I didn't reply to any of her messages and happily pulled out the SIM card. Well, guess Howard could say goodbye to his cheating life. This was just the start. I had more surprises in store for him. My wife's mood took a sour turn for the next few days.
Even after recovery, all she did was stay at home, though she looked obviously out of it. It wasn't a surprise. She had been looking forward to another affair session after recovery, but she was stood up. She had even happily shaved and went through her skincare routine the night before in preparation for her date.
I pretended to know nothing about it and asked while looking at her, "Oh, not going out with friends today?"

"Yeah. Not feeling it."
"Did you get into a fight, or did they find another date?"
My wife choked on her words for a moment. In a fit of embarrassment, she snapped, "I just didn't feel like it. Don't you be sarcastic with me!" She stormed into the bedroom before I could say anything.
I saw my dejected wife off. Everything felt like a joke. Howard was in a world of trouble, and he probably couldn't come out of this unscathed. Naturally, he had no time for his affair. This was supposed to be just a sexual relationship, but Queenie seemed to have developed feelings for him.
The next day, my mother-in-law gave me a call. She wanted to break bread with me. When we were on the way, my wife wouldn't stop reapplying her makeup. "I bet my folks are going to talk about Jack's marriage. He's my only sibling, so you should help him out if you can."
She commented, "You know what girls are like. No one's going to marry a guy if he doesn't have a car and house."

I kept my eyes on the road. Calmly, I asked, "He bought a car two years ago, didn't he? His house just got refurbished last year. Isn't that enough?"
My wife froze for a moment, then she looked displeased. "What do you know? His car only cost 100 thousand or so. Girls want expensive cars. Everyone gets an expensive model before they get married."
She berated, "Yeah, the house is refurbished, but it's in the countryside. It's nothing compared to a house in the city. You know what girls are like. They're not going to date a guy if he doesn't have an expensive house."
I sneered. 'Heh, so you know your family's dirt poor too, huh?' Queenie came from a poor family, but fortunately, her grades were good, and she worked part time during her studies until she got her PhD. She was modestly successful now.

I was a city boy, and my parents were working-class people. I started a business when I was still a student, and I made good money myself. Since we got hitched, Queenie's parents and brother would show up from time to time to snag some freebies from me.
Her brother, especially, dropped out of school because his family spoiled him, and he leeched off them until now. Well, I said he leeched off them, but in reality, his parents didn't have the money, so they asked for Queenie's help. Queenie didn't make a lot of money, so she took it from me instead.
I was the one who paid for Jack's new car two years ago and their house's refurbishment. She conveniently forgot that and thought everything her family had was a result of her hard work. Well, the only work she had done was in bed, and with someone else. What a joke.
I wanted to boot her out of the car and leave her stranded, but I held back. Calmly, I said, "I know, I know."
That cheered her up slightly. She tucked her makeup stuff away and sat quietly. We reached an expensive restaurant a while later. This place's food cost a small fortune. My in-laws were the ones who made all the orders.
They ordered all the expensive stuff on the menu. Before the waiter left, they made sure to put in an order for two bottles of expensive wine. One for here, and one to go.
Once the orders were made, my father-in-law coughed nonstop. Queenie's mother patted his back and complained, "I can't believe you still ordered booze. You're going to kill yourself someday."
"What do you know, woman?" my father-in-law snapped.
"You should get that looked at, Dad. You can't just let the cough build up," Queenie said, worried.
"I said the same thing, but your father said modern medicine's a hoax. He wouldn't stop complaining about how expensive the meds are. What do you say, George?" My mother-in-law looked at me.
I nodded. "If he doesn't trust modern medicine, we can always go for alternative meds. Queenie and her friend go for acupuncture sessions a lot. She knows more about it. Ask her. She can lead the way."
Queenie froze, and her face paled. She then chided, "What are you talking about?"