Chapter 2

How could this be? I clearly didn’t…

I looked at Margaret in shock. Her eyes darted away, refusing to meet mine.

Robert—Jessica’s father—stared at my hand that I refused to pull out.

“Take it out!”

My hand was pinched until it bled, then forcibly pulled out.

That box of ultra-thin 0.01 was exposed before them once again. Robert snatched it away and threw it violently to the ground.

“Marrying my daughter to you was the biggest mistake!”

Everyone looked at me with contempt and cursed viciously.

“What a bastard! Disgusting thoughts!”

“How do you have the nerve to keep living!”

Jessica’s slap came at me again. I blocked her hand and shouted desperately.

“We’re husband and wife! What business is it of theirs if we use condoms?”

“Jessica! You asked me to buy this—what’s the problem? Please explain for me!”

Her eyes showed no sign of relenting.

“What the problem is, you know very well.”

Then she leaned close to my ear and said something I couldn’t believe.

“Dylan, the moment you took this box of condoms, you had to die.”

I looked at her in terror. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a knife tip peeking from Elena’s sleeve, stabbing toward me.

I dodged sideways. My arm was slashed, blood seeping out.

Four or five men with rope rushed at me.

I pulled out the knife hidden at my waist and swung it wildly.

Seeing this scene, Margaret passed out.

I swung the knife while backing up, knocked over the shoe cabinet, and escaped through the front door in the chaos.

I don’t know how long I ran. The taste of blood spread through my mouth.

Hiding in a dark alley, only after confirming no one had followed did I dare to catch my breath.

I pulled up the company surveillance footage. It was Margaret who had slipped that box of condoms into my pocket while I was typing.

My heart went cold.

Just then, Margaret sent another message.

“Come back quickly. They’re just trying to scare you, they don’t really mean to hurt you!”

I laughed bitterly. I was almost stabbed, and she still thought it was a joke.

After thinking for a moment, I called my friend Marcus.

He was my best friend from college. Without a second word, he let me stay at his place.

At critical moments, brothers are the most reliable.

After hearing my story, he punched the wall.

“Just because of a box of condoms? Your wife is fucking ridiculous!”

“Does she have someone on the side and want a divorce, so she’s setting you up!”

Then he brought out a medical kit and carefully bandaged the wound on my arm.

I paused. Jessica had indeed been coming home later and later recently. I immediately pulled out my phone and sent her a message.

“If you have someone else and want a divorce, I can agree. You don’t need to scheme against me like this.”

She replied instantly.

“Honey, what are you talking about? Today was all a misunderstanding. Where are you? Let’s talk face to face.”

I turned off the screen. She didn’t want a divorce—she was determined to take my life!

I shook my head.

“It’s not an affair.”

After bandaging my wound, Marcus paused, then suddenly asked what kind of condoms they were.

I pulled up the photo. His laughing face suddenly froze.

“You’re sure it was this brand?”

Seeing his shocked expression, my heart sank.

“What? Is there something wrong with this brand?”

He took a long drag on his cigarette, his tone forced casual.

“What could be wrong? Bro, you must’ve done something else to piss her off. No way would she really try to harm you over a box of condoms.”

“Women, you know—when they’re angry, they’ll say anything. She doesn’t want a divorce. Stay at my place for a couple days. When she calms down, go back.”

I thought about it. It wasn’t impossible.

Jessica was great in every way, except she never said things directly—she always made me guess.

Once she stayed at the office for a month without coming home. Later I found out it was just because the vacation photos didn’t turn out well.

Marcus settled me in the guest room.

In the middle of the night, I woke up needing to pee.

The moment I opened the door, a hushed voice reached my ears.

“…Your husband’s at my place. Hurry and bring people over!”