Victory Won in Failed Marriage

Five years after I got married to my husband, I finally get pregnant with his baby.

Just then, my junior comes to me with a swollen belly, telling me she is about to have a child.

Well, the child's father, is my husband.

I laugh at her.

This poor girl. She might not know that, just yesterday, I showed my husband his physical exam result where he was diagnosed with impotency.  

......

Gloria is really a pretty woman with an elfin face. She is now in a white dress without any makeup on her face, sitting right opposite me with a pair of red eyes.    

She opens her mouth, "Sheila, I'm sorry you have to go through this, but the baby is innocent..."

With her red eyes, Gloria strokes her belly slowly. Even I feel pity at the sight of her appearance.

I used to love her face the most. Gloria is my junior and is so adorable and tender that I'd love to take extra care of her in college. Now, I find her only disgusting.    

If I were not in a public place, I'd have thrown this cup of coffee in my hand in her face, inviting her to taste the Matcha flavor.  

But I remain silent, restraining my anger and stirring the cappuccino with the spoon.

My mind is racing.

It's an ironic story. Chapman and I have been married for five years but without a baby. No matter how hard we tried, I couldn't get pregnant.

But two months ago, he got drunk and we had sex. That time, my baby was conceived.  

But I only got this surprising news of my pregnancy half an hour ago. The pregnancy test result is still in my bag.

The funny thing is that before I can tell Chapman about this, Gloria brings me a surprise.

I used to doubt if Chapman was impotent. Now it seems I am wrong. The fact that both Gloria and I get pregnant proves Chapman is sexually good.

Gloria is anxious about my silence so she adopts a weak posture, saying, "I was not going to keep this baby but my doctor told me if I had an abortion, I might not be able to get pregnant again..."  

Tears pour down her cheeks.

I raise my head, repressing my hatred for her, and deliver a tissue to her, "How long have you been pregnant? Did you tell this news to Chapman?'

Probably she doesn't expect me to be so calm, Gloria freezes for a while and then replies, "I know he loves you. If I tell him I'm pregnant, he won't allow me to keep this baby..."

Does it mean that Gloria wants me to leave without telling Chapman she is pregnant?

That's interesting.

"Then what are you doing here?" I raise my eyebrow, surprised at her hypocrisy.

"I love Chapman and I don't want to lose him. I want to keep this baby but I don't want to ruin your marriage. Sheila, you are the only one I can rely on in this city. Could you let me give birth to this baby and then...I will leave." Gloria cries again.

It is a sight that two good-looking women sit at the same table. Now Gloria's crying attracts more attention from the people around us.

I find it so embarrassing so I urge her, "Just get to your point!"

"Chapman and I have to meet twice a week. I have been pregnant for three months so I quit my job. You know, I have no means of support and I couldn't stay in the apartment Chapman rents..."

I lose my patience to hear her showing off her sweet story with Chapman so I interrupt her, "Are you saying that you want me to offer you a place to live and take care of you until you have the baby?"

Gloria nods her head, seemingly embarrassed.

I am totally shocked by her cheekiness and sneer at her coldly, "Are you so confident that I will do as you wish instead of forcing you to have an abortion?"

"Chapman told me that you liked babies but you can't...have one," Gloria looks at me timidly with her watery eyes.

Her purpose is so easy to see through. She thinks I can't have a baby so I might agree to let her give birth to her baby. Well, after her baby is born, I am afraid she is going to force me to divorce Chapman!

What a disgusting woman!

But now I can't be furious and lose my mind. That is what she wants to see. I tell her, "I have to think about this carefully. I will contact you after I make the decision."

###C###

Chapter 2

It takes me three days to calm down after I met Gloria at a coffee house that day.

During the past three days, Chapman pretended to be a caring and attentive husband, which I only found disgusting.

Partly because of my discomfort, I've had a fever for consecutive three days.

I thought I would be better very quickly but Chapman acted like he loved me very much and took care of me for the past three days. I even wanted to vomit at the sight of him.

During the past three days, I noticed that he picked up phone calls five times behind my back. He told me they were all business calls. I rarely cared about this in the past but as I paid attention, it was not hard to guess those calls were all from Gloria.  

There were so many times when I wanted to ask him why he betrayed me but nothing came out of my mouth every time. I knew even if I exposed his affair with Gloria, I was the only one who would be hurting. What I need to do is to revenge myself quietly.

After three days of high temperature, my fever is finally reduced. Chapman goes back to work.

He is now working at a large state-owned company. With my father's help, Chapman climbs the corporate ladder so easily. At the age of thirty-two, he has a higher position than his peers.

Without me and my family, Chapman would have been a nobody. His career wouldn't have taken off without our help. Is he so confident that he gets everything just by his efforts?

I am afraid he would never have the chance to be promoted without me. Now, he even dares to have an affair with another woman behind my back? How dare he?

My parents didn't think Chapman would be a good husband to me back then but I insisted on me marrying him. Now I really want to slap myself in the face with guilt.

I will never let my parents know about his infidelity. I can deal with him by myself and I won't let them be worried about me.

However, fighting alone does not guarantee me success. After thinking carefully, I decide to turn to my best friend Doreen Smollett for help. I'll tell her everything about my failed marriage.  

She is on a business trip when I call her. When she returns, she doesn't even go back to her own house but comes to my home with her luggage, wanting to fight against Chapman and Gloria.

"What are you going to do about that?" Doreen has a mixed feeling of anger and worry.

"I am going to have an abortion," saying that, I touch my belly which is not obviously big.

"Let Gloria keep the baby and you go to have an abortion? What are you thinking about? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Doreen hits me with her fists, without too much force.

"Then what should I do? Give birth to a child and be bound up with this terrible man?" I raise my eyebrow and hold Doreen's hands.

It seems that Doreen finds my words reasonable. She pauses for a while and then says, "At first, I want you to keep your marriage but I can't stand you live with Chapman. He is no good. Sheila, whatever you do, I will always be there for you, always supporting you."

After saying that, Doreen holds me in her arms. Leaning against her, I feel that a burst of feelings of grievance, discontent, and guilt rise inside me. In the end, I cry.

After crying for a long time, I feel much better. I start to tell Doreen everything I know about my husband's infidelity, including the meeting between me and Gloria that day. Apart from that, I also tell her my rough plan to fight back.

After hearing out my plan, her anger is converted into shock and she holds up her thumb, "That is my friend! I know you are smart and have a big heart. That two bitches will be in trouble."

"I need your help to find me a house, far from here and Chapman's company," I say to her.

"Good. That's easy. Houses will be the last thing I lack. You can pick any one of her houses to let Gloria live in. Whatever she does will be kept an eye on by us. No exaggeration, we will even know the sex of the mosquitoes in her room."