A Cancer Report as A Gift for My Cheating Husband

My husband has stomach cancer and less than six months to live. But I wanted him to reach our 10th wedding anniversary without worry, so I lied. I told him it was just an unusual stomach ache. While secretly saving up for his medical expenses, I took a high-paying nanny job on the side. Everything was going according to plan—until today.

At the entrance of the prestigious kindergarten where I drop off my youngest son, I saw him. My husband, Franky Bennett. He was supposed to be away on a business trip in another province. And yet, there he was.

From a distance, I watched in horror as a little girl clung to his hand and looked up at him with innocent eyes.

“Daddy.”

The word hit me like a thunderclap. My entire body went cold, as if I had been plunged into an ice cave.

For our tenth anniversary, he had prepared a grand gift. A wife. A child. How thoughtful.

Well, then. The cancer report should be presented to the whole family, shouldn’t it?

——

A red light stopped me at the pedestrian crossing, giving me just enough time to grab my phone. Desperation clawed at my chest as I dialed Franky’s number. He picked up. Across the street, I saw him glance at his phone before switching the video call to voice-only.

Suppressing my rage, I forced my voice to stay steady. "Honey, why won’t you let me see you? Are you hiding something?"

His response was immediate, laced with annoyance. "Didn’t you say you were on a business trip? It’s inconvenient right now. Why are you being so paranoid?"

Before I could say another word, he hung up.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of being child-free by choice—or so I thought. He had grown colder with time, distant. Our intimacy had dwindled to once every two months, if that. When I asked if he wanted children, he had always said no. Now, I understood. It wasn’t that he didn’t want a child. He just didn’t want one with me.

The light turned green. Clutching my girl Quinn’s tiny hand, I crossed the street and walked straight toward Franky.

The moment he saw me, his entire body stiffened. Panic flickered in his eyes before he hastily schooled his features. "Nina... why are you here?"

I smiled coldly, fighting the overwhelming urge to slap him. "Shouldn’t I be asking you that? What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be on a business trip?"

He let out a nervous chuckle and opened his arms as if to hug me. I shoved him away.

His expression hardened as he scrambled for an excuse. "I came back early to surprise you, but my coworker asked me to help pick up their kid. I haven’t had time to go home yet."

Before I could respond, a high-pitched voice interrupted us.

"Daddy!"

The little girl had turned back, rushing toward him with open arms. She wrapped herself around his leg and beamed up at him. "Daddy, pick me up early today, okay? We need to get a cake for Mommy. She has a little brother in her belly!"

The world tilted beneath my feet. My vision blurred. A child. And another on the way. He had an entire second family.

Franky’s face twisted in panic. "Dear, Daisy is just a kid. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. Don’t overthink this—"

Overthink? I saw red. Without thinking, I swung my hand across his face. Hard. And again. And again. I slapped him until my palm burned. Until my breath came in ragged gasps. Until my entire body trembled with fury.

People had stopped to stare. A small crowd gathered around us, whispering.

Daisy shrieked and started hitting me with her tiny fists, trying to protect Franky. "You bad woman! You can’t hit my daddy!"

I snapped. My hands trembled as I pushed her away. She fell onto the pavement with a small cry.

"Your father is a lying bastard!" My voice rang out, raw with betrayal. "Your mother is a homewrecker! And you? You’re an illegitimate child! Do you know that?!"

Franky lunged forward, gathering the girl in his arms. "Daisy! Are you hurt? Tell Daddy where it hurts!"

I stood there, shaking with rage, my chest heaving. The betrayal, the humiliation, the years of wasted love—all of it boiled over, consuming me.

Franky looked up at me, eyes blazing with fury. "You’ve lost your mind, Nina!"

Maybe I had. But I wasn’t the one who had built a life on lies.