After My Wife's Affair, I Went Back Home to Inherit the Family Business

My son landed in the ER with appendicitis, and my wife Jessica was MIA.

After scrapping a meeting and settling my kid at the hospital, I dashed home.

Unexpectedly, I walked right into my wife flirting with another man.

Jessica, who was always icy and distant to me, was laughing and flirting with the other man—like someone I'd never met.

A cold shock froze me in place, rooted to the spot.

My fingers wouldn't even twitch.

Swamped by anger and heartache...

I kicked the door in, making it crash loudly enough to startle them inside.

"Ah!" my wife shrieked, diving into his arms.

I knew who the man was. It was her college ex, Tom Leonard—the one who dumped her because her family wasn't loaded, then chased after some heiress.

I'd always been smitten with her.

She dated me on the rebound, just to spite him.

Blinded by love, we rushed into marriage when she got pregnant.

"Jessica!" I yelled, my eyes blazing.

At first shocked, she quickly shifted to defiant when she realized it was me.

She scoffed, "Why the hell are you ditching work to snoop around here?"

My anger boiled over as I glared at them. I lunged to rip them apart.

I yanked her from the bed and threw her down, then tackled Tom.

I hammered him with my fists, rage fueling each punch.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, pain exploded in the back of my head. I spun around to see Jessica slamming a lamp down on me.

My vision went red as my forehead throbbed painfully.

Flattened on the floor, with Jessica pinning my arms and Tom beating me senseless, I was helpless.

Glaring at them hatefully, I was on my last breath.

Eventually, fearing things might turn deadly, she dragged Tom off.

I lay crumpled on the ground, too weak to even stand.

As she tended to Tom's wounds with so much care in her eyes, she kicked me furiously,

"Jake, have you lost your mind? Why so rough?"

I spat back bitterly, "Look who's talking!"

If murder weren't a crime, I'd hardly be breathing.

Disgusted, she averted her gaze. "If you hadn't started this, we wouldn't have hit you. You asked for it."

It hit me then, in her eyes, I was less than nothing.

"Fine, you've seen us. Let's cut to the chase. Jake, I want a divorce. I'm keeping the house and the kid. You get nothing."

"Why should I?" I bellowed.

I wasn't much, but I bought that house. Even put it in her name to show how much I cared, though I was the one sweating the mortgage.

And now she wanted to kick me out with nothing?

Jessica looked down at me coldly. "Why? Because I've wasted years on you the trash, had your kid, and lived like dirt. You deserve nothing."

That's the thanks I get? I gave up everything for her, even had a big fight with my family.

Ever since we got married, she never worked. She refused to breastfeed because it would "ruin her figure' and dumped all childcare on me.

I worked day and night, looked after her, and even soothed our kid to sleep while she just primped and shopped with her friends. Occasionally, she'd toss a few barbs my way to vent.

She called that struggling?

If she wasn't going to be reasonable, neither was I. I met her glare with one of my own.

"Divorce all you want, but you're not getting the house or our kid. You don't deserve them!"

"Jake, you can't beat me."

Her eyes were set, Tom eager at her side.

"Let's see about that."

I left the house I'd called home for eight years, running between hospital and work.

She didn't bother visiting our son even once.

I knew she was selfish, but her cruelty was a new low.

What floored me was her causing a scene at my work.

Rushing from the hospital, I felt the odd looks from everyone as I entered.

Then came Jessica's cries, piercing through the murmurs. I stopped dead.

The crowd parted, and there she was, bawling to my boss.

"Mr. Thompson, you gotta step in! All these years, I stood by Jake, and now, when things are finally looking up, he wants a divorce! He's fighting for our son and leaving me with nothing!"

Furious, I stormed up to her, ready to unload, but she hid behind my boss.

"Please, don't hit me," she whimpered.

Stunned, I replied, "Jessica, stop slandering me. When have I ever hit you?"

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing a swath of bruises.

"I wanted to keep our issues private, but Jake's too much. He's been violent and even threatened my life over the divorce. I can't stay with such a man, but I need what's mine. Please, sir, help me."

I was in disbelief. She'd stoop this low to destroy me.

Because I was always between home and work, I hadn't socialized much, and now everyone seemed swayed by her act.

I was at a loss for words.

Smirking, Jessica seemed to taunt, "You can't beat me."

Fuming, I tried to confront her but was held back.

All I could do was yell, "Jessica, be honest with yourself! Have I ever shortchanged you? Paid for everything, worked my back off while you never lifted a finger!"

"I've been the one raising our kid, doing all the chores, even hand-washing your damn lingerie. I've handed over every paycheck. I'm treated worse than a dog at home. Did I ever wrong you? And you go and cheat on me!"

I've got nothing left to hold back now.

"When our son was laid up in the ER, his teacher couldn't get ahold of you. What were you up to?"

"Hooking up with some other guy at our house! If I hadn't had a bad feeling and come home early, would I have been the last to know?"

She went pale and snapped, "That's a lie! You're slandering me!"

I smirked, "If you're innocent, why not pull the security tapes? Let's see who's lying."

But Jessica's shamelessness was worse than I thought. I spilled everything, and she still played the victim.

"Life's so unfair, marrying a guy like this—I can't stand it anymore."

"Then let's get that divorce!" I shouted.

"Fine, but you're leaving with nothing."

"Cut the crap, Jessica!" I growled.

A smirk crossed her face as murmurs rose around us.

"I never pegged Jake for this type."

"Arguing over every little thing with his wife, no wonder she wants out."

"He's even laying hands on her? Makes sense she'd leave him."

I completely lost it and bellowed, "Everybody, just shut up!"

The room fell silent for a beat before snickers filled the air.

"This guy's a joke. If I were his wife, I'd have ditched him too."

The speaker was a colleague I'd always butted heads with.

The old bitterness came to a head, and I charged at him.

Chaos broke out across the department...

"Enough!" the boss yelled, ending the fray.

He stared me down, "Pack your stuff and leave. This place isn't cut out for your drama."

"Mr. Thompson..." I started.

He stopped me with a raised hand. "Enough, Jake. You've been around long enough to know we prize our public image."

"Your personal drama is your own, but when it tarnishes our reputation, I have no choice but to let you go."

As Jessica had planned, I was fired amidst the spectacle of onlookers relishing the drama.

In the elevator, Jessica smugly retouched her makeup. "Jake, just divorce me already and hit the road."

I glared at her, fists clenched, imagining wringing her neck.

Then a call from the hospital about my son's infected wound sent me rushing there, but Jessica was nowhere in sight.

Seeing my son so distraught, all I could do was hold him close.

"Dad, are you getting a divorce with Mom?" his small voice cracked.

I stopped cold.

Jessica had obviously been talking to him.

"I want to be with you, Dad. I don't like Mom."

It figured—after all, I'd been his main caregiver.

I gently rubbed his head. "Don't worry, buddy. I won't let you down."

He looked up hesitantly, "Dad, just let Mom have the house."

His eyes fell as he spoke softly, "If you keep fighting over it, you'll never split up. I don't want to live with her. Do it for me, okay? I'll make it up to you someday."

My feelings were a mix of pain and pride looking at him.

He didn't know he wasn't my biological son.

But that didn't matter. He was my boy, through and through.

"Okay, I promise," I reassured him.

After settling my son, I called Jessica, "You get the house, but the kid stays with me."

"That's not happening."

She'd barely looked at him before, and now she was clinging on.

"We'll see about that in court. You cheated first, I've got the evidence. Plus, Lucas wants to stay with me."

Jessica finally caved. She took the house, I kept our son.

Though I really had no evidence.

The divorce proceedings began.

No matter how hectic my days were, I made sure to bring meals to the hospital three times a day.

Lucas had chosen me, and I owed it to him to keep showing up.

One day, after finishing up early, I arrived at the hospital with lunch.

I could hear familiar voices inside the room. Tom was there too.

"Make sure you play it cool, okay, Lucas?"

Lucas responded, "Dad, Mom, don't worry. Jake thinks he can trust me. I'll tell him whatever you want."

"Once we secure the house, I'll stick with him. He'll pay for my school and college, and even buy me a house and a car when I'm older."

"Once I'm done using him, we can ditch him at some nursing home and forget about him. Then it'll just be the three of us again."

Tom laughed heartily, "That's my boy! Always knew you'd make us proud!"