While I was slacking off at work, chaos erupted in the car lovers club group chat.

A rider who went by the nickname 'MrWadeNeighbor' was smugly sharing tips on how to steal someone else’s wife without getting caught.

[Think about it. The husband has to go to work during the day, right? He has to drive out, right?

You just take his parking spot while he’s out and the wife is free to come out and have fun with you.]

[When the husband gets home and finds his spot taken, he’ll definitely call to get the car moved. That way, you’ll know exactly when he’s coming back.]

[And when you go down to move the car, you can even throw a few sarcastic remarks his way.]

[In the end, not only do you get the guy’s wife and a free parking space, but you also get to mock him to his face for being a loser. Isn’t that badass?]

As I stared at the chat logs, I frowned. Then I looked out the window and saw the same Mercedes-Benz parked right in my private parking space and I fell into deep thought.

——

I had spent twenty-five thousand dollars to buy that space. Yet this same Mercedes had been parked there again and again.

At first, I assumed it was some kind of emergency. However, after several days of coming home from work and seeing that car in my spot, I started getting annoyed.

Still, every time I called to ask the guy to move his car, he was unusually polite, quick to respond and never made excuses.

Sometimes, he would even bring me a couple of packs of premium cigarettes or nice wine to apologize.

And honestly, it was hard to stay mad at someone who smiled and showed me respect. His attitude was always friendly and it felt awkward to push back any further.

Still, deep down, I felt uneasy. After all, I paid for that parking space. It was not public and it certainly was not free for anyone to use.

I frowned and was just about to call the guy to come down and move his car when, for some reason, a message from the car lovers club flashed through my mind.

The more I thought about it, the more restless I felt. I went upstairs, my footsteps unconsciously speeding up.

However, just as I reached the door to my apartment, I stopped in my tracks.

No, my wife was not that kind of person.

We had been married for ten years. From college sweethearts to husband and wife, our relationship had always been strong. We even have a beautiful daughter together.

She was once the campus belle. A gorgeous and graceful woman who was constantly surrounded by admirers.

But in the end, she had chosen me.

After we got married, she gave everything to the family. She was the kind of wife who kept the house spotless and running smoothly. I never had to worry about a thing at home.

She loved me deeply. How could she ever do something to betray me?

Maybe that guy, MrWadeNeighbor, was just boasting in the group chat.

My wife gave up a well-respected career to stay home and raise our daughter, all for the sake of our family. And me? I actually doubted her loyalty.

I was truly such a bastard.

With guilt rising in my chest, I turned around and went back downstairs to buy her a bouquet of flowers.

She once told me that flowers never went out of style.

Half an hour later, I returned home with the bouquet in hand.

As I approached the door, I heard my wife's heavy breathing from inside. My heart suddenly clenched. What was she doing?

But then I laughed it off. Perhaps she was just working out.

Even after having a child, her figure was stunning and gracefully curvy, with glowing skin and a face that still turned heads. People often assumed she was not even married.

With that comforting thought, I raised my hand to knock. From inside, I heard her voice asking, "Who is it?"

I did not answer. I wanted to surprise her, so I quickly hid the bouquet behind my back.

About thirty seconds later, the door creaked open. Her face was flushed and a few beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

The moment she saw me, she froze for a second before giving a startled smile. "Honey? Why are you back so early? You should’ve told me. I haven’t even started making dinner yet."

Her voice quivered slightly and her expression turned noticeably uneasy.

Just as the words left her mouth, a man’s voice called out from inside the apartment. "Who is it?"

The next second, a man stepped out of the room.

He was wearing nothing but a white bath towel. Beads of water still streamed down his body.

The moment he saw me, his expression shifted. First he seemed panic, but then he quickly forced into a smile.

"Oh, Mr. Summers, you’re back!" he said awkwardly, tugging the towel a little tighter around his waist.

Watching his flustered reaction, my fury surged to its peak.

I recognized him instantly.

I recognized him too well, in fact.

He was the jerk who had been occupying my parking space.

And now, he was standing here, nearly naked, in my home.

As a man, how could I possibly endure this kind of humiliation?

My fists clenched on instinct. I was about to lunge forward and beat the hell out of him.

But to my shock, my wife stopped me. She did not even look shocked or panicked at all. Instead, she calmly stepped in front of him, shielding him with her body.

"Honey, why didn’t you call before coming home today? I didn’t even have time to prepare dinner for you."

I stared at her coldly, forcing myself to suppress the fire raging inside me.

"Let me ask you one thing. Why is he here… and why is he naked?"

She gently patted the man’s shoulder, gave him a reassuring glance and replied without hesitation.

"Sweetheart, the water pipe burst earlier while you were out. Walter helped me fix it, but his clothes got soaked, so I let him take a shower here. He did us a favor today, after all."

Did she really think I was that stupid?

There was a strange man in my house, half-naked. Even an idiot could figure out what had just happened.

Right after my wife finished speaking, the man, Walter Wade, casually got dressed and strutted over, extending his hand toward me like nothing was wrong.

I stared at him coldly, then pulled my hand back without a word.

Walter did not seem to care. He chuckled and said with mock sincerity, "Yeah, that water pipe really soaked me, so I took a quick shower here. You don’t mind, do you, Mr. Summers?"

Mind? Of course, I mind! I mind it more than anything!

But before I could speak, my wife lightly pinched my arm and leaned closer to whisper, "Say something. Walter is our new neighbor. A close neighbor is better than a distant relative. We might need his help one day."

I stared at her for a long moment. Then I forced a smile and said, "Why would I mind? I should be thanking you for being a good neighbor, Mr. Wade. If it weren’t for you, my home might’ve flooded."

Walter laughed heartily and patted my shoulder. "Mr. Summers, no need to be so polite. We’re neighbors, so of course we should help each other!"

With that, he turned to leave. But right before he stepped out, he glanced back at my wife and said, "I won’t bother you two any longer. Mrs. Summers, if you need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to come find me again."

Just as he turned to leave, my eyes caught a faint strawberry-shaped mark on his neck, followed by a smudged lipstick stain on the collar of his shirt.

The shade was unmistakable. It was MAC Cosmetics Ruby Woo. My wife’s favorite shade. The same one that still lingered on her lips.

In an instant, my blood surged to my head and a deafening buzz filled my ears. My mind went blank.

So it was true. Everything Walter bragged about in the car club was not just talk.

The wife he had stolen was mine.

"Damn it…"

My eyes reddened, but I forced myself to hold back, to stop myself from beating him.

At that moment, my wife, Sienna, was still leaning lazily against the door, casually waving at Walter as he walked away. Only after his footsteps faded near the elevator did she slowly close the door.

I stood there, breath caught in my throat, as I really wanted to ask her why she did this to me.

But just as I was about to speak, my phone rang, sharp and urgent.

"Hello? Is this Chloe’s father? I haven’t been able to reach her mother. When are you coming to pick her up from school? Isn’t it irresponsible to leave her alone every time? Honestly, how many times has this happened just this week? Look at the time. Do you know how late it is? All the other children have gone home already."

Hearing my daughter’s name, my heart sank. I instinctively turned to look at Sienna, who stood not far from me.

She was still wearing that light blue nightgown, barely reaching mid-thigh. The neckline dipped low, deliberately showing off her cleavage.

"Why didn’t you go pick up Chloe?"

After hearing what I said, she turned to me slowly, her face void of remorse or even mild concern. Her voice was cold, detached.

"You knew Walter was here to fix the pipes. Besides, Chloe is big enough. What’s wrong with waiting a little longer at kindergarten? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

Her tone was sharp and impatient as if Chloe was not her daughter but just a nuisance she had to occasionally tolerate.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to rein in the boiling anger in my chest. Then I spoke softly into the phone, "I’m so sorry. We’ll come pick her up immediately. Please stay with her a little longer."

As I hung up, my hands trembled from rage.

I could not believe this. Sienna had gone too far.

She had chosen her affair over her own daughter.

And judging by the teacher’s frustration, this was clearly not the first time.

That thought alone made my head buzz with fury.

Back then, to ensure she could stay home and take care of our child without worry, I handed over my entire salary every month without fail. She was in charge of all the household finances and I never questioned it.

Yet in the end, while I was out working tirelessly to support our family, she was betraying me at home.

It would have been bad enough to be cheated on, but what I could not accept was that she did not even care about her own daughter.

The thought made my blood boil and I slammed my fist against the steering wheel in frustration.

Worried about Chloe, I quickly backed the car out of the parking space and sped off toward the school.

On the way, I called a lawyer friend and asked him to prepare a divorce agreement.

As for Sienna Fallon, I was completely done with her.

She was selfish, irresponsible and utterly unfit to be a wife or a mother. After picking up my daughter, I would go home and confront her face-to-face.

Before long, I arrived at the kindergarten. The place was nearly empty.

Aside from a few teachers lingering around, only Chloe remained, sitting quietly by the front door, gazing out as if hoping I would appear.

She had clearly been waiting for me.

Seeing her like that broke my heart even more. I rushed forward and scooped her into my arms.

"Chloe, I’m so sorry. Daddy’s late."

She looked up at me with wide eyes and a hint of disappointment. "Dad, did I do something wrong? Why is Mommy always the last one to pick me up? Today… all the other kids went home and I was the only one left again."

Her words felt like a dagger to my chest.

Sienna Fallon… she deserved death for this!