Divorce Over a Neighbor's Child

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My wife Lester, who always hated children, suddenly became obsessed with the neighbor's baby, taking care of it until the early morning hours every day before coming home.

Not only did she leave me out in the cold, she even ignored me when I had surgery after a car accident.

I couldn't take it anymore. At the party celebrating my hospital discharge, I asked for a divorce.

Friends and family all said the accident had knocked some sense out of me.

My wife Lester viciously threw her drink in my face, furiously scolding me:

"So what if I didn't take care of you while you were hospitalized after the accident? Is that really such a big deal?"

I slowly wiped away the mess on my body, looking at the suggestive red marks on her neck, my tone ice-cold:

"Since you love his child so much, after we divorce, I'll make sure you can be with them forever."

The expression on Lester's face was complicated as she pulled up her collar, trying to cover her neck.

Her eyes reddened with rage as she roared at me:

"George, what are you trying to say?"

"I've been taking care of Wesley to learn parenting skills, so I can take care of our future children."

"And now you want to divorce me over such a flimsy reason? Have you lost your mind?"

I ignored her shouting, my face showing no emotion whatsoever.

Calmly, I pulled out the divorce papers I'd already prepared from my bag and held them in front of her.

"Sign them. I'll see you at City Hall tomorrow morning."

All the friends and family around us were shocked, their burning gazes focused on me.

But I didn't care anymore. I left the divorce papers and prepared to leave.

They couldn't believe that we, such an enviable couple, would suddenly want a divorce.

Lester's eyes were filled with shock. She hadn't expected me to have the divorce papers ready already.

Seeing my determined attitude, my mom finally realized I wasn't joking.

She was the first to pick up the divorce papers from the table. After scanning a few lines, her face turned ugly.

"George, do you really want a divorce? You and Lester have been married for ten years with such a good relationship. What happened?"

They earnestly tried to get me to reconsider, even Lester's best friend spoke up to persuade me.

"Yeah, George, you and Lester have ten years together. Don't let the neighbor's baby ruin that."

"She's just helping out because she felt sorry for the single dad and his child. Do you have to be so petty?"

"She didn't have kids back then because she didn't want to hold back your career. Don't you understand her good intentions?"

Everyone around also blamed me for being heartless.

But I said nothing, only pushing the divorce papers in front of Lester again.

"This divorce must happen. I can't endure this anymore."

My dad, who'd rushed over after hearing the news, slapped me hard across the face. It instantly stung with burning pain.

I covered my swelling face and heard his furious roar:

"How dare you divorce such a wonderful girl like Lester! I'll beat you to death!"

"All these years Lester has run this household so you could build your career. Now you want a divorce? Have you no shame?"

My mom immediately rushed over to break it up, grabbing my hand and pleading earnestly.

"George, if you two have problems, talk them out. Don't bring up divorce."

"You'll never find another wife this good. If you're doing this because you have someone new, I won't forgive you!"

I slowly raised my head, the taste of blood spreading through my mouth, surrounded by judgmental voices.

Lester immediately rushed over to support me with concern, treating my wounds. She was always so considerate.

In front of others, she seemed like the perfect wife, but only I knew the bitterness between us.

"George, I know you might have fallen for someone else, but I'm the only one who truly cares about you."

"We've known each other since childhood and been married for ten years. How could we divorce over such a small thing?"

"I don't care about those other women. As long as you're willing to come home, I won't hold it against you."

With just a few words, Lester turned the blame toward me having an affair. The scene erupted again.

Everyone's gazes fell on me like knives. Even my dad punched me again.

"So that's why you want a divorceyou've got someone else! How could I have raised such a bastard!"

"George, stop this nonsense. You're going to put your father in the hospital. Just go home and live properly with Lester."

All our friends and family urged me to reconsider. Lester also cried and begged me with a humble attitude.

My eyes were cold as I pushed her away forcefully: "Let go. I don't love you anymore."

She didn't know that ever since she started taking care of the neighbor's baby, our marriage had become nothing but a shell.

Lester looked at me in disbelief, her lips trembling: "What... what did you say?"

The entire room instantly fell silent. She cried even harder, but I turned to leave.

Lester used all her strength to grab me from behind: "Don't go! It's my fault, all my fault."

"Give me one more chance and I'll definitely change. Please don't leave me."

Lester's best friend also blocked my way: "George, what's gotten into you? Apologize to Lester right now!"

"Lester has been with you all these years. How can you bear to hurt her? Have you forgotten how much you two loved each other?"

"You went from middle school to college together before getting married. Have you forgotten all that?"

"You bastard! Don't tell me you're abandoning the child in Lester's womb too?"

At these words, my parents also grabbed me, desperately trying to talk sense into me.

"Lester is already carrying your child, and you still want a divorce? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?"

I struggled free with all my strength, seemingly uncaring about this news, righteously telling them to get lost.

"No matter whose child she's carrying, this divorce is happening."

My mom couldn't believe I would say something so heartless.

"George, you've always wanted children. Now that Lester is pregnant, why are you still making a fuss?"

Her words were like a heavy punch, slamming hard into my heart.

Once, I too longed for my own child, hoping from age twenty to age thirty.

Ten years passed. I'd hoped countless times to have a child with Lester, but those hopes were always dashed.

I didn't want to live like this anymore. Now I just wanted to completely separate from her.

The huge commotion attracted our neighbor, the single dad Steve, who came over with his child to hand it to Lester.

Every day at this time, Steve would go to work while Lester helped take care of the baby.

The moment she saw him, she forgot about our argument and took the child from him.

That tender look in her eyes was something I'd never seen before, as if she were looking at her own biological child.

My heart felt inexplicably pierced, the pain nearly making me unable to stand.

Lester and I once had a child too, but it was lost due to an accident.

"George, I heard everything you were arguing about just now. I didn't know you'd mind Lester helping me take care of the baby."

"I'll look for a new place today and move out with Wesley immediately. I won't affect your relationship."

Lester frowned, reluctance showing in her eyes.

"Don't! It's just helping you take care of a child. It's nothing at all."

"George, don't take our problems out on others. You just recovered from a serious illnessplease stop making a scene, okay?"

She kept crying pitifully, and everyone redirected their anger toward me.

My dad's face flushed red with anger, his voice hoarse as he grabbed my hand:

"Listen to me. Stop this nonsense. Break things off with whoever you're seeing and live a good life with Lester!"

"She's carrying your child now. If you still dare to divorce her, don't blame me for breaking your legs."

I remained as cold as ever, my face showing no expression.

"This divorce must happen!" With that, I turned and left.

My dad made a threat, shouting at my retreating back: "If you divorce her, I'll disown you!"

Lester also stopped trying to keep me: "George, since you want to leave, don't expect to take a single penny! I'll make sure you leave with nothing!"

"Since you have someone new and are determined to abandon me, don't blame me for not being polite!"

I immediately filed for divorce, submitting as evidence the footage I'd captured at our neighbor Steve's house.

That evening I wanted to stay at a hotel, but didn't expect all my bank cards to be frozen.

Only then did I remember that over the years I'd given all my money to Lester, keeping very little for myself.

All these years I'd worked day and night for our little family.

I thought that after ending our years-long relationship, we could have our own happy family.

Never did I imagine it was all a joke, that I'd been alone from start to finish.

After borrowing money from a friend to check into a hotel, I opened my phone to see videos of the day's argument.

Someone had secretly recorded the confrontation and posted it online, where it had already shot to the top of trending topics.

The comments section was full of abuse directed at me, with some even threatening to doxx me and ruin my reputation.

"He wants to divorce his wife just because she's taking care of the neighbor's kid? Is he even human?"

"I bet he's having an affair and using this ridiculous excuse to divorce. Absolutely shameless!"

"I heard his wife is already pregnant, and he's abandoning his wife and child. He probably has seven or eight illegitimate children already!"

The public opinion spread quickly. Even the hotel staff looked at me with contempt.

I opened my laptop, and a piercing pain spread through my entire body.

Hundreds of videos showed their intimate moments, making it hard for me to breathe.

Every night, after she put Steve's daughter Wesley to sleep, she would slip into his bedroom.

When I was helping him fix his water pipes, I accidentally connected to his home security system.

From then on, every night I could watch them together.

The way Lester looked at Steve showed a unique tenderness I'd never seen in all our years together.

Although she appeared virtuous and considerate in public, only I knew how cold she really was.

After we married, she told me bluntly that she didn't want children and ordered me not to get any ideas.

Unfortunately, she got pregnant by accident later. I begged her to keep the baby, but she had an abortion without hesitation.

This became the greatest pain of my life. From that day on, she never allowed me to touch her again.

But now, right under my nose, she was pregnant with another man's child.

I stared hard at the prenatal checkup report. During that time period, I'd clearly been away on a business trip.

"George, the court date is set for three days from now. I've prepared all the materials you requested."

Early the next morning I received a call from my secretary. Due to public pressure, the company's investors had withdrawn their funding.

Lester arrived at the company before me: "George, don't go in yet. The place is full of reporters."

But I pushed her away. Lester fell to the ground in a mess.

She instantly attracted everyone's attention. She never thought I would actually push her.

"George, do you have to be so heartless? I'm carrying your child. Can't you show me even a little care?"

Steve also followed and helped Lester up from the ground.

The commotion instantly attracted reporters and angry netizens, who pointed their cameras at me, cursing me as cold-blooded and heartless.

"Don't blame George. It's my fault for not standing steady. Please don't curse him."

Looking at her hypocritical face, I nearly threw up in disgust.

"Since you don't want a divorce, don't blame me for filing a lawsuit."

Lester dropped the act too, saying in front of the media: "Fine, if you won't take what's offered, don't blame me for making you leave with nothing."

"My child doesn't need a father like you. If you want a divorce, let's divorce. See you in court!"

I just found it laughable. She thought I'd been in the dark all along, knowing nothing.

I said nothing, arranged company matters, and threw myself into preparing for court.

After today's media hype, our situation fermented even more online.

I became a heartless scoundrel everyone wanted to attack, while Lester established herself as a fragile victim.

Some said I abandoned my pregnant wife for a mistress, even forcing my wife to have multiple abortions.

That I'd drained our family assets to keep a mistress, that I found my pregnant wife ugly, and so on.

Some said the car accident had scrambled my brain, making me mentally unstable.

Online rumors and abuse about me were overwhelming. Even my parents wanted to disown me.

"You've gone too far. From today on, I'll pretend I never gave birth to a bastard like you!"

"Look at all the dirty things you've done. I'm too ashamed to call you my son!"

Faced with all this, I chose silence, only reappearing at the courthouse three days later.

On the day of the hearing, friends and family all came, along with many netizens.

These people all waited to see me humiliated, to see me face legal consequences.

Lester grabbed me in the gallery, saying quietly: "Are you sure you want to take it this far?"

"For the sake of our years together, I'll give you one more chance. As long as you apologize, I'll pretend nothing happened."

"You have no chance of winning. The whole country knows what you've done to me. How do you still have the face to live?"

Steve gave me a mocking smile. Even my parents wished I'd go to jail, finding me an embarrassment.

But I remained unmoved, waiting for the judge to declare the session open.

Lester had hired Brooklyn's most famous lawyer, determined to win this case.

The lawyer listed my numerous faults in the marriage, attempting to have me declared at fault and stripped of assets.

"Simply helping the neighbor take care of a child at night isn't enough to constitute fault on the woman's part."

"Given the current situation, you are the party most at fault in this marriage."

"If you cannot provide new evidence, this court will rule on the divorce and determine you as the party at fault."

The courtroom erupted in cheers. Lester and Steve hugged each other tightly in excitement.

Everyone cursed that I deserved it, already celebrating victory in advance.

But I calmly indicated: "I have new evidencesurveillance footage from our neighbor Steve's home."

"And a DNA paternity test report for the fetus in Lester's womb."

In an instant, the courtroom fell deathly silent. Everyone's expressions became grave.

Lester's face turned ugly. I knew the real show was just beginning.