She Faked Cancer to Run With Her Lover,Then Her Mother Gave Me Everything

My wife said she had to work late.

With nothing else to do, I lay in bed scrolling through videosuntil I stumbled across one posted just ten minutes ago by a guy who'd been a year below me in college.

My goddess of a senior wants to take me on a trip abroad, but she's worried her husband and his family will get suspicious.

"Help us out here, people. We need ideas."

I tapped into the comments.

Plenty of helpful suggestions, as it turned out.

The top-voted comment recommended that his "goddess" fake a cancer diagnosis, then ask for a divorce. After that, she could claim she was going abroad for treatmentalone. Her husband would stay home to take care of things. Once she'd had her fun, she could come back whenever she felt like it.

I shook my head with a wry smile and swiped away.

At three in the morning, my wife came home from work looking exhausted. Her face was pale, her voice hollow. "Honey, the company did health screenings today. They found breast cancer. Late-stage."

"I don't want to drag you down. Let's get a divorce."

I stared at Patricia Gilbert for a long time.

What she'd just said

Why did it sound exactly like that top comment on the video?

Could it be...

Was she the "senior goddess" that guy was talking about?

I immediately dismissed the thought.

Ever since we got married, Patricia had been a good wifebeautiful and kind-hearted.

There was no way she'd cheat on me.

I was overthinking this.

I took a deep breath and pulled her into my arms.

"Honey, we're husband and wife. We made vows. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in healthwe promised to stay by each other's side, no matter what."

"I don't care what illness you have. I'd die before I leave you."

Patricia shoved me away.

"Luther Chavez, can you just accept reality?"

"I have cancer! Late-stage cancer!"

"I don't have much time left."

"Just think of this as granting my final wish."

"Please?"

Tears streamed down her face. Watching her cry made my heart ache.

Under these circumstances

Of course I wasn't going to argue with her. Instead, I pulled her back into my arms, my voice thick. "Honey, tell me. What do you want me to do?"

"Whatever it is, I'll do it. No questions asked."

Patricia stopped sobbing. She lifted her head, cupped my face in her hands, and said softly, her eyes red-rimmed, "Honey, I wasn't actually working late tonight."

"Then why did you come home so late?"

"I went to see a friend's younger brother. He went to the same school as ushe's a junior there now. He told me about a new laser therapy abroad that can eliminate 99.99% of cancer cells in a patient's body."

"I didn't know if it was real, so I went to ask him about it in person."

The moment I heard "junior"

It made me even more suspicious that the "goddess senior" in that video was her.

Almost certainly her.

But I didn't call her out. Didn't confront her.

Instead, I played along. "So what did he say?"

"He said the treatment is real, but it's expensive. I want to use the money in our joint account to pay for it. Even if there's just the tiniest chance, I don't want to give up."

"You'll support me, won't you, honey?"

"Of course I will."

I nodded, then kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'll drop everything and go abroad with you for treatment."

"If it's about money, I'll sell everything we own. I'd sell a kidney if I had to."

The moment she heard that, Patricia took two steps back.

"You don't know your way around over there. Besides, the junior is coming with me. You stay here and look after my parents."

"This new treatment is risky. I might die, so I need you to lie to my parents for me."

"Tell them I died of cancer. If the treatment actually works, I'll come back and surprise them."

I frowned. "You think they'll buy that?"

"Trust me, my parents are easy to fool. If they insist on seeing my body, just tell them I didn't want them to grieve, so you had me cremated at the funeral home and scattered my ashes at seaper my last wishes."

"You've really thought this through."

"Tomorrow we'll get divorced, then I'll go abroad for treatment."

"You're just going for treatment, not dying. Do we really have to divorce?"

"My junior from college said there's a new policy over thereunmarried women with breast cancer get a discount on the experimental therapy."

"Honey, I'm trying to save you money. Can't you understand? Besides, it's just a fake divorce, not a real one. Once I'm better, I'll come back and we'll get remarried."

"If it's for your own good, I won't argue."

"Thank you, honey. I love you so much."

Seeing me agree, Patricia finally smiled and stood on her tiptoes to give me a quick peck on the lips.

The next morning, we went to the County Clerk's Office and finalized the divorce.

She said she needed to meet with her college junior to discuss the overseas treatment.

Then she left.

Less than thirty minutes later, that college junior of hers posted a new video.

"Thanks for all the advice, everyone! My goddess successfully faked an illness to escape her husband's control. We've got our ticketsHawaii, here we come!"

"I've been waiting for this day for so long. Once we're in Hawaii, I'll post regular updates about our life together."

"You'll all get to witness our happiness!"

The video came with photos. No faces, but two people holding hands, fingers intertwined.

I could clearly see the woman's sleevea black blouse with a floral pattern. The same blouse I had personally picked out and bought for Patricia.

If yesterday was just suspicion, now I was certain.

This "goddess" he kept talking about was my wife.

It felt like a boulder had dropped onto my chest. I could barely breathe.

We'd been married for years. Happy years.

I never imagined that one day, I'd be the one getting cheated on.

That night, Patricia didn't come home.

She texted me saying she was planning the trip abroad with her junior. Their flight was early the next morning.

I asked if she wanted me to see her off at the airport.

She said no need.

After that, my messages went unanswered.

I put down my phone and took a deep breath.

She was probably wrapped up with him right now.

If I kept texting, I'd just look pathetic.

I barely slept that night.

The next day, Patricia and her junior showed up at the airport.

They walked close together, laughing and chatting. Sharing a cookie between them. Couldn't even walk without being all over each other.

The way they clung to each otherthey looked more like a married couple than we ever did.

The worst part? They walked right past me.

Patricia didn't even notice.

I kept my expression blank and recorded everything.

Only after their plane took off did I head home.

Meanwhile, the junior posted another video.

The photo showed two people holding hands as they boarded the plane.

"Hey everyone, boarding now with my goddess!"

"Destination: Hawaii."

"I think I might be the happiest man alive right now!"

The comments were full of envy and congratulations.

Wyatt replied to each one earnestly.

When someone in the comments asked, "What about your goddess's husband?"

Wyatt responded: "Who cares about him? Just some greasy middle-aged loser, always looking like a slob, reeking of body odor."

"My goddess had to lie next to him every night. Pure torture."

"But it's all good nowthey're divorced. From here on out, she's all mine."

"She's finally free!"

Since Wyatt's profile had videos showing his face, everyone could see he was young, handsome, and full of energy.

So nobody called him out for wrecking a marriage.

Instead, they all wished him and his goddess a happily-ever-after.

Reading this made my blood boil. I made a burner account and left a comment: "Your goddess had a baby with another man. That doesn't bother you?"

Less than two minutes later, Wyatt replied.

"Ha! You think my goddess would ever have a kid with that guy?"

"They didn't have children?"

"She got pregnant once, but I didn't want my goddess ruining her figure from childbirth. So I talked her into getting rid of it."

When I saw that reply, rage shot straight to my head.

So that's why Patricia could never get pregnant these past few years. We'd gone to the hospital, ran all the testsnothing wrong with either of us.

Her parents had even tried to comfort me, telling me not to stress about it. Pregnancy happens when it happens. Just let nature take its course.

But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this.

There was nothing wrong with our bodies. Patricia could get pregnant.

She had been pregnant. She just never told anyone. Then, at Wyatt's urging, she went behind everyone's backs and quietly had it aborted.

I fought down the urge to kill someone and typed: "You talked her into an abortion. Aren't you afraid of karma?"

Wyatt replied: "Me? Afraid of karma? Ha! Don't make me laugh. There's no such thing."

"As long as my goddess belongs to me and only me."

"Even if lightning struck me down, I'd take it."

"Anyway, gotta gomy goddess and I are off to enjoy our romantic getaway in Hawaii. Later! Catch you in the next video."

After that, Wyatt stopped replying.

And I made a major decision in my heart.

A few days later.

We were eating dinner when my in-laws asked where Patricia was.

They hadn't seen her in days.

I hesitated before answering. "Mom, Dad... Patricia's been busy with a lot of things."

They seemed a little suspicious, but accepted the explanation.

Then, a week later, they got into a car accident.

Calvin Gilbert died at the scene.

Nora Gilbert was badly injured.

Fortunately, after emergency treatment at the hospital, her life was no longer in danger.

But when she learned her husband was dead, she wept uncontrollably, passing out several times.

I stayed at the hospital caring for her for two weeks.

The question she asked most often during that time:

"Where's my daughter?"

I never gave her a straight answer.

Until today.

I had just finished cleaning out her bedpan and was walking back into the room.

She dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.

"Luther, ever since you married into our family..."

"I've treated you like my own son."

"Please. I'm begging you. Tell me what happened to my daughter."

"Why can't I get through when I call her?"

"Ask her coworkers."

"They all said she quit a long time ago."

"What exactly happened between you two?"

I hurried to help my mother-in-law up.

There was no hiding it anymore.

I let out a long sigh. "Mom, Patricia... she passed away from breast cancer. Her body was cremated, and her ashes were scattered at sea, just like she wanted."

"Wh-what?"

My mother-in-law froze, staring at me in disbelief.

I wiped my eyes and choked out an explanation.

I told her it happened over two weeks ago.

Patricia had discovered she had late-stage breast cancer.

She didn't want her family to suffer.

So she chose to bear it alone, in silence.

"Why didn't she tell us sooner?"

"Patricia said she wanted to keep it from you as long as she could."

"You... you two..."

My mother-in-law was shaking with anger and grief. First her husband, now her daughterthe double blow was too much. She collapsed, unconscious.

When she woke up, she cried until she lost her voice.

Later, I got a text from Patricia using an unknown number.

"How are my parents?"

"You didn't tell them the truth, did you?"

I smiled and replied: "Did exactly what you asked."

"You're the best, babe. Keep covering for me."

"Something happened at home. Are you coming back?"

"I'm busy. Whatever it is, don't bother me with it."

"Just handle things there."

I sent another message. No response. Again.

Patricia.

Keep having fun with your little boyfriend.

A cold smile tugged at my lips.

After that, all contact between us stopped completely.

The only updates I got were from videos her boyfriend postedthe two of them living it up.

As for home, my mother-in-law was a ghost of herself after leaving the hospital. She wandered around the house muttering to herself. I could see itshe was on the edge of losing her mind.

One day, she called me to her room. She handed me a sealed envelope, her eyes red and raw.

"Luther," she said, "I can't hold on much longer. I'm afraid I'll lose my mind completely. Before that happens, take this. It's everything the Gilbert family owns."