Betrayed by Friend and Wife

The iron gate groaned heavily as it swung open. I took a breath of the outside air, carrying the scent of freedom. Four years—I was finally stepping out of the cage that had held me captive. A familiar black sedan was parked in the distance, the same model I used to drive. The window rolled down, and my wife, Rebecca Lynn, appeared, her smile somewhat strained. "Matthew, welcome home." Her voice was gentle but missing the warmth it once had. I nodded, opened the door, and got in, a swirl of feelings stirring inside me that I couldn't quite put into words. The car moved steadily along the road home, the passing scenery both familiar and strange. "Where's Dylan? Why didn't he come to pick me up?" I asked about my son, my heart full of longing. "He had school today. I asked the nanny to look after him for now." Rebecca Lynn looked straight ahead, her tone steady, "You'll see him as soon as you get home." Pushing open the door, the house was just as it had been four years ago, spotless as if no one had ever lived there. "Dad!" A clear cry rang out as Dylan rushed into my arms. I held him tightly, feeling his warm little body against me, my eyes growing moist. "Do you miss Dad?" I touched his head gently, my voice catching a little. "Yes!" Dylan nodded eagerly, then spoke quietly, "But Mom doesn't let me mention you too often." My heart sank as I glanced at Rebecca Lynn standing nearby. Rebecca's expression changed briefly before she quickly softened the moment: "Kids say silly things. I just worry you'd make him too sad." Dylan pouted, about to say more, but Rebecca stopped him with a look. At dinner that night, Dylan suddenly asked, "Dad, when will Mr. Green come again? He brought me a toy last time." "Mr. Green?" I frowned. "Which Mr. Green?" Rebecca Lynn's hand paused, and rice spilled onto the table. "He's... a friend of Dad's from before," she explained hurriedly. "When you weren't around, he often came to help look after us." The doubts in my heart deepened. Mark Green was my childhood friend, and before I was imprisoned, I had asked him to take good care of my family. I hadn't expected them to be this close. "Does he come often?" I pressed, asking again. "Not very often, just occasionally dropping by to check on us." Rebecca Lynn avoided my gaze, her tone somewhat uneasy. But Dylan continued, "Mr. Green often eats at our house, and sometimes even stays in the guest room." Rebecca Lynn shot Dylan a sharp look, and he was too frightened to say a word. I didn't ask any more, but inside, it felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on my heart. The next afternoon, I used the excuse of going for a walk, though really I wanted to see if Rebecca was hiding something from me. As I reached the park near the neighborhood, I spotted a familiar figure in the distance—it was Rebecca Lynn. The man standing opposite her was Mark Green. Mark smiled, reaching out to wrap his arm around Rebecca Lynn's shoulder. I hid behind the tree, my heart clenched tightly by an invisible hand. "Rebecca, Matthew's back. What should we do now?" Mark's voice came through. "What choice do we have? We'll just have to keep it from him for now," Rebecca's voice held a touch of helplessness. "Dylan is still young; he can't be without a father." "Hiding it isn't a solution. I want to be with you openly and honestly." Mark Green said, bending down to kiss Rebecca Lynn. Rebecca Lynn did not resist; instead, she reached out and held him. A chill ran through me, as if my blood had frozen. It turned out that the wife I cherished and the childhood friend I trusted had betrayed me long ago. I walked forward steadily, my footsteps alerting them. Rebecca Lynn and Mark Green parted, and when they saw me, their faces instantly went pale. "Matthew... how are you here?" Rebecca's voice trembled, her eyes shifting away. Mark Green stood to the side, expression without a trace of guilt, instead tinged with a hint of defiance. "If I weren't here, how would I have caught such a 'remarkable' scene?" I stifled the anger rising inside me, my voice hoarse, "Rebecca Lynn, Mark Green, you both make me sick." "Matthew, hear me out," Rebecca Lynn stepped forward, trying to take my hand, but I pulled away. "It's not what you think. After you went to prison, I was so lonely. Mark Green was the one looking after me, that's why we..." "Just got together?" I sneered, "So you feel perfectly justified in betraying me? Treating me like a fool?" Mark Green stepped forward, placing himself in front of Rebecca Lynn. "Matthew, at this point, I won't hide it from you anymore. Rebecca and I truly love each other." "Truly in love?" I looked at him. "Have you forgotten how much I trusted you? Is this how you repay me?" "The past is the past," Mark said evenly. "You were in prison for four years. The company has been managed by Rebecca and me all this time. Now that you're back, it's time to face reality." Rebecca Lynn quietly wept nearby. "Matthew, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong, but Mark and I can no longer be separated." I looked at the couple before me, and the last glimmer of hope in my heart was extinguished. After four years in prison, I longed to come home and reunite with my wife and son, but instead, I was met with this betrayal. At that moment, it felt as though my entire world had collapsed.