The Cat Next Door Knew His Secret

My neighbor abandoned her cat, so I took it in. It wanted nothing to do with me, but it kept clinging to my husband and meowing at him. That made me suspicious. One night, while my husband claimed he was working late, I knocked on my neighbor’s door. She stroked her slightly rounded belly. “Ms. Bennett, what brings you here so late?” The challenge and smug satisfaction in her eyes told me everything. When my husband tiptoed home in the early hours, he found both sets of parents waiting. And a divorce agreement on the coffee table. “A divorce?” “Claire Bennett, you’re throwing away seven years over some stupid cat?” Without even reading it, Ethan Reed grabbed the divorce agreement and hurled it at the ragdoll rubbing against his legs. “If you won’t sign, we’ll settle this in court.” I said it calmly, then turned toward the bedroom. Our parents stared at us in disbelief. They couldn’t understand how a couple who’d still looked like lovesick newlyweds last month could suddenly be getting divorced. Ethan lowered his head to hide the panic in his eyes. His clenched fists trembled. His parents rushed over to stop me. “Claire, you can’t accuse Ethan of cheating because of a cat! Some cats naturally prefer men. What does that prove?” “We’ve all seen how well Ethan treats you. When you had that terrible fever from the flu, he stayed at your hospital bedside for forty-eight hours without sleeping. When you fell while climbing, he sold his shares and spent a fortune bringing in the best medical team.” “Does all of that mean less to you than a cat?” My parents tried to reason with me, too. “Where will you find another husband as good as Ethan?” “Your injuries left you unable to have children. You’re lucky Ethan doesn’t hold that against you. Don’t you realize that?” Ethan suddenly grabbed my hand. His red-rimmed eyes were full of devotion, as though he loved me more than anything. “Honey, we dated for two years. We’ve been married for five. We didn’t let go of each other even when our lives were at risk. How can you doubt me over a cat?” “Is it because things have been going wrong at the company and I’ve been busy fixing them? Have you been feeling neglected?” “I swear, no matter how busy I am, I’ll come home on time from now on. I’ll spend every evening with you…” Everyone in that room seemed to love me. My in-laws were educated, reasonable people. They had always treated me well. My parents were more materialistic. They believed being with Ethan guaranteed me a comfortable life. But the cold resolve in my eyes never wavered. I pushed Ethan’s hand away. “I’ll say it again. Sign tonight, or I’ll see you in court.” “This is your last chance to keep some dignity.” Ethan’s eyes turned bloodshot. “Claire Bennett, how can you be so heartless?” “It’s simple. I don’t care about you anymore.” I couldn’t be bothered to argue. I opened the front door and walked out. Our parents’ disappointed sighs followed me. I didn’t hesitate. I only walked faster. The ragdoll slipped out behind me. I was sitting on a bench in the apartment complex’s park, staring into space, when I saw the cat chasing its former owner as she came downstairs to take out the trash. Vanessa Brooks kicked it hard in the head, disgust written all over her face. The ragdoll still refused to leave. I couldn’t watch. I went over to stop her, but the cat arched its back and hissed at me, claws out. Vanessa suddenly laughed. “Ms. Bennett, sometimes people are just like cats.” “If they don’t like you, they don’t like you. You can’t force it.” I looked at the challenge and superiority in her eyes, then glanced at her visibly rounded belly. Her meaning was clear. “You’re right.” “Neither a disloyal cat nor a disloyal person is worth keeping.” Ethan found us just then, looking anxious and alarmed. But not for me. “Claire Bennett, can you please act normal? I told you, the cat being friendly with me is a misunderstanding. It has nothing to do with our neighbor! Making a scene at home is one thing. How could you come out here and harass her? Can’t you see she’s pregnant?” Ethan had no idea what had happened. Just seeing Vanessa and me together had made him instinctively defend her and cast me as the jealous wife looking for trouble. I gave a bitter laugh. Even if Ethan still loved me, his love for Vanessa mattered more.Afraid I would keep harassing Vanessa, Ethan dragged me home. His parents looked furious. They had read the divorce agreement and thrown it straight into the trash. “Claire, what is this supposed to mean? Haven’t we treated you well? Asking for a divorce over a stupid cat is bad enough. Now you want Ethan to walk away with nothing?” “Have we been so good to you that you think you can walk all over us?” My parents flushed with shame. “You’ve gone too far. We won’t support you when you’re being unreasonable.” I didn’t bother explaining. My answer stayed the same. “If you don’t agree, I’ll see you in court.” The person who cheated deserved to leave with nothing. Ethan was so frantic his voice shook. “Claire, are you divorcing me for the money? You know the PINs to all my cards. You can spend whatever you want. Isn’t that enough?” Not all his cards. Or rather, that used to be true. Now Ethan had several new ones. Who knew how much he’d spent on Vanessa behind my back? I was about to point that out when someone knocked. Vanessa greeted everyone with an innocent smile. “I’m sorry to disturb you all so late.” “I saw Mr. Reed and Ms. Bennett arguing downstairs because of a misunderstanding about me. I felt terrible, so I came to check on you.” “Actually, Ms. Bennett wasn’t harassing me. She was taking her anger out on the cat. I couldn’t stand watching and said something. I shouldn’t have interfered. If she wants to hit me or yell at me, I deserve it.” My in-laws’ faces darkened. “Claire Bennett, you abused a cat and bullied this woman?” My parents looked heartbroken. “Claire, how did you turn into this?” None of them had noticed one thing. “Mr. Reed?” “Vanessa Brooks, so you know my husband. All those times we ran into each other, you never said hello to him. That must have taken some restraint.” Vanessa immediately lowered her head in panic. Like a startled deer, she stole a glance at Ethan, silently pleading for help over her supposedly innocent slip. Her right hand, wearing a glittering diamond ring, moved to her belly again. Panic and tenderness flashed through Ethan’s eyes before his expression returned to normal. “Yes, I know Vanessa. She’s a junior employee at my company. We’ve met a few times.” “I didn’t think she was important enough to mention, and I didn’t want you getting the wrong idea. That’s why I treated her like any other neighbor. Please, Claire. Don’t overthink this.” I almost laughed. If he had nothing to hide, why was he worried about me getting the wrong idea? And how could a junior employee afford a sprawling apartment in one of downtown’s most expensive buildings? When I didn’t respond, his father stood up angrily. “Claire Bennett, if you have proof, I won’t say a word about the divorce or dividing your assets! But if you think you can take everything Ethan owns based on a suspicion, you’re dreaming!” Before I could reply, Vanessa blinked and spoke first. “Take everything? Ms. Bennett, aren’t you going too far?” “You’ve never visited the office, but every employee knows how much Mr. Reed loves and spoils you. You don’t have another man, do you? Are you using me as an excuse to steal Mr. Reed’s money?” I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. “Watch your mouth.” “Ethan might let you get away with anything. I won’t.”For a moment, Ethan couldn’t stop his fists from clenching. He stared at me with open fury. It took him a few seconds to calm down. Then he turned to Vanessa, his eyes full of concern. “Are you okay?” Vanessa’s eyes were already red from crying. “I’m fine. I said the wrong thing. Ms. Bennett had every right to hit me. Please don’t fight because of me, Mr. Reed.” For the first time in our seven years together, Ethan spoke to me through gritted teeth. “Apologize to Vanessa. Now.” I sneered. “Why?” “She ran her mouth. She deserved it.” Ethan suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself as hard as he could. Half his face swelled red. “There. I took the slap for you.” “Claire, I’m begging you. Will you please stop this?” “Have you been cooped up at home too long since your injury? Has it affected your mental health? I promise, whatever’s wrong, I won’t abandon you.” “I’ll give you anything you want. Just stop asking for a divorce. Please?” “Not a chance,” I said without hesitation. “Ethan, every second I spend with you makes me sick. I can barely breathe.” His willingness to give in, and my refusal to budge. That was enough to make both sets of parents give up on me. His parents stood in anger. Before leaving, they delivered a cold warning. “If you insist on a divorce, we’ll fight you! But you won’t get a cent from this family. Whatever it costs, we’ll make sure you’re the one who leaves with nothing!” My parents shook their heads and sighed. “Claire, acting like this makes you the one at fault. When you have nothing left, you’ll regret it.” But was I the one at fault? No. Someone I’d paid inside Ethan’s company soon sent me a surveillance recording. I was watching it in the guest bedroom when Ethan knocked and came in. Afraid he would discover the evidence and destroy it, I quickly put in my wireless earbuds and put my phone away, leaving the audio playing. “Claire, what do you even stand to gain from divorcing me?” “You can’t have children. No other family with money like mine would want their son marrying you.” I looked at him with a cold smile. “Ethan, why can’t I have children?” Because I’d been injured in our second year of marriage. Ethan loved thrills. He was always trying extreme sports and asking me to come along. During one rock-climbing trip, he slipped and fell. I risked my life to catch him. He managed to steady himself on a jutting rock, but my strength gave out, and I fell. Everyone said I’d earned Ethan’s devotion with my life. Now he lowered his head guiltily and said nothing. Through my earbuds, I could clearly hear him and Vanessa laughing and flirting. “Ethan, skydiving was such a rush. I had so much fun. But I’m happy as long as you take me out once in a while. Isn’t moving me in next door to your wife a little risky?” After a series of muffled kisses, Ethan answered, “That’s what makes it exciting.” “Claire gets more boring every year. You’re the only one who makes me feel alive…”After secretly collecting enough evidence, I visited Ethan’s company to look into its finances. I didn’t want him hiding or transferring assets. Several longtime executives knew who I was and cooperated. Only Vanessa, emboldened by Ethan’s affection, kept getting in my way. She had someone lure me to the outdoor smoking area. With no one around, Vanessa dropped the act. “Claire Bennett, why couldn’t you just be a pampered house cat?” “You’re damaged goods. You can’t even have children. Ethan’s doing you a favor by keeping you around. Why insist on tearing everything apart and humiliating yourself?” I gave a cold laugh. “Fine. I won’t divorce him.” Vanessa froze. “What?” My smile widened. “You really are as stupid as you are shameless. You’re trying to provoke me into divorcing Ethan sooner so you can take my place, aren’t you?” “Unfortunately, even if you do take my place, all you’ll get is a pile of debt.” “Remember that ragdoll? You’re going to end up worse off than it did.” Vanessa must have seen the cat. It had grown so hungry that it came back to my door begging for food. I shut it out. Forced to fight stray cats for scraps, it had been bitten all over. It was a pitiful sight. Maybe the comparison struck a nerve. Vanessa charged at me, teeth clenched, ready to hit me. “You’re the unwanted piece of trash who’s about to get thrown out! How dare you say that about me?” Disgusted, I stepped aside. Vanessa lost her balance and hit the ground. Clutching her belly, she began to sob in pain. The commotion drew other people over. As soon as Ethan heard, he rushed back. Without asking what had happened, he grabbed me and demanded I apologize to Vanessa. I refused coldly. “She fell on her own. The security footage will prove it.” Ethan glared at me through gritted teeth. “Bullshit. There aren’t any cameras in the smoking area!” I was about to tell him there were when Vanessa rubbed her eyes and cried out. “Mr. Reed, don’t blame Ms. Bennett. It’s my fault for living next door and making her suspicious.” “Please ask her to leave me alone. If she hates me, she can bully me all she wants. But she can’t deliberately hurt my baby!” Ethan’s eyes widened. “Claire Bennett, you’d even hurt an unborn baby? That child is innocent!” “Innocent?” I laughed coldly. “Who even knows whose bastard it is—” Before I could finish, Ethan’s hand struck my face. “You’re beyond help!” “Claire Bennett, you brought this on yourself. Don’t blame me for being ruthless! You want to go to court? Fine. I’ll have my lawyers arrange the hearing tomorrow.” “There’s no place in my family for a twisted, heartless, jealous woman like you!” At that moment, we no longer felt like husband and wife. We were sworn enemies. And everyone, including my own parents, stood on Ethan’s side. Before the hearing, they were still trying to persuade me. “Claire, are you really having an affair?” “Everyone online says you’re a vicious slut working with another man to steal your husband’s money. Your reputation is ruined.” “Please come to your senses. Don’t destroy your last chance to fix this.” Ethan’s parents couldn’t even be bothered to look at me. “An ingrate will always be an ingrate. Nothing you do for them will ever be enough.” “Ethan, when she loses everything and comes crawling back, don’t you dare soften!” Ethan acted as though he was offering me charity with the last of his patience. “Admit you were wrong now, and I can pretend none of this happened.” “Otherwise, you’ll end up homeless and alone for the rest of your life.” I said nothing. I looked at the judge and waited for the hearing to begin. One sentence from the judge drained the color from Ethan’s confident face. Everyone stared in disbelief. “How… how is that possible?” “Ethan, what have you been doing behind our backs?”