Chapter 2: The Birthday Betrayal

I know where my husband's former lover lives. When I first met Julia Sanford, she even invited me over to her house as a guest and treated me like a good sister.

I naively thought she was a good person, who knew she was always scheming to seduce Nate Grant.

I drove quickly to Julia Sanford's house.

They have a small courtyard, and there they were in the gazebo outside, talking and laughing, with a cake on the table that had already been eaten; they had clearly made their wishes and blown out the candles.

Julia Sanford even picked up a spoon to feed Nate Grant cake, deliberately smearing some on his mouth, then extended her finger to wipe it off for him.

"Oh my, look at you, you got it everywhere."

She then put that cake-smeared finger into her mouth to suck it clean, her gaze enchantingly tugging at Nate Grant, whose eyes were transfixed.

The two of them completely failed to notice my arrival.

I didn't expect that on Julia Sanford's birthday, it would only be the two of them. Nate was wearing just a white shirt with shorts, casual yet bold, with three buttons left undone, revealing his proud chest muscles.

The tenderness and infatuation in Nate's eyes were something I had never seen before.

Meanwhile, Julia Sanford moved closer and more eager, ready to embrace, their lips just inches away from meeting.

I couldn't hold back anymore and shouted, "Nate Grant!"

My husband saw me appear and immediately his expression changed to one of displeasure.

Yes, I interrupted his pleasant moment.

"Aren't you annoying? Why are you here? Was Julia's birthday invitation for you?"

"Am I not allowed to celebrate a friend's birthday?"

I looked at Julia Sanford's bare lower body, with only a cool tank top just barely covering her hips; it might as well be that she wasn't wearing pants.

Is this how you celebrate a birthday with a friend?

I had no mood to bother with any of these matters.

Urgently, I said, "Dad is in trouble, urgently needs you for heart surgery, come back to the hospital with me!"

As soon as he heard this, my husband immediately stood up and slapped the table.

"Enough! My dad is turning seventy the day after tomorrow! He's in great health, and I'm a doctor, wouldn't I know?"

"Just to get me to go back, you curse him with a heart attack! Are you even human?"

Nate Grant was sure I was lying, wishing to come and hit me.

I reiterated, "Dad really is in trouble, you've already celebrated the birthday, come back for the surgery first, or you can even come back after saving him!"

I even took out my phone to have him communicate with Mom to prove I wasn't lying.

Unexpectedly, in the next moment, my husband didn't even glance and casually swiped my phone away.

With a smack, it shattered on the ground, the screen cracked.

"Enough, Sophia Reed!"

"Bring up my dad's life again, and don't blame me for disregarding our marriage!"

"Oh, Brother Nate, don't be mad, I think Sister Sophia just misses you so much and wants you home, which is why she's lying like this. You should understand her."

Julia Sanford's words only made Nate Grant even more certain that I was lying.

With lives at stake, I couldn't stand Julia Sanford stirring things up: "Shut up! If something happens to his dad, will you take responsibility?"

"Ah! Sister Sophia, you're so fierce, Brother Nate..."

Julia, like a startled fawn, hid behind Nate Grant, whom he comforted by holding down his hand, telling her not to be afraid.

Calling him "Brother Nate," she didn't even hesitate to say it.

In my lifetime, I had never called Nate Grant by that name.

Nate Grant seemed to enjoy it, listening to Julia's words, he directly chased me away: "Leave now! You're not welcome here."

"Dad is waiting for you to save him, you won't come with me! I won't leave!"

Smack!

He slapped me across the face, "Wretched!"

It hurt, but I held back the tears, no matter how he treated me, as long as he would come back with me now, I didn't want my father-in-law to leave like this.

"You can beat me all you want, but you must come back with me now!"

Nate Grant, hearing my words, became even angrier: "There's no cure for you! Hmph! If you won't leave, we will. Julia, didn't you say you wanted to see the sea? I'll take you."

"Hmm, okay! But... what about Sister Sophia?"

"Hah, if she won't leave, let her guard the place for you."

My husband pulled Julia's hand, packed things inside her house, and Julia smiled as she said she'd wear the most seductive swimsuit for Nate to see.

In a hurry to get out of my sight, Nate hastily took Julia to the car, with Julia provocatively showing me her phone.

"Just this morning, I was chatting with uncle. He even invited me to his seventieth birthday celebration."

How could my father-in-law invite such a woman? Every time she visited, my in-laws practically wanted to chase her away with a broom, but Nate always protected her.

"Nate Grant! You can't leave! Don't listen to her nonsense! You'll regret it for a lifetime if you leave!"

Nate graciously opened the car door for Julia, seating himself on the driver's side, and said coldly to me before leaving, "Isn't it just divorce? Why should I regret it, Julia, let's go, after the seaside trip, let's pick out a birthday present for my dad."

"Hmm, okay! Uncle will definitely like the gift I choose."

Nate Grant slammed the car door shut and sped off, leaving me shouting in the dust.