The Copycat Husband

My husband is a copycat. He would buy a watch or a car just because his friend did so. Last year, his friend had an affair partner. He swiftly found one for himself, too. “Jonas and the gang all do this. It’ll look bad on me if I don’t have one.” The day I suffered a miscarriage and was hospitalized, he spent it with that woman, celebrating the 100th day anniversary of when they met. “Jonas spends his time with his other woman. It’ll look bad on me if I don’t do the same.” I went on my knees, begging him to sign the surgical consent form. Yet, he found me a killjoy and blocked me for three months. Subsequently, his friends’ wives all asked for a divorce and threatened to leave with half their assets. He rushed home immediately, deleted his affair partner from his contacts, and put on an apron to cook for me. “Honey, I’ve thought things through. From now on, I’ll learn from others and be a devoted husband.” I stared at the divorce agreement he had filed unilaterally and smiled. “What a coincidence. I’ve been learning from others recently, specifically in switching out my husband.” Chapter 1 “You’re learning from Jonas’ wife and cracking jokes like her, right?” Caleb chuckled. He gingerly placed a bowl of hot chicken soup on the bar counter and took off the apron. “Throwing a temper tantrum now, aren’t we? All wives in our circle do that sometimes. The husband just buys her a bag, and it’s over. “Rebecca, that’s quite enough. There should be a limit to your tantrum. “I know you’re mad at me for not going to the hospital with you a few months ago, but that’s exactly what Jonas did back then.” He looked boldly at me. “Everyone in our circle knows how much I dote on my wife. I only play along and join in the fun occasionally. Must you embarrass me in front of so many people?” I looked at him as a wave of nausea hit me. Three months ago, I fell down the stairs and started bleeding heavily down there. I called him 99 times, and he rejected all of them. His affair partner, Willow Shea, answered the last call. I could hear his friend's catcalling in the background. “Rebecca, Caleb is cutting the cake to celebrate the 100th day of our meeting. Jonas and everyone is here. Don’t spoil our fun now, okay?” That day, I was so overwhelmed with pain outside the operating theatre. My entire body was cramping up. I needed a next-of-kin’s signature. Caleb replied to my text: [Jonas said that women love feigning pain to win favor. Keep this up, and I’ll block you.] He blocked me for three months. It was only until yesterday, when Jonas’ wife filed for divorce with evidence of infidelity and took half of his shares, that Caleb finally started to panic. He drove Willow out of his apartment and ran back home to prepare this pot of chicken soup for me. “I cooked this for four hours.” When Caleb saw me remain silent, he pushed the bowl toward me, as though seeking credit for what he had done. “I know you didn’t take care of yourself properly after the miscarriage. I brought you some additional health supplements as well.” He then reached out to flash me a blister on his pointing finger. “Look, I scalded myself while scooping out the layer of oil from the soup. Jonas has never set foot in his kitchen. You should be happy I did all this for you, right?” I looked down at the bowl of soup. The chicken broth was golden yellow and was indeed the best dish he cooked for me back when he was trying to pursue me. He had spent nights preparing this soup just to make sure I was eating well. Yet now, he was even comparing how well he was treating me with other people. “I’m not drinking it.” I pushed the bowl away calmly. “Caleb, I’m not joking. I’ve already signed the divorce papers.” I tapped my fingers on the document on the table. It was the same stack of papers he had his lawyer draft and sent me three months ago just to appease Willow. It was stated in the letter that my jealousy and mental instability had resulted in cracks in our relationship. That drove him to file for a unilateral divorce in court. Back then, he just wanted to boast to his friends how bold he was. Caleb’s face fell. “Rebecca Shaw, I’ve given you a chance to back down from this. There should be limits to your temper tantrum.” He grabbed the papers off the table and tore them in two without even looking at it. “I said that I’d be a model husband from now on. Why are you still kicking up a fuss? “I’ve deleted Willow from my contacts. Jonas and the rest are now all returning to their families. I’ll keep you company every day from now on; will that do?” The doorbell suddenly rang. Caleb’s brows relaxed. “That must be Jonas and the gang. I specially invited them here for dinner. “I’ll show them what a model husband looks like. “Please cooperate and wipe that sullen look off your face.” The moment the door was opened, Jonas and their gang of buddies came strutting in. What surprised me was a young woman all dolled up following right behind Jonas instead of his wife. “Caleb, did you really dump Willow?” Jonas hollered as soon as he walked in and doubled over in laughter. He wrapped his arms tightly around the girl. “I lied to my wife yesterday. Now that I’ve had my assets transferred, I’m bringing my new woman out for some fun.” Chapter 2 Caleb stood stunned. He stared at the girl in Jonas’ arms and turned back to look at me in my loose fitting home clothes, the look on my face cold and indifferent. “Jonas, didn’t you say you want to return to your family?” Caleb croaked, his throat parched. Jonas chuckled and walked to the dining table, his gaze landing on the chicken soup. “Caleb, did you really believe that?” Jonas patted Caleb’s shoulder and cast a look of disdain on me. “It’s just women. You don’t need to do much to coax them. Did you really end up cooking for her? That’s really cheapening yourself.” Caleb’s back stiffened. He hated looking cheap in front of his friends. I looked coldly at him to see what his choice would be. Calen suddenly turned and picked up the bowl of chicken soup he took four hours to cook and even scalded his hands in the process. “Who said I cooked it for her?” He poured the soup into the trash can right next to him in front of everyone. “I was just trying my hand at cooking. Let’s go, Jonas. Drinks on me.” He didn’t even bother casting a glance my way before grabbing his keys and heading out. The girl next to Jonas covered her mouth and giggled. “You’re so suave, Mr. Miller. Much better than all those henpecked husbands I see around here.” Caleb’s ego was greatly boosted by her words. He stood as straight as a ramrod. When he walked to the door, he stopped in his tracks and said coldly with his back facing me, “Rebecca Shaw, I’ll take it that I never heard you mention divorce. It’s about time to pay for your mom’s treatment for the next half of the year. “You’d better think carefully. Who will fill this bottomless pit for you without me?” He shut the door behind me. I look at the trash can filled with chicken soup, still giving off a light fragrance. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Parker, Caleb just tore the divorce papers.” A male voice sounded through the phone. “That’s alright. The filing he made with the court three months ago has taken effect. The notice of default judgment will be delivered to him tomorrow.” I smiled. “Okay. Thank you.” The next morning, Caleb returned smelling like alcohol and cheap perfume. He flung his jacket on the couch and tugged at his necktie as he walked toward me. I was having breakfast in the living room. “The girl Jonas brought with him yesterday was a real sweet thing, but I didn’t touch any other women last night.” He pulled a chair and sat down. “Jonas said that for a man, playing the field is just par for the course. Keeping his hands to himself is an act of true devotion. I showed my devotion to you. Shouldn’t you show some gratitude for that?” I swallowed the bread in my mouth and looked up at him. “What do you want me to do? Award you with a chastity medal?” The look on Caleb’s face changed immediately. He stood up. “Rebecca Shaw, stop being sarcastic. I tried to stand up for you before my buddy yesterday and didn’t even call Willow over. What else do you want?” I couldn’t believe he treated the abandonment of his affair partner as standing up for me. I put my glass of milk down. “Caleb Miller, did you forget that you left me all alone in the hospital when I suffered a miscarriage three months ago, all because of Willow Shea? And now you’re telling me, you not asking her out is your blessing unto me?” Emotions flickered in Caleb’s eyes at the mention of the miscarriage. “That was an accident! Jonas’ wife suffered a miscarriage as well, but she managed to accompany Jonas to a ski trip just half a year after recovering from it. Must you bear a grudge over it until now?” He combed his fingers through his hair irritably and pulled out a small velvet box which he threw carelessly onto the dining table. “Alright, enough fussing. Jonas bought a necklace for that girl last night, and I bought the same one for you. Try it out and let’s consider this matter over.” I looked at the velvet box and had no urge whatsoever to open it. “You bought something Jonas bought for his affair partner for your wife.” I looked straight into his eyes. “Caleb, are you imitating Jonas or trying to humiliate me?” Caleb flew into a rage as he grabbed the velvet box and flung it hard to the floor. The box popped open, and a necklace shimmering with pave diamonds fell out. “Rebecca Shaw! Don’t push your luck! I’m willing to spend money to cajole you only because I still see you as my wife! Go on like this and I’ll bring Willow back, whether you believe it or not!” The moment he said so, the door bell rang. Caleb’s brows furrowed as he walked over to open the door. Willow, whom he claimed he had deleted from his contacts, was standing right outside. Chapter 3 Willow was wearing a sheer white dress, and her eyes were bloodshot. She had a thermos flask in hand. “Caleb, I know you chased me away because you wanted to make a statement in front of your wife.” She looked timidly inside the apartment at me, her voice so pretentious it made my head numb. “I don’t blame you. Jonas’ girl already went to him yesterday. I was worried that you might feel upset from all that drinking, so I brewed you some tea.” Caleb was stunned. When he saw the lack of emotion on my face, that competitive streak rose inside him again. Jonas had a girl who sent him some soup. How could he, Caleb Miller, not receive the same treatment? Forget chasing Willow away, he even stepped aside to let her in. “You’re the sensible one indeed,” Caleb said, deliberately raising her voice when praising her. Willow looked smugly at me before walking to the dining table, where she poured some tea into a cup. “Mrs. Miller, don’t be mad at Caleb.” Willow held the cup of tea in her hands as she put on a show of being understanding. “All men want to preserve their egos, especially during such gatherings. How will you remain as Mrs. Miller if you can’t even tolerate that?” She handed the cup of tea to Caleb, her fingers seemingly accidentally brushing against the back of Caleb’s hand. Caleb was very appreciative of her gesture and took a sip of the tea. “Hear that, Rebecca? Even an outsider is more sensible than you are.” I looked at the shameless couple before me and found the entire situation laughable. I stood up and picked up my unfinished glass of milk. Willow thought I was going to splash the milk at her and hurriedly hid in Caleb’s embrace. “Mrs. Miller, don’t be rash. It’s just that my heart aches for Caleb.” I ignored her and poured the milk into the sink. “The glass is dirty, and I find it disgusting.” I left the empty glass on the counter and turned to walk into my bedroom. “Rebecca Shaw,” Caleb said through gritted teeth. “Make yourself clear. Who are you implying is dirty?” He grabbed my wrist so forcefully it hurt. I was about to struggle free when the IV catheter scar from my miscarriage operation was exposed under his sight. Caleb’s hand recoiled when he saw the scar. “Does your hand still hurt? Jonas said that women often feel weak after a miscarriage. I’ll have my assistant buy some health supplements later.” Jonas again. Even his show of concern toward me had to involve other people. I pulled my hand away and said coldly, “No need for that.” Willow immediately plastered herself onto Caleb’s arm when she heard my cold response. “Caleb, since Mrs. Miller doesn’t appreciate your gesture, don’t waste your efforts on her.” Caleb’s face turned hard and cold. “You’re right. Jonas warned me not to spoil my woman.” He wrapped an arm around Willow and looked provocatively at me. “Since you don’t want the health supplements, get yourself ready. Jonas is throwing a party on his yacht, and you must go with me. Even Jonas’ wife is going. It’ll make me look bad if you don’t go.” Chapter 4 I returned to my bedroom and locked it. I could hear Willow’s coquettish voice and Caleb’s deliberately exaggerated laughter. A pity that he was about to be disappointed. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number to the director of the nursing home. “Mr. Lane, are the transfer procedures for my mom done?” “Don’t worry, Ms. Shaw. Mr. Parker has personally made the arrangements. The leading medical team will be receiving your mom at a private hospital this afternoon.” I heaved a sigh of relief. At three in the afternoon, Caleb knocked hard on my door. “Rebecca, come out and get dressed! The stylist has arrived.” I opened the door and saw a row of people holding a gown and multiple makeup boxes in the living room. Willow was seated on the couch. “Caleb, this gown is so beautiful. It’s the same style as what Jonas’ girl wore yesterday.” Caleb didn’t even look at the gown. Instead, he pointed at a long, conservative black gown and said to the stylist, “Let her change into this black one.” Willow stood stunned and she bit her lip indignantly. Caleb turned to look at me. “Jonas said that when taking the wife to a formal event, we should dress up properly. Those revealing dresses should only be worn by the other woman.” He reached out and tried to caress my hair. “They’re just a passing distraction that won’t threaten your position in any way. Be good and don’t embarrass me before other people.” I avoided his touch and allowed the stylist to take me away to have my makeup done. Caleb’s brows furrowed tight when he saw my cold indifference. At eight in the evening, the yacht cruised slowly down the river. The deck was brightly lit, and many elegantly dressed guests were mingling on it. The moment Caleb stepped onboard, he made a beeline for Jonas and his friends with me in tow. Jonas had his arm around another new woman while enjoying a drink. When he saw us, he immediately approached us warmly. “Whoa, Caleb. You really brought your wife here!” Jonas scanned me from head to toe. “Mrs. Miller is dressed so conservatively. Just look at this new woman I found. Youth is invincible, indeed.” The look on Caleb’s face stiffened. He had thought that Jonas would bring his wife here. Yet, Jonas ended up bringing another affair partner. He was always blindly following others in his circle and always one step behind. “Jonas, didn’t you say that you wanted to return to the family?” Caleb asked, attempting to rescue his pride. Jonas laughed out loud and patted Caleb’s shoulder. “Caleb, are you really that dull? Having your cake and eating it too, now that’s a man’s true skill.” A few other buddies chimed in. “Exactly, Caleb! Now that you’ve chased away Willow, you don’t even have a girl pouring your drinks. How boring.” Caleb’s pride took a massive hit. “Who said I don’t?” Caleb pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “Willow, come to the port immediately. I’ll have someone pick you up on a speedboat.” He hung up and looked smugly at Jonas. “Not only do I have my wife to keep up appearances, but I also have a girl who can pour me drinks. Jonas, I can have my cake and eat it too.” I stood by the side, watching him dance around like a clown, feeling rather sad for him. Half an hour later, Willow wore a deep purple backless dress, looking like a fluttering butterfly. The moment she arrived, she stuck by Caleb’s side and called his name in the most cloyingly sweet voice. His buddies wolf-whistled at the scene before them. Caleb felt his ego boosted and dragged Willow over to a couch to sit down. He pointed at the bottle of liquor on the table, and then at me. “Rebecca, go. Pour Willow a glass of alcohol.” Silence ensued around us. Everyone looked at me, eager to see what I would do. Willow covered her mouth and said pretentiously, “Oh, that doesn’t sound like a good idea. Mrs. Miller is your wife, how could she pour me a drink?” Caleb scoffed. “Jonas’ wife poured his girlfriend a drink before, didn’t she? That’s her being gracious.” He gave me a look of warning. “Rebecca, don’t make me repeat myself. Not pouring this drink is akin to not showing me respect.” The river breeze blew across the deck, bringing with it the chill of early autumn. I stood where I was, looking at that dumb face of his. “I’m not pouring her a drink.” Caleb’s face turned pale. Getting rejected in front of all his buddies made him feel worse than being murdered. “Rebecca, are you insane?” He stood up in a rush. “Even Jonas’ wife knows how to consider the big picture. “I only called Willow to join in the fun. As my wife, don't you have the grace to tolerate other people? “Believe it or not, I can have my lawyer execute the divorce agreement right now! I’ll make sure you leave without a single cent!” I thought I didn’t know that he had already torn the divorce papers into two and was threatening me with the document from three months ago. The flustered fury on his face suddenly made me laugh. “Caleb, you’re always talking about Jonas.” I looked him in the eye. “Jonas had an affair, so you had one, too. Jonas bought his affair partner a bag, so you did, too. “Jonas threatened his wife with divorce and you picked that up from him, too. “Even when you're being a scumbag, you don’t have a mind of your own.” The looks on his buddies’ faces changed, and even Jonas coughed out of awkwardness. My words had hit the nail on the head, and Caleb’s eyes turned bloodshot. He raised his hand to hit me. “You’re asking for it!” Right before his palm landed on my cheek, a hand grabbed his wrist. “Mr. Miller, did you also learn to hit a woman in public from your friend, Jonas?”