5 years of taking care of my wife who was paralyzed due to an accident, that night because I forgot the key, I was forced to climb through the window into the house. Unexpectedly, that moment was the turning point of my life.
My name is John, a normal man living in a small town in Ohio. Five years ago, my life was turned upside down when my wife – Linda – had a serious traffic accident. The doctor said she was paralyzed, unable to take care of herself and would probably never recover.

I was in pain, but my love for Linda never wavered. We married because of true love, from the days when we were poor students, sharing a cold sandwich at the library. Linda used to be a bright girl, smiling and singing. The accident took away that smile, but I vowed to spend my life to bring it back.

5 years of devotion

For the past five years, I have devoted all my energy to taking care of Linda. From changing diapers, cooking bowls of soup, feeding spoonfuls of food, to carrying her out to the porch every afternoon to enjoy the breeze, I never complained.

My mother advised me many times:
– “John, you are still young, Linda is like this, why don’t you find someone else?”

I just shook my head:
– “Mom, I love Linda, I only have her in my life.”

My friends said I was foolish, there were so many women out there willing to come to me. But I refused them all. A young colleague at the company once confessed her feelings, I just smiled:
– “Thank you, but I only want Linda.”

I believed that, as long as I tried, Linda would smile again.

Small conflicts began to appear. Linda became less and less talkative, her eyes often empty. One day I cooked the chicken soup she used to like, but Linda snapped:
– “You cook it so bland, who can eat it?”

I apologized, trying to make amends, but my heart began to feel heavy. I told myself, she is sick, mentally unstable, I have to endure.

That fateful night, I came home late after my overtime shift at the factory. When I got home, I discovered I had forgotten my keys. My phone was out of battery. Only Linda was in the house, but she couldn’t open the door. I had to climb through the living room window.

The house was dark, with only yellow light coming from the bedroom. I walked over, intending to call Linda, but suddenly stopped. A soft laugh rang out – Linda’s clear laugh.

My heart tightened. It was the smile I had been waiting for for five years, but it wasn’t for me.

I opened the door and looked in. Linda was sitting on the bed, no longer looking weak. She was… video calling on her laptop, smiling brightly. A man’s voice rang out from the screen:
– “Linda, you have a beautiful smile. Why don’t you smile more often?”

I recognized that voice – Michael, my best friend from college, now a doctor in New York. Linda replied sweetly:
– “Michael, only when I talk to you, I feel alive.”

I stood there, listening to them continue whispering. Michael said:
– “Just wait a little longer, Linda. John won’t suspect anything. I’ve prepared everything, you’ll come here with me.”

My heart broke.

Betrayal plan

I checked my old laptop. It turned out that Linda had been in contact with Michael for over a year, via email, via WhatsApp. Love messages, escape plans, and even taunts:
– “John is stupid. He thinks I’m really paralyzed. If I fake my illness a little longer, I’ll get half of my assets and go with you.”

Horrifying twist: in the filing cabinet, I found a hidden medical file. The hospital report confirmed that Linda was only temporarily paralyzed, having recovered two years ago.

She pretended to be paralyzed to take advantage of me – to have me take care of her like a servant, while secretly plotting with Michael. Worse, Michael – Linda’s best friend and former lover – helped her falsify medical records, even providing her with drugs to play the role of a disabled person.

Counterattack

My pain turned into cold anger. I hired a private investigator to follow Michael, gathering evidence of him falsifying medical records – enough to revoke his medical license. I found a lawyer, prepared divorce papers, recorded all hospital bills, proving that I was the sole breadwinner.

I also discovered that Linda had secretly transferred our joint savings to Michael’s account – a clear act of fraud.

Confrontation

On the last night, I played the recording of the call between Linda and Michael, looked straight into her eyes:
– “Linda, I lived for you for the past five years. But you chose to betray me.”

Linda turned pale and stammered:
– “John, you misunderstood, I just…”

I interrupted:
– “Stop acting. I have recovered for a long time, right?”

Linda was stunned, then burst into tears. But I was no longer soft-hearted. I showed her the divorce papers and evidence.
– “The police will come to Michael for forgery. As for you, leave with nothing.”

The end

I made the story public on social media. The post quickly went viral: “I took care of my paralyzed wife for 5 years, in return you gave me laughter for others.” Public opinion was outraged. Michael was investigated and lost his job. Linda begged me for forgiveness, but I only said:
– “You smiled at others, now live with your choice.”

I sold the house, moved to a new city, and started over. Now, I no longer look for Linda’s smile, but for my own happiness.