When I started Suspecting my Wife of Cheating, I Somehow Ended up Living in the Middle of Nowhere - Episode 3

My job is in sales for medical equipment. When a doctor says they need something, I prepare it and deliver it right away. That call can come at any time, 24/7, 365 days a year. It’s a serious mental burden.

On top of that, I also attend medical conferences and events around the country, tagging along with doctors, entertaining them at various places. Usually, it involves dinner, then taking them to a nightlife spot, and finally sending them back to their hotel in a taxi. It happens pretty frequently, so there were plenty of times I wasn’t home.

As a middle school graduate, the jobs available to me were really limited. Most job postings casually include “high school diploma or higher” in the requirements. I think most people probably don’t even notice it because it seems so obvious.

But I’m a middle school graduate. That one line alone disqualifies me from about 90% of job opportunities.

I used to work cleaning apartments and condos. I didn’t have to deal with people much, so I thought it suited me. Just basic greetings with the tenants. But the pay was bad. And there were no days off—not even for Obon, New Year’s, or Golden Week. I vaguely thought that maybe Japanese labor laws just didn’t apply to tiny companies like that.

It was my wife who told me I should change jobs. She said there had to be something better. The job I have now pays way better, but I have almost no time anymore, and I think my wife and I barely talk now.

What I’m trying to say is—we don’t see each other much anymore, and we don’t talk.

Still, I thought the two of us were powering this “family” together, so even if we didn’t see each other often, I could keep going. I could push through the hard times.

But then… I saw her cheating. I was shocked. I lost my grip.

Because I never know when I’ll get a call to prep equipment, I sleep with my phone next to my pillow, volume up. When it rings, I jump up and answer it. Naturally, this led to my wife and I sleeping in separate rooms.

I thought our mission was to raise our two daughters right…

So, I decided to sit down and talk with them.

“So, how’s school been lately, sweetie?”

God, what a textbook example of a lame dad question.

My eldest is 16, a high school freshman. Her name’s Tomoko.

I said I’d bought some cake and invited her to eat it with me in the living room, hoping we could talk.

“Hmm… People around me are annoying, I guess.”

“What? Like bullying?”

Her comment caught me off guard.

“No, I mean, my classmates keep confessing to me.”

“Uh, wow…”

Tomoko definitely got her looks from her mother. She’s really pretty—so much so that even as her dad, I find her smile charming. Part of my job is to protect that smile from sketchy guys.

“You’re still super popular, huh?”

“Even the Japanese teacher keeps hitting on me. It’s annoying.”

“What the hell!? Is that even okay!?”

I remembered her saying a young Japanese teacher started this year.

“He was so annoying I reported him to the vice principal, and my homeroom teacher got changed.”

“Wow, that’s some bold move.”

“Now the vice principal is bothering me instead. He’s worse.”

How popular can one girl get? She’s living a totally different life from mine. I just want her to graduate, go to college, and live a normal life.

“What about the boys your age?”

“Too immature. Not interested.”

“What? So… the vice principal…?”

She shot me a glare.

“He’s just an old creep. He’s got a family and he’s still creeping on students—gross.”

“Okay! That’s a relief.”

I was honestly relieved that she has solid morals.

Next up was my younger daughter, Chieri. She’s 14 and in her second year of middle school.

“Ah…”

She walked in just as I was eating cake with Tomoko. She froze for a second. That look—she was blaming me with her eyes.

“You’re eating cake with just big sis?! I don’t matter to you, huh?!”

That’s what her eyes said! I had to explain myself immediately!

“There’s cake for you too! It’s in the fridge!”

“I’m not worried about that.”

She said it with a cold tone, then went straight to her room. Now that I think about it, my wife did say Chieri’s been more withdrawn lately. That’s not good. I didn’t do anything wrong, but it still feels bad.

I cut the conversation with Tomoko short, grabbed Chieri’s cake from the fridge, put it on a plate, and headed to her room.

Knock knock “Chieri, I’m coming in.”

It had been a while since I’d been in her room.

“Don’t come in!”

Still mad, huh?

“I brought cake…”

“Just leave it there.”

I’ve been completely rejected. I tried to raise both my daughters equally, but situations like this can’t always be helped.

I placed the plate beside her door, let her know it was there, and left.

At least I can still talk with them, so our relationship isn’t too bad. They’re at a difficult age, after all.

The real problem is my wife. I wonder how she’ll react when that certified letter from the lawyer arrives. Where should I be when it happens? If she comes at me directly, I won’t be able to take it.

I’ll have to ask the lawyer about that too.

Kiyomi Zenpuku’s Complaints

I’m Kiyomi Zenpuku. What bugs me about that guy? Sooo many things! A ton of things!

He’s barely home, and yet the girls like him. Why?! He didn’t even finish high school!

Our daughters are in their rebellious teenage years, right!? Isn’t this the age where they say stuff like “Don’t wash my clothes with Dad’s underwear”?!

But he goes shopping with the older one, and eats sweets with the younger one! And me? We almost never go out together!

It’s totally unfair! I want a divorce ASAP!