Chapter 3

3 　　Over the next few weeks, Alyssa and Wayne left early and returned late every day.

Perhaps Natalie had sternly warned Alyssa in private, because Alyssa's attitude toward me was no longer as openly hostile.

If they wanted to stay, fine. As long as it didn't harm my marriage, lending them a hand wasn't the end of the world.

I was naturally soft-hearted, and it was Natalie's gentle kindness that had drawn me to her in the first place.

Both Natalie and I believed that treating others with sincerity would earn sincerity in return.

Unfortunately, reality had other plans.

Only later did I realize that the kinder you are, the easier it is for people to walk all over you.

A month later, I returned from the grocery store and overheard Alyssa talking behind my back again.

This time, I swallowed my rage and stood quietly in the foyer, listening closely.

What I heard made my jaw drop.

She was actually urging Natalie to take out a mortgage on our apartment so Wayne could fund his startup!

While I had plenty of properties, no one was going to scheme behind my back to steal the roof over my head.

At first, Natalie resisted, insisting it was impossible.

Yet under Alyssa's relentless manipulation, Natalie's tone began to waver.

I knew right then that Alyssa was a venomous tumor in my home.

If I didn't seize this chance to kick her out, there was no telling what disaster she would bring next.

The more critical the situation, the calmer I needed to be, but fury burned in my chest.

If I endured this any longer, I'd be an absolute idiot!

"What kind of utter bullshit are you spewing?" I bellowed, stepping out into the living room.

Both of them jumped in shock.

Alyssa was the first to speak, scowling, "Why are you eavesdropping on our private conversation?"

"If I didn't eavesdrop, you'd have sold my damn house behind my back!"

Alyssa sneered. "Fine. Since you heard everything, there's no point in hiding it."

She spread her hands nonchalantly. "My husband needs startup capital. It's an emergency. If you mortgage this place and lend us the money, he might even bring you along once he strikes it rich."

"Not a chance in hell," I said coldly. "Your husband needs cash, so you want to sell the home I share with your sister?"

"What, if the business succeeds, the profits are yours, but if it fails, we take the fall? You sure know how to calculate, don't you?"

Having her scam exposed made Alyssa's face turn pale with embarrassment.

"You make it sound like we won't pay you back!"

"It's just one house! Once my husband makes his millions, he'll return every cent!"

"Or are you just so useless that you can't stand seeing other people succeed?"

Realizing she couldn't break me, she pivoted back to Natalie.

"Natalie, tell me I'm right! Look at him―he rots at home all day. Does he look like a real man to you?"

"In other families, men are out there conquering the world! What about him? He lies around the house at his age, completely incapable of shouldering a man's responsibility!"

"Forget about now―what happens when you have kids? How will your child introduce their father?"

"Will they say their dad is an unemployed bum? Or a pretty boy living off his wife?"

Natalie had looked ready to defend me, but at those last words, her mouth hung open, and she swallowed her defense.

Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, my heart turned to ice.

Over the past few years, even though I didn't work a traditional nine-to-five, I made solid money through gaming and managed all our household meals.

I had never been idle for a single day.

Yet just a few poisonous words from Alyssa had made my wife doubt me.

Just as I stood there in shock, the doorbell rang.

Alyssa rushed over to open it, a triumphant gleam flashing across her face.

A bad feeling crept into my gut.

The moment the guest stepped inside, I realized I had walked right into a setup.