My Husband Stole My Work For His Mistress

The day before my prenatal checkup, my husband left town under the guise of a business merger.

But that night, I saw an Instagram update from the top influencer his agency was promoting. "The billionaire CEO threw me a surprise birthday party!

Oh my god, my heart is melting!" In the photo, the woman’s silk slip was sliding off her shoulders, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural heat.

Behind her stood my husband, holding a cake, looking at her with pure adoration. In the comments, fans were shipping them.

She replied, "Shh, I didn't even dare to wear the lingerie he bought me." But what caught my eye was the wedding band on his left hand. It was the exact match to mine.

So, I calmly left a comment: "If you're going to be a homewrecker, you might as well be a little bolder." The image of Ethan wrapping his arms around that halfnaked woman felt like a jagged blade carving up my soul.

A suffocating wave of nausea and grief surged from the depths of my heart. Right after I closed Instagram, my phone rang. It was Ethan.

Before I could even utter a word, his furious voice blasted through the speaker. "She worked her ass off traveling with me for this deal, and it happened to be her birthday!

What's wrong with me throwing her a little surprise? Stop looking for drama!" "And what the hell did you comment on her post?

When your mind is in the gutter, everything looks dirty. Hazel, you're honestly disgusting." Disgusting.

The accusation hit me so hard I forgot to breathe, a dull ache blooming in my chest. Just this morning, before he left, Ethan had gently stroked my belly and told me to rest.

By evening, I had cooked a whole dinner waiting for him, only for him to text saying a major client came up and he couldn't make it home. But he promised.

He told me to wait for him, that he would be back in time to take me to my prenatal appointment tomorrow. Now I knew the "client" was just a cheap excuse.

I took a deep, shaky breath. "So, your surprise was delivering yourself to her bed?" I swallowed my rage, but the line went quiet for a second before a pathetic whimpering filled the receiver. "Oh, Ethan... it's all my fault.

I made Hazel misunderstand. I don't want a birthday anymore.

I'll just resign." Hearing her cry, Ethan's temper flared instantly. "Don't worry about her," he snapped, his voice cold. "You're not resigning.

She doesn't call the shots." With that, he hung up. I stared at my blank phone screen, the air around me turning bitterly cold.

His words were like ice water poured over my head, freezing every shred of hope I had left. I didn't even want to imagine what happened after that photo was taken.

The thought made me physically sick. I subconsciously touched my stomach and let out a selfdeprecating laugh. No wonder.

No wonder he had secretly poked holes in our condoms, claiming he wanted us to have a "symbol of our love" as soon as possible. In reality, he just wanted to trap me with a baby.

I had believed his lies blindly. But now, it seemed I was the only fool living in the fairytale he spun.

After sitting numbly on the couch for a while, I dragged out a suitcase and began packing. But as I looked around, I realized barely any of my own things were here.

The house was filled with things I had bought for Ethan. Once packed, I sent him one last text: "Let's get a divorce." The message sent. Then, I blocked his number.

It felt like I was finally purging him from my life. I left our house and moved back to my old apartment. Strangely, after weeks of insomnia, I slept like a baby.

Maybe my heart knew that this relationship, which had once consumed my entire being, was finally dead.

The next day, I went to my prenatal checkup alone. Unsurprisingly, Ethan never showed up.

Right after I finished talking with the doctor, my phone buzzed violently in my coat pocket. It was my mother.

The moment I answered, her eager, almost sycophantic voice filled my ear. "Hazel! Did you and Ethan finish the checkup?

I've already invited everyone over to celebrate your pregnancy, but Ethan isn't answering his phone! Where is he?" I froze. But then it clicked.

He was probably exhausted after spending the night in his little influencer's bed. After a brief hesitation, I decided to lay it out. "You don't need to celebrate.

We're getting a divorce." "What the hell are you talking about?! Don't you dare mention divorce!" her screech nearly shattered my eardrum.

Just as I expected, she was completely against it. Hearing her relentless scolding, I remained calm. "He's cheating on me.

I'm not raising my child in a broken home." That finally shut her up. There was a long silence on the other end.

Finally, she sighed. "Just... come over first." "Fine," I said, hanging up. I got into my car and started the engine.

Just then, the custom ringtone I had set specifically for Ethan blared through the speakers. Followed by his annoyed voice: "Have you lost your mind? Divorce?

What kind of game are you playing now, Hazel? Just because I couldn't make it to one checkup?

You're just pregnant, it's not like you can't walk to the clinic yourself." So, he was only just reading the text I sent last night.

Before I could reply, Ethan kept ranting. "And you went completely overboard yesterday! You terrified poor Chloe.

She was sobbing for hours, and it took me forever to calm her down." "Go home and stay put.

When we get back, you're going to apologize to her, and I'll let this slide." I let out a bitter, mocking laugh.

What on earth had I done in the past to make Ethan think I could never live without him?

I kept my voice as flat as possible. "I'll have my lawyer draft the divorce papers and send them to you. As for Chloe, you can comfort her however the hell you want." I hung up.

When I reached my mother's house, she was pacing the living room, fuming. Thinking she was angry on my behalf, I walked up to her and said softly, "Mom, don't worry.

I'm definitely divorcing him." Those words were like throwing gasoline on a fire. My mother snapped, glaring at me with utter contempt. "You're divorcing him over a tiny slipup?

You're a pregnant, soontobe single mother! Who the hell is going to want you if you're damaged goods?" I froze, staring at her in disbelief.

Her rage wasn't directed at Ethan's betrayal. It was directed at my decision to leave.

Hearing her call me "damaged goods" made my entire body tremble. "Mom... you're telling me I should just accept this?" "What else? It's normal for wealthy men to have their fun!

You're the legal wife. Just have the baby, apologize to Ethan, and this will all blow over." A cold chill crept up from the soles of my feet.

When my dad cheated on her when I was a kid, instead of leaving him, my mother had tried even harder to please him. The result?

My dad only got worse, eventually turning physically abusive. She thought a man could be won over by submission. She thought her endless suffering would earn his loyalty.

But in reality, toxic men only step on you harder when you submit. She knew firsthand how miserable a toxic marriage was.

Why was she forcing me to live through the same nightmare? "Mom, that's not love!

My husband has to be loyal to me—" "Love doesn't put food on the table!" she snapped, cutting me off. "I don't care what you think.

If you dare divorce him, you are no longer my daughter!" "You are going to come with me to find Ethan right now, and you're going to beg for his forgiveness.

Since you're carrying his baby, he won't stay mad at you for long." I was so angry my chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.

But I held my ground. "I am absolutely sure Ethan and I are done.

Nothing you say will change that." Hearing this, my mother shoved me out the door and slammed it in my face. "If you want a divorce, don't come back here!

I don't have a pathetic, damagedgoods daughter like you! Get lost!" Even though I knew what she was like, the sting of her rejection still suffocated me.

It was like a wound that had healed over, only to be violently ripped open again.

Ethan and I met at a college networking event. Back then, I was a senior doing an internship, while he had already started his own media agency.

The first time we met, I was pitchwriting for a project. He fell for me at first sight and pursued me relentlessly.

On the countless nights I stayed late writing scripts, he would wait downstairs with takeout, never complaining. Eventually, his persistence wore me down, and I let him in.

Later, we got together. After that, I joined his agency as a scriptwriter. As the agency grew, so did his ego, until he became the highandmighty CEO Ethan Sterling.

On our wedding day, Ethan cried like a baby. He knelt on one knee and slid the ring onto my finger.

He said, "Hazel, I will love you forever." The dream lasted until last year, when a young influencer named Chloe joined the company.

After that, Valentine's Day, anniversaries, and even my birthday were ignored.

Ethan rejected my invitations without hesitation, only to turn around and plan grand surprises for Chloe.

He even took her on luxury vacations whenever he had "business trips." We fought about it constantly. At first, he would placate me, saying it was just for business.

But over time, he grew impatient. He would say, "When your mind is in the gutter, everything looks dirty." From then on, Chloe became a permanent fixture in my life.

Or rather, in the wreckage of my marriage. Shaking off the memories, I wiped the tears from my eyes. My heart ached.

Once upon a time, he had looked into my eyes with absolute sincerity and made those vows. I returned to my tiny apartment. Once I calmed my nerves, I went to work the next day.

Ever since our fight, Ethan had banished me to a minor subsidiary branch of the company. No one here knew my real identity, which actually suited me.

It allowed me to focus solely on writing scripts. But the moment I sat down at my desk, the branch manager walked in, escorting a glamorously dressed woman.

She was smiling brightly, greeting everyone in the office. When her eyes landed on me, her grin widened. "Oh, Hazel!

What a small world." Looking at Chloe's smug face, my composure wavered slightly. I didn't know why she was at this branch.

But being personally introduced by the manager sent a clear message to everyone: she was special. I ignored her. She didn't seem to mind and walked away.

At the end of the day, as I walked out of the office lobby, Chloe caught up with me. She smiled sweetly. "Ethan is picking me up for dinner.

Want to join us?" My face remained blank. "No." Chloe gasped dramatically, blinking her big eyes. "Hazel, are you still mad about that Instagram post?" "We're all adults here.

Don't be so oldfashioned." I let out a cold laugh. "If you want to be 'openminded' and sleep around, that's your business.

Don't speak for all adults." As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a burning gaze on my back.

Ethan strode over, his face darkened with anger. "Hazel, are you ever going to stop? You're both women.

How can you spread such disgusting rumors about her?" I didn't even look at him. "If the dog doesn't bark at me, I don't kick it.

So, Ethan, keep your dog on a leash." I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm roughly.

His face was furious, his eyes burning with rage. "Hazel, I suggest you apologize right now!" "Apologize for what?" I had done absolutely nothing wrong.

Why did everyone expect me to bow down? Seeing the sheer disgust in my eyes, Ethan hesitated for a fraction of a second, his expression turning venomous. "Fine!

I hope you keep this attitude up." He let go of my arm and walked away with Chloe.

After a couple of steps, Chloe wrapped her arm tightly around his, turning back to throw me a triumphant smirk. My heart remained dead silent.

Back at my apartment, my mother called me repeatedly. I ignored them all. But a second later, a video message arrived from an anonymous number. I immediately knew who sent it.

With a heavy heart, I clicked play.

My mother's familiar voice echoed from the speaker: "Oh, my dear soninlaw, I know it's all my daughter's fault.” “Please don't hold it against her.

She only said she wanted a divorce to get your attention. She didn't mean it! You can't divorce, especially now that she's pregnant..." I began to shake.

My toxic family had always been a wound I couldn't heal, a nightmare I tried to hide. There were so many painful things I had never shared with Ethan.

But my own mother had just laid bare my deepest vulnerabilities to him. Chloe had sent the video, and I could easily picture her smug, mocking face.

My mind went entirely blank, my hands and feet turning icecold. When I snapped out of it, the video had finished playing. I scrambled up, grabbed my keys, and ran out the door.

Catching my reflection in the elevator mirror, I saw my tearstained, disheveled face. I looked pathetic. I drove straight to the house I used to share with Ethan.

The moment I punched in the door code and walked in, I saw my mother on the secondfloor landing, practically begging Ethan on her knees.

And right next to them stood Chloe, watching the show with amusement. Anger flared in my chest.

I rushed up the stairs and pulled my mother up. "Mom, what the hell are you doing?!" Seeing me, her eyes lit up as if I were her savior.

She grabbed my hand. "Oh, you're finally here! Hurry up and apologize to Ethan! This was all your fault anyway.

Apologizing won't kill you!" She pushed down on my shoulders, trying to force me to my knees. Ethan frowned, his tone cold and indifferent. "No need. She should apologize to Chloe.

After all, Chloe is the one she insulted." "Yes, yes, of course! Apologize to Chloe right now!" My mother dragged me toward Chloe, bowing on my behalf. My patience evaporated.

I threw her hand off and screamed, "Enough!" My mother froze, staring at me in shock. Ethan's frown deepened, while Chloe shrank back behind him. "Hazel, don't be mad.

Your mom is just doing this for your own good." "Exactly!" My mother beat her chest dramatically. "Everything I do is for you!

You're already damaged goods, and you still want a divorce!" Chloe chimed in, "Maybe you guys should leave.

I don't think Hazel is going to apologize anyway." My gaze swept over Ethan's neck, catching the fresh, unmistakable hickey near his collar.

I let out a mocking laugh. "Apologize for what? For interrupting your little bedroom sessions?" All three of them went silent. My mother was the first to snap back. "Shut up!

If you don't apologize, you're no longer my daughter!" I looked at her coldly, my heart suddenly finding a strange, peaceful stillness. "Fine," I said quietly. "Then please, stay the hell out of my business." Ethan let out a dark chuckle, his piercing black eyes locking onto mine.

I was exhausted. I just wanted to go back and sleep. But apparently, no one was going to let me leave that easily.

As I turned to go down the stairs, Ethan reached out to block me, and my mother lunged forward to grab my arm. I struggled to break free, losing my footing in the chaos.

During the scuffle at the top of the stairs, I felt a foot intentionally kick my ankle. And then, I fell.

As I tumbled down, the last thing I saw was the smirk playing on Chloe's lips.