After Seeing My Girlfriend's Cheating Red Thread, I Canceled the Wedding

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1.

After I slept with my girlfriend, I noticed a red thread hanging over my head, tied to the top of hers.

But there were two threads over her head. The other one connected to her childhood sweetheart.

At a dinner one night, I overheard the two of them talking.

Mary Pruitt, I've got to go overseas soon to build up the business. I won't be able to look after you or the baby, so I'll have to let him be the fall guy for now. I know it's hard on you.

"I'll make it up to you twice over when I get back."

"Kerry, for our future, it's no hardship at all."

"Besides, he already agreed to add my name to all the property deeds."

"When the time comes, I'll find an excuse to divorce him and walk away with half of everything. Then you won't have to work so hard, and the three of us can be together forever."

I listened with cold eyes.

In my last life, I found the red thread and exposed the affair between my girlfriend and her childhood sweetheart.

She cried her eyes out and begged me to forgive her, just once, for the baby's sake.

I gave in.

And then she and Kerry Henson pushed me off a building when I wasn't looking, forged a marriage certificate, and seized everything I owned.

This time, I won't go soft again.

1.

The two of them were still talking.

There was something vicious in Kerry's voice.

"Mary, you're so good to me. But every time I think about him touching you, I want to kill him."

"For our future, I'll swallow it this once."

"Once that piece of trash's assets are in our hands, I'll arrange an accident and make him disappear."

Mary's voice turned disgusted.

"For now we still need to keep him calm."

"Don't worry. I promise I won't let him touch me. I belong only to you."

Hearing that, something in me went cold.

Now it finally made sense.

Mary had always refused to let me touch her.

Then last night she suddenly came to me on her own and seduced me.

She hadn't had a change of heart. She wanted me to believe the baby in her belly was mine.

I forced myself calm, saved the recording, and went back to the table.

Seeing me return, the two of them exchanged a glance.

Mary gave me an affectionate smile.

"Ervin Dickerson, the wedding's less than a month away now. How are the preparations coming along?"

I looked at her.

The expression on her face was so genuine. If I hadn't been through this once already, I'd still be completely in the dark right now.

Anger surged through me, but I kept my voice even.

"Almost everything's ready. You'll love it."

Kerry's lips curved, and he raised his glass to me.

"Ervin, Mary and I grew up together. I've always thought of her like a little sister. Once she marries you, you'd better take good care of her."

I didn't let anything show.

"Of course."

He smiled, something shadowed in his eyes, tipped his head back, and drained his glass in one go.

"Good. Then let me offer you both an early toast. Long life together, and a child soon."

I drank with him and glanced at Mary's belly.

Then I lowered my head.

I knocked their tangled legs apart under the table.

Then I looked up, at the space above their heads.

The red thread joining them had grown even brighter.

I gave a cold smile.

Since they wanted to take everything I owned.

Then I'd turn their own plot against them.

Watching the two of them laugh and chat, I spoke slowly.

"You two go ahead and eat. I've got to work late tonight, so I won't be coming home."

Then I stood.

I walked to the register and paid.

As I passed the two of them, I gave Kerry a slight smile.

"I've settled the bill. Take your time."

Kerry's lips curved, and he smiled back.

"Take care, Ervin. I won't see you out."

Outside the hotel, I let the smile drop from my face.

Then I hailed a cab and left.

2.

I went straight to the company dormitory.

A coworker who lived there saw me and ribbed me.

"Ervin, why aren't you with that pretty girlfriend of yours? What are you doing here? I heard you two are getting married soon."

I smiled a little.

"Work's not done. Came back to put in some overtime."

"Real workaholic."

He gave up and wandered off.

I said nothing more and stepped into my room.

Closed the door.

Then I pulled up the home security feed.

After the engagement, I'd moved Mary into the wedding home I'd set up for us.

Sure enough, before long, Mary and Kerry walked into the room.

Then the two of them couldn't wait, wrapping around each other and kissing hard.

Half their clothes were off, one step short of setting the whole thing on fire.

But then Mary made a coy little noise of protest and pushed him off.

"Look how impatient you are. Careful of the baby."

Kerry gave her a rough pinch and got up, still not satisfied.

"Not being able to touch you is killing me."

"Once the baby's born, you're going to make it up to me."

Mary slowly pulled her clothes back on and poked him in the chest.

"I'm yours. However you want me to make it up to you, I will."

At that, Kerry grabbed her and held her again.

They tangled together a while longer before they finally broke apart.

Kerry lit a cigarette, looked around the room, and sneered.

"Heh. That loser Ervin's got some luck, living in a place this nice."

Mary burrowed into his arms.

"Kerry, all of it's going to be ours soon."

Watching this.

My eyes went cold.

After a moment I saved the footage and slowly closed my phone.

Then I headed home.

I threw the door open and caught the two of them leaning into each other.

Mary shoved Kerry away on instinct.

"Ervin, you... why are you back?"

Kerry let out a dry laugh.

"Ervin, didn't you say you had overtime..."

I gave a cold laugh.

"Overtime's done. Can't I come home?"

"What about you two? What were you just doing?"

Mary looked a little guilty.

"What could Kerry and I be doing? He just dropped me off. I only asked him to sit down for a bit."

I smiled coldly.

"Somehow I doubt it was as simple as sitting for a bit."

She flared up at once.

"Ervin, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"Kerry and I grew up together. If there were ever going to be anything, it wouldn't be your place to say!"

Kerry chimed in from the side.

"Ervin, Mary nearly tripped just now. I only steadied her, don't read into it."

"I've brought her home now, so I'll be going."

With that, he headed for the door.

Mary shot me a vicious glare and hurried out after him.

"We'll settle this later!"

They left.

Years ago, my parents bought some property back in our hometown.

Later it was slated for redevelopment, and our family was allotted a good number of units.

My parents didn't like managing it, so they handed it all to me.

At first, Mary had no idea about my family's situation.

I chased her for three years without ever letting up.

Whenever she needed me, at any hour, I'd be at her side in an instant.

Whatever she wanted, I'd find a way to buy it for her.

She was never satisfied. She even made a fool of me in front of her friends once.

Only later did it dawn on me that she just kept me around like a lapdog at her heel.

I was about to give up when she suddenly agreed to be with me.

Looking back, that was right around the time she stumbled onto the fact that I held several properties in my name.

After that came the tenderness, then the talk of marriage.

And finally, getting her name added to the property deeds.

Only once I'd sobered up did I see it.

From the very start, she'd probably been after something.

Before long, Mary came back.

The red thread over her head was so thick it stung to look at.

And the one tied to me, by comparison, had faded almost to nothing.

3.

She didn't get angry.

If anything, she pouted at me.

"Ervin, I think of Kerry as a brother. The way you just acted was really out of line."

"But I already smoothed it over for you. He said he won't hold it against you."

Seeing my face stay dark,

she came over and looped her arms around mine.

"I'm not even mad anymore. Don't tell me you still are?"

Reminding myself it wasn't the moment to turn on them, I pushed the feeling down and let a smile surface.

"No. I was just thinking about the wedding."

The word wedding made her eyes light up.

"Ervin, you said once we're married you'd add my name to the property deeds. You weren't lying to me, were you?"

I said mildly,

"Of course not."

She hugged my arm.

"Then... since it's going to happen sooner or later, why don't we go take care of it in the next day or two?"

My head snapped toward her, my eyes cold.

The look startled her.

I gave a faint smile.

"No rush. We still have the wedding to think about these next couple of days."

"I said I'd add your name after we're married, and I will."

She smiled along with that and went off to the bathroom, saying she was going to shower.

In the days that followed, I stayed busy.

Maybe afraid I'd catch on to something, Mary didn't keep so close to Kerry either.

Three weeks later, the wedding drew near.

When it was time to go for the suit fitting, my girlfriend suddenly spoke up.

"Ervin, you've been swamped with work lately, so I already did my gown fitting. Kerry's build is about the same as yours, so I had him try on your suit for you too."

The words had barely left her when Kerry, smiling, tapped the suit he was wearing.

"Ervin, new clothes are stiff and uncomfortable at first, so I broke it in for you for a couple of days."

"It'll fit you perfectly when you put it on."

I looked at the green suit on him.

There was a mocking edge to his smile, as if he were making a joke at my expense.

"Take it off."

My voice came out cold.

The two of them froze.

Mary frowned.

Kerry, though, gave a slight smile.

"This is Ervin's wedding suit, after all. I shouldn't be the one wearing it."

As he said it, he stripped it off then and there and handed it to me.

"Ervin, I was only helping you try it out. Don't take it the wrong way."

But the next second, I dropped the suit straight into the trash.

Fruit peels smeared it on the spot.

Mary flared up instantly.

"Ervin, what is wrong with you!"

I stared at her.

"I don't wear clothes other people have worn."

Her whole face was furious.

"If you don't like it, I can get you another one. Why throw it away!"

"You've just wasted all of Kerry's good intentions."

My face stayed cold.

"If you like seeing him in it so much, then marry him."

At that, Kerry jumped in to smooth things over.

"Ervin, don't be angry. Mary only wanted to make things easier for you."

"And she's carrying your child right now. Don't let anything I did upset her and put the baby at risk."

4.

I feigned ignorance and let my eyes go wide as I looked at Mary.

Her cheeks colored, her voice shy.

"Ervin, I was going to save this news until after the wedding."

"When did you find out?"

She thought about it.

"The doctor said from the size it looks like four weeks. It's probably just growing fast."

Inside, I smiled coldly.

From the messages she'd traded with Kerry, it was clearly closer to two months.

I grabbed her hand at once.

"Come on. Let's get you a checkup at the hospital."

She still had more to say, but I hauled her into the car before she could argue.

Kerry tried to climb in too, but I just locked the doors.

At the hospital, Mary spoke up.

"The doctor said to come back at two months. Isn't it a little early right now?"

I shook my head.

"Not too early. A friend of mine told me miscarriages happen easily right after you first find out. You need more checks in the first three months."

Then I walked her into the prenatal department.

While she stepped out to take a phone call, I slipped the doctor an envelope.

"Do an amniocentesis. I want a DNA comparison."

"But the baby's only four weeks"

"It's almost two months. The test will work."

I handed the doctor a few strands of my hair, along with Kerry's.

Once he understood, he gave me a nod.

Then he took Mary into the exam room.

She'd never had an amniocentesis before, so she thought it was just a routine checkup.

When she came out, she even messaged Kerry.

"He bought it. He keeps asking how the baby's doing."

"He still has no clue the baby isn't even his."

"I'm dying laughing."

After that, Mary pestered me into posting about the pregnancy on my social feed.

The congratulations came pouring in from friends.

And Mary told her family the news too.

A week later, the wedding went ahead as scheduled.

Mary and I walked up onto the stage.

As we walked, she asked me again.

"Ervin, you promised me. Once we're married, you'd add my name to all the property deeds. Don't forget."

"I won't."

Kerry stood below the stage, a mocking smile on his face, his eyes full of hunger for my money.

Just then the host handed me the microphone and asked me to tell everyone the story of Mary and me.

I took the microphone, swept my gaze over the crowd, and slowly began.

"I'd like to announce that the wedding is off."