My father-in-law, Noah Quinlan, and I go on a vacation together. After checking into the hotel, we decide to swim around in the hotel's swimming pool.

But a well-dressed man shows his disdain toward us outright while pinching his nose.

"This is a high-class hotel! Ugh, why are there all sorts of people here? Don't tell me you two secretly snuck in just to use the pool!

"I'm really scared of catching any infectious diseases just by sharing the same pool as you!"

That man's words instantly spoil the mood for Noah and me. I reply coldly, "The hotel's swimming pool is meant for public use. Anyone who stays in the hotel has the right to use it. If you can't accept that fact, you might as well have one built at your home."

The man is so angry that his brows are all scrunched up. He retorts furiously, "How dare you talk to me like that! Don't you know that my wife is the owner of this hotel? The fanciest suite here belongs to me all year round!

"I order you to get lost right now! What if your poorness dirties the pool water? How disgusting!"

Noah and I exchange looks immediately, soon noticing the coldness in each other's eyes.

My wife, Zara Quinlan, is the one owning this hotel. Since when has she become another man's wife?

Noah Quinlan, my father-in-law, and I had planned to stay low-key, so we opted not to reveal our identities during check-in. We hadn't anticipated running into something like this, so in an instant, our pleasant mood was entirely spoiled.

Having been a businessman for decades, Noah wasn't intimidated by the fool before him. He retorted dismissively, "Who do you think you are to order us around? You're the one who should get out of here! Your utter lack of manners is truly repulsive!"

He then ignored the man fuming with rage and turned toward me, saying, "Let's keep swimming and forget about him, Connor. I'll accompany you to inquire with Zara regarding the nature of this matter once we return home."

Freddie Lester turned beet red, incensed by our lack of response. He suddenly flashed a malicious grin, saying, "If that's what you want, so be it, then! You can just stay in the swimming pool since you like it so much in there! You'd better not even think about coming out today!"

He then took out his phone and called over a burly man, who arrived with a fawning expression. "How may I assist you, Freddie? Do you require swimming lessons?"

Freddie pointed at Noah and me and said with a wicked grin, "Go teach these two arrogant nobodies a lesson they won't forget, Wyatt."

Wyatt instantly caught on and nodded subserviently. "You can rest assured that I, as a swimming instructor, know exactly how to give people a hard time in the swimming pool, Freddie!"

He then jumped into the swimming pool and, before Noah and I could react, grabbed Noah's head and forcibly submerged him.

Noah, being older, was no match for Wyatt's strength. He started choking on the water immediately, flailing his arms in a desperate attempt to break free.

I was horrified and lunged forward to pull Wyatt away, but he was incredibly nimble. He shoved me down and held me under, making me choke on several mouthfuls. I seized an opening and kicked him squarely between the legs, which broke his grip.

I then scrambled to grab Noah, whose eyes had already rolled back from choking. Noah coughed so violently that it looked like he would lose his lungs before he finally caught his breath.

Noah was a man of immense pride who had dominated the business sector, turning a single inn into a nationwide hotel empire. He was used to being treated with nothing but deference. He had never faced such an indignity.

He was so enraged that his chest heaved as he barked, "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could have killed someone! How could you be so lawless? I'll have my lawyers bring the full weight of the law down on you!"

Freddie smiled indifferently. "Who cares if you died? You ought to know that my wife owns hundreds of hotels nationwide! She makes enough in a single day to buy every one of your pathetic lives!

"You should have checked who I was before you crossed me. You want to call lawyers on me, huh? You probably can't even afford them!"

I recalled that the hotel that we were staying at was actually one of many that Noah had given my wife, Zara Quinlan, to run. I was utterly baffled seeing Freddie act like he owned the place. I wondered if Zara had a second husband I didn't know about.

I patted Noah on the back to steady his breathing and asked grimly, "Is your wife's name Zara Quinlan?"

Freddie replied arrogantly, "That's right! You've at least heard of her! If you drop to your knees, beg for my forgiveness, and clean this entire swimming pool, I'll consider showing some mercy; otherwise, you'll be in serious trouble when she shows up!"

I felt my heart sinking right at that juncture. I couldn't help but wonder if Zara, despite our sacred vows and her pledge of lifelong fidelity, had actually been unfaithful to me.

I instantly noticed the tattoo on Freddie's collarbone, which was a design of a maple leaf. I had seen an identical one on Zara's lower abdomen. She had explained that she got it to mark the day we first met, when the maple leaves had turned red.

I found it ironic that I was so affected by her gesture back then, when in reality, it was actually a matching tattoo for her and Freddie. If I hadn't bumped into him that day, I would have remained unaware of her long-standing extramarital affair.

I felt a strange sense of clarity amidst my rage. I immediately exposed Freddie, saying, "I happen to know that Zara is married to a Mr. Simm, who bears no resemblance to you whatsoever.

"You're acting incredibly bold for being a homewrecker! You'd better get Zara down here this instant! I'd like to see how she intends to deal with us!"

Freddie was clearly hurt by my jab about him being a homewrecker. He snapped, "You'd better not bring up that useless man in front of me! You ought to know that in a relationship, the one who isn't loved is the real outsider!

"It just so happens that my wife is coming over to see me today, so I'll call her over this instant! You're all in for it now!"

He instantly adopted a cute, whiny voice as soon as the call connected. "When are you arriving, Zara? I'm at the swimming pool right now, getting bullied by two old men! They even called me a homewrecker! You have to come over and put them in their place!

"You should also make this swimming pool private from now on, giving me exclusive access to it! I've just picked up some new techniques in the water, and I'm dying to show them to you!"

He looked even more smug than before after hanging up the phone, saying, "Zara will be here in half an hour. You guys are done for now! She's got more than enough ways to deal with you two!"

I was trembling with rage; the mere thought that Zara had worn a mask of devotion before me while betraying me with another Freddie filled me with such revulsion that I felt on the verge of retching.

Noah, noticing my reaction, grasped the situation. He gritted his teeth with indignation and snarled, "How can Zara be such a disgrace? She's exactly like her mother! I can just as easily reclaim everything I've given her!"

Noah loathed infidelity. His wife had cheated on him with a younger man years ago and had conned him out of every cent, leading to their divorce. He had to rebuild his career while raising Zara alone.

He never imagined that the daughter he had sacrificed so much for would turn out to be a cheater just like her mother. He had recently allowed Zara to oversee a portion of his hundred-plus hotels, but he remained the one truly in control of the empire.

I was able to marry Zara because I naturally had a family background that was no less than hers. It was just that, because of my preference for the arts, the public mistakenly perceived me as a gold digger, not knowing that I was the sole heir to the Simm family.

I was suddenly eager to find out how Zara would try to justify herself to us.

I noticed the pallor on Noah's face just then. I was instantly alarmed. I quickly moved to steady him, intending to help him out of the swimming pool so that he could change into some dry clothes.

Freddie sneered and raised his chin slightly. Wyatt instantly grasped the command, hoisted himself out of the swimming pool, and kicked Noah while he was attempting to exit the swimming pool via the ladder.

I immediately moved to retrieve Noah once again after he abruptly fell back into the swimming pool.

Freddie laughed from the side of the swimming pool. "You two look so pathetic, flailing around like ducks in the water! Didn't you guys enjoy staying in there? You shouldn't come out then!"

He then turned to Wyatt and said, "You have to make sure they don't come up before Zara gets here, Wyatt!"

Wyatt, acting like a total sycophant, said, "You can rest assured that I've got this under control, Freddie! I just hope you remember to put in a good word for me when Ms. Quinlan gets here."

From then on, no matter how hard Noah and I struggled to climb out of the swimming pool, Wyatt would repeatedly kick us back into the water. It wasn't long before our strength gradually drained away, and Noah suddenly started gasping for breath while clutching his chest, too weak to even speak.

I let him lean on my shoulder and called out to those on the pool deck in desperation. "Do you guys really want to get someone killed? Dad is suffering a heart attack right now, so hurry up and let us get out of here! I swear you'll regret every second of this when Zara shows up!"

Wyatt looked nervous and turned to Freddie, clearly afraid of the consequences.

Freddie, however, just laughed dismissively. "You old guys are all the same, always full of tricks! You're actually having a heart attack now, huh? You didn't seem to have a problem a minute ago!"

He then ordered Wyatt, saying, "Go shut off the pool heater. I'd like to see how much longer he can keep up the act!"

I was so angered by Freddie's audacity that the veins on my forehead throbbed with rage. "I'm warning you—if Dad dies, not one of you is getting away with it once the police get here!"

Freddie leisurely took a sip of red wine and said smugly, "You should cut the act. If you want to come up, all you have to do is just beg me. You were acting so tough earlier. Did you suddenly lose your nerve after learning that my wife is on her way?"

Noah had a pre-existing heart condition, so between the intense fury of the day and the fact that he had inhaled water several times, his energy was completely spent. He was clearly in a state of severe physical distress.

I bit my lip, realizing his safety was the only thing that mattered.

I was ready to endure the humiliation and beg for help, but Noah caught my arm and said in a trembling voice, "I've never lowered myself for anyone, especially not for someone as pathetic as him. I'm fine, Connor. I won't spare Zara once she gets here. I know what it's like to be betrayed by a woman, so I've got your back."

Upon seeing that we still showed no intention of pleading, Freddie's gaze turned sinister. He turned to Wyatt and ordered, "Go fetch two buckets of ice from the kitchen. It's time to cool them down some more."

I immediately felt the water temperature drop the moment the ice was dumped in, leaving me shivering uncontrollably. Noah was in even worse shape; his lips had turned purple as he drifted in and out of lucidity.

I patted his face, but there was no reaction. I gritted my teeth as I tried to pull him toward the edge, but Wyatt kept shoving us back with a pole.

I was beyond frantic. My eyes were bloodshot as I yelled, "Dad is seriously not going to make it! You'd better let him out of the pool this instant! If there's a death on the premises, the hotel management will be held liable! Zara will have your heads when she sees what you've done!"

Wyatt, as a swimming instructor, recognized the warning signs on Noah's face. He realized that the situation wasn't good and promptly turned to Freddie, saying, "I think the elderly man is in critical condition, Freddie. I think we should get him out of the pool first.

"It would be pretty gross for you to swim here if he kicks the bucket in the water. I also doubt Ms. Quinlan wants a body on her hands either. If she loses it, I'm definitely getting fired."

Freddie thought it over before scoffing. "You're just worried about losing your job, huh? I had no intention of causing a fatality, but I can't do anything about it if they're being so stubborn.

"I've already said that I would consider allowing them to climb out of the pool as long as they beg me. If they can still struggle, they can still wait. I want to see exactly how much they can take."

Wyatt, acting like Freddie's loyal lapdog, looked down at me and said, "In case you didn't know, Freddie is Ms. Quinlan's beloved. You see, this establishment operates specifically for his benefit, and all other matters are secondary to his needs. Your presence here today was an oversight.

"You should start begging for forgiveness and mercy if you truly value your lives. You're on your own if you remain obstinate!"

I bit my lip forcefully, setting aside all dignity in light of Noah's precarious state. I then said reluctantly, "I'm begging you. Please let my father out of here first. He has a heart condition, so he's really going to die at this rate."

Freddie smirked smugly and asked in a taunting voice, "Didn't you just say I was a shameless homewrecker? I want you to repeat after me—'Connor Simm is the pathetic homewrecker, and Freddie Lester is Zara's actual husband!'"

He was incredibly sensitive about being labeled a homewrecker. He was especially resentful of Connor, a man he had never even met. He viewed Connor as nothing more than a pathetic freeloading loser and couldn't understand what made the man any better than himself.

I realized then that Freddie didn't know that I was actually Connor Simm. He still somehow managed to humiliate me perfectly, though.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails pierced my skin. I eventually choked down my pride and said, "Connor Simm is the pathetic homewrecker, and Freddie Lester is Zara's actual husband. You've got what you wanted, right? Hurry up and let Dad out of the pool!"

Freddie's face broke into a satisfied smile, and he said slyly, "I only said I would consider it. I've made up my mind now—you're both staying in there."