The Tasty Truth: A Man’s Bitter-Sweet Revelation.

25 September, 2024

My wife is a hard worker and very handy, so she took on extra work to do at home. This allowed us to save more money for our future child. Many times, I would come home from work and she would have already cooked a delicious meal and even sewn clothes for her clients, all while taking care of our home. I was determined to work hard and ease her burden.

Despite the challenges we faced, my wife always stood by my side and encouraged me. With her support, I was able to overcome my insecurities and strive for a better career. Two years into our marriage, both of our careers took off. I received a promotion, and my wife became the chief accountant. My career continued to flourish, and I even started a successful business venture with a friend, which brought significant financial gains. During these years, we were also blessed with two wonderful and well-behaved children, a boy and a girl.

I was able to purchase a condo in an upscale neighborhood and provide my children with an international education. I even suggested that my wife quit her job to stay at home and take care of the children, even though she had a good income. She refused and jokingly said she didn’t want to depend financially on me. Despite her busy work schedule, she never neglected her duties at home. She always took care of our home, social obligations, and our children, which allowed me to focus on my career.

I never imagined that our family would face emotional challenges, especially since we had built our lives from scratch and endured many hardships. However, I ended up being the one to disrupt our peaceful and happy family life. During my business trips, my secretary would often join me, and she began to pursue me. Even though I was aware of her intentions, I couldn’t help but enjoy the attention and the feeling of being desired. Eventually, I disregarded my family and moral obligations and embarked on an affair with this woman, whom I’ll call Nhàn.

Sometimes I would lie to my wife about going on a business trip, only to spend time with Nhàn. Although I felt guilty about betraying my wife and children, I was captivated by Nhàn’s beauty, charm, and culinary skills. She was an excellent cook, and even though my wife was also a wonderful cook, I felt that Nhàn’s dishes were more refined and restaurant-like.

Whenever we had plans to meet, Nhàn would prepare in advance. As soon as I walked through her door, a delicious, freshly cooked meal would be waiting for me, and her gentle and sweet demeanor would fill me with joy, making me forget my guilt. However, the truth eventually came out. My wife somehow obtained photos of Nhàn and me together, including intimate moments and outings.

Initially, I panicked and apologized to my wife, promising to end things with Nhàn. But when Nhàn told me she was pregnant, I was torn and didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t abandon my child, but at the same time, my wife was devastated and suggested a temporary separation to give her space to think and decide whether she could forgive me.

However, as my wife became more distant, Nhàn became even more loving and gentle, making it harder for me to let go. When I told Nhàn about my wife’s reaction, she cried and begged me to let her go, saying she didn’t want to destroy our family. She even offered to abort the baby and disappear from my life. Her tears and desperation made me stay with her for a few more weeks.

In the end, my wife insisted on a divorce, and our children were heartbroken. As we waited for the divorce proceedings to finalize, I moved in with Nhàn. At first, she seemed remorseful, but soon her true colors started to show, and she reveled in her new role as the chosen one. However, living with her, I discovered that she was not who I thought she was. She was messy, disorganized, and, most surprisingly, she couldn’t cook.

One day, I craved my favorite dish, sweet and sour ribs, and asked her to cook it for me. Since she was only two months pregnant and didn’t have any morning sickness, she reluctantly agreed. Half an hour later, she presented me with a dish of ribs that were burnt and inedible. I thought it might be a one-time mistake, but when I tasted it, it was extremely salty and sour. I realized that even if the dish was burnt, the flavors should still be there.

Although cooking isn’t the most important skill, her lie about it made me question everything. From that day on, I never had a decent home-cooked meal. Nhàn openly admitted that she hated cooking and preferred to eat out or order takeout. While eating out is enjoyable, I longed for a home-cooked meal and the comfort of family dinners.

Seeing my male employees rushing home to eat with their wives made me miss my soon-to-be ex-wife even more. I remembered how good of a cook she was and how she would go out of her way to learn new dishes, especially my favorite, sweet and sour ribs. I felt disappointed in Nhàn’s approach to life, but what could I do? She genuinely loved me and was carrying my child. However, my world came crashing down when I discovered that her love was a lie and that she was only after my money and the status of being my wife.

It turned out that she was the one who sent the photos to my wife, and she had been involved with multiple men before me, looking for someone to take responsibility for her pregnancy. When I found out the truth, I immediately ended things with her, but I knew I had lost my wife’s trust and our family’s happiness. I longed for a simple family dinner, but I knew I didn’t deserve it after all the pain I had caused.

Sweet and sour ribs is a popular dish, and here’s a recipe to try:

1. Ingredients

– 500gr of pork ribs (for 4 people)

– 4 tablespoons of fish sauce

– 5 small spoons of sugar

– 5 small spoons of vinegar or lemon juice

– 1/3 bowl of boiled and cooled water

– 5 tablespoons of cooking oil

– 4-5 cloves of garlic

– 1 onion, 1 spring onion for garnish, 1 chili (optional)

Note: You can adjust the sweetness and sourness to your taste.

2. Cooking instructions

Preparation

– Peel and crush the garlic and onion.

– Make the fish sauce mixture: In a bowl, mix sugar, lemon juice, garlic, half a bowl of boiled water, and fish sauce. Add chili if you like it spicy.

– Prepare the ribs: Wash the ribs and cut them into bite-sized pieces. To remove any unpleasant odor, boil the ribs with a little salt, then rinse well.

Cooking process

– Let the ribs drain and then fry them until they turn golden. Be careful not to overcook them, as this will make the meat dry and tough.

– Once the ribs are golden, remove them from the oil. Fry the crushed garlic until golden, then pour in the fish sauce mixture and simmer on low heat.

– Add the ribs to the sauce and stir well. Add just enough water to cover the ribs and simmer until the sauce thickens. The ribs should be a dark golden color, and the meat should be tender and infused with the flavors.

– Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve. This sweet and sour rib dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and goes well with steamed rice.