Revenge Wears Her Face

I looked almost exactly like a certain Japanese actress, and after my husbands career hit a slump, he kept suspecting I was cheating, so he brought me back to his hometown early for the holidays.

Something happened on the very first day: the underwear Id hung in the yard vanished without a trace.

My husband called me cheap, and then the neighbor next door suddenly came over, holding a black pearl between his fingers.

I froze on the spot.

The pearl was from that tiny pair of panties of mine.

This man was the hot young guy with the perky butt I had touched on the bus.

Ashley Bennett, what the hell have I ever done to you? Business is bad, but I still support you at home. And you repay me by hooking up with someone on the first day were back in town?!

I didnt. I dont know where it went either. I hung it in the yard this afternoon

I felt so wronged, because who would know how a piece of clothing could suddenly disappear?

Youre still lying? Who is that man?

In the middle of the chaos, a clear young male voice came from outside.

Sorry to bother you. Im here to return something.

Ryan Cooper and I looked over at the same time.

A handsome boy in his early twenties stood outside the window, his long fingers pinching a small black pearl.

I panicked.

That pearl came from the missing pair of tiny panties.

This boy was the hot young guy with the perky butt I had seen on the bus half a month ago.

Ryan passed out from anger, then woke up from the cold.

I huddled under the blanket and looked awkwardly at the tall boy outside the window.

In the end, the hot young guy with the perky butt oh, his name was Ethan Hale, and he was Ryans hometown neighbor who lived right next door.

Ethan brought over his familys dog and apologized over and over, and it turned out the dog had carried off my clothes, and black powder from the chewed-up little pearl could still be seen between its teeth.

But my lace fabric was never coming back, because Ethans grandma, who depended on him, had accidentally tossed it into the stove and burned it.

After learning it was all a misunderstanding, Ryan was very embarrassed and pulled Ethan close, trying hard to act friendly.

Ethan, youve grown up so much. When you were little, I even took you out to set off fireworks. Right, how old are you this year? What do you do?

Im twenty-two. I just graduated college. Im an esports streamer, so my schedule is pretty flexible, and its convenient for taking care of things at home.

Yeah, it wasnt easy for your grandma to raise you alone. Her eyesight isnt very good now, so its good for you to take care of her at home. I might be busy for a while and wont always be home, so if you need anything, just go straight to Ashley.

Ryan called out to me, Ashley, keep an eye out for him.

I was playing on my phone, and when I had a moment, I lifted my eyes and glanced at Ethan.

He was over six feet tall, wearing a white hoodie, and when he smiled, he showed a little canine tooth, making his whole vibe unbelievably clean and fresh.

He was exactly my type.

He also looked a lot like Ryan from a few years ago.

The next time I saw Ethan was the next day.

In rural towns, people with the same last name in a village were basically related in one way or another.

With the holidays coming, there was one unspoken tradition: visiting relatives.

Ryan cared a lot about appearances, so even though he had no money this year, he still bought bags and bags of gifts and went door to door.

On the way, he kept complaining.

I asked you to sell a few bags for some cash, but you just wouldnt. These gifts dont even include a decent bottle of wine, so how am I supposed to show up with them? If business hadnt been so bad this year, I wouldnt have had to ask you for money.

I completely couldnt understand why we had to visit relatives we only saw once a year during the holidays, people we never contacted normally, who only envied your success and mocked your failures behind your back.

In fact, in my eyes, what Ryan was doing couldnt even be called visiting.

It was rushing over to suck up to people.

But Ryan was convinced that giving gifts to relatives during the holidays made him look good and proved he was doing well.

If you were preparing holiday gifts for my parents, I would sell my bags without saying a word.

As soon as he heard that, Ryan immediately went quiet.

Before we returned to his hometown, he had specifically told me that since we had no money this year, we wouldnt visit my parents for the holidays, and he wanted me to come up with an excuse in front of them.

I didnt bother with Ryan anymore and followed him to the home of a relative who only became related if you counted three generations up the family tree.

Uncle Martin, I came to see you.

I watched them talk big, flatter each other in business terms, and then bring up having children.

Uncle Martin looked at me and said, Ryan, is your wife in poor health? Why dont you two have a child yet? My son and daughter-in-law already have three kids. Now that the policy allows three children, were responding to it.

I really hated unrelated elders lecturing me about having children, not to mention this Uncle Martin never had anything decent to say.

I heard your son wanted to sell off his two daughters because the pressure of having a third child was too much, and his wifes family found out and called the police. Also, I heard your daughter-in-law has already filed for divorce. Uncle Martin, is that true?

Uncle Martins face turned purple with rage, and he pointed at me with a trembling finger, unable to say a word for a long time.

After we left his house, Ryans face didnt look too good either.

You wont have a child with me because you have someone else out there, dont you?

I calmly helped him remember.

When we got married, you were the one who said you wanted us to be childfree together.

Ryan looked at me and couldnt say anything for a long while.

I didnt continue visiting those so-called relatives with him, and I turned around and walked back, but when I passed Ethans house, I looked inside as if possessed.

The boy happened to be in the yard, and when his eyes met mine, his face instantly turned bright red as he hurriedly hid something behind his back.

My curiosity was piqued, so I walked in and asked him, What are you hiding?

He stammered and couldnt speak, and only after I got closer and closer did he lower his head and bring his hand in front of him.

Ashley, I, I