Wife Secretly Did IVF; My Exposed Identity Drove Her Mad

The day before our wedding anniversary, I happened to see a reminder text come through on my wife's phone.

Ms. Pruitt, tomorrow is your scheduled IVF appointment with your husband, Rufus Henson. Please arrive within your booking window.

I froze.

Rufus was my wife's childhood sweetheart.

And Rowena Pruitt and I had never booked any IVF.

Just then the bathroom door opened, and I set the phone back where it had been without thinking.

She picked it up, glanced at the screen, and turned to me with an apologetic look.

"Babe, something urgent just came up at the office. I have to travel for it. I don't think I can be with you tomorrow."

"Don't worry, once I'm free I'll make it up to you."

Then she left me standing there and settled into an animated conversation with someone in the bedroom.

At the same time, Rufus posted on his social media feed: a photo of an IVF appointment notice, and a pair of hands clasped together.

On one of those hands was the anniversary ring I'd given Rowena.

The caption read: "She may not be able to conceive naturally, but as long as there's enough love, she'll find a way."

I saved the image, then sent my lawyer a message.

"Draw up a divorce agreement for me."

1.

When I went back into the bedroom, Rowena was sitting at her vanity, texting Rufus.

I came in. She didn't look at me.

"Go to sleep first. I still have work messages to deal with."

I lifted my head.

The vanity mirror threw back her chat with Rufus.

"Rowena, tomorrow's the IVF day. I'm so excited. I'm finally going to have a child of my own."

A faint smile touched her face.

"Rufus, I know you never wanted to marry, but I promised you I'd give you a child."

"It just never happened naturally. If the IVF takes, at least your wish comes true."

"Still, your husband's going to be pretty upset about this, isn't he? He was always against us being too close before."

Rowena gave a cold laugh.

"Don't worry about him. Three years of marriage and he's lived off me the whole time. Everything he has today is thanks to me. He should count himself lucky I haven't divorced him already."

"If he finds out, I'll just come clean. And if he dares object, he'll have no one to blame but himself."

Reading it, a chill spread through me.

Three years married, and it was true, I'd never gone out to work.

But what Rowena didn't know

was that every time she left the house, I stayed home going over investment deals.

And that before we married, I already owned a state-level publicly listed company.

That once my parents were gone, the Fortune 500 company under their name would pass to me as well.

Back when Rowena couldn't raise capital for her startup, it was I who arranged the people who invested in it.

The reason I'd never told her any of this

was because of a request my grandfather made before he passed.

He said that if I ever married Rowena, I should keep my identity to myself for five years.

Because five years is long enough to see a person clearly.

In his eyes, Rowena was not someone I could lay everything bare to.

At first I refused, but with his time running out, I had no choice but to agree.

So when we married, my parents attended the wedding only as ordinary working people.

To this day, Rowena still thinks I'm nobody in particular.

But I hadn't been idle.

Because I loved her, every time Rowena came home I'd have the desserts she liked ready.

The housework done.

I even had warm water waiting for her feet on time, so she'd feel what a home was supposed to feel like.

And now, just over three years into the marriage, my grandfather's words had come true.

What's more, judging by the line on Rufus's feed,

this IVF wasn't some spur-of-the-moment thing.

They'd been carrying on together for a long time. Rowena had long wanted to give him a child,

and it was only because she kept failing to conceive that they'd turned to IVF.

Which meant Rowena had betrayed me long ago.

The two of them had slept together more times than I could count.

The next morning, when I woke up, Rowena was already gone.

There was a message on my phone she'd left before leaving.

"Honey, no idea when the project will wrap up. I'll make it up to you when I'm back."

"Made you breakfast. Eat it when you're up."

I walked out of the bedroom and saw a fried egg and a bowl of porridge on the table.

It didn't look like much, and it didn't taste like much either.

Still, this was the first time in all my memory that Rowena had ever cooked.

The way I saw it, it was probably just some soothing excuse she'd tossed off without thinking.

I dumped the food into the trash.

Then I called a subordinate I hadn't contacted in a long time.

When the line connected, his voice came through, thrilled.

"Mr. Dickerson, you finally reached out."

"Back then you said you wanted to be with Ms. Pruitt, told us not to contact you unless it was life or death."

"So now you're... planning to come back?"

I nodded.

"There's no need to spread word of my return."

"Also, pull Rowena's company financial statements for me. Aside from normal business turnover, compile every other irregular record."

Back when Rowena started her company, I had my people put in the investment for her, taking a stake of over forty percent. In a sense, Rowena was working for me.

But a year ago, ever since Rowena brought Rufus back into her life,

she started dipping into company money on her own to buy him gifts and cover his spending.

At first, I reminded her this violated the shareholder agreement.

But Rowena just got impatient.

Said Rufus had gone through a lot of hardship trying to build his own business out there.

They were childhood sweethearts.

They'd grown up together.

Now that she'd made it, she said, she ought to look after him more.

They were glued together every day, and I only assumed it was the deep bond of old friends.

I didn't care about that money.

After all, the money was all mine, quietly invested through her. As long as I didn't press the issue, no one would say a word.

I even figured that someday, if Rowena ran short on funds, I could put in a little more and it would be fine.

But looking at it now, I'd been naive.

Since she'd chosen to betray me,

I wouldn't keep tolerating it.

Around noon, Rowena sent me a message.

"Honey, the project's moving fast. I should finish today. If it goes quickly, I can come back tomorrow, and I'll bring you a present."

Before I could reply, I saw Rufus's post.

In the photo, a long, slender petri dish, and a pair of hands forming a heart.

The caption: "IVF going smoothly. Waiting for our little life to hatch!"

There were plenty of comments below.

"Rufus, weren't you a committed bachelor? How come you suddenly want a kid?"

"Won't get married, but willing to have your baby? Don't tell me it's Rowena's."

"Isn't it obvious? Rowena treats Rufus so well she even bought him a sports car worth millions. What's one kid on top of that?"

"But isn't Rowena... married? Her husband..."

"He's a waste. You forget last time at our get-together, Rowena said she was fooled by his looks back then."

"Looking at it now, he's just a good-for-nothing kept man. Give her another shot and she'd never marry him."

"She kept refusing to have his kid because she was afraid the kid would end up as useless as her husband."

Someone tagged Rowena, asking what she'd do if I found out.

When Rufus first came back, he'd added me as a friend.

It seemed she hadn't told Rowena.

Or maybe he'd forgotten I was still on his friend list.

A moment later, Rowena replied:

"So he finds out. So what."

"Just a waste who lives off me. How could he ever compare to Rufus?"

Everything below it was mockery aimed at me.

My chest wrenched, and it suddenly came back to me.

A while ago, I'd brought up having a child.

But Rowena always used the excuse that the company was in its growth phase and she couldn't be distracted.

She wouldn't even have a normal married life with me, always claiming she was too tired.

Yet now she was willing to do IVF for Rufus.

So it turned out,

it wasn't the fear of holding the company back.

She simply wasn't willing to have one for me.

Just then, Rowena sent me a photo.

A table of rich, nourishing dishes, and a selfie of her.

"Honey, Rufus said he didn't want you to worry, so he told me to send you a team-dinner photo to see."

"You eat well too. I'll be back soon."

Beside her, Rufus was throwing up a victory sign, a taunting smile all over his face.

I let out a cold laugh and replied:

"Come back whenever you want."

"Don't bother coming back at all, for all I care."

The message had barely gone out.

The next second Rowena called and started yelling at me.

"Lucius, what's with the snide little digs?"

"We just closed a big deal today, everyone's in a good mood, and here you are trying to ruin it for everyone again, is that it?"

Right then Rufus chimed in beside her, all wounded.

"Rowena, don't be too hard on Lucius. He's probably just upset because today's your wedding anniversary, and you're not with him, you're with me. That's all it is."

"The project's done anyway, so why don't you head back first? I'll handle the afternoon accounts myself."

But Rowena's voice went cold.

"No. If he wants to make a scene, then let him."

"I've figured it out. Every time I'm with you, Rufus, he goes looking for trouble!"

"Now he can't even sit through a meal without picking a fight. I've spoiled him rotten, that's what it is!"

She turned and laid into me again.

"Lucius, do you think you matter that much to me?"

"Don't forget, everything you eat, drink, and live in comes from me. You're worthless on your own!"

Then someone in the background muttered, low.

"Rowena, why don't you just spell it out for him? He's not worthy of you anyway."

I heard Rowena tell the person to shut up.

I didn't press her further.

Their clumsy little act just struck me as funny.

Back in the day, when the two of them got too close, I used to say something to Rowena about it.

At first, she'd still explain herself to me.

Later it turned into flat, heavy impatience.

And over time.

Unreasonable.

Petty.

Kept man.

In her mouth, those became my names.

She'd tear me to shreds, then come back and soothe me.

Twisting it all around until I was the one making a fuss over nothing.

And I loved her so deeply that I kept fooling myself.

But now the proof was solid, and she still wanted to run the same old trick.

Did she take me for an idiot?

Right then, I let out a faint, cold laugh.

"Rowena, what exactly do you mean by not going easy on me?"

"Divorce? Fine. I'm waiting for it."

At that, the line went quiet for a beat.

"Lucius, I'm working. Are you done or n?!"

I hung up before she could finish.

That night Rowena called a few more times, and I let all of them ring out.

Early the next morning, I'd just gotten up when the bedroom door flew open.

Rowena walked in and glared at me, furious.

"Lucius, are you finished throwing your fit?"

"You think you can threaten me with divorce? You really think I wouldn't dare?!"

I frowned.

I was about to speak when Rufus came in from the hall.

He looked at me, smiling.

"Lucius, you know Rowena and I work at the same company."

"We're not in the same department, but all I did yesterday was go with her to talk over a project. Bringing up divorce with her over something this small is a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?"

He walked over and clapped me on the shoulder.

"Lucius, as a man, it's better to let some things slide. After all, a kept man goes down easier when he stays soft about it."

My face darkened, and I knocked his hand off with a sharp slap.

Then I laughed under my breath.

"You want me to be gracious about it?"

"Fine. Then hurry up and get married, and let me take your wife to bed and give her a kid too. Be a little gracious yourself."

At my words, both their faces changed.

They exchanged a glance, and Rufus forced a dry laugh.

"Lucius, didn't I just say it? I only went out with Rowena for one trip. That's going a little too far, don't you think?"

Rowena glared at me too, furious.

"Lucius, are you sick? How can you talk about Rufus like that!"

"He came over today just to clear things up with you to your face!"

"Now apologize to him!"

I laughed coldly.

"Apologize? Is he worth it?"

At that, Rufus turned wounded at once.

"Rowena, forget it. Looks like only my leaving you for good will put out Lucius's anger."

"I'd better just go."

He turned and left.

Rowena rushed after him.

Before she went, she cursed at me.

"Lucius, don't throw away the face I'm giving you! I'll give you one last chance to reflect. When I get back, I want to see you apologize to Rufus!"

And with that, she stormed out.

The room went quiet all at once.

I steadied myself, then headed to Waverly headquarters.

When I walked into the president's office, one of my people came in with a stack of files to report.

"Mr. Dickerson, I've looked into it. Rowena and Rufus are scheduled for the embryo transfer three days from now."

"They were able to go through with the IVF because Rowena paid to forge a marriage certificate."

I nodded.

"Go on."

He pulled out another file.

"Mr. Dickerson, this is a report on the company funds Rowena has diverted for her own use over the past year and change."

"Most of it went to buying Rufus luxury goods. Nearly fifty million in total."

"Under the contract, she's already in serious breach of the shareholder agreement."

I looked at the strings of numbers on the page, my eyes cold.

Her company's total earnings didn't even reach a hundred million a year.

She'd spent more than half a year's earnings on Rufus.

"Send it to legal. Tell them to have all the evidence organized within three days."

"Yes, sir."

Not long after he left, a message came in from Rowena.

"Lucius, where did you go?!"

"Get back here right now and apologize to Rufus!"

I didn't answer. I set the phone face down on the desk.

The hours that followed.

Every so often, Rowena sent another message.

When she wasn't asking where I was, she was cursing me out.

"Lucius, if you're going to sulk and stay away, then don't come back at all!"

For the next two days, she didn't message me again.

Not until early on the third day, when another message came through.

Her tone had softened a good deal.

"Lucius, Rufus told me not to be angry with you anymore."

"But don't let it happen again. If you ever mouth off to him like that, I'll divorce you."

"I have a business trip today. I might be back the same day, or I might be gone a while."

"Message me when you get back. Don't just go silent like a corpse."

I still didn't answer.

Just then one of my people came in and showed me a stretch of surveillance footage.

On the screen, Rowena and Rufus were walking into a clinic.

Along with their conversation.

"Rowena, today's the embryo transfer. I never thought I'd actually get to be a father."

Rowena's voice went soft.

"Rufus, I told you I'd give you a child, and I meant it."

"But what if I start showing in a few months? What about Lucius"

"Don't worry. I'll tell him there's a project overseas that needs following. I'll say I'm away on a year-long trip, we have the baby, then we come back."

Then Rowena walked into the procedure room.

I stood up, cold.

"To the clinic."

On the way, a message from Rufus came out of nowhere.

"You've seen everything I posted by now, haven't you? Didn't expect you to have this much patience."

"You still can't tell she doesn't want you? Why not hurry up and file for divorce yourself?"

"Oh, I get it. You can't bear to give up her money, can you?"

"Don't kid yourself. You won't get a single cent!"

"I'll tell you straight. Rowena is having her embryo transfer right now."

"She won't give you a child, but she's about to be pregnant with mine. You've got a marriage certificate and nothing else. What good is that?"

"In the end, to us, you're nothing but a joke."

I didn't reply.

I closed the phone and reached the clinic.

Just then Rowena was coming out of the embryo transfer room.

When she saw me, she frowned.

"Lucius, what are you doing here?"

I looked at her coldly.

"You did IVF with Rufus, and now you're doing an embryo transfer so you can have his baby."

"You're asking me what I'm doing here?"

Before Rowena could speak, Rufus put on that frail act again and stepped up to plead with me.

"Lucius, don't fight with Rowena. This is all my fault. I'm the one who was diagnosed with low sperm quality, and she couldn't bear to leave me all alone, so she did this."

"If you want to blame someone, blame me."

But then, in a voice only I could hear, he sneered.

"What, here to make a scene again? Loser."

The moment he finished, I slapped him across the face.

"I'll settle my account with you later. For now, get out of the way!"

Rowena flew into a rage.

"Lucius, what do you think you're doing!"

But the next second, another slap landed on her face.

Her eyes went wide, staring at me in disbelief.

"Lucius, you dared to hit me?!"

I looked at her coldly.

"You two, a cheating pair. You both deserve it!"

Then something seemed to click for her, and she gave a cold laugh.

"I know what this is. You're jealous of Rufus, aren't you?!"

"That's right! So what if I did IVF with him? Not only that, I'm going to have his baby too!"

"I just won't give you a child. I'll give Rufus one instead."

"You're jealous, aren't you? Then I'll let you be jealous to your heart's content!"

"Now that you've found out, you'll just have to put up with it from here on, or we divorce."

"Do you dare? Could you bear to?"

I watched her smug, self-satisfied face and let out a faint laugh.

"Good thing you admitted it yourself."

Her brow creased at once.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ms. Pruitt, this is your walk-away-with-nothing settlement and your removal notice."

Behind me, the lawyer stopped the recording, stepped forward, and held out two documents.

"And a reminder, while we're at it. Mr. Dickerson is the president of the Waverly Group, which makes him the largest shareholder of your company."