a crucial deal.

The doctor informed me that my uterus had to be removed due to severe blood loss, and I would never be able to conceive again.

Julian flew back that same night. He knelt by my hospital bed and slapped himself repeatedly. His eyes were bloodshot.

“It’s all my fault! If it weren’t for me and that business deal, you wouldn’t be in this state, and we wouldn’t have lost the child… It’s all my fault!”

Over the next month, he went back and forth between the company and the hospital, visibly growing thinner by the day.

I lay in the hospital bed. Beyond the physical pain, I was consumed by fear.