Extra Marital

My friends texted me to ask why I was not joining my son’s sixth birthday party.

When I clicked into the photo attachment, I saw my husband’s assistant holding my son as he cut the cake. It looked like she was his mother instead.

It was my son’s sixth birthday today. I had been busy prepping around the house since nine in the morning until eight at night. However, no one responded to my calls or messages.

It turns out they had already celebrated with someone else.. Or rather, without me.

I looked at the table full of food and the custom-made cake. Finally, I took a slice and ate it myself.

James and our son Max arrived home at midnight, making so much noise they woke me up. They held a bunch of presents, but their bright smiles faltered when they saw me.

Max harrumphed and pointed at the cake I had ordered for him. “That cake looks so lame! I prefer the one Aunt Pearl bought for me. It has a picture of Ultraman on it.”

James shielded Max with his body. “Max was the one who said not to invite you along today. You went too far last time.”

I narrowed my eyes and gave it some thought. By “last time”, James probably meant the time Max grabbed a little girl’s gift and shoved her when she refused to give it to him. I had made him apologize.

So that was going too far?

I nodded and did not retort, cleaning up the food on the table.

James took Max to wash up and then hugged me from behind with his wet hands, holding out a small paper bag. “Pearl told me to give you this. She said a mother should be remembered and thanked on her child’s birthday. Isn’t she so considerate?”

I glanced at the logo on the bag and instantly knew it was a free gift.

He probably had no idea that I had seen the logo on another bigger bag in the closet ages ago. I waited and waited, until our wedding anniversary came and went two weeks ago, but he never gave me any presents.

Now I finally realized that the gift was meant for someone else all along.

His tone grew slightly cold at my silence. “Don’t hold a grudge against her. It’s not like she dirtied the house on purpose. She’s just a young lady who hasn’t even graduated yet. She barely knows anything in life, but she still remembered to give you an apology gift. Isn’t that enough?”

I remembered now. I remembered when I first noticed something was off with James.

It was when he brought his precious assistant home because she was having period cramps. He ran about, buying her painkillers and tampons, and even let her dirty the couch despite his usual obsession with cleanliness.

He had never been so considerate of me. I could tell at a glance that he treated her differently.

Returning to the present from my memories, I realized I could not even muster the energy to be mad. “Just leave it there. I’m cleaning up, so I don’t want to dirty it.”

Thud! There was a sound from outside. James immediately let go of me and headed out.

I saw the cake Max had smashed to the floor, so I picked it up and tossed it into the trash.

The next second, Max wailed. “You mean lady, don’t touch my cake!”

He threw a glass onto my head. After a burst of pain, I smelled blood.

James hurriedly helped me up. “Pearl gave him that cake, and it had an Ultraman picture on it. You shouldn’t have thrown it away.”

I could only smirk as I wiped away the blood. James said he wanted to take me to the hospital, and I did not reject him. The gash on my forehead probably required stitches.

We had barely stepped out, however, when his phone rang. His tone was anxious as he answered the call.

I immediately knew who the caller was.

“Wendy, Pearl said there’s someone stalking outside her house. I’ll go check things out, then I’ll be right back…”

I interrupted him mid-sentence. “The hospital isn’t that far away. I can go by myself. Take Max with you.”

With that, I put on my coat and left. By the time I reached the hospital doors, my vision was going black. I collapsed onto my knees at the nurse’s counter.

After I woke up, the doctor told me I was pregnant.