I Taught 19 Men How to Moan My Wife's Name

Jarrett's POV

But everything I did was useless. Maybe the truth never really mattered to Fern at all.

“It’s raining now—perfect,” she snapped. “Go stand in it and reflect on your pathetic self.”

Then she kicked me. Hard. Right between my thighs.

She got in the car with her 19th boyfriend and drove off without looking back.

The exhaust blasted straight in my face.

The rain kept pouring, pounding down like rocks, drenching me and beating me to a mess.

Then headlights cut through the blur. A car honked.

It was Marlow.

She jumped out without even bothering with an umbrella, dragged me into the passenger seat, and said, “Do you want to go home or…?”

“To my mom’s,” I rasped.

Whatever ‘home’ had meant with Fern—I never wanted to set foot in that place again.

We drove to the cardiovascular hospital where Mom was staying. My shirt still stuck to my skin from the rain.

The moment we stepped inside, I ran into the attending doctor.

I greeted him quickly, asking about the surgery.

But he scoffed.

“Never seen a more ungrateful son,” he snapped. “You gave up on your mom’s surgery and used the money to gamble?”

I blinked. “What? No—I already signed the forms. I transferred the payment to the hospital account. How could I—”

“Yeah?” The doctor frowned. “She was scheduled for surgery yesterday, but the account had no money. We called you. You told us to cancel it ‘cause you were off to Alaska to gamble.”

“What?” My head spun.

My phone—it had been off since I collapsed. Dead for three days. But when I powered it on, the battery was still half full.

‘Someone used it while I was unconscious… Someone pretended to be me and contacted the hospital!’

“How’s my mom now?” My whole body started shaking.

The doctor let out a heavy sigh. “She passed away this morning. We tried to reach you again, but... Her body’s in the morgue.”

Everything in me went… numb.

I dropped to my knees and then scrambled up, running straight for the morgue.

I pushed through doors, down hallways. My knees gave out the second I saw her.

Mom. Still. Cold. Gone.

The tears came all at once, ripping out of me like something primal.

I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and called Fern.

“Didn’t you say the bonus was released? Where the hell is it?!”

But the voice that answered wasn’t hers.

It was Jordan, that son of a bitch!

“I held onto it,” he said, casual as ever. “Figured I’d see how you behave before I handed over the bonus.”

“That bonus—that was for my mom’s surgery!” I shouted.

“Oh yeah, I canceled it for you,” he said with a smirk in his voice. “No surgery, no money needed.”

“You… It was you…” My rage boiled over, and I coughed up blood.

“What can I say? Messing with you makes my girl smile. Best entertainment around.” And he actually laughed.

Then I heard Fern’s voice in the background. “Babe, who’s on the phone?”

“Jarrett,” Jordan replied lazily. “Asking for his bonus. I told him he’s been slacking, so it’s on hold.”

“Good job!” she giggled. “Tell him if he wants that money, he better kneel outside the front gate all night.”

“And if he doesn’t,” she added sweetly, “we cut off all payments for his mom’s bills this month.”

Then she got close to the phone and said, “Hear that, Jarrett? One night. On your knees.”

Jordan chuckled. “You heard the lady.”

Then came the sound of them moaning. Right there. Into the speaker. While I stood beside my dead mother.

I ended the call. I couldn’t even scream. The humiliation… it pressed down so heavy I couldn’t breathe.

I knelt beside Mom’s body, hands trembling, and whispered through my sobs. “I’m sorry, Mom… I’m so sorry…”

I cried like I hadn’t in years.

Marlow stayed with me the whole time.

And in the morning, when I was finally able to speak again, I filed a police report. I asked Marlow to help me file for divorce.

Then I left the city and went home…

To bury my mom.

Fern’s POV

I didn’t see Jarrett, that bastard, for three days.

No replies to my messages. He actually ignored my calls!

And then? A fucking court summons for a divorce hearing showed up at my door?!

I stormed into the law office with number 19 right behind me, both of us fuming.

“Where are you hiding Jarrett?!” I demanded, yelling at Marlow.

That smug bitch didn’t even blink. “He went home three days ago. His mother passed. He’s handling the funeral.”