1 Middle Age Blues: A Dog's Life Surpasses Human Struggles

"Dad, when are you coming back? Just now, a man came to our house, and as soon as he entered, he slapped Mom's butt, making her cry."

Recalling my son's words on the phone, my head spun for a moment. He's only four years old, just starting kindergarten, how could he understand so much?

But I, being an adult, understood. My wife was cheating!

And just on the phone, I faintly heard her intermittent moans.

Thinking about those sounds, fury overwhelmed me!

The thing I had been worrying about eventually happened!

I just didn't expect it to be so blatant, happening right in our home.

If it weren't for my son's call, I would have been kept in the dark!

Why? Why did this happen?

Thinking about it, I trembled all over.

A year ago, I was still a man at the peak, with a bank account holding a whopping twenty million dollars!

But now, I'm destitute, unable to even produce two thousand bucks.

It was during my most glorious time that I met my wife.

We met at a banquet, where she wore an exquisite dress, her face adorned with innocent yet slightly seductive makeup.

The first time I saw her, I fell in love, and from then on, I vigorously pursued her.

I gifted her numerous luxury items, even buying her a Porsche Cayenne when I proposed. Finally, she became my wife.

At the peak of my life, I married her without hesitation, even giving her parents a three-million-dollar dowry.

Back then, three million wasn't much for me, and during holidays, I used to give them tens of thousands in red envelopes.

At that time, her parents treated me like their own son. If there was ever an issue with my wife, they'd speak up for me, often calling to check in.

However, my own father passed away when I was young, and my mother raised me on her own, saving every penny to put me through college.

She barely ate or dressed herself but never hesitated to spend on me.

After graduating, I partnered with friends to start a networking company, primarily doing programming for other companies.

In the first year, we received a million-dollar order, and by the second year, our assets exceeded ten million.

At that time, I was incredibly prosperous, always driven in luxury cars, and people around me respected me greatly.

Family and career were thriving, and others envied me for being young and successful, with a beautiful wife.

I even brought my mother from the countryside to live with us in the city. Although she couldn't adapt and preferred rural life, she was content, chatting with neighbors and occasionally visiting her.

Regrettably, this blissful period didn't last long.

Two years ago, a major negligence occurred at a gathering with my business partners. Due to excessive drinking, confidential client information was leaked.

We were collectively sued, facing over twenty million in compensation.

Afterward, one of my partners went insane, currently residing in a mental hospital.

This sudden turn of events was like a bolt from the blue, leaving me utterly bewildered.

Although I hadn't gone insane like my partner, to repay the debt, I sold the company and the house. All the effort over the years went down the drain.

I reverted to my state right after college, everything reset!

But unlike that time, when I was self-sufficient, now I have a wife and daughter to feed. Unable to do anything else, I bought an electric scooter and started delivering food.

During this period, I tried various ways to raise money.

Due to my damaged reputation among programmers, I couldn't continue working in that field.

I even tried borrowing from my in-laws, but they outright rejected me. Not only that, they kept urging my wife to divorce me.

Look at them, those materialistic in-laws.

Back when I was prosperous, they treated me like their own son. Now that I'm down and out, I'm nothing to them.

Approaching thirty, if not for life's circumstances, who would willingly endure such misery?

Indeed, life at middle age is worse than being a dog!

Good weather or bad, my own parents are still the best.

Unfortunately, my mother's prolonged strenuous work in her youth resulted in multiple health issues. Fearing I couldn't repay my debts, she almost sold our ancestral home.

Since then, my wife's attitude toward me changed. She often yelled at me for no reason, and even our intimate life turned cold.

I have no complaints about this because my failure in business led to a decline in our living standards. She's suffering alongside me, and I feel guilty.

But this is not a reason for her to cheat on me!

Thinking again about what my son told me on the phone, tears welled up in my eyes.

Recalling how good I've been to her from marriage until now, even after going bankrupt, I never let her work a day. I treated her like a princess.

Working tirelessly to earn money, I dreamed that one day, we could rise again.

However, I didn't wait for that day. Instead, I received news of my wife's betrayal.

This news, like thunder on a clear day, shattered my life, making me lose all my fighting spirit.

To know, I worked so hard all this time, only for her.

She was my faith, and I wanted to give her the good days she had before. That's why I struggled so hard.

But now, all that faith has been shattered, leaving me with nothing.

The pain and despair of a wife's betrayal are more intense than when I experienced bankruptcy.

Thinking about what my son said on the phone, I was shaking with anger.

Completely broken, I went to a hardware store and bought a boning knife, hiding it behind me.

I turned off the phone's order-receiving function and rushed home on my electric scooter.

I will slaughter this pair of adulterers on the spot!''