After Mark sent a helpless emoji, he quoted Cassie's words. [Jane, are you okay? It’s all my fault for not holding back.]
I didn’t reply. Instead, I reached out to my best friend in obstetrics and gynecology.
“Jane, I’m on annual leave. Wait until I get back and I’ll check you.”
Five days isn't long. I can wait.
Mark returned in a drunk state, with a wheel of blue cheese that I hate, in his hand. He leaned over the bed and whispered to me, "Honey, I bought you some blue cheese. Smell it! It's so fragrant …"
Fighting back my nausea, I slapped him awake. "Get out!"
Only when he saw me pinching my nose and frowning did Mark finally recall that the smell of blue cheese made me nauseous. He scrambled out the door with the cheese.
By dawn the next day, the smell had finally dissipated.
He’d prepared a table full of steaming breakfast dishes and called me to eat.
"Honey, Cassie said, places will be crowded during the Independence Day Holiday, so she doesn’t want to go to Japan anymore. I've canceled the tickets and hotel.”
He mentioned her as casually as if yesterday's events had never happened.
"Oh, it’s okay. After all, it's not good to go out and nd squeeze in crowds during early pregnancy; it can easily harm the baby."
Cassie was the one who had insisted on joining our trip. Now she was the one using crowds as an excuse to stay home. The reason was obvious.
But Mark suddenly slammed his utensils down.
"Jane! You're truly unreasonable!"
“When you admit you’re wrong, I’ll come home!”
He grabbed his car keys and stormed out and for the next few days, he did not return home.
From that small group chat, I already knew he was staying at Cassie's place.
They were inseparable, looking like a married couple.
Their friends could not resist teasing them.
[Mark, you two are so blatant—aren't you afraid that Jane, that tigress, will cripple you?]
[Fear my ass! If she won't trust me, I might as well make it official—get Cassie pregnant and shove it in her face! She's the one pushing me to this!]
Everyone praised his boldness and skill at taming his wife.
But as I stared at the information my bestie had dug up, a chill ran down my spine, because Cassie was really pregnant.
They staged this whole charade just to pin everything on me.
I had to hand it to them — their acting and patience were impressive. They managed to keep it completely hidden from all our other friends.
Obviously, Mark knew about Cassie's pregnancy for a while. That was why he defended her so fiercely, smashing cake at me, forcing my apology, hurting me, driving me away...
After thanking my best friend, I dialed Mark's number. It rang for ages before he picked up. The background sound was a mix of Cassie's quettish laughter mingled with others' cheers.
“Hello? Have you calmed down enough? Do you know your mistakes?”
"I'm at Cassie's. If you want to apologize, come visit and pick me up on your way home.” His voice filled with condescension and impatience.
"Fine."
He paused for a second, then laughed triumphantly. “Then prepare an apology gift for Cassie. Don't show up empty-handed.”
He hung up impatiently and gloated in the group chat.
[It's happening! Jane is coming to beg forgiveness, begging me to come home!]
[You guys better come watch! No one backing out of those bets, got it?]
The group instantly erupted with excitement. Everyone was eager to see how I’d grovel for forgiveness.
Some even teased him. [Mark, after working day and night, did you manage to plant seeds?]
[I can’t wait to see your tigress wife’s breakdown in tears in a month when she realizes she personally delivered you to Cassie’s bed!]
People who watch the commotion really don't mind making a big deal out of things! Since everyone's so eager, I might as well oblige.
When I arrived at Cassie's house, all eyes were on me with mocking curiosity.
"Jane, I heard you're here to beg forgiveness?”
“Wrong. The one who should be begging forgiveness isn't me.”
I flung a stack of evidence onto Mark’s lap with a cold smile. “Remember what I said on your birthday?”
The moment he looked at it, his face turned pale, but he still insisted on playing dumb.
“How should I know what you said? I told you to bring a substantial gift to apologize to Cassie and this is what you prepared?”
I pulled the self-defense baton from my pocket and extended it fully.
“Don't worry, you'll remember soon enough! The grand gift you wanted is here!”
