THE DISGRACED HUSBAND IS A BILLIONAIRE

The gate creaked as it opened. It was a sound George Werch once loved, a familiar, almost comforting noise that meant he was home. Eight years ago, that sound had greeted him after long days of work, after quiet evenings with his wife, after laughter with his little boy. Now, it echoed like something new. George stood still for a moment, his hand resting on the cold metal gate. His fingers trembled slightly, not from weakness, but from something deeper. Fear. Hope. Uncertainty. Eight years. Eight years since he had last walked through this path. The garden was different now. The flowers Selene once planted had been replaced. The small swing he built for Gabriel was gone. Even the trees seemed taller, as if time had chosen to move forward without him. But the house? The house remained the same. White walls. Tall windows. The balcony where Selene used to wait for him in the evenings. His chest tightened. “I’m home…” he whispered softly, though no one was there to hear it. George took a step forward. Then another. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the weight of the past clung to his body. His heart pounded against his chest,not with excitement, but with a strange, aching anticipation. Would they be happy to see him? Would Selene, his wife run into his arms? Would Gabriel know him and call him as his “Dad”? He held onto those thoughts like fragile glass, afraid they might shatter if he moved too quickly. When he reached the front door, his hand hovered over the handle. For a brief moment, he hesitated. Then, He opened it. First, he hears a laughter, that was a bright laughter, soft and familiar. George froze. His lips parted slightly, and for a second, relief washed over him. "She’s happy... That’s good… that means she’s okay..." But something about that laughter felt… different. He stepped inside quietly. The living room was filled with light. The curtains were open, letting the morning sun spill across the floor. Everything looked neat, organized... almost too perfect. And then he saw them. Selene stood near the window. Her hair was longer now, flowing down her back in soft waves. She looked just as beautiful as he remembered no, even more. And beside her.. is a man. A man standing tall. Confident in his formal suit. A classy man's branded clothes like the way he used to wear before. George’s breath caught in his throat. The man reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from Selene’s face. Then, he leaned in, and kissed her. As their lips touch each other. Everything stopped for George. The world, the light, the sound. All of it disappeared. George didn’t move. He didn’t breathe. He just stood there, kept staring for his wife.... as if his mind refused to understand what his eyes were clearly seeing. Selene didn’t pull away. She didn’t resist, at the same time she didn’t look guilty. Instead, she closed her eyes, and kissed him back. "What are you doing Selen?" George asked himself. Something inside him shattered, cracked like a stone. A sharp silent pain spread through his chest, as if his heart had been ripped apart without mercy. “…Selene.” His voice was hoarse and weak. Barely more than a whisper. But it was enough. George took a slow walk and called his wife. Selene’s eyes snapped open, when she heard him. Then she immediately turned. And when she saw him, her face changed in shock and disbelief! But.. it was not joy, not a relief for her longing's, it was a confusion. “…George?” The name lingered in the air like something unfamiliar. The man beside Selene frowned slightly, his arm still resting casually around her waist. George took a step forward. His legs felt unstable, like they might give out at any moment. “I…” he tried to speak, but his voice broke. He swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “I came back.” Silence filled the room. Heavy and uncomfortable for a cheating wife, and painful for a husband. Selene stared at George, her husband, "You’re… alive?” but her expression was unreadable. Alive. That word hit him harder than anything else. “I fought to come back,” George said quietly. “For you. For my son Gabriel” At the mention of their son, something flickered in Selene’s eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly. The man beside her finally spoke. “Well,” he said with a small, almost amused smile, “this is unexpected.” George’s gaze slowly shifted to him. When their eyes meet, George recognizes him. Silvestry Sangh. The name echoed in his mind like thunder. The man who destroyed him. The man who betrayed him. Because now he knows him well. Silvestry took everything from him. Silvestry to smile wider. “Looks like you survived,” he said casually, as if they were discussing something trivial. George’s hands clenched into fists. Every part of him screamed to attack, to destroy, to take revenge. But he didn’t move. Because Selene was standing there... and this was still his home. And also, George still loved his wife. “…What is he doing here?” George asked, his voice trembling despite his effort to stay calm. Selene hesitated. Then she took a step closer... to Silvestry, and not to George. With that single movement, felt like a knife twisting deeper into George heart. “I…” Selene began, then stopped. George’s heart pounded. "Say it’s not what I think… Say you were forced to say anything, but not like this Selene.." Selene took a deep breath, before saying the simple words. “I’m with him now.” That was clear. Felt like the hottest magma in the world erupted. And absolutely devastating. George felt the ground beneath him was already breaking, before he returned. “With… him?” George repeated, as if he didn’t understand. Silvestry’s arm tightened slightly around Selene’s waist, pulling her closer. “She’s been with me for years,” he said, his tone almost mocking. George’s gaze snapped back to Selene. “…Is that true?” A long silence follows, for a painful word that cannot absorve easily, for a husband who didn't understand what was going on. “Yes.” One word from Selene, no further explanation. She did not even ask for an apology, just one word.