When I started Suspecting my Wife of Cheating, I Somehow Ended up Living in the Middle of Nowhere - Episode 6

I posted on 2channel. Well, it’s called 5channel now, isn’t it? My wife and daughters all vanished at once, and I had no one to talk to about what was going on.

5channel is an anonymous message board. There was no need for me to post as “me.” That’s precisely why I could talk. I’d been cheated on, my wife and daughters taken away by her lover…

On the board, I got absolutely roasted. People insulted me for wanting to reconcile even after my wife cheated. They called me pathetic.

I was looked down on for settling with just 2 million yen in compensation, and my wife left me. As for her lover, I never even saw his face. I don’t even know his name.

I lost custody of both my daughters. Not just custody, but also guardianship—the right to raise them. It wasn’t just on paper, it was basically forced. They were taken away.

It happened because I confronted my wife about her cheating without properly consulting with a lawyer first. Of course, I could’ve followed up with the lawyer later, but unless I initiated something, the lawyer wouldn’t act. Sure, if I dumped everything on them, they’d do something, but I still needed to give direction.

I was indecisive, and that made it hard for the lawyer to move on anything. Plus, I was so shocked, I couldn’t even respond properly to the lawyer’s questions.

That point, too, got me criticized on the board. They gave me advice, but it was harsh. It wasn’t comfortable. Still, I didn’t have many people to talk to about this.

I kept going back to the board, just to get beaten up.

○●○

I never even got to say goodbye to my wife or daughters. They left while I was still in shock. The next day, the movers came and took all their stuff away.

It all happened so fast. Almost impressively smooth. Clearly, they’d planned it in advance. I just stood there, watching the movers work.

I could hear my wife’s voice through a video call with the movers. “Take that dresser as is,” or “Leave the desk like that.”

The fridge was left behind. The TV was taken. I didn’t care—I never watched TV anyway. The washing machine was left. Seems like they made sure I could still live.

When all the dressers and the stuff in the kids’ rooms disappeared, the place looked like something out of a dream. It made me wonder if my wife and daughters had ever really been there.

My heart felt empty. So this is despair.

After that, I couldn’t do anything. I took a few days off work, and then I quit. My job required me to be quick on my feet. In my current state, I’d only cause trouble. Worse, lives might be at risk.

My job was delivering medical equipment to doctors—basically sales. Sometimes they suddenly need a balloon catheter or a thinner suture thread than usual.

If I was late, surgeries would be delayed. A life that could’ve been saved might not be. That was too much to bear. It’s common in that job for people to have mental breakdowns. Some just stop showing up. In that sense, my resignation was quickly accepted.

I stopped going to work and shut myself in at home. I even half-expected my wife to call and ask if I was okay. But no message came. A whole month passed without any contact from anyone.

Then, about a month later, I got a letter from city hall. It was a notice confirming that the divorce paperwork had been accepted. I felt all the strength drain from me again.

Rrrring, rrring…

One day, my phone rang—from an unknown number starting with “090.” A mobile phone. I thought it might be my wife.

“Hello?”

But the voice was a man’s. I realized immediately it wasn’t who I’d hoped for.

Next, I wondered if it was her lover. But from his first words, I could tell it wasn’t.

“Are you the son of Shoko Zenpuku?”

Shoko Zenpuku—that was my mother’s name.

“…Yes. This is Kumagorou. Sounds like a brand of shochu, but it’s my real name.”

I was cautious. It’s that kind of world now. And this guy hadn’t even introduced himself yet.

“Sorry for not introducing myself. I’m Motomura, your mother’s care manager.”

“I see…”

Just to clarify—I had no idea who this guy was. I didn’t even really know what a “care manager” was.

“Sorry to bother you at a time like this. But there’s something important I need to discuss with you…”

“Yes…?”

According to this “care manager,” my mother had been suffering domestic violence from my father, and had been moved to a shelter. She was safe for now, but since the house was under my father’s name, they would eventually have to return her there. That’s where I came in—they wanted me to take over as her legal guardian and place her in a proper facility.

It was a bigger deal than I expected.

Misfortune comes in waves. First a divorce, now my mother’s DV situation. Still, I couldn’t just ignore this. So I headed to the place he told me about.

○●○

The sign said “Murokawa Daycare.” It looked more like a hospital than a regular building. Attached to it was a smaller, two-story structure—that was the daycare center.

I sanitized my hands at the entrance, had my temperature checked, and was led into the dining area. I sat down at a four-person table.

After about five minutes, a man came running up to me.

“Mr. Zenpuku! Thank you for coming despite everything!”

He was clearly trying to be respectful. And I guess I was technically the one being inconvenienced? Honestly, I was still wondering if this could be some kind of scam.

“First, please meet your mother.”

He said that, and then a woman in a wheelchair appeared, pushed by someone who looked like a caregiver.

Would you like me to continue with what happens next?