Chapter 5
“I really can’t bear the labels of ‘adulterer‘ and ‘seductress! If we’re going to talk about infidelity, maybe we should discuss you and Hiral.”
I stepped forward, cleared my throat, and addressed everyone present.
“This man is my husband. He cheated on me, got someone else pregnant behind my back, and then expected me to care for her in the hospital for childbirth and postpartum recovery. I even paid the hospital bills.”
“And this
v next to me–he ran into me at the maternity ward last time, thinking I was having a baby. He thoughtfully brought over two big bags of baby supplies for us, but somehow it turned into a story of
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me seducing him and having an affair. It’s a shame his good intentions have been wasted.”
“Everyone, judge for yourselves who the real adulterers are.”
I pointed at Teon on the ground and, in front of everyone, tore away the façade that had hidden the truth for a year.
I had painstakingly sewn that disguise together, only to rip it apart myself, just to respond to his accusation of ‘adulterer and seductress!
The crowd’s focus immediately shifted to Teon. Sensing the situation wasn’t in his favor, he tried to escape, but right then, Hiral’s call came through.
“Hi, honey, when are you coming home? I’m
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starving and waiting for you to feed me.”
In his panic, Teon put it on speakerphone, and everyone heard Hiral’s affectionate words, confirming my accusations and further escalating the crowd’s condemnation of him.
“Pathetic excuse of a man.”
“If you can’t control yourself even with a wife, you’re despicable!”
“That woman isn’t any better, seducing someone else’s husband. She deserves to be punished.”
“If you ask me, both should be punished together–cheaters like them bring bad luck.”
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The backlash was more than Teon
anticipated–he was the one being targeted, not me.
In a panic, he searched for a way out amidst the crowd’s scorn, only to crash into the railing glass.
He wasn’t hurt, but his food containers toppled over. Too embarrassed to go back for new ones, he just wanted to get away, leaving someone else to tidy up the mess.
“Sister, well done. A man like that isn’t worth it.”
I watched Teon flee and was startled when someone tapped my shoulder.
I turned to see a girl smiling at me, giving me a thumbs up.
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“Yeah, just get a divorce and start fresh.”
“He’s not worth it; you deserve better.”
People around me offered their comfort and encouragement, celebrating my realization of his infidelity and my new beginning.
“Thank you all for your help today and sorry for dragging you into this,” I said, turning to Fawzaan to apologize.
The real victim here was Fawzaan, who had unjustly borne Teon’s accusations because of me.
“It’s nothing, Lyn.” Fawzaan paused.
“What?” Hearing him call me Lyn left me stunned.
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“You’ve been through a lot all these years.”
I stood there, taken aback, a wave of emotion welling up inside me.
For so long, no one had ever said to me, “You’ve endured a lot.”
It was always:
“Just endure a bit more.”
“We all go through it like this.”
“It wouldn’t look good for you if things get blown up.”
“Just turn a blind eye.”
I had always had to bear the pain silently, pretending to be forgiving of Teon, accepting
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of Hiral.
Nobody ever asked if I was willing or even said, “You’ve endured a lot.”
But now, Fawzaan, after being criticized because of me, didn’t blame me; he acknowledged my struggles.
As if a dam of suppressed emotions had finally burst, my tears flowed uncontrollably.
“Lyn, don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you here to eat, or we wouldn’t have run into Teon. Please, don’t cry.”
Fawzaan, flustered by my tears, hurriedly rummaged through his bag for tissues. Unsure of what to do, he handed them to me in a panic.
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“What did you do wrong?” Hearing him take the blame upset me more. Clearly, I had caused his trouble, yet he was the one comforting me.
“I caused this for you.” I burst into tears with a louder wail.
“No, no, Lyn could never cause me trouble.”
Fawzaan, anxious to calm me, added gestures to his reassurances, trying to convey his sincerity. Seeing no improvement in my mood, he took a deep breath, like he was making a major decision.
He stepped forward and hugged me.
“I believe Lyn would never harm Fawzaan”
