My Husband Begged Me to Cheat on Him

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Seven years into our marriage, I caught Alaric cheating three times.

The first time, he knelt in the pouring rain, begging for my forgiveness.

The second time, he roped my parents into a dramatic scene, trying to stop me from divorcing him.

The third time, he just gave up, a dismissive smile playing on his lips. "Go find your own fun, then. Happy now?"

Happy, absolutely thrilled.

It wasn't until I actually tried it that I finally understood him. The taste of youth and freshness was truly intoxicating.

But then, Alaric regretted it.

My twenty-ninth birthday. The spacious house felt empty, just me. Alaric, whod promised to rush back and celebrate with me, sent a text two minutes ago:

Got held up, cant make it. Will make it up to you tomorrow.

Almost immediately, his secretary, Bethany, posted something on her social media feed, clearly meant for my eyes.

A luxury hotel, hundreds of floors up, overlooking the entire city. In the bathtub by the floor-to-ceiling window, two hands, slick with foamy suds, were intertwined. The intimate scene spoke volumes.

The faint mark where his wedding band used to be hadnt quite faded. I recognized Alarics hand instantly. The pathetic irony was, I felt nothing. This wasn't his first time, after all.

The post vanished quickly. Bethany added another update:

Oops, posted the wrong thing. Boss is going to kill me!

I switched off my phone. My heart was numb, but my body felt chillingly cold, urging me to find some warmth.

I drove to my parents house.

Standing at their front door, I raised my hand to knock, but it felt tethered by an invisible rope, unable to move. So I stood there for a few minutes, rooted to the spot.

Inside, I heard hushed voices. My younger brother, Finn.

"Mom, Dad, isn't it Willows birthday today?"

My mother paused, thinking. "Tomorrow's your birthday, so oh, yes, today must be hers."

"Should we call her?"

She scoffed. "Call her for what? We'll just celebrate hers with yours tomorrow. We always do it that way, shes used to it."

My father chimed in. "Alarics probably with her."

My mothers voice suddenly sharpened. "With her for what? Alaric's on a business trip, I bet its just an excuse not to come home to her. She always has that long face, like someone owes her a million bucks. Whose fault is it if she cant keep a mans heart? Besides, Alaric is a big shot now. What big shot doesn't fool around? Shes making a big deal out of nothing. He hasn't abandoned his devoted wife, he promised she'd always be the lady of the house, thats more than enough. Just turn a blind eye, can't she? All her bickering with Alaric, who can stand it?"

My father and brother mumbled their agreement, then the topic shifted, and the family started laughing and chatting again.

Only I grew colder, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Two years ago, when I first caught Alaric cheating, I felt like I'd fallen into an icy abyss. I uttered just two words: "I want a divorce."

When you truly love someone, you can't tolerate even a speck of dust in your eye. It didn't matter that he knelt in the rain all night, or that he claimed he'd been drugged, set up. I cried all night, but I still couldn't bring myself to forgive him.

My mother slapped me hard. She pointed a finger at me, yelling, "You insisted on marrying him, and now you want to just divorce him? Do you want our whole family to be shamed because of you?"

Seeing my disbelief, she softened her tone, trying to coax me. "Alaric was set up by a scheming woman. Give him another chance, its enough."

For a month, Alaric came every day, apologizing and begging for reconciliation. I finally gave in, conceding.

But I couldn't share a bed with him anymore. I just couldnt get past it.

Alaric saw me, thin as a rail, a walking ghost in such a short time, and wept, heartbroken. He wrote me a promise letter, reported his itinerary daily, and took care of me meticulously.

Yet, less than six months later, I caught him cheating with his secretary. He said he was drunk, mistook her for me. I simply watched him, silently, until he, in a fit of anger, slammed the door and left.

Alaric didnt beg for my forgiveness this time. He told my parents quite frankly, knowing they would fight his battles for him. My mother accused me of giving him the cold shoulder for six months, which drove him to seek an outlet elsewhere. My father threatened to disown me if I divorced. My brother, whose company Alaric had funded, told me not to be childish, to think about the family.

They made a scene at home, then at my office, until they ran out of options to pressure me. My mother even drank some cleaner and ended up in the emergency room for a stomach pump. She cried, snot and tears streaming down her face.

"Willow Greene, if you still recognize me as your mother, don't mention divorce. Our family relies on this son-in-law! Everyone knows I have a golden goose. If you divorce him, how will people mock our family? You can't be so selfish!"

Alarics friends, who used to respectfully call me "the wife," now mockingly advised me. "Come on, Willow, a man at Alarics level, who doesnt have a few 'confidantes' on the side?"

"You just need to be a wealthy lady at home, spending money. No one can ever supersede you. Honestly, he's been very good to you."

"Even if its not for yourself, think about your financially dependent family, right?"

Alaric didn't have to say anything; he'd already made his point.

I compromised again.

This time, my relationship with Alaric plummeted to rock bottom. I treated him like air. After a few failed attempts to engage me, he started coming home later and later. I dont know how I got through that period. My mind felt clouded, as if I was living behind a glass pane, unable to perceive anything.

Alarics third affair. He brought his secretary home. Right there, on the living room sofa, they'd just finished. His collar was still unbuttoned, revealing fresh, crimson hickeys.

"Why won't you divorce me?" I asked him.

He lit a cigarette, his features softened by the haze, and sighed with a weary helplessness. "Willow, we're at this age, don't be so naive. Even if I agree to a divorce, your parents won't. I'm doing this for your own good."

"They say the first thing a blind man does when he regains his sight is discard his cane. I haven't. Even if I don't need it, I'll keep it safe. So you can continue to be my wealthy wife. We may not have love, but we have family ties."

I actually laughed. "So you finally admit you don't love me?"

Alaric looked at me for a long time, his thin lips curving into a playful smirk. "Yes, I have to admit, even the strongest feelings fade with time. Now, when I see your tears, I feel nothing. Just annoyance."

What stage comes after utter despair? I had no idea.

After leaving that place I once called home, I encountered a drunk man trying to grope me. He chuckled, staggering closer. "Hey there, beautiful, where are you off to? Let old Mike give you a ride."

He reached out to grab me. My unfocused gaze settled on him, and a raw, uncontrollable urge for destruction welled up inside me.

Die. Just die. All of you, just die! Whats the point of living? Lets all just not live!

In his terrified eyes, I smiled and pulled out a fruit knife. For a while, Id felt a strong sense of dread about everything around me, always fearing someone would harm me, so carrying a defensive tool gave me a sliver of safety.

"What the hell! Are you crazy? What kind of lunatic are you?!"

His eyes instantly cleared, and he bolted. I chased him frantically, hurling the most vicious insults I could muster. My heels broke, so I ran barefoot. I chased him until my feet were raw and bleeding, until he vanished from sight.

I smashed my phone, everything I could smash. It wasn't enough. Still not enough! I desperately wanted to release the destructive fury churning in my chest. Lets all just go down together, everyone just die! Adrenaline surged, propelling my limbs aimlessly. I don't know how long I walked until I heard the sound of the ocean waves.

I sat on the rocks all night, until the sun peeked over the horizon. When calm finally settled, I thought for a long time. My husband was no longer my lover. My family was no longer my family. I had nothing left.

Everything most important in my life had crumbled, and yet, a strange sense of peace bloomed within me. No expectations, no hope, no anchor. What corresponded to that?

Absolute freedom.

So what if the sky fell? Could it get any worse than this? If you cant beat them, join them. If youre seen as an outcast, blend in.

I felt like I heard my soul shattering, replaced by a lightness in my body. The dazzling sunrise bathed me. I clearly sensed something breaking and reforming within me, all emotions peeling away.

Everything became irrelevant.

When I opened the front door, Alaric and Bethany were flirting on the living room sofa. The housekeeper, who had pushed me inside, looked a bit awkward.

"Sir, Madam is back."

Alaric glanced over, a nonchalant flick of his eyes, then froze. "What happened to your leg?"

My voice was calm. "My heels broke, and I got cut by glass."

Bethany whined, "Oh, Willow, Im not saying anything, but you're a grown woman. Pulling a vanishing act like that, you had the boss worried sick all night, he didn't even get any sleep." She cast a syrupy glance at Alaric, her words loaded with innuendo.

Alaric said nothing, giving her a slightly warning glance, yet not without a hint of indulgence. Bethany playfully stuck out her tongue.

I smiled. "That's why, you know, these heels are such poor quality. They made me fall, and my phone broke too. Clearly, I need to invest in better brands. So, would you mind getting me the latest Spring/Summer limited editions from those big labels? Moneys no object, my husband has plenty."

Bethany's face immediately fell. She tugged at Alaric's sleeve. But he was looking at me, lost in thought.

"It's my birthday. You won't even help with such a small favor?"

Alaric suddenly laughed. "Alright, let her buy them for you." He patted Bethany. "You can go home for now. I'm spending my wife's birthday with her."

Bethany, defeated, glared at me with no real menace before reluctantly leaving.

"What do you want for your birthday?"

I looked at him. "That talk about an open marriage does it still stand?"

Alaric froze, seeing me pull out my new phone and point it at him. "Say it again for the camera. Just in case you change your mind, for proof."

Alaric seemed to remember something, and instead of getting angry, he laughed. "You can go find your own fun too, happy now?"

"What if you regret it?"

"Regret?" He scoffed with disdain. "If I regret it, I'm a dog."

I was satisfied. I leisurely instructed the housekeeper to prepare the first-floor room for me.

Alaric's gaze lingered on my phone. "New brand?"

I nodded. "Used the old one for too many years, got tired of it. Trying a new brand."

Honestly, it had been a long time since we'd spoken so calmly. But I'm not sure what it was, he sneered, then got up and left.

Willow Greene has been acting strangely lately.

After years of working, she quit her job cold turkey. She said, why would a rich wife work? Just enjoy life. But he knew she was stubbornly independent, always saying her career was her backbone.

Now she buys luxury cars, jewelry, antiquesthings she used to show no interest in. She also stopped using the black card Alaric gave her, so he eventually stopped offering it. Now, however, she accepts everything, without question. If she likes something, she just sends him a picture. Her capriciousness is almost endearing.

She got a perm, which only amplified her already striking looks. Alaric started to feel a sense of crisis.

He asked the housekeeper what Willow had been up to. The housekeeper said she now goes to the gym every day. The gym was it to please him? Willow had always been so stubborn, he knew. Had she finally come to her senses? Alaric should have been happy, but instead, a strange tightness settled in his chest. Things felt like they were slipping out of his control.

Willow shouldnt be like this.

He lit a cigarette in his office, replaying all the recent oddities. An open marriage No way. Even if Willow had given up on him, she would only seek a divorce by any means necessary. She couldn't cross that line. The more Alaric thought about it, the more inexplicably agitated he became.

Bethany mumbled in his arms, "Shes all dolled up every day. Probably going out to cheat, isn't she?"

A tight string in Alaric's mind snapped. He roughly grabbed her hair and pulled it down. As she cried out in pain and looked at him in disbelief, Alarics face was filled with cold fury.

"What Willow does is none of your damn business! Who do you think you are, a side piece, acting like you have a say?"

Bethanys eyes instantly welled up, but she quickly lowered her gaze, begging for his forgiveness. "I'm sorry, I know I was wrong."

Alaric had lost all interest. He grabbed his clothes and left. He happened to be traveling to Sutton for a week on business.

Driven by an impulse, he visited a temple they had gone to when they were first married. There was a huge banyan tree there, covered in red ribbons for good fortune. Alaric spent a lot of effort finding the one they had tied. It was severely faded, but he recognized her handwriting immediately:

Willow and Alaric, to love each other forever.

His eyelids suddenly stung, and a sour ache spread through him, catching up belatedly. Alaric suddenly felt an urgent need to go home, to see Willow.

But when he pushed open the door, what he saw was a scattering of clothes on the floor. From Willow's room came her languid laughter.

"Stop it, Adam. Carry me to the shower."

He stood frozen.

When I opened the door, I was wrapped in nothing but a bath towel. Adam let out an "Oh," and turned to look at me, feigning distress. "Willow, didn't you say your husband was on a business trip? How did he get back so soon?"

I smiled reassuringly at him and looked at the doorway. "Why didn't you say you were coming back?"

Alaric was like a statue, silent, frozen in place. The confusion in his eyes was painfully clear, as if hed never imagined he'd walk into such a scene. After a few seconds, he finally snapped back to reality, erupting in a furious rage. He raised his fist, ready to swing at Adam.

Fortunately, Adam, having prepared for this the day we got together, had been diligently exercising to avoid being beaten by my husband. He casually stepped aside, his tone nonchalant. "Thats enough, man. If you hurt me, your wife will be upset. You're so thoughtless."

I chuckled. "Adam, you should go. My husband probably wants to talk to me. See you next time."

He scooped up his clothes from the floor and, right in front of Alaric, gave me a deep kiss, hooking his chin. "Don't make me wait too long, Willow."

I smiled and nodded, watching him leave. As soon as I straightened up, a sharp pain shot through my wrist. I was yanked violently into the bathroom.

Alaric, his eyes bloodshot with uncontrolled rage, viciously tore off my bath towel and pulled me into the bathtub, turning on the shower. I cried out in pain and slapped him without hesitation. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The slap made him turn his head, and his reason seemed to slowly return. Alaric's jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed on me. "Willow Greene, how dare you betray me!"

I frowned. "Alaric, why are you playing dumb? The day we agreed to an open marriage, you swore you wouldn't regret it. So what are you doing now?"

Alaric's face grew pale as the water droplets slid down. His thin lips moved slightly. "That's because"

"Because you were so sure I wouldn't cross that line? You were so sure I'd just have to grin and bear it, right?" I stretched my arms out over the edge of the tub, openly displaying the intimate marks on my body.

Alaric, as if his eyes were pricked, suddenly averted his gaze. His fists were clenched white, subtly trembling. I let out a light laugh. "You're truly pathetic."

After that heated argument, Alaric retaliated by bringing Bethany directly to the house. The housekeeper went from initial shock to feigning ignorance. I found it unremarkable, even complimenting Bethany on her new, sexy nightgown.

Alaric, seeing my nonchalant demeanor, grew even angrier. He roughly dragged Bethany back into the room, determined to make a scene and assert his presence. I slept upstairs, they "worked" next door. I slept downstairs, they "worked" in the living room.

Late at night, I was once again woken by loud, high-pitched sounds, pushed beyond my limit. I violently kicked their bedroom door and yelled. "Can you two have some decency? Are you going to let anyone sleep?!"

The door quickly opened. Alaric, his bare torso covered in scratch marks, curled his lips into a smirk. "You said you didn't care. So what are you doing now?"

I suppressed the anger bubbling within me. "I don't care what you do, where you do it, or what positions you use. But I expect you to be quieter when people need to sleep. Is that too much to ask?"

Alaric stared down at me for a long time, as if searching for any hint of jealousy on my face. After a standoff, he unhappily quirked his lips. "Sorry, can't do it."

Bethany, now in a nightgown, emerged and leaned languidly against Alaric. "Oh, sorry, I told him, but he just wouldn't listen. Well, this is his house, Willow. You'll just have to put up with it."

Aha, I thought. She's right. I turned and went back to my room.

Half an hour later, I wheeled my suitcase out the door. Alaric saw Adam in the living room, a vein throbbing in his temple. As I brushed past, he grabbed my wrist. "Willow Greene, where are you going?"

I jerked my hand away in disgust. "Somewhere I can actually sleep, alright? Happy now?"

Alaric blocked my path, his voice losing control. "You're not leaving!"

Adam gave him an elbow to the ribs. "Excuse me, could you move? Don't crowd Willow. You might not care, but I do."

Alaric grunted, pushed against the wall. Bethany rushed out to help him but was roughly waved away. From start to finish, his gaze was fixed on my face. I even saw a hint of shock and confusion there.

I left with Adam, without looking back. "I'll come back when the house is peaceful again."