Chapter 1

The moment we decided to try for a baby, my husband suggested we split the labor pain 50/50.

He held my hand, looking deeply into my eyes, and said, "Vivian, bringing a child into this world isn't just your job. I want to share the pain with you. Let’s welcome our baby together."

I was incredibly moved. Especially after hearing that men have a much lower pain tolerance than women, I was eternally grateful to Julian for proposing the Pain-Share Link.

Because I was constantly worried about the potential side effects the pain might leave on him, I spent the next twenty-some years pampering him. I couldn't bear to see him do any hard labor. By the time I turned fifty, I looked so exhausted and haggard that people thought I was from a generation older than him.

Years later, I accidentally overheard him giving a lecture to our son, Ethan, who was about to get married.

"All it takes is a little emotional manipulation, and women will be wrapped around your finger. Why worry about not being able to control them?"

"Back then, I just told your mother I wanted to split her labor pain 50/50, and she worshiped the ground I walked on. Then, while she was giving birth, I secretly dialed her pain level up to double, making her think I was absorbing a massive amount of it. She felt so guilty and sorry for me that she pampered me for the rest of her life."

I turned around and walked away.

Later, when Julian was kneeling on the bed, crying in agony and begging me to share his pain, I agreed without hesitation.

Only this time, whether it was a blessing or a curse was no longer up to him.

Our son, Ethan, was getting married, but he refused to let me join the toast on stage.

"Mom, if you sit next to Dad, people are going to think I don’t have a mother. You look so old. I only want Dad and Grandma on stage for the toast."

Julian immediately snapped, "Ethan! How dare you talk to your mother like that? Where are your manners?!"

Ethan lowered his head but still muttered grumpily, "It’s true, though. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. With Mom looking like that, it’s embarrassing for me..."

"You still have the nerve to talk back?!"

Julian got even angrier, standing up as if he was about to hit him.

I quickly stopped him.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't heartbroken.

But if my stubbornness was going to make my son unhappy on his big day, I was willing to step back.

"Forget it. I’ll just go up for the speech. I won't make a big deal out of it. Those who know I'm Ethan's mother don't need an explanation, and those who don't can just think of it as a misunderstanding."

"But that’s so unfair to you," Julian said, looking deeply concerned.

I cupped Julian's face to soothe him. "I don't feel wronged. After all, don't I still have you speaking up for me?"

Compared to our son, Julian was the one who would spend the rest of his life with me.

Even if my son and I had friction, didn't I still have a husband who stood firmly by my side?

Thinking of this, I felt a bit comforted.

"Ethan is an adult now. He has his pride. Don't yell at him or hit him over such minor things."

I stepped out of the room, leaving the father and son some space to talk.

But then I realized I had left something behind, so I turned back.

Inside the room, the father and son were laughing together.

I thought it was a heartwarming scene and was about to push the door open when I heard Ethan say, "Dad, your acting is insane. I finally get what you mean by 'emotional manipulation' now."

Julian nodded with satisfaction. "Now you understand why I wanted to give you a lesson on marriage before your wedding, right?"

"Women are emotional creatures. If you want to control them, you only need to invest a tiny bit of emotional effort."

"Take just now, for example. You made an unreasonable demand. All I had to do was pretend to defend your mother. Not only did she not blame you, but she was also so touched by how much I 'cared' about her that she willingly stepped down and agreed to skip the toast."

"And that’s just a minor trick. Years ago, when I proposed to split her labor pain, she was so grateful she practically cried. During delivery, she even insisted on bearing all the pain herself, saying my gesture alone was enough. I rejected her offer with a firm face, which earned me a massive amount of husband points. Then, I secretly doubled her labor pain, making her believe I had sacrificed so much for her. She lived with that guilt for decades, which is why my married life has been so easy."

"Chloe is pregnant, and you guys are having a shotgun wedding. We didn't cut down on the engagement gift fund; instead, we doubled it. And now you've actively offered to split her labor pain. She’s already head over heels for you. Once the baby is born, won't that money just flow right back into your own pockets anyway?"

Ethan clapped and laughed. "Dad, you're a genius!"

My hand froze on the doorknob. Peeking through the crack of the door at their hideous, scheming faces, my entire body went cold.

My hands, ruined and calloused from decades of harsh cleaning chemicals, seemed to mock my dedication to this marriage.

Without warning, tears streamed down my face.

And along with my tears, a humiliating wetness leaked between my thighs.