On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the head physician of the proctology department sent a message in the hospital group chat.
[Just as I was about to leave work, the sky fell.]
Accompanying this was an X-ray image showing a shadow in a patient's colorectal imaging.
I replied jokingly, [Congratulations, Director! Looks like you've earned some overtime.]
Before long, he messaged me privately.
[Kyle, it seems the patient's family member knows your wife.]
I opened the photo he sent and saw a woman who was none other than my wife, Sophie, whom I had shared my life with for five years. Beside her was her male personal trainer, Ethan.
My world came crashing down.
——
I quickly changed out of my scrubs and locked the consultation room door, striding towards the proctology department.
Sophie had met Ethan three months ago at the gym while trying to lose weight; she had bought a two-thousand-dollars package of his classes and had become familiar with him over time.
Our relationship had always been good, and I never suspected anything between them.
But today, she was supposed to be working late.
Could it be...?
I fought to suppress my emotions; perhaps it was just a misunderstanding.
The proctology department was quite far from my dental department, separated by another building. Just as I rounded a corner, I heard Sophie's furious voice.
"What more tests? What are we waiting for? He's in so much pain!"
"I've already signed everything; why hasn't the surgery been scheduled? If anything happens to my husband, I'll bankrupt you all just to sue!"
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks—my husband?
An unsettling feeling spread through my mind as I quickened my pace.
A nurse standing nearby spotted me and rushed over as if I were her savior.
"Kyle! We need to do routine HIV tests before surgery, but the family won't wait. They've been causing a scene!"
She pointed to the consent form in her hand, which clearly stated "Wife: Sophie."
Intuition screamed that Sophie was cheating on me.
My mind went blank for an instant; I could hear nothing but the chaos around me.
Images of Sophie tangled up with Ethan flooded my thoughts, and I felt nauseous.
I rushed up to grab Sophie's arm and demanded, "What did you just call him? Husband? And who am I?"
Sophie flinched at my outburst, her anger dissipating as her expression froze in shock, unable to meet my gaze.
"W-What are you doing here? Didn't you go home?"
"Didn't you say you were working late and wouldn't be back for dinner?" Had she lied so much that she forgot her own story?
Sophie had been having stomach issues lately; I'd been preparing nourishing meals for her every day after work.
Today she claimed she would handle dinner herself, which is why I stayed longer at the hospital.
If I hadn't been here... would I have remained oblivious to my wife's infidelity?
Whispers filled the air as nurses exchanged glances.
"Is this really Kyle's wife? She looks familiar..."
"Is this really cheating? So blatant..."
Sophie had never visited me at work; no one knew her except for a few who had seen her photo on my phone's lock screen.
Her face turned pale as she snapped back at me, "Stop making wild accusations! You don't know anything!"
But didn't I know? What exactly was her relationship with Ethan? I advanced toward her with a cold stare. Suddenly, Ethan on the stretcher pulled at my shirt weakly, his voice barely audible.
"Kyle, don't be mad at her; we really don't have anything..."
Oh please! Even now he wanted to play the hero?
I shrugged off his grip just as he began coughing violently, his face turning purple.
With a loud thud, blood gushed from his lower body as he collapsed unconscious.
The nurses hurriedly wheeled him toward the operating room while Sophie shot me a furious glare and shouted over her shoulder, "Are you happy now? If something happens to Ethan, you're responsible!"
She followed the nurses without offering any explanation.
In that vast hospital corridor, I was left standing alone.
Chapter 2I raced home, floored the gas pedal, and drowned my sorrows with a bottle of liquor.
No matter the truth, I at least needed to confront them face-to-face. That's what I told myself.
At 3 AM, the doorknob rattled - Sophie was back.
With her was Ethan.
Ethan looked deathly pale, wincing with every step. Sophie helped him into the guest room.
After getting him settled, she finally noticed me sitting silently on the couch, watching them.
"You're still up?" Sophie started fidgeting, cleaning the coffee table - a clear sign of discomfort.
"The hospital had no spare beds, so Ethan's staying with us for now. You're a doctor, so it'll be easier for you to look after him."
Did I hear that right? She wanted me to care for the man my wife was entangled with?
Sophie picked up knick-knacks, dusting them one by one. She never did housework.
Of course, when you're guilty, you pretend to be busy.
I scoffed. "So what happened today? Care to explain?"
"Ethan and his girlfriend were fooling around at the gym. She got spooked and left, so I took him to the hospital."
"Then why did you call him 'husband' and sign as his wife?"
Sophie's face darkened, her tone dripping with irritation.
"Don't you know? Without a close family member's signature, they can't operate on him."
I sneered.
Ethan was conscious and it wasn't a high-risk surgery - he could've signed himself. This excuse was flimsy at best.
Sophie must have seen the fury in my eyes, because she looked like she was ready to kill.
To say there’s nothing between them would be foolish.
"You think I'm an idiot? You two have been together all along, haven't you? Before or after the personal training sessions?"
Sophie paused, then suddenly started smashing everything on the coffee table.
"It's been a day and you still can't let it go? I've had a tiring day, and now I have to deal with you too!"
"I don't even know what to explain! How could I do something so twisted? Ridiculous!"
I couldn't believe how impatient she was being.
"I, as your husband, don't even have the right to ask?" I retorted.
She snapped back, "Ask, ask, what's there to ask? He and I are just friends, believe it or not!"
"Your mind is filthy, seeing filth everywhere!"
She stormed into the kitchen, deflecting the blame onto me.
If I kept pressing, I'd be unreasonable.
If I kept doubting, I'd be untrusting.
She was in the wrong, yet I was the bad guy now.
I flipped the coffee table, the loud crash echoing through the room. I wanted her to know this wasn't over!
The kitchen was enclosed, so I couldn't see what Sophie was doing.
But the guest room door was ajar - Ethan was in there.
My anger boiled over. I rolled up my sleeves, ready to give him a good beating.
As I stood up, Sophie emerged from the kitchen.
She handed me a glass of milk, gently guiding me to sit on the bed. It was like she was a different person.
"There, there, I was wrong just now, a bit too harsh."
"I've just been so stressed lately, hormonal imbalance, unstable emotions."
"I saw you had a drink, so have some milk and rest. Otherwise, you'll have a headache tomorrow."
Although she still hadn't directly addressed what happened earlier, her change in attitude gave me some comfort. My anger dissipated.
I still loved Sophie and wanted to make things work.
"Honey, I'm so sleepy, drink up and let's sleep."
Sophie cuddled up next to me, clinging to my arm like before.
I laughed at myself, realizing how foolish my earlier impulse was. If I had rushed to beat up Ethan, it might have been impossible to smooth things over.
I gulped down the milk in two swigs, eager to burrow under the covers and pour my heart out to Sophie.
I wanted to tell her everything I said and did was because I loved her so much.
But as I set down the glass, I noticed a yellow powder residue at the bottom.
I recognized it instantly - it was the sleeping pills I had brought home a few days ago.
I took them often for my insomnia, and Sophie knew that.
If she wanted me to sleep well, she could have just given them to me openly.
But with Ethan next door, was she planning to sneak off to be with him while I slept? I couldn't help but overthink.
So I decided to play along.
I pretended to go to the bathroom, then discreetly vomited the milk back up.
Afterwards, I "groggily" lay back down, "falling asleep" within minutes.
About half an hour later, Sophie stirred.
She repeatedly checked my face to ensure I wouldn't suddenly wake up, then relaxed.
"He finally fell asleep, but I was dying to hold it in!"
I peeked through half-closed eyes as she changed into a lacy negligee and opened the guest room door.