Zhang Tao is my best buddy, we've been playing together since we were kids.

In high school, he secretly took photos under the teacher's skirt and stole girls' dorm underwear, and when he got caught, he framed me.

Because my family had money, we always settled the issues by paying compensation, which also led to my poor reputation at school.

However, he didn't get into college, while I met my current wife in college.

After graduation, I started a company, and when Zhang Tao couldn't find a job, he begged me to give him an easy position.

I didn't mind his little salary, so I agreed.

Even now, I can't believe Zhang Tao would stab me in the back.

When I got home, my wife relentlessly criticized me, pointing at my nose and bombarding me, saying I was always busy with the company, messing it up, earning nothing, and neglecting the family.

Looking at the disdain in her eyes, the passion from our courtship days was long gone.

Thinking that she might conspire with Zhang Tao to murder me in the future, I no longer spoke kindly to her: "I earn money for you to spend, you just stay put as a housewife and don't meddle in other matters."

"Hmph, Xu Hao, you're getting more impressive, becoming a big boss, getting tough, right? Are you despising me for being a housewife now? When you married me, I had a job, it was you who didn't let me work!"

At that time, she was a low-level employee, and I felt sorry for her, which is why I didn't let her work.

"Your company ran into problems, you don't take care of it properly, what are you idling about all day? If it weren't for Zhang Tao helping you out, your company would have collapsed already!"

I suddenly found it amusing.

"What can he possibly help me with?"

"You're still in denial! How long are you going to hide it, you lost money gambling, and used the company's liquid assets to pay off debts, if Zhang Tao hadn't negotiated a project, your company would have already gone under!"

Seems like it was Zhang Tao who told her, he's quite adept at twisting the truth.

"You trust Zhang Tao a lot, don't you?"

"He's your good brother! You're out carousing and not coming home, it's him covering for you, the company's troubles, he's the one backing you up! Having such a good brother is your blessing!"

I laughed out loud: "You really admire Zhang Tao, huh."

"Don't talk nonsense!" My wife got nervous and immediately raised her voice: "I'm telling you, learn from Zhang Tao! If you weren't relying on that bit of family money, you'd have been begging on the streets long ago, don't think you're that capable!"

Who would have thought, who would have thought, me, a prestigious university graduate, who started a business from scratch and became the head of a small company, in my wife's eyes, is so pathetic.

While Zhang Tao, who was expelled from high school and couldn't find a proper job, is portrayed by my wife as a capable and talented successful person.

"I can't learn any of his stuff."

Seeing my attitude, my wife's eyes turned bloodshot with anger, just then someone rang the doorbell, I asked who it was, and my wife said grumpily: "It's Zhang Tao, I asked him to come for dinner, let Zhang Tao properly teach you! You better stay grounded!"

Before I could speak, my wife had already gone to open the door for Zhang Tao, and even tidied her hair and clothes.

That's when I noticed that my wife was actually wearing nude-colored stockings at home, which were particularly figure-hugging and made her legs look long. I rarely saw her wear stockings at home, whereas Zhang Tao had a thing for stockings.

My wife, who was once the campus queen in college, after marrying me, never touched housework. She spent her days on beauty treatments, manicures, shopping, and yoga, maintaining her figure without a single flaw, even more mature and charming than during her college days.

But I, always busy with work, rarely noticed these things. Have I been neglecting my wife, giving Zhang Tao a chance to slip in?

But betrayal is betrayal. Does being busy with work give a reason to betray me?

In the midst of my thoughts, Zhang Tao had already come in cheerfully, greeting my wife warmly, calling her 'sister-in-law,' sounding especially familiar.

He was even more friendly when he saw me, joking and laughing, and in my previous life, I believed unswervingly in his innocence.

"What's wrong? Bro, unhappy? Did you have a fight with sister-in-law?"

Zhang Tao saw my sullen face.

My wife said, "If there's a day he doesn't annoy me, I'd be burning incense as a thanks. Zhang Tao, have a good talk with him, get his mind on the right track, and stop being so slack."

"How am I being slack?"

Seeing me retort, Zhang Tao put on the peacemaker act, coming over to mediate: "Ah, alright bro, say no more. Sister-in-law is doing it for your good. As men, we should let the women win sometimes."

"Did you hear that! Zhang Tao, if he had half your ambition, I'd be content!"

My wife continued to mock me. Before, I thought her words were meant to spur me on, but now it seems she genuinely looks down on me.

"Sister-in-law, you really know how to joke. My bro is so capable, running a company and making big money, marrying such a beautiful wife like you. What am I? I'm just his assistant!"

"Humph! I really don't know how I got tricked into marrying him back then."

If it were before, when my wife said such things, I would definitely have gone to please her, smile, and make her happy. Now I completely pretended not to hear, while Zhang Tao rushed up to flatter her.

He made my wife laugh heartily; before I knew it, they were already in the kitchen busy with the cooking, while I was just in the living room watching TV, feeling like an outsider.

Zhang Tao, with his sweet tongue, was very good at coaxing women. I had thought he could only sweet-talk some naive young girls, but who knew he could also make a dignified university graduate like my wife giggle uncontrollably.

He seemed to frequently touch her shoulder or arm, like when he helped my wife remove a vegetable leaf from her hair, and she didn't refuse him.

Looking at their sweet interaction, I suspected they might have been involved for some time.

In order to find out the truth, I pretended to go along with them, joking and laughing. During dinner, I opened my phone's camera secretly and slipped it under the table to record.

After the meal, I used the excuse of needing the bathroom, locked the door, and eagerly opened my phone to watch the video. Who knew the camera angle was too poor, only capturing a tiny bit, and it seemed like my wife's beautiful legs brushed against Zhang Tao's, but it could have just been a flash.

This made me very annoyed, not capturing evidence of their affair. I decided to fill the house with cameras and post their infidelity videos online as a harsh revenge against them.

3

In the days that followed, my wife became increasingly dissatisfied with me, often picking fights out of nowhere and nitpicking over small things. I couldn't be bothered to deal with her, so I started coming home less and less.

That day, Zhang Tao called me asking for money. He said he was caught in bed with someone else and the guy demanded fifty thousand yuan as ransom, otherwise, he would break his legs.

He's not only a gambler but also a womanizer, often chatting online with women in black silk stockings, using his silver tongue to arrange hotel meetups.

This time, he walked right into a trap.

I gritted my teeth and gave him the money to bail him out. Zhang Tao acted as if nothing happened, patting my shoulder: "You're a true brother! Thanks to you, otherwise, I would've been done for this time!"

"You should do less immoral things in the future and stop messing with other people's wives."

I tried to remind him, but he acted innocent: "I've been wronged! I didn't know she was