When My Freeloader Husband Stole My Bonus

To catch the last design project before Christmas, I'd been on business trips for three straight days.

On the high-speed train back, I absentmindedly scrolled into a livestream titled Daily Life of a Kept College Girl.

My sugar daddy's wife is on a business trip, so to save money on hotels, he let me stay at his place. Today's the last day!

On screen, the girl wore a silk nightgown, pouting as she complained.

A comment asked: "If he's this cheap, why are you even with him?"

She smiled smugly. "My sugar daddy's a freeloader himself, but his wife is a famous designer!"

"He supports me entirely with his wife's money."

The camera panned, revealing a familiar curved balcony, custom bookshelves, a planet lamp...

Frame by frame, it was all the home I'd designed myself.

She winked playfully at the camera:

"My sugar daddy says after New Year's, he'll use his wife's year-end bonus to pay for my down payment."

"And he'll even have his wife personally design my wedding suite. Just thinking about it is so thrilling."

The moment the livestream ended, a message from my husband Lucas popped up:

"Honey, I transferred twenty thousand from your card. Needed it urgently."

The scenery outside the train window blurred into a gray-white haze. I stared at my phone screen, my fingertips ice-cold.

Lucas's message still glowed there.

Seeing I hadn't responded for ages, he sent another.

"Honey, are you still busy? Why aren't you replying?"

I took a deep breath and tapped on the screen:

"Bad signal on the train. I'll be home in two hours."

Lucas replied almost instantly.

"Why are you coming back early? I'll wait for you at home. Take your time on the way back."

I stared at those words, suddenly feeling disoriented.

I ignored him and switched back to the short video app, finding the profile of that livestreamer.

On her profile page, she'd posted a new video just one minute ago.

I clicked on it.

On screen was the same girl in the silk robe. She blinked at the camera, her voice syrupy sweet.

"Oh no! My sugar daddy's wife is coming home from her trip early. I've got to go!"

She waved a sparkly earring at the camera, her lips curled in a smug smile.

"This? I'm going to hide it under the pillow as a little gift for his wife. Do you think she'll find it?"

At the end of the video, she leaned close to the camera and lowered her voice: "Want to keep watching me and my sugar daddy's daily life? Join the fan group and I'll share more~"

My finger moved faster than my brainI clicked to request entry to the group.

The system approved me instantly.

The group announcement hung there, glaring: "Welcome to Jane's Sweet Little Nest~ My sugar daddy totally spoils me!"

I exited the app and closed my eyes.

Lucas and I had been married for five years.

We'd been together since college. When he was pursuing me, he ate instant noodles for a month just to save up money to buy me a necklace.

After we married, he started a business and lost everything, even racking up a mountain of debt.

My career had just started then, but I took on the burden of our household without a second thought.

He cried and said, "Honey, when I turn things around, I'll make sure you have a good life."

I held him tight.

"Okay. I'll wait for that day."

I drew designs until dawn every day, thinking that if I took on more projects, we could pay off his debts sooner.

When I opened my eyes again, the view outside the window showed the familiar lights of my city.

We'd arrived.

I dragged my suitcase, practically rushing home.

I pushed open the door. Lucas emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron, his face full of smiles.

"You're back? Are you tired? I made you noodles."

I said nothing. I changed my shoes and headed straight to the bedroom.

Walking to the bed, I reached under the pillow.

Nothing.

"What's wrong? Looking for something?"

Lucas's voice came from the doorway.

I turned around, unable to force any expression onto my face.

"Nothing. Just a bit tired."

He walked closer, trying to take my suitcase.

Just then, his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, his expression clearly stiffening for a moment.

Then he turned and headed to the bathroom. "Let me take this call."

The door was ajar.

I stood where I was, hearing a girl's soft voice drift through the gap into my ears.

"When are you coming over... I miss you..."

It sounded like the voice from the livestream.

My nails dug into my palms.

A few minutes later, he rushed out to grab his coat.

"My friend... suddenly got sick. I'm going to check on him."

"Also, I'm a bit short on cash. Honey, can you transfer me some more?"

I grabbed his hand.

"Which friend? Is it serious? Let me come with you."

"Really, you don't need to. You just got back from a triprest up."

Lucas pressed down on my hand reaching for my coat, his tone urgent.

I looked up and saw several red marks on his neck.

"What happened to your neck?" I stared at him.

He frantically covered them with his hand, his eyes darting away. "Ah... probably mosquito bites. They're really itchy."

With that, he rushed out the door, even forgetting to take his scarf.

Maybe I was too exhausted. I'd been working nonstop on projects lately, and then this happened.

I lay on the bed, my head buzzing. Before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, the room was pitch black.

I fumbled for my phoneit was midnight.

The screen was still on the fan group interface for that girl named Jane.

The latest messages were all from her, just posted:

[Tonight my sugar daddy is still with me~ I just acted cute and he came running]

Below was a photo.

The lighting was ambiguous. A girl leaned against a man's shoulder. The man's face was covered with a sticker, but that familiar black mole on the side of his neckI recognized it instantly. It was Lucas.

The gray hoodie he wore was the birthday gift I'd given him last year.

And Jane was wearing his shirt, loose and oversized.

[My sugar daddy says I can't leave hickeys anymore! Because his wife asked him about them!]

[As compensation... he gave me his wife's Bulgari necklace~]

She posted another picture.

My breath caught.

That was part of my dowry from my mother, a limited edition piece she'd brought back from Italy.

It went missing last year. Lucas had even helped me search for it for ages, saying we must have accidentally thrown it out while cleaning.

So it wasn't thrown out.

It was stolen to give away.

I tossed my phone aside, wanting to close my eyes and keep sleeping.

But every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was that photo.

Jane leaning against his shoulder, smiling. Him looking down at her, his gaze painfully tender.

That was an expression I hadn't seen in a long time.

Half-asleep, I struggled through until dawn, hearing the sound of keys at the door.

Lucas tiptoed in, carrying the cold from outside.

He walked to the bedside and tucked the blanket around me.

I opened my eyes.

He jumped. "Did I wake you?"

"Lucas," I called out to him, my voice hoarse.

"This New Year, come back with me to see my parents."

He froze, obvious hesitation flashing across his face.

He mumbled an "mm" and looked away.

I continued, "Which friend was sick yesterday? I'm free today. Let's go visit."

His shoulders visibly stiffened, and his speech quickened. "You don't know them, and... and they were already discharged today. No need to go."

More lies.

I watched him nervously swallow, and suddenly felt a wave of nausea.

"Honey..." He suddenly moved closer, lifting the blanket and lying down.

His arm came around to hold me, his face buried in my neck.

"Don't ask anymore. Just let me hold you for a while."

He carried a faint scent of perfumesweet, fruity floral notes.

I lay stiffly in his embrace, motionless.

His hand patted my back gently, just like he used to do when coaxing me to sleep.

There was one day left before we'd go back to my parents' place.

At breakfast, I asked Lucas, "Can you come to the mall with me today? Let's buy some New Year goods for Mom and Dad."

His hand pausing while peeling an egg, he didn't look at me.

"Vivian, I... I found a day-labor job. Today's my first day. I want to earn money myself to buy gifts for your parents. That shows more sincerity."

As he said this, his gaze drifted toward the window, his ears slightly red.

But I still nodded, even managing a smile.

"That's great. It's the thought that counts."

He looked relieved, hurriedly finished eating, grabbed his coat, and headed out.

The moment the door closed, the smile collapsed from my face.

My phone vibrated.

It was Jane's fan group.

She'd posted a voice message:

[Sisters, my sugar daddy has to go back to his hometown with his wife for Christmas~ Today he's treating me to an early "New Year's dinner" to console my wounded little heart~]

Below was a restaurant location.

I stared at that address, then suddenly grabbed my car keys and followed.

The restaurant's lighting was dim and intimate, the air filled with expensive perfume and the scent of fresh bread.

I sat in the most secluded booth with an untouched glass of water in front of me.

Then I saw them walk in.

Lucas wore the cashmere coat I'd bought him just last month, with Jane on his arm.

The server led them to the best window seat.

"Lucas, isn't this place really expensive?" Jane rested her chin on her hand, her eyes bright as she looked at him.

"For you, it's worth it." Lucas pushed the menu toward her.

"See what you want to eat. Today, you're the priority."

Jane's slender fingers pointed at items on the menu as she leaned softly toward Lucas.

Lucas naturally put his arm around her shoulder, his chin nearly touching the top of her head. "I can't spend New Year with you, so today I'll make it all up to you."

"Hmph, you just know how to sweet-talk me. When are you going to leave her?" Jane pouted, her tone coquettish.

Lucas lowered his head, leaning close to her ear.

"Just wait a bit longer. That old hagif it weren't for her money... I'd have stopped bothering with her ages ago."

Jane immediately beamed, quickly kissing his cheek. "What about my New Year gift you promised me?"

"Don't worry. I already paid the twenty thousand down payment on the house."

Lucas tapped her nose, his eyes full of affection.

They said much more after that.

Every sentence was like a poisoned needle piercing my ears.

I gripped my water glass tightly, nails digging into my palm, yet I felt no pain.

My stomach churned violently. The few bites of bread I'd forced down earlier felt like stones lodged inside.

They ate for a long time, their behavior growing increasingly intimate.

When they finally got up to leave, Lucas actually bent down and kissed Jane's foreheadso tenderly.

After they left, I immediately drove home.

I burst through the door, not even bothering to change my shoes, and rushed straight to the bathroom.

Kneeling by the toilet, I vomited up all the nausea I'd held back at the restaurant.

Why?

When your business failed and you were drowning in debt, I stayed up late with you figuring out solutions, desperately taking on projects to pay back the money. Have you forgotten those days?

Now that life has finally stabilized and the debt is almost paid off...

The sound of keys turning.

Lucas was home.

Hearing the commotion, he ran to the bathroom door and saw my state. He froze for a moment.

Then his face filled with familiar concern. "Vivian? Why are you throwing up? Did you eat something bad?"

He crouched down, his warm palm patting my back with gentle motions, his tone anxious.

Completely different from the man who'd just been in that restaurant with his arm around another woman, speaking such heartless words.

I lifted my head and looked at this face I'd loved for nearly ten years.

"Lucas, that twenty thousandwhere did you spend it?"