My Obsession Ruined Everything

It's the third year since my wife, Joyce Sinclair, cheated on me. I spread her intimate photos with her male assistant, Bryan Long, on the internet. Then, I doused myself in gasoline and threatened to drag everyone down to hell with me. Bryan's so scared that he flees the city that very night. I think I've won. However, to settle my lawsuit and cover the damages, my older sister, Rachel Lovett, sells her house and takes out high-interest loans. In the end, the burden becomes too much for her, and she jumps from a high-rise building. Her voice is hoarse in the recording she leaves me. "That's enough, Ray. We've lost everything. Mom and Dad have aged overnight, and I can't take it anymore..." Mom clutches Rachel's belongings and cries until she passes out. Dad's emaciated hands clamp around my neck as he demands at the top of his lungs, "How many more lives do you have to destroy before you're satisfied?" Tears silently trail down my cheeks, and I finally come to my senses. I no longer neurotically look into every single man around Joyce, and I stop badgering her with questions about the scent of men's cologne on her. Even when I walk in on her staring at a photo of her and Bryan and reminiscing about the past, I take the initiative to bring him back. It all comes to a head when Bryan wishes to become Joyce's lawfully wedded husband on his birthday. Without the slightest hesitation, I print out the divorce agreement, sign and seal it, and deliver it to him. To my surprise, Joyce rips the agreement to shreds. She grips my chin and demands hysterically, "Raymond Lovett, what happened to the stubborn man who'd rather die than divorce me? Where is he now?" Chapter 1 Raymond's POV I looked into Joyce Sinclair's bloodshot eyes and asked calmly, "Are you unhappy with the terms of this agreement? I'm willing to leave with nothing to fulfill his wish." Joyce shoved me away and rasped, "When you posted those photos on the internet, why didn't you think about fulfilling his wish? When you wanted to drag everyone down with you, why didn't you think about sparing me then? Why are you pretending to be magnanimous now?" Gazing at her, a sharp pang struck my chest again. "You're right, I was out of my mind. Now that I've come to my senses, I'm setting you free. Isn't this what you want?" Joyce was rendered speechless. Her chest heaved violently, like a trapped beast with nowhere to vent its fury. Bryan Long's eyes were brimming with tears as he choked out, "I'm sorry, Joyce. I shouldn't have made that wish. Please don't fight because of me." Right after saying that, he raised his hand and slapped himself twice. Joyce immediately grabbed his hand and gently reassured him, "It's not your fault. I let my emotions get the best of me. I prepared a surprise for you at the beach. Let's go celebrate your birthday!" Joyce led him outside. When she passed me, she paused for a beat. "I don't want to argue with you, Ray. Let's talk when I get home." The front door clicked shut. I slowly rose to my feet and threw the cake into the trash. Then, I took the paycheck I'd just collected for the month and went to Mom and Dad's house. Unsurprisingly, the door to the old apartment was locked tight. I took a deep breath and knocked on it. It was dead silent inside. Suppressing the lump in my throat, I softened my tone and pleaded, "Mom, Dad, you haven't spoken to me in three years. Please... just talk to me!" Still, no one answered. Tears dripped onto the floor, spreading into dark, damp stains. Three years ago, at my older sister Rachel Lovett's funeral, Mom and Dad publicly severed all ties with me. From then on, no matter how much I cried and begged, this door never creaked open. I slipped the money through the gap beneath the door and turned to leave. I wandered aimlessly down the street until I found myself at the beach, where Rachel and I used to play all the time when we were kids. I was about to take a picture and head home when I spotted several familiar figures inside a seaside restaurant. Bryan, who was beside Joyce, wore a birthday hat, making a wish with a bright smile on his face. Mom and Dad sat beside them with tender smiles. I instinctively walked over, and through the glass window, I watched as Mom set a plate of spaghetti down. "Happy birthday, Bry!" Bryan leaned against her shoulder and chirped, "Thanks, Ma!" Dad pulled out a bank card and slid it toward Bryan. "I'm getting old, and I don't understand you youngsters like these days. There's 100 grand on this card. Go get yourself whatever you want." Bryan's eyes lit up. "You're the best, Pops! I'll be your real son in my next life." Joyce smiled and booped his nose. "That's not all. I have another surprise for you!" She clapped her hands, and as melodious classical music began to play, a figure wheeled a birthday cake toward them. As the figure drew closer, the blurred face gradually came into focus. My eyes widened, and the blood in my veins ran cold in an instant. Rachel's voice rang out with piercing clarity. "Happy 25th birthday, Bry!" Chapter 2 "Rachel, what are you doing here?" Bryan looked at her in pleasant surprise. Rachel flicked his forehead. "I promised I'd be here for your 25th birthday. Did you really think I'd miss it?" Joyce patted her on the shoulder. "You've suffered a lot these past three years. If you hadn't staged your death back then, Raymond would've never let Bry off the hook." Rachel sighed. "Had he not been so extreme, I wouldn't have done it. My heart breaks for him every year when I see him kneel in front of my grave for hours. Let's give it another two years. Once he's gotten used to Bryan's presence, I'll tell him the truth so he doesn't have to remain trapped in the past." A loud ringing filled my brain as a bone-deep chill surged through every fiber of my being. Ever since Rachel passed away, the audio recording she left behind became a nightmare that haunted me for years. Every year on the anniversary of her death, I would kneel at her grave for hours, begging her to visit me in my dreams. Yet, she never did. I had always thought it was because Rachel refused to forgive me. Thus, she wouldn't even visit me in my dreams. Little did I know, she was still alive. In that case, what was I supposed to make of the excruciating guilt and self-blame that had tormented me day and night for the past three years? What about Dad's cold looks and Mom's vicious curses? "Ray has been pretty well-behaved lately," Mom said softly. "Maybe we shouldn't send the debt collectors after him this month." Dad immediately knitted his brows in disapproval. "Ray's calculating and ruthless. If Joyce hadn't hired people to pose as loan sharks and hound him for repayment every month, forcing him to focus all his energy on earning money, Bry would never have a moment of peace." Rachel nodded in agreement. "He's right. We can't give him an inch. So long as he's broke, he won't be able to stir up trouble." My fingers dug into the window ledge so hard my fingernails nearly bent backward. Following her passing, the astronomical high-interest loan she left behind landed squarely on my shoulders. I had liquidated all the assets under my name, but they were merely a drop in the bucket. To pay it off, I took on the most difficult clients, tackled the most grueling projects, and worked myself to the bone day and night. Countless times, I drank until my stomach bled and was rushed to the emergency room, yet all of this was merely an elaborate act they had put on to make sure Bryan could live a carefree life. I lifted my gaze and took in my own reflection in the window pane. I looked drawn and worn out. Bryan, on the other hand, was radiant and polished. Even the very strands of his hair were glowing. Every single cent I had worked my ass off to pay back in the last three years suddenly felt like a knife twisting inside me, tearing me apart with unbearable pain. A wave of suffocation washed over my chest. My legs gave out slightly, and as I stumbled, my hand accidentally knocked over a vase nearby. The very next second, a deafening shatter rang out, and all eyes darted in my direction. The moment they saw me, their smiles froze. Joyce was the first to rush out, seizing my wrist. A flash of panic flickered in her eyes. "What are you doing here, Ray?" I flung her hand away and walked straight into the restaurant. Mom sprang to her feet and instinctively stepped in front of Bryan, her eyes filled with wariness. "What do you think you're doing?" Without sparing her a glance, I walked right up to the person I'd longed to see for three years. I stared at her blankly, and before I knew it, my tears fell onto the back of my hand, ice-cold and biting. "Why did you lie to me, Rachel?" Rachel eyed me with a complicated expression. "I'm sorry. Bry saved my life. I couldn't stand by and watch you destroy him, so I..." "What about me? Did I deserve to have my life destroyed for the last three years?" Mom seized my arm and tried to reason with me. "Ray, your sister only did it for your own good. Besides, haven't you two managed to live peacefully these past two years?" Dad sighed. "We're getting old. We can't handle all this drama anymore. Why don't you just turn a blind eye and let it go? Life will be easier for everyone then." I drank in the sight before me. Joyce angled her body to shield Bryan behind her, while Mom and Dad stood between Rachel and me, as if I was some kind of monster they needed to protect themselves from. The last spark of warmth inside my heart finally went out. I slowly suppressed all my emotions and responded flatly, "Alright. I won't cause any more trouble." Chapter 3 As if they were afraid I might suddenly make a scene, the birthday dinner was brought to a hasty end. When it wrapped up, Bryan affectionately linked his arm through Mom's. "Ma, I've been craving your clam chowder. Can I come over for a while?" Mom instinctively glanced at me. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "Sure. Let's all go home." I stood frozen in place, unable to hold back the sudden prickle of tears behind my nose. For three years, the door I couldn't open, no matter how much I begged on my knees, was unlocked for Bryan with just a single sentence. The car sped toward the old apartment. When the door was pushed open, a pair of men's casual slippers sat in the entryway. It was unmistakably Bryan's size. He casually tossed his coat onto the bench beside the shoe rack, as if he had returned to his own home. Meanwhile, I, Mom's and Dad's flesh and blood, felt so out of place that I didn't even know where to put my hands and feet. I scanned my surroundings. Bryan had taken my place in the family portrait on the wall. The eight-year-old clivia I had cared for on the windowsill was gone. Now, there was nothing but an empty flowerpot. More than half the balcony was piled high with Bryan's art supplies. My certificates of achievement had disappeared from the bookshelf, replaced by Bryan's textbooks. It dawned on me that Mom and Dad hadn't locked me out for the past three years out of anger or resentment. They were just afraid I'd catch on to the fact that they had another son. While I was lost in thought, the aroma of the simmering clam chowder began to drift from the kitchen. Drinking in the harmonious family of five before me, I couldn't bring myself to stay any longer and was just about to make up an excuse to leave. Mom abruptly handed me a bowl of mushroom soup. "Here, Ray. I know you don't like clam chowder, so I made you some mushroom soup." For a moment, the softest part of my heart felt as though it had been struck. I blinked back my tears and said, "Thanks… Mom." However, before the savoriness of the soup could even settle on my tongue, Mom dropped a bomb. "Joyce's pregnant with Bry's child. Hand over that baby cross necklace you had custom-made to Bry." My spoon slipped from my hand and dropped into the bowl, splashing soup onto the rim. Bryan, who was beside us, smiled. "Joyce found out a couple of days ago. The doctor says the pregnancy is still delicate, so Ma wants to use the baby cross necklace to help keep the baby safe." My face went ghastly pale as I forced out, "I had that necklace made for Avery." "But Avery's dead." Memories I had kept locked away came crashing back all at once. … When Joyce was five months pregnant, I'd picked up the scent of a stranger's cologne on her. I kept my composure and, one day, showed up at her workplace completely unannounced. I pushed the door open only to find Bryan pinning her against the desk. The two of them were wrapped up in each other. Like a madman, I smashed everything within my reach. I held up my phone, determined to expose the adulterous pair to the world. Joyce accidentally struck the corner of the desk while attempting to protect Bryan in the middle of the argument. Warm blood hastily soaked through her dress. I scooped her up into my arms and raced to the hospital, but it was still too late. We lost our baby. My bottled-up grief abruptly overflowed, and I was swallowed whole by the despair of losing my own child. Joyce held my hand, her face filled with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Ray. I promise I'll cut all ties with Bryan. I'll never see him again." I believed her. Yet, in less than three months, they ended up in bed together again. So, how could I not loathe them? How could I not go mad? … "Avery's dead. What's the point of keeping a meaningless necklace?" Mom's sharp rebuke snapped me back to reality. I tightened my grip on the baby cross necklace I wore close to my skin. "I prayed on my knees for this necklace for Avery. I will never, ever give it to someone else!" My stubbornness thoroughly infuriated Mom. She reached out and tried to snatch it from me. As we struggled over it, Bryan suddenly went limp and crashed hard onto the floor. In a heartbeat, the door was flung open, and Joyce hurried inside. Bryan clutched his waist and whimpered, "I just wanted to borrow the necklace to keep my baby safe, Ray. If you don't want to give it to me, you could've just said so… Why did you push me?" Before I could even defend myself, Mom slapped me hard across the face. "Have you lost your mind? Bryan donated his kidney to save Rachel. His lower back can't take a hit like that! How can you be so cruel?" Joyce helped Bryan to his feet and led him out. When she walked past me, her gaze lingered for a moment on my swollen cheek. "I thought you had really changed, Raymond." My heart jolted, and the explanation that had been on the tip of my tongue died in my throat. I stood frozen in the kitchen until everyone had left. Then, I pulled out my phone, booked a ride, and headed to the cemetery on the outskirts of town. There was no longer any place for me in this family. I might as well leave with Avery. However, when I finally reached the cemetery, I discovered that Avery's grave was gone. A brand-new headstone had taken its place, and the inion read, "Here Lies Bryan Long's Beloved Dog." Chapter 4 I immediately dialed Bryan's number. "Where are Avery's ashes?" Bryan's voice dripped with pure malice. "If you want the ashes, come to the hospital. Don't be late, or your child's going to be flushed down the toilet." I didn't dare waste a single second and rushed to the hospital. The moment I pushed open the door, everyone turned to look at me with cold, hostile eyes, as if I was an unpardonable sinner. Bryan's complexion was pallid, and his eyes were misted over. He looked like the picture of a perfect victim. Joyce stepped forward and hurled her phone onto the floor at my feet. Bryan's compromising photos from years ago were displayed on the screen. "You're just as vicious as ever, Raymond. I can't believe you'd still resort to such underhanded tactics to tear others down!" "I didn't do it. I deleted those photos ages ago." Not a single soul believed my defense. "Ray, are you not only paranoid now but also lacking basic empathy?" Rachel's eyes were filled with disappointment. Mom fumed, "Things were going perfectly well, yet you just had to ruin everything, didn't you, you jinx? It seems you'll never change!" Dad's expression was ice-cold. "From this moment on, you're disowned." Amid the barrage of condemnation, Joyce stepped forward and delivered her ultimatum. "Bry needs to rest and recover. He can't handle any more stress. I want you to go live, apologize, and clear up everything from back then. "Tell everyone you were jealous of him and deliberately made up lies to smear his name. He was never a homewrecker." I jerked my head up, and my whole body went rigid. "Over my dead body!" Joyce dug her fingers into my wrist and hissed, "If you don't do as you're told, you can kiss Avery's ashes goodbye for the rest of your life!" I shuddered, and all my defiance crumbled in an instant. I had no choice but to go live for Avery's sake. I stared stiffly into the camera, reciting the Joyce had forced on me. The comments section immediately blew up. "Bryan's so pitiful! He was targeted for absolutely no reason." "How on earth did someone this obsessive ever manage to marry Ms. Sinclair? Talk about bad luck!" "Slap him, Bryan! Beat this bastard to death!" Bryan read the comments and pretended to look troubled. "Ray, everyone wants you to slap yourself and apologize on your knees to show your sincerity." I took a deep breath, raised my hand, and slapped myself hard across the face. Then, I dropped to my knees in front of him and banged my forehead against the floor. My forehead struck the tile floor with a dull thud. I repeated that action until blood trickled down the bridge of my nose and seeped into my eyes. The pain was white-hot. After smashing my head on the floor one last time, I looked up at Joyce with lifeless eyes. "I've apologized. Now, give me Avery's ashes." Joyce sized me up and added tentatively, "Bryan was thoroughly shaken up. I'm going to move out to stay with him for a while. I'll come back after I give birth." "Alright." "Also, my child can't be born a bastard. I'll hold a wedding with Bryan, but you'll remain my legal husband so the baby is registered under your name." "Alright." No matter what she said, my expression remained calm and obedient, like an exquisitely crafted puppet. In the end, she nodded in satisfaction, and Bryan handed me the urn. I clutched it tightly against my chest, yet as my fingertips brushed the seam of the lid, I felt a gross, damp stickiness. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. The very next second, he leaned close to my ear. His voice was dripping with venom as he said, "I mixed your child's ashes with dog urine, Raymond. In their next life, my dog gets to be human, and your child gets to be a dog. Deal?" A bone-chilling cold swept through every inch of my body. I stared blankly at the desecrated ashes in my arms and gently set the urn on the ground before muttering to myself, "Fear not, little one. Daddy'll take you home." In a split second, I lunged at Bryan like a lunatic and clamped my hands around his neck. Joyce immediately stepped forward to stop me. My eyes were bloodshot as I reached into my pocket, whipped out a knife, and drove it deep into her abdomen. Her pupils shrank, her face filled with disbelief. I picked up the urn and strode toward the window. A serene smile spread across my face. "I can't think of anything more disgusting than having met you guys in this life." With that, I closed my eyes and took the leap.