The Cheater [JenLisa]

Chapter 1: Contract

Lisa's POV
Me and Jennie Manoban have been married for almost 10 years now.

She's the love of my life.

We have a son, Liam Kim Manoban.

My little gem. I never thought my life would be this full of joy until he came into this world.

"Hon, when will you end your contract?" Jennie asked me one night.

"Baby, you know I need this. It's our source of income. How else can I provide for Liam's future, especially his college fees? I still have two years left, please be patient."

"But still, how can—" I didn't let her finish. Instead, I kissed her lips softly to stop her from speaking.

"I'll be the one to provide for us, Lisa. I'll work," she whispered.

"What? No. You can't. I should be the one working. Are you tired of taking care of Liam? If you are, we can get a nanny. But you will never have to work. I'm doing my best for you and Liam—isn't that enough?" My words came out sharper than I intended, and I saw the fire light up in her eyes.

"No. I don't want you to work
anymore. Resign from your contract, Lisa. You'll be the one to take care of Liam. If you don't... then you'll never see me and your son again. Choose wisely, Lisa. I'm doing this for us."

In the end, I swallowed my pride. She's Jennie Kim Manoban, my wife.
So I finished my contract as an actress and decided to focus on Liam.

Jennie, on the other hand, started working at Kim's Company. I never knew who the real owner was; she never mentioned it.

"Hon, I need to go."

"Okay, babe. Please take care, and don't forget to eat. I already packed your lunch." I kissed her lips before she left. For a moment, she froze, then quickly brushed it off and walked away as if nothing happened.

We could've survived without working for a few more years. But maybe Jennie just wanted to secure Liam's future early. Maybe. So I let her. Because above all, I only wanted her to be happy.

But days passed, and Jennie started becoming distant. Not just from me, but from Liam too, something was wrong, I could feel it. Every time I asked, she only brushed me off with the same words: "I'm not in the mood to talk to you, Lisa."

Other POV

We were at the dining table with Jisoo unnie when suddenly Jennie's phone rang. She became anxious, glancing at her phone and then at Lisa.

"Shit," Jennie whispered under her breath.

"Hon, is there a problem?" Lisa asked.

"No. Please, give me a minute. I'll just take this call. Continue eating, Jisoo unnie. Lis, take care of Liam, don't let him mess up his food." Jennie stood up and left.

Lisa pretended to head to the bathroom, but instead she quietly followed Jennie to the door. That's when she heard words that froze her heart.

"Yes, baby. I'll go there, please wait. I'll let Lisa sleep first."

"...Alright, babe."

"Bye. I love you too."

Lisa's POV
She said "I love you." To someone else.

Who is that person? Is she... cheating on me?

And the way she smiled at her phone, like a teenager in love. It broke me.

I heard everything. Every single word.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry.

But instead, I held it all in. Because if Jennie was happy, who was I to stop her? I want her happiness, even if it kills me inside.

"She deserves happiness," I whispered to myself.

"Are you guys done eating? Can you please clean the table? I'll take care of Liam, he needs to sleep since he has school tomorrow. Unnie, you can use the guest room, is it comfortable enough?" Jennie asked, smiling.

"Yes, don't worry," Jisoo replied.
I forced a smile, my heart breaking inside. I never thought I'd see this, only in movies.

Baby, didn't you promise I'd be the only one in your heart? Didn't you promise to wipe my tears when I needed you? Where are you now, Jennie? Where is my home?

Later that night, after cleaning the dishes, I tried to sleep but couldn't. Something was wrong. At around 1:54 AM, I saw Jennie sneaking out.

"Where are you going?" I asked.
She froze. "Uh—I'm just going to the bar—"

"Why didn't you tell me? Are you keeping secrets from me now?" She stuttered, trying to find an excuse. "I-I'll be with Irene."

"Oh, really?" I said, holding her hand.

"Then I'll call Irene. It's late, and I want her to pick you up so you'll be safe."

Before Jennie could stop me, I dialed Irene's number and put it on speaker.

"Hello? Lis? Why are you calling me at 2AM?" Irene's voice was hoarse, clearly half-asleep.

"Rene, are you going to the bar with Jennie? Please pick her up. I don't want her driving—it's dangerous, you know how messy she gets when drunk."

"What? The bar? I don't know what you're talking about. Jennie never told me anything."

Jennie's face turned pale. She couldn't even look me in the eyes.

"Thank you, Rene. Sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep," I said quickly, hanging up.

I turned to Jennie. She was trembling.
"I-I'm sorry," she whispered.

I smiled faintly, holding back my tears. "Go. Please... just be careful."

I kissed her lips one last time before walking back inside. I went to Liam's room and hugged him tightly.

"Oh God... what will happen if he finds out? I don't want him to grow up in a broken family. I only want the best for him."

It was morning when I woke up. Jennie hadn't come home.

So I did what I always do, cooked breakfast and prepared Liam for school.

One bad chapter doesn't mean your story is over.