My wife, Eleanor Bingley and I agreed to be a DINK couple, which meant a double-income couple with no kids. But one day, I found out she had a son with another man. After that child was diagnosed with leukemia, everything changed.

Suddenly, my wife started begging me every night to have a baby with her. Eleanor never explained why. Then, one day, she told me she was already pregnant. Apparently, she had kept it a secret until it was too late to hide.

I was so angry that I fainted and was rushed to the hospital. After I woke up, I asked her to get an abortion. I couldn't accept what she had done. But Eleanor refused. She even made sure the hospital wouldn’t let me leave.

Her mother came to visit and tried to talk me into accepting the situation.

She said, “Saving a life is more important than building a wall between you two. Eleanor’s son is your son too. The child is already here … how can you be so heartless? You two didn’t have children for so many years. Eleanor had no choice … ”

I stopped struggling and looked at Eleanor. Her eyes were wet with tears.

I let out a sigh and said calmly, “You and that man can have another child to be a match for your son. I will pay for the treatment, but don’t ask me for anything else.”

For a moment, I saw disappointment and sadness flash in Eleanor’s eyes. I thought she felt guilty.

But then she told me, “I already tried. Thomas was too wild when he was younger and is infertile now.”

She continued, “Half-siblings have a one-quarter chance of being a successful match. James, if you are willing to help save my son, I will agree to anything you ask!”

I turned my face away. My heart was cold and empty.

“I want a divorce,” I said.

“Once I’m out of the hospital in a week, we’ll meet at the Town Hall.”

——

My mother-in-law became furious. Her blood pressure went up and she even tried to hit me. Eleanor quickly stopped her and pulled her away.

After that, she looked at me, frowned slightly and said with a firm voice, “No. I won’t divorce you. Don’t even think about it.”

I looked straight at her and gave a cold smile. We had been husband and wife for many years. She could tell that I was serious this time. Her expression softened a little and she said in a quieter voice, “James, we’ve been together for so long. Do you really want to end everything like this?”

“I know you feel hurt. But Thomas didn’t go to school much. He doesn’t have your background or education. When he was younger, he was with me because we were both lost. It wasn’t easy for me to give birth to a son. If someone is to blame, then blame me.”

She took a breath before she said, “The child is innocent. Aren’t you being cruel for pushing me like this?”

I stayed silent and touched my stomach. My thoughts went back to a few years ago.

When Eleanor was younger, she often talked about how unfair life was. She came from a poor background and was able to go to school only because my father sponsored her education. After she graduated, she couldn’t continue her studies. There was no money, no way forward.

One rainy day, I saw her kneeling in the street, begging for a qualification to join a business bid. I held an umbrella over her and took her home.

Eleanor was a woman with a strong spirit, even when she was struggling. Something about her touched me deeply. I was the only son of the richest man in the city, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Soon, she became the daughter-in-law of the richest family when we got married. She entered a life of comfort and luxury. At the time, I never thought we would live without children. I wanted to have a baby with her from the beginning.

And soon, she got pregnant.

I remember how her hands shook when she showed me the pregnancy test result. She was so happy that she almost cried.

“My parents believe the first child should be raised by them,” I told her.

“We can have more kids later. How many children do you want, Eleanor?”

She paused and I saw a small hint of worry in her eyes.

“James,” she called my name gently,

She then continued, “Are you really ready to be a father? You’re already so busy with work. I don’t want to put more pressure on you. I’ll feel guilty…”

Her concern moved me. I hugged her and told her not to worry. I said I wasn’t afraid. She was the one going through the hardest part, the pregnancy.

During those months, I took care of her the best I could. I even lost weight from the stress, but I didn’t care.

Then, two weeks later, she started having pain in her stomach. I rushed her to the hospital, but it was too late. We lost the baby.

I sat by her bedside all night. The next morning, my eyes were red from crying. I hit myself in anger and said,

“Eleanor, it’s my fault. You suffered because of me. We won’t try again. Let’s just be a DINK couple, okay?”

But she shook her head.

“You’re the only child in your family,” she said.

“James, I still want to have a child with you. I’m not afraid of a little pain.”

I felt sorry for Eleanor again and again. Yet, she would always tell me that I had already done too much for her. She said none of this was my fault.

Later on, to be extra careful, she went to the hospital and had an IUD inserted. I didn’t ask her to do this. Rather, it was her own choice.

However, that wasn’t the end of it. From that day on, she always took the initiative to remind me to take safety precautions every time we were intimate. She did not want to take any chances.

What surprised me the most was the reaction of her parents.

In the beginning, my father-in-law and mother-in-law used to hope that Eleanor would give birth to a child because that would make her position stronger in our wealthy family. But after the miscarriage, they suddenly stopped talking about having children. They no longer pressured us.

After I was discharged from the hospital, they never brought up the subject of children or carrying on the family name. Instead, they even gave us a dog, suggesting we raise it like a child.

I truly believed that this change came from Eleanor. I thought she had worked hard behind the scenes to protect me, to make sure no one forced us into parenthood again. I thought she understood me and respected our agreement to live a child-free life.

But I was wrong. It wasn’t until I overheard my mother-in-law yelling at me that I realized the truth. It turned out that Eleanor did not avoid having children because of me. She just didn’t want to have a child with me.

In her heart, Eleanor had never accepted the help from my parents. That help had always made her feel small and powerless. She couldn’t stand the idea of our first child living with my parents. She didn’t want her child to grow up under their influence.

All these years, she had carefully planned her life. She took the money, the connections and all the resources from me and my family. Yet, she gave her heart and future to another man, a younger man.

Now, with my parents both gone and no other family left to protect me, she felt free to push me out of the way. She wanted to save the life of her illegitimate child, Nate, with Thomas. She was using me to do it.

Apparently, Eleanor wanted me to give her another child so that she could use the baby to treat her other son’s leukemia. I was overwhelmed with humiliation and pain.

My voice was cold when I questioned her, “Yes, the child is innocent. But in order to save your illegitimate child, you want to risk killing my child, the one you’re carrying now. Eleanor, isn’t that cruel?”

For the first time, I saw panic in Eleanor’s eyes. Usually, she was always calm and confident.

“That’s not what I meant, James,” she said quickly.

“Didn’t you want to have a child before? Why not focus on the good side? This child will live and we’ll be together as a family in the future!”

I stared at her and suddenly felt like I didn’t know her at all.

“Do you really think we can still live together after all this? What do you mean by ‘we’ll be a family’? Are you saying the two of us should share one wife?”

Eleanor didn’t get angry. She walked toward the door and looked at me seriously.

“James, Thomas never wanted to compete with you. I still have feelings for you too. You helped me become the richest woman in London. I’m truly thankful for everything you’ve done. You will always be my husband.”

“But can’t you be more understanding? Please understand. My child must be born.”

She left the hospital room after that. I later found out that she had hired two private nurses to keep watch over me. Their job was to make sure I didn’t leave the hospital.

But her actions only made me more determined to divorce.

I immediately called my lawyer.

“Mr. Woods,” I called.

I asked him, “If the other party refuses to divorce, is there still a way?”

Mr. Woods answered clearly, “Yes, there is a way. But you’ll need to wait a week before we can proceed with the legal process.”

The next day, Eleanor did not come to the hospital.

Mr. Woods had many connections. Through one of them, he was able to get proof of Eleanor’s betrayal. He sent me photos.

Eleanor had gone to meet Thomas. Based on their expressions, she had probably just told him about her pregnancy. Thomas looked happy. In the café, he kissed Eleanor with joy.

Without further ado, I turned off the video. I couldn’t watch it anymore. It was too painful. Nevertheless, I forced myself to go online to distract my thoughts. Then, I saw something that made me even angrier. It was my mother-in-law.

This same woman, who used to act gentle and kind in front of me, had completely changed. She had uploaded all the videos she had taken in the past while taking care of her grandson, Eleanor and Thomas’s son. She had kept these videos hidden from me for years.

Only now did I understand.

All those nights when Eleanor said she was working late, she was actually spending time with Thomas and their son. And then, the worst part came. My mother-in-law posted a new video online.

In real life, she criticized me without holding back. Not only that, she also attacked me publicly on social media and called me the worst son-in-law in history. She even took one of my photos and edited it to look like a funeral portrait, as if I were already dead.

My mother-in-law said that I was ungrateful and heartless. She cried in her video, claiming that her poor grandson was dying of leukemia and I, his supposed father, refused to save him or give him a sibling. She told lies to make herself and Eleanor look like the victims.

People online, who had no idea what the truth was, believed her. They left terrible comments under the video, cursing me and even insulting my dead parents. When I thought of my mother and father, who had loved me deeply and supported me all my life,m I was filled with anger.

I couldn’t help but clench my fists.

At that moment, I knew one thing clearly. I could no longer stay silent. Rather, I needed to gather my act.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I replied directly under my mother-in-law’s post.

[He’s not my son. His life or death has nothing to do with me.]

She fired back almost instantly.

[You’re heartless! What kind of father are you?]

Then, came the wave.

My inbox flooded with private messages. Hate. Insults. Death threats. Strangers tore into me, calling me a monster. They all told me that I needed to die.

I threw my phone across the room and slumped into the hospital bed, numb. I lit a cigarette with trembling fingers, trying to ground myself in the smoke. But she wouldn’t stop.

My mother-in-law sent a voice message, her voice shrill and accusing as she said, “How can you be so cruel? Did I say anything wrong? The whole company survives because of Eleanor!”

“That child is yours whether you like it or not. It’s only right that you save my grandson! And how dare you mock her?”

“If you hadn’t convinced her not to have kids with you, she wouldn’t have had to go elsewhere! My grandson wouldn’t be sick if not for you! My life is so tragic-”

I couldn’t listen anymore.

Everyone expected me to sacrifice myself for a child that wasn’t even mine. No one ever asked how I felt. Then, through the haze, I saw a hand reach out who offering a plate of full English breakfast.

It was Eleanor. She looked exhausted. She gently took the cigarette from my fingers and put it out. Her voice was soft but tired as she said, “You’re still the same. So stubborn.”

Something inside me cracked.

My mind wandered to the past.

Back when she was pregnant, Eleanor couldn’t eat anything. I had taught myself to make a full English breakfast, hoping to help her stay strong. But the more she ate, the weaker she became.

I remembered the last time she drank wine. It was right before the miscarriage. She hesitated that day. It was as if she wanted to say something. But instead, she hugged me tightly and cried.

“It’s my fault. I couldn’t protect our baby. Don’t blame me, James. There’s only you and me in this life.”

I thought it was just the hormones talking. I even laughed a little and called her foolish for loving me so much. But no. Instead, I was the fool.

Eleanor had no intention of giving birth to my child. She already knew she was going to carry someone else’s. That look in her eyes back then meant something else.

It wasn’t sadness. Rather, it was guilt. I had loved this woman for twenty years. And I never truly knew her.

I thought to myself, ‘Why, Eleanor? Why didn’t you talk to me?’

‘My parents just wanted a grandchild. In fact, they never doubted your abilities.’

Again and again, I told myself, ‘We could’ve had a second, even a third. Was I nothing more than a stepping stone for your family’s rise? Not even good enough to leave an heir behind?’

My hands shook. Rage bubbled up.

I knocked the plate of full English breakfast from her hands.

My voice was as cold as ice as I told her, “Eleanor, just wait. You’ll go mad in a week.”

She looked stunned, but she quickly followed up by asking, “James, what are you doing?”

And then, someone else walked in. It was a thin, well-dressed man who rushed over and started cleaning the mess.

“Don’t be angry, Eleanor. Maybe the soup I made didn’t suit James’ taste.”

I froze. The food wasn’t even for me. She hadn’t come to visit me. Actually, she brought her lover to show him off.

Thomas Evergreen.

He was handsome, even in his weariness. It seemed that he looked tired from taking care of their sick son. I looked at the reflection in the window.

I wasn’t young anymore. The man staring back at me looked tired, worn down by years of loyalty and betrayal. Eleanor didn’t even notice my silence.

Her whole focus was on Thomas.

When Eleanor saw that Thomas had burned his hand, she rushed to him, frantic with concern. She held his hand, checking it carefully like it was the most important thing in the world. Thomas pulled away, clearly embarrassed. He looked over at me, then back at Eleanor.

His voice was gentle as he said, “Eleanor, I’m fine. James has been through a lot. His health should come first.”