Chapter 1

Because I loved my wife so much, I secretly got a vasectomy when our son turned five.

But six months later, she looked me in the eye and told me she was pregnant.

She even blamed me, saying I was too selfishly focused on my own pleasure and refused to use protection.

But how could that baby possibly be mine?

There was no doubt about it—my wife was cheating on me.

I did some digging in secret, only to find out that the other man was someone incredibly close to us. Talk about not dirtying your own backyard—she literally picked someone right under my nose!

"Babe, can you go to the hospital with me tomorrow?"

That night, after putting our son to sleep, my wife, Chloe, came back to the living room and sat down next to me on the couch.

She looked at me with a slight pout. "My period is late this month. I took a test this morning... it’s a double line."

I froze.

I stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

I almost thought my ears were playing tricks on me.

It wasn't until she gave me a sharp, annoyed nudge that I snapped out of it.

My very first reaction was that it was impossible. "Are you... are you sure the test wasn't faulty?"

"Then how else do you explain my missed period?"

She seemed genuinely angry now, glaring at me. "This is all your fault."

"Every single time, you just care about how it feels and refuse to wear a condom. I told you a million times that tracking my cycle isn't a hundred percent safe!"

"Now look what happened."

"Ugh, look at you, acting like nothing happened while I'm the one who has to go through all the pain..."

I didn't say a word.

Though my face remained perfectly calm, a massive storm was raging in my chest.

I had always thought I had the perfect, happy family.

Our son, Leo, was almost six. Both Chloe and I had stable jobs, and neither of us had any bad habits.

But the words coming out of her mouth right now instantly shattered every ounce of happiness I thought I possessed.

Since we got married, we had never used condoms. Neither of us liked the barrier.

In the beginning, she was on birth control pills.

But taking those long-term isn't good for a woman's body.

Six months ago, three days after Leo’s fifth birthday, I secretly went to a clinic and got a vasectomy.

I didn't tell her.

It wasn't that I wanted to lie to her; it was just a stupid male ego thing, I guess.

Over the past six months, even though Chloe had stopped taking the pill, I was always careful to only have intimate times during her safe window.

So, even though she’d been off the pill for half a year, nothing had happened, and she never suspected a thing.

But now, she was telling me she was pregnant?

Was this a question of whether her calendar method was safe?

This was a flashing, neon-green sign that I was being cuckolded!

Honestly, I was furious.

Livid, even.

But I had been a quiet, reserved guy since I was a kid.

Plus, the sheer shock of it triggered a survival instinct to suppress my rage. I kept my face completely blank.

More importantly...

I wanted to know who the hell this guy was.

He slept with my wife, and now I was supposed to take the fall?

I had to listen to her nagging and complaining, and tomorrow I was expected to pay for her abortion?

They had their fun, and I was the one cleaning up the mess?

This was more pathetic than being a literal pushover.

This guy had some serious balls, incredible stealth, and apparently, a completely clear conscience.

If I didn't drag this bastard into the light to see who he was, I would never be able to live with myself.

"I’m so sorry, babe. It’s my fault. I promise I’ll be more careful in the future. I won't make you go through this again."

Holding back my raging fury, I apologized to her with the most sincere face I could muster.

Seeing her expression soften slightly, I quickly changed the subject. "But I really can't take time off for the next couple of days."

"The company just landed a massive account. The deadline is crazy tight. No one is allowed to take leave, and we all have to work overtime."

"If I go against management right now, I might lose my end-of-year bonus..."

This was a reason she couldn't argue with.

And I knew for a fact that she wouldn't go to the hospital alone tomorrow.

In all likelihood, she would call the actual bastard who was responsible for this mess to go with her...