The Wife They Tried To Break

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Chloe, your panties fell onto my balcony.

That night, my husband had just left on a business trip when someone knocked on my apartment door, and the words my male landlord said made me jolt.

Worse still, my husband had left in too much of a rush, and he had not shut the door properly.

The male landlord pushed open my door, holding my lace panties in his hand, his eyes staring straight at me.

Chloe, do you have a habit of changing clothes with the door open? the male landlord, Mark Landon, said teasingly.

I was changing clothes, and my shirt had been lifted to my chest, revealing a stretch of pale skin.

In my panic, I hurriedly pulled my shirt down and snapped in anger, Why didnt you knock?!

Your door wasnt closed, and I brought your panties up to you.

As he spoke, his eyes were still on me, as if he was sizing me up in a way that was barely there.

I glanced at those familiar panties and said with a cold face, Theyre not mine.

After saying that, I walked over, wanting to close the door.

But Mark stood there without leaving and instead smiled as he said, Youre the only woman in this building, so if theyre not yours, whose could they be?

Theyre just a pair of panties, so whats there to be shy about?

They really arent mine, and maybe they got blown over from someone in the next building. Seeing that he still wanted to keep pestering me, I grew wary and raised my phone. Or should I call my husband and let you ask him?

Hearing that, Mark began to laugh awkwardly. Then I must have made a mistake, sorry, Chloe.

My apartment was rented on the sixth floor, with one household on each floor.

Mark lived on the fifth floor, was in his thirties, looked decent enough, but for some reason still was not married.

He left while holding that pair of my panties, and when I saw him reach the stairwell, his hand seemed to flick slightly, as if he had thrown the panties out the hallway window, before he pulled out a tissue and wiped that hand very hard.

The next second, as if sensing something, he suddenly turned back.

My heart pounded, and I hurriedly stepped back, only poking my head out from the doorway and closing the door after I heard the paused footsteps sound again.

I called my husband and told him what had just happened, but I did not expect us to start arguing over it.

It started because my husband told me to stay in a hotel.

Its not like you dont know I cant sleep in unfamiliar beds, and I can easily stay awake the whole night.

Then is it safe for you to keep staying there?! His voice suddenly rose.

I froze, then immediately got angry too.

Isnt that your fault?

I really dont know why you insisted on bringing me here in the first place.

Its an old apartment building, and the environment isnt that great, and its not like we cant afford to rent a better place.

Ryan and I met through a blind date, and he was a senior fitness coach, handsome and polished, exactly my type, so we got engaged and married not long after we started dating.

We originally lived in the home he had bought for our marriage, but after less than half a month there, Ryan said the newly renovated place had high formaldehyde levels and that we should live somewhere else, so we moved here, with the reason being that it was close to both our workplaces and that there was a wetland park next door, making the air especially good.

That phone call ended on bad terms.

Early the next morning, my husband called me, apologized to me, then reminded me, If anything feels wrong today, you have to tell me.

Im applying with my manager to see if I can end the business trip early and come back to be with you.

My husbands attitude made me feel a little better, but I had bad luck and ran into Mark as soon as I went downstairs.

He ran a bathhouse on the first floor.

My husband liked going there very much.

I rarely went because the female cleaner Mark had hired for the womens bathhouse did not do a clean job, and I thought the hygiene was not up to standard.

Mark happened to come out from working in the bathhouse, and when he saw me, he greeted me warmly.

Chloe, heading to work?

Youre an accountant, so your salary probably isnt that high, right?

And you still go to work this early every day, that must be pretty rough.

Why was he personally attacking me now?

I was annoyed and said flatly, Ryan and I are planning to try for a baby, so no matter how much or little this job pays, I still have to earn money and save more.

In an instant, I saw Marks face darken.

Then he asked me, Chloe, Ryan is decent in every way, but he cant compare to me.

I collect rent from this whole building, and I have several storefronts elsewhere, so I can absolutely give you better material conditions.

How about being with me?

My mind buzzed, and I felt like he had gone insane.

Of course I did not agree to Marks words.

After I rejected him, his face darkened even more.

I felt terrified just looking at him.

At that moment, Mark changed his expression at lightning speed and smiled at me. Sorry, Chloe.

I lost a bet to Ethan Cole last night, and he made me do a task, which was to offer a money-based olive branch to the first woman I saw today.

Just treat it as a joke, and when Ryan comes back, Ill formally apologize to you both for this.

As he spoke, he picked up his phone, searched for a bit, then showed me the chat history.

I looked at him with my lips pressed tightly together.

It was not that this excuse was impossible to believe, but I just felt something was off.

The expression on Marks face gradually became awkward, and he laughed it off. How about this?

Ill waive this months rent for you and Ryan.

In this area, a months rent was several thousand dollars, and since he had already said that much, if I kept clinging to it, I would seem petty, so I did not say anything more.

Thinking that my husband had always paid the rent before, and remembering his reminder that morning, I wanted to call him, but just then, another call came in.

When I saw that it was my company manager, I quickly answered.

Because of that interruption, I did not remember to tell my husband about this until I got off work that night.

That night, our department had a dinner gathering, and I drank a little, then was driven home by a male coworker who was headed the same way.

There was also a female coworker in the car, but her home was farther than mine, so they dropped me off first.

After thanking the coworker who was driving and watching his car leave, I turned around to go upstairs, only to see a tall figure standing in the dim stairwell.

The other person was holding something in his hand and staring at me without moving.

I was startled and stepped back twice with a thud.

Only then did that person step out of the shadows.

Mrs. Hayes, your husband just went on a business trip, and youre already out drinking with another man?

Judging by his license plate, hes a local rich kid, isnt he?

No wonder.

My face instantly turned cold, and I wondered why every other person in this building seemed to be a psycho, when I had not noticed it while dealing with them before. Mr. Cole, what do you mean?

Ethan Cole was the person who had made the bet with Mark last night.

In a flash, a thought crossed my mind, that maybe the bet between these two men had been aimed at me from the start.

But that guess disappeared in an instant, because although I was the only woman in the apartment building, the cleaning lady from the bathhouse would come over in the morning, and there would also be female customers coming to shower.

Men always understand men and feel sorry for men.

Ethan smiled, but before I could lose my temper, he quickly apologized. If its a misunderstanding, then Im sorry, Mrs. Hayes.

Please dont take it to heart.

He had the kind of handsome, refined look that felt clean and polished, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses, dressed like a typical elite man in finance.

When he was not smiling, he seemed a little aggressive, with an arrogant air, but when he apologized, his demeanor softened very quickly, as if he had lowered himself completely.

I looked at him coldly, and when I thought of the bet he had proposed to Mark yesterday, I felt that deep down, this man was the kind of trash who looked down on women, so I stayed cautious and deliberately explained one sentence.

Hes my coworker, and hes allergic to alcohol, so he didnt drink at the department dinner, then he drove everyone home since it was on his way.

There was also a female coworker in the back seat, didnt you see her?

Then those glasses of yours really are useless, Mr. Cole.

Ethans expression stiffened, and then he touched his nose. Is that so?

Sorry, the lenses reflected the light at night, so I didnt notice that much.

I sneered inwardly, feeling more and more that the building Ryan had rented was full of monsters and freaks.

Yesterdays landlord was one.

This finance guy who lived on the fourth floor was another.

I heard he believed in staying single, which was great, because he had better not ruin any women.

When Ryan came back from his business trip, I would still have him change apartments.

I turned around and was about to go upstairs.

When I passed by Ryan, I smelled the scent of lily-of-the-valley on him, and my expression changed as my head swayed, and my body also became a little unsteady.

A hand immediately reached over from beside me and grabbed my arm.

You drank too much, so Ill take you upstairs.

Right after that, I heard a thud, which should have been the sound of him throwing the trash far into the outside trash can.

With him beside me, the dizziness became worse.

I hurriedly grabbed the railing beside me with my hand and forcefully shook off his hand.

Its not that I drank too much, its that Im allergic to the scent of lily-of-the-valley, and I get dizzy when I smell it.

Did you spray lily-of-the-valley cologne?

Although the last sentence was a question, I was very certain in my heart.

However, Ethan said, No.

I froze.

He gripped my arm hard, and his other hand even clasped my shoulder, trying to lead me upstairs.

Youre dizzy because you drank too much, so Ill help you home.

When he spoke, he seemed to be pressed against the side of my face, his warm breath falling on my cheek and behind my sensitive ear, far too intimate, but it made every hair on my body stand on end.

No need!

I rejected him in a panic and tried even harder to break free from him, my heart a total mess.

Ethans actions had clearly gone far beyond normal social distance, so what was he trying to do?

Did he want something from me?

But I did not think at all that he was attracted to my face or body.

Stop moving around, or youll fall.

After saying that, his grip on me became even tighter, and he practically half-embraced me as he brought me up the stairs, forcing most of my body to lean into his arms.

Chloe!

At the critical moment, a familiar shout came from behind me.

Ethans body paused.

But I felt as if I had seen a savior descend from heaven and hurriedly turned my head to look at the female coworker getting out of the car.

Anna!

What are you two doing? my female coworker asked with confusion on her face.

I took advantage of the moment Ethan turned back and loosened his grip in surprise, shoved him away, then held the wall and walked down two steps.

Only after I got farther away from him did my dizzy mind feel much clearer, and I also recovered a good amount of strength.

Hes my downstairs neighbor, and hes wearing cologne that smells like lily-of-the-valley.

I get dizzy when I smell it, and this kind neighbor thought I had drunk too much and wanted to take me upstairs.

I deliberately emphasized the words kind neighbor.

There was no way Ethan had not sensed my resistance just now, but he had still insisted on doing what he wanted, so now I was extremely wary of him.

Ethans expression remained normal. Sorry, I misunderstood.

So thats what happened. Anna hurried over to support me and said to me, Chloe, can I sleep at your place tonight?

I forgot my keys, so I cant get into my home, and its too late at this hour, so it doesnt feel right to knock and wake my parents.

That was exactly what I wanted.

Chloe, that neighbor of yours is so handsome, is he married? After we entered my apartment, Anna asked me curiously.

My eyelids twitched, and afraid she would fall for a piece of trash like Ethan, I hurriedly told her about what had happened that morning and just now.

Annas eyes widened. Hes actually that kind of person?!

You really can know someones face but not their heart.

How about I stay with you for the few days your husband is away on business?

Of course I agreed, because right now, I was truly afraid of living here alone.

However, the next day, I saw Ethan again.

My manager arranged for me to deliver materials to a major clients company, and I never expected that the client manager I would be dealing with was Ethan.

Chloe?

What a coincidence.

When he saw me, he also looked somewhat surprised, and the eyes behind his lenses carried a bit of a smile, then he stood up and greeted me. Sit.

He poured two cups of coffee and brought them over, and out of politeness, I reached out to take one, but I did not expect the coffee cup to suddenly shake, and the splashed coffee burned me so much that I instinctively let go.

Careful!

Ethan pushed me away, and one cup of coffee smashed onto the floor, while the other cup of coffee, under the force of inertia, spilled onto him.

He hissed from the burn.

I was also frightened and hurriedly took a tissue to hand to him, but he grabbed my wrist.

As an apology, would you do me a favor, Mrs. Hayes?

At night, the lobby of the five-star hotel was brightly lit, and guests in elegant clothes came and went.

I wore a fitted black bodycon dress, and at Ethans request, I lightly held his arm as he led me into the banquet hall.

Ethan wanted me to be his date for tonights business banquet.

I originally did not agree, but he said one thing to me.

Chloe, do you want to know your husbands secret?

My husband Ryans secret?

I instinctively wanted to say, What secret could he possibly have?

But in the instant before the words left my mouth, I thought of my husbands faint abnormality on the phone.

Then, as if possessed, I agreed.

As a married woman, does attending a banquet as my date now feel like the thrill of cheating?

Ethans mocking, faintly scornful voice sounded beside my ear.

I suddenly turned my head to look at him.

This man was not even pretending anymore, and he had completely revealed his polished scumbag side.

Do you have some kind of prejudice against me?

I finally sensed this.

Ethan did not answer and instead asked me, You didnt tell your husband you were coming as my date, did you?

Tsk, your relationship as husband and wife isnt that great either, huh?

With just one sentence from me, you started suspecting him and ran after me.

I pressed my lips together and was just about to speak, but Ethan had already started greeting the person walking toward us.

Mr. Wilson.

The middle-aged man opposite us glanced at me and asked with a smile, And this is?

Ethan glanced at me, and an unreadable smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

I immediately had a bad feeling.

My neighbors wife.

Her husband is on a business trip, and she insisted on coming with me to broaden her horizons.

Mr. Wilson froze, then looked me over with an interested gaze.

After my great shock, I shook off Ethans arm.

Werent you the one who asked me to come as your date?

Mr. Wilson looked between the two of us, then finally laughed it off and said, Hahaha, excuse me.

I thought Ethans nastiness should have stopped there.

But it did not, and when he said that line to the guests at the banquet for the second time, I slapped him.

Smack!

What rumors are you making up?!

The surroundings fell silent, and everyone looked over.

There was a slap mark on Ethans face, but he wore the expression of someone watching a ridiculous clown.

Chloe, youre finished.

He turned his body slightly, blocked the others line of sight, and said to me in a low voice.

His eyes at that moment were as cold as a snakes and steeped in poison.

I shuddered all over, suddenly realizing that tonights banquet had been a setup from beginning to end.

Ethan had never intended to tell me my husbands so-called secret at all, and his purpose was to toy with me and humiliate me like this.

Also, I felt that he had another purpose.

That premonition was proven the very next day.

I made the local TikTok trending list.

#LonelyMarriedWomanAtHomeBrazenlyHooksUpWithNeighbor#

After Anna reminded me, I tapped into the trending topic and saw an edited video of me getting out of Ethans car and walking into the hotel while holding Ethans arm.

Some misleading camera angles made Ethan and me look extremely intimate, and my chest was almost pressed against his arm.

The caption read: Guys, I went to a banquet today and ran into something interesting.

This married woman was so slutty.

While her husband was away on business, she shamelessly forced herself onto her neighbor, making him take her to the banquet to catch a rich guy, and who knows what dirt she has on the neighbor.

But the neighbor didnt give her any face either, and he told everyone at the banquet that this woman has a husband, hahaha.

In the end, this woman even slapped the neighbor out of embarrassment and anger, and the neighbor was honestly so miserable.

I trembled with anger, and when I tapped into the comments, my vision went dark even more.

Women Cant Be Spoiled: [Shes this slutty, so she must have sold herself behind her husbands back plenty of times, right?]

[I wonder how much she charges each time, and if any brothers know her, give me her contact info, because playing with this kind of bitch must be exciting.]

Eastside Hardware Mike: [Hey, Ive seen this woman before.]

[Couldnt tell at all, because she usually looks so innocent, but deep down shes actually this wild?]

[Ill ask around for her contact info and teach this woman a lesson!]

Men Crying Isnt A Crime: [Chloe Hayes seems to work around the Financial District now, so DM me, guys, and Ill give you her contact info.]

That comment had been posted just five minutes ago.

I turned pale with shock and hurriedly opened Snapchat, wanting to block every searchable add method.

However, I was still one step too late, and the ding-dong, ding-dong sounds rang out one after another.

I tapped into the list and saw countless filthy messages appear before my eyes.

Eat My Dick: Slut, how much for one time?

Abs Man: How can you be this slutty and still face your husband? I hope you get hit by a car tomorrow!

Alone For Life: Bitch! Cheating bitches all deserve to die!

Doing Justice: Just you wait! Once I find your address, Ill rape you!

Before I finished reading the messages, my phone suddenly rang, like a death notice.

With trembling hands, I tried to hang up, but I failed, and instead my hand slipped and answered it.

A rough, hoarse male voice sounded. Stinking whore! A woman like you deserves to be gang-raped!

I immediately hung up, then dialed a number.