El marido de mi hermana me tiró un refresco a la cara—Porque sabía lo que le iba a enseñar

The house was filled with the buzz of conversation and laughter. The smell of roast chicken, buttered mashed potatoes and freshly baked bread filled the air. My sister Emma had outdone herself, as usual.

Her two children, Ava and Ben, were running around, laughing, sneaking bites of cake before it was time. Emma’s friends and our parents were gathered around, chatting in small groups.

Emma looked gorgeous. Graham, on the other hand, was barely present. He sat at the head of the table, looking at his phone and nodding occasionally when someone spoke to him. When Emma put a hand on his shoulder, he barely looked up.

I watched as she leaned over and whispered something to him. He forced a smile and murmured, “Yeah, yeah, right away.”

Emma straightened, her smile faltering for only a second before she turned back to her guests.

I frowned. Something didn’t fit, but I pushed the thought away. Tonight was all about Emma.

They cleared away the plates and everyone chatted over a chocolate cake with thick layers of frosting. It was the perfect moment for a toast.

I looked at Graham, who was still looking at his phone.

I smiled and said, “Graham, aren’t you going to toast your wife?”

Silence.

He raised his head, looking at me as if I had just insulted him.

Then, before I could react, he grabbed his glass and threw the soda in my face.

The room was filled with exclamations. Someone dropped a fork.

The cold liquid dripped down my cheeks, soaking my shirt. My breath caught.

“It’s none of your business!” Graham snapped, his face bright red with anger. “Do you know why you’re still single? Because you stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Nobody moved.

Emma’s eyes widened. “Graham, what…?”

But he was already pushing back his chair, grabbing his jacket. “I don’t need this,” he muttered before slamming the door behind him.

The room went cold. My father cleared his throat. My mother shook her head. Some guests awkwardly picked up their drinks, pretending they hadn’t just witnessed the scene.

Emma ran to my side. “Come with me,” she said, her voice shaking.

She took me into the bathroom and closed the door behind us. She grabbed a towel and gently caressed my face.

“I don’t know why he acted like that,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

I gulped and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn’t just embarrassed. She looked… hurt.

I took a deep breath. “Emma, ​​I have to tell you something.”

Emma handed me a towel, her hands shaking. I wiped my face, but my mind was racing. The way Graham had exploded… it made sense now. I knew I was a threat. I knew what I’d seen.

I turned to Emma, ​​my throat dry. “Sister, I have to show you something.”

She frowned. “What?”

I pulled out my phone, my fingers stiff. “I saw Graham at the restaurant three nights ago.”

He blinked. “At your restaurant?”

I nodded. “I wasn’t alone.”

Emma swallowed, but said nothing.

I hesitated for a moment before tapping the screen. The photo appeared. There he was, sitting at a candlelit table, leaning close to a woman in a red dress. They were laughing, their hands almost touching. And then, in the next photo… their lips were pressed together in a kiss.

Emma stared at the screen, motionless.

I swallowed. “I called you that night. Remember? I asked you where Graham was.”

He let out a shaky breath. “Yes… I said I had a business meeting.”

I hesitated. “I knew he was lying. I just… I guess I wanted to hear what you’d say.”

He didn’t look at me. His gaze remained fixed on the image.

“I felt it,” she finally whispered. “For a long time. He stopped looking at me the way he used to. He stopped touching me. What about the sleepless nights? The excuses?” She let out a humorless laugh. “God, I feel so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” I said quickly. “He’s just a liar.”

Emma clenched her jaw. Her hands balled into fists. “He won’t get away with this.”

I hesitated. “There’s more.”

He looked up.

I took a deep breath. “I confronted him the next day.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What did you do?”

I nodded. “I called him. I told him I knew what he’d done. Either he told you the truth or I would.”

Emma’s mouth dropped open. “What did he say?”

I clenched my fists, remembering his voice, so cold, so cruel.

“He laughed. He said I was crazy. That I must have confused him with someone else. Then he hung up on me.”

Emma’s lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s why he reacted like that tonight.”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “He was already furious with me. The toast thing pushed him over the edge.”

We were silent for a moment.

Then, slowly, he picked up my phone again. He stared at the photo, his expression unreadable.

When he finally spoke, his voice was firm.

“I need more evidence.”

I blinked. “What?”

“If I’m going to end this, I need more than just a photo.” He looked at me with dark, determined eyes. “I need to know everything .”

I hesitated. “Emma… Are you sure you want to do this tonight?”

He let out a short, bitter laugh. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep until I do.”

I took a deep breath. “Then let’s find out the truth.”

We slipped out of the bathroom, slipping through the murmurs of the guests. Most of them pretended not to notice us, but I caught our mother’s worried look. Emma didn’t stop to reassure her. She was already going up to her bedroom.

I followed her, my heart pounding. She grabbed the laptop from the desk, opened it, and logged into the joint bank account. She stared at the screen. Then she stiffened.

“What?” I asked.

He turned the laptop toward me. “Look.”

There it was. A series of chargebacks, big ones. $500 here. $1,200 there. And then, a week ago… a $3,000 charge at a jewelry store.

” Has he bought you any jewelry recently?” I asked, although I already knew the answer.

Emma pressed her lips together. “No.”

My stomach twisted. “So who did you buy them for?”

Emma took a sharp breath through her nose. “I think we know.” She slammed her laptop shut and stood up. “We’re going to make him deal with this. And he’s not going to walk away quietly.”

A slow smile spread across my face. “Tell me the plan.”

Graham arrived home after midnight. He walked in casually, leaving his keys on the counter. He barely glanced at us as he loosened his tie.

Emma and I sat in the living room, waiting.

When he turned toward the stairs, I grabbed the remote.

“Dear Graham,” I said, my voice sweet, “we have a very special performance for you tonight.”

He frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The TV screen lit up.

Slide One : A screenshot of your suspicious bank transactions. Thousands of dollars missing.

Second slide : A receipt for the expensive piece of jewelry Emma never received.

Slide three: The incriminating photo of him kissing the woman in red.

Graham’s face drained of color. “Are you crazy?” he barked.

Emma crossed her arms. “No, Graham. But I think you are. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”

He turned to me, picking up his phone. “Little…”

I picked up the phone. “Be careful what you say. Because you know what? We’ve already sent everything to your family. So don’t waste your time calling them. They’ll call you.”

He clenched his jaw. He looked at his phone, scrolling furiously. A second later, it rang.

Emma smiled with satisfaction. “She’ll be your mother.”

Graham looked at us both, breathing heavily. “Do you think you can…?”

Emma dropped a folder on the table. “Oh, and one more thing. Since you’ve been spending our money on her , I’ve done a little math. Fifteen years of marriage. Two kids. Every meal I’ve cooked, every shirt I’ve washed, every night I’ve spent taking care of this house while you’ve been away cheating .”

She slid a printed statement towards him.

$50,000.

“What the hell is this?” Graham snapped.

Emma smiled coldly. “My birthday present to myself. Consider it back pay.”

Graham looked at me and then back at her. His face twisted in rage. “You’re both crazy.”

I grabbed the bottle of champagne, uncorked it, and poured myself a glass. “Here’s to that.”

Graham grabbed his keys, the phone still ringing. He stormed towards the door. “This isn’t over.”

Emma cocked her head. “I think so.”

And he left.

For the first time in years, Emma sat down and exhaled. The weight on her shoulders had disappeared.

“I thought this would destroy me,” she said. “But I feel… lighter.”

I smiled. “Because you’re free.”

He turned to me, his eyes shining with strength. “You didn’t ruin my birthday. You’ve given me a gift: liberation.”