My Husband Claimed He Was On A Business Trip. I Found Him At The Hospital With My Pregnant Best Friend. Little Does He Know, I Just Cut Him Off From Every Penny He Ever Stole. What Should I Do Next?

Chapter 19: Complications

Back at the hospital, Richard proudly threw $500 in cash on the counter.

“Here is the deposit paid. The rest is for the medicine,” He said arrogantly.

The receptionist took the money without expression.

“All right, sir. We have received it, but I regret to inform you there is additional information from the attending physician. Now that Mrs. Pierce’s condition seems to have a small complication, she will need three more days of observation. The estimated cost has increased to about $2,000 more.”

Richard felt like he was going to faint. From the money from the watch sale, he only had $1,500 left. If he paid it all, he would be left with nothing again.

“Okay, okay. I will pay the rest. The important thing is that she gets treated now.”

Richard walked back to the VIP room. Upon entering, Lauren was busy on her phone.

“Richard! Richard!” Lauren screamed in panic when she saw him.

Her face was ashen, paler than when she was sick.

“What is wrong? Is your stomach hurting again?” Richard asked, concerned.

“No, it is this! A neighbor from the Havenwood house sent me a video in the neighborhood WhatsApp group!”

Lauren handed him the phone with trembling hands. Richard snatched it. An amateur video was playing on the screen. The video showed Lauren’s house in Havenwood. The gate was wide open. In the front yard, piles of clothes and furniture were stacked like garbage. And most shockingly, a large red sign was staked in front of the gate: Private property under surveillance by the owner, Sarah Hayes. No trespassing, especially mistresses.

And in the video, Sarah’s red Mercedes could be seen driving away from the scene. Richard’s heart stopped for a moment. The phone fell from his hands to the floor.

“Sarah,” Richard murmured, his face as white as a sheet.

“She knows I am in Havenwood.”

“Richard, those are my things! My bags, my clothes! Why are they throwing them out like trash?” Lauren screamed hysterically.

“You said the house was safe! You said Sarah was stupid! Now I am homeless, Richard!”

Chapter 20: The Blown Cover

Richard took a step back, bumping into the wall. His legs gave way. The truth hit him like a truck: the blocked bank access, the canceled credit cards, the house raided. Sarah was in Havenwood. It was not a system coincidence; it was war. Richard quickly looked for his own phone. He had to call Sarah. He had to deny it. He had to turn the situation around.

Dialing “My wife.” The phone was answered.

“Hello, darling.”

Sarah’s voice was calm, too calm. In the background, Richard could hear the sound of classical music and the soft purr of a car engine.

“Sarah! Where are you?” Richard shouted without preamble.

“I am on my way to New York, honey. Why do you sound so upset?”

“Do not lie! You were at the house in Havenwood! You threw out my friend’s things! What is the meaning of this?”

There was a short, cold laugh on the other end of the line, a laugh that made the hair on Richard’s neck stand up.

“Ah, so you admit it is your friend’s house. You did not tell me you were in Chicago. Checkmate.”

Richard fell silent. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

“Richard,” Sarah’s voice became sharp as a razor.

“How does it feel to sell your beloved Rolex at a pawn shop? They gave you a very low price, did they not? What a shame; it was a limited edition.”

“How—” Richard stammered.

He felt as if he had been stripped naked. Sarah knew everything, every move.

“I know everything, Richard. I know about the little airplane game. I know about that bastard child. I know about the secret marriage certificate in the safe, and I know about my grandmother’s ring that you sold.”

Silence. Only Richard’s ragged breathing could be heard.

“Listen to me carefully, Richard,” Sarah continued, her tone filled with power.

“Enjoy the $1,500 you have left in your hand, because it is the last money you will ever touch in your life. Do not dare to come back to my home on the Upper East Side. The locks have already been changed, and the security guards have your photo with orders to prohibit your entry.”

“Sarah, wait! Can we talk about this? I can explain—” Richard pleaded; his tears began to fall out of sheer fear.

“Explain it to the judge, Richard. I will see you in the living hell i have just built for you.”

Click. The connection was cut.

Richard slid to the hospital floor, his phone slipped from his grasp. His world went dark. In front of him, Lauren was still screaming hysterically, mourning her discarded designer bags, but Richard no longer heard her. In his ears, only one sentence echoed: “I will see you in the living hell.”

Chapter 21: Stupidity and the Male Ego

The atmosphere inside the Cadillac Escalade was silent but tense. The air felt heavy as if filled with gunpowder about to explode. Richard drove with stiff hands gripping the steering wheel. His gaze was lost on the highway stretching before him, while his mind was a whirlwind of fear, denial, and the last vestiges of arrogance.

Beside him, Lauren sat hugging her knees. Her face was still pale. She had had her IV removed forcefully at her request. They decided to leave the hospital despite the doctor’s prohibition. The reason was simple: their money was running out. Of the sale of Richard’s watch, only about $1,300 remained after paying the administrative fees and gas.

“Honey, slow down a bit. My stomach hurts with all these bumps,” Lauren protested loudly.

“Shut up, Lauren! I am thinking,” Richard snapped without looking at her.

“We have to get to New York before the office closes. I have to go to the headquarters. I have to talk to Sarah before she poisons everyone’s minds.”

“Are you sure Sarah will want to see you? On the phone she sounded terrifying, love,” Lauren whispered, starting to get scared.

“Sarah is just bluffing! I have known her for five years. She is a weak woman who needs a man. She is probably angry right now. If I go, I will apologize, I will kneel at her feet, she will surely give in. At most I will have to pretend to cry a little,” Richard said, trying to convince himself.

He let out a hollow laugh.

“Besides, this company has also grown thanks to my contribution. The clients trust me, not Sarah. If she fires me, her company will go bankrupt. She needs me.”

The stupidity and male ego are truly extraordinary. Richard forgot that he was the one who had always needed Sarah’s great name to even sit at the negotiating table.

Chapter 22: Forbidden Entry

Three hours later, in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Richard’s car turned to enter the luxurious residential complex. His heart pounded as he saw the roof of his opulent penthouse peeking through the trees. That home was his palace, the place where he felt like a king.

But as the car approached the ten-foot-high gate, Richard slammed on the brakes. The gate was closed and secured with a huge iron chain. In the security booth was not Mr. Emanuel, the kind elderly guard, but two burly men in tight black uniforms and sunglasses.

Richard honked insistently. One of the large men stepped out of the booth and calmly approached the car. His face was expressionless. Richard rolled down the window.

“Open the gate! I am the owner of this house!” Richard shouted.

The man leaned down slightly to see Richard’s face and then looked at a photo he was holding. He shook his head.

“I am sorry, you are prohibited from entering this area.”

“What? Are you crazy? I am Richard, Mrs. Sarah’s husband! Get out of the way or I will run you over!” Richard threatened, his face reddening.

“Go ahead if you want to crash into a steel gate, sir. Your car will be wrecked, and you will be back in the hospital,” the man replied calmly.

“The owner’s instructions, Mrs. Sarah Hayes, are that Mr. Richard and Miss Lauren are forbidden to set foot on this property.”

“This is my house too! It is marital property!”