After witnessing his wife cheating on him through her phone’s security app, Jacob plans revenge so cruelly that they’ll never recover. However, he never imagined how badly his plan would affect the entire family, and the situation only worsened when his brother called out of the blue.
“No! Uncle J! Barbie is married to Ken!” his niece, Mia, said with a laugh, and it felt good to hear that sound after everything that had happened. Jacob smiled brightly and almost got emotional, but he was trying to contain his emotions for his nieces.
Mia and her little sister, Ella, played with him in her brother Liam’s living room. Jacob had started visiting them every Thursday after work after Mia’s diagnosis. Her liver was failing, and she was currently on the transplant list.
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No family member was a match, and they had to be placed on the official waiting list. Fortunately, she was allowed to stay home for a while, provided everyone let her rest. Her illness had progressed so far that her color had changed, and she was generally too weak to play.
However, his Thursday visits gave him energy. That’s why his older brother, Liam, and his wife, Emma, encouraged him to keep coming. Jacob’s wife, Melissa, also loved what he did for the family, but she couldn’t join them because of her work schedule.
Liam had already taken too much time off, so he had to work when things were relatively quiet. As a result, most Thursdays, it was just Jacob, Emma, and the girls at Liam’s house. But it was lovely. Jacob loved every moment of it, as no one knew how long they had been with Mia.
“Well, Mia. Barbie could get a girlfriend, right? It’s the 21st century, girl,” Jacob teased, smiling and patting her stomach.
Ella laughed. “Yes, a girlfriend!” she agreed, and they all continued playing for a while, trying to decide who Barbie was dating. Jacob did special voices for other characters, and the girls loved it.
Emma walked over and smiled at the scene, grateful to have such a caring brother-in-law for her daughters. She made sugar-free lemonade and healthy cookies for everyone, as Mia needed to eat healthy. But no one cared, not even Ella. She was only four years old, but she understood how much her sister needed to improve and tried to help her.
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“Hey, everyone! Let’s put the Barbies down for a moment and have some treats,” Emma said, placing the tray with glasses and cookies on the coffee table. The girls tucked in, and Emma reminded Mia to eat slowly and carefully.
Jacob wished he could take them out for real ice cream, but that wouldn’t be possible until they found someone who was a good match for Mia. For now, they had to find happiness in those quiet, joyful moments when she was having fun surrounded by her family.
He could watch these girls for hours, but a particular notification popped up on his phone. It was his security system. His entire house was smart, and he could control almost everything remotely. He was also alerted to almost everything that happened when no one was home.
Jacob checked the time, and his wife, Melissa, wouldn’t be home from work yet, so he frowned as he opened the app. However, something told him to get away from his nieces and Emma.
“Can you excuse me for a second, Em?” he said, and she nodded, narrowing her eyes. Jacob walked to the kitchen, took out his AirPods, and opened the live feed on his security camera. At first, he had no idea what he was watching, not because it was blurry. But because it was impossible.
He saw his living room, which looked like his brother’s house because they had gotten a deal on some furniture, but something crazy was happening. Jacob saw Melissa, who should have still been at work, take off her tight skirt and jump on his brother Liam’s lap.
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Jacob’s brain ordered his hands to stop the video and asked him to look away. But his body wasn’t listening. He was glued to the screen and the sounds of his wife cheating on him with his brother, and from the looks of it, they were having a fantastic time.
Finally, he was able to look away and stared at Emma and Liam’s refrigerator. It was almost entirely covered with photos from their travels. They had been high school sweethearts. In the center, they had Mia’s medication schedule and a calendar of future doctor visits.
Jacob hoped that looking away would help calm his heavy breathing, but it only made it worse. Feeling destroyed, he and Emma tried to cheer the girls up during the worst time of their lives, when their partners were having an affair.
The worst part was, he didn’t know how long they’d been doing this. Was this the first time? His phone had never alerted him like this, even though the cameras had been installed months ago after a string of burglaries around their neighborhood.
But how could they do this? How could they betray the family like this? They were all close, but Jacob would never have suspected any attraction between his wife and his older brother. His thumb began to ache, pulling him from his thoughts.
He realized he’d held the phone too tightly and watched the video again. It was still playing, and he finally closed it. The app would record it automatically. He didn’t want to wait for them to finish their activities .
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“Jacob, are you okay? Do you want something to eat?” Emma asked, startling him.
“Jesus,” he said, clutching his chest but quickly putting the phone back in his pocket.
“I’m sorry,” she smiled.
“No, I just got distracted. No, I’m not hungry. I got an email from work,” he shook his head and gave her a small smile to reassure her. “Let’s go back to the girls.”
They returned to the living room, where the girls had resumed playing with their dolls. They called their uncle, and Jacob put on his best calm face as he sat down with them and continued their afternoon. Mia suddenly grew bored and asked to take a nap, so he helped Emma as best he could and said goodbye.
Jacob pulled out of Emma’s driveway but couldn’t go any further without checking his phone. He clicked on the app, and luckily, the events were over. But Melissa and Liam were now in his kitchen, talking and… laughing.
It was almost worse than what they’d done previously. He’d spent his afternoon worrying about cheering up his niece while the two of them acted like a happy new couple. It had broken something inside him, and Jacob knew he couldn’t take it back.
Liam had been his role model his entire life. Their father and grandfather were fantastic, but Liam was good at sports and attracting girls, and Jacob had always wanted to emulate him. He usually failed because he was better at studies, but his big brother never let him feel bad about it.
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He told him it was better to be smart than good at sports, and Jacob knew he was right. Liam encouraged him to go into technology; today, Jacob earns much more than him. Yet they were a family. They supported each other.
Jacob readily offered to help if Liam needed anything to help pay for Mia’s medical bills. Their family was there for everyone. It’s how they were raised. He never would have predicted such actions from his big brother.
And it killed Jacob. It destroyed his lifelong admiration and love for Melissa. He wanted a divorce, and he wanted his brother to suffer. But he had to play his cards right. He couldn’t barge into his own house and accuse them of anything.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” he muttered, quoting the famous line from “Star Trek” and shrugging. It was true, and he needed to think about it. Jacob started the car and drove around, stopping to check his phone every now and then.
Eventually, Liam left, and he saw Melissa putting everything away in the living room. A quick glance at the clock in his car told him it was the usual time to be home for dinner, so he drove his car toward his house. He parked in the garage and got out.
“Play it cool,” he told himself, nodding his head, and walked inside.
***
“Hey, sweetie, how was your day? Is Mia feeling better?” Melissa smiled broadly at him from the kitchen. The garage door led into the kitchen, and he saw her chopping onions for dinner. Jacob had to contain himself and force a smile. How could she pretend to be worried about Mia when she was having an affair with her father?
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“She’s fine. Nothing new, anyway. So, it’s good, all things considered. And you? How’s work going?” Jacob asked, trying to be discreet.
“That was good too. I just got home a few minutes ago, so dinner’s going to take a while. Sorry,” she added, looking at him with the most innocent expression in the world. He used to love that look, but now it was tainted because he had no idea how many times she’d lied and looked so innocent.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be in my office. I need to check on a few things,” he replied, walking away. He walked into his office, doing his best not to force it shut, and locked it.
He’d tried to come up with a plan in the car, but all his ideas seemed stupid and the punishment insufficient. But his mind cleared when he walked to his office where his incredible computer setup was located. He sat down in his expensive gaming chair and finally relaxed after his phone showed him the terrible scene.
Jacob knew what he could do now as he booted up his system and began typing. As the most tech-savvy person in the family, he’d installed everything Liam owned. He’d done it with pleasure and no ill intentions, but things had changed.
He clicked his mouse and found what he needed, developing his plan further as he remotely accessed his brother’s family computer. It was easy. Liam didn’t know the difference between free antivirus and real computer protection, so Jacob quickly got in and began his revenge.
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He immediately accessed Liam’s work files, checked a few items, and deleted all the most recent ones, knowing his brother had a big project coming up. However, that wasn’t punishment enough, so Jacob deleted everything he could find related to work, hoping Liam was stupid enough not to have backups at his desk.
“That’s not enough!” he said, gritting his teeth and banging his fist on the table. He muttered a few curses and flipped through more files, deleting, deleting, deleting. Nothing he’d gotten off that computer fully satisfied him.
So he went even further, hacking Liam’s saved passwords and accessing his records. The software would alert the bank and freeze his accounts, which was illegal. But somehow, he felt much better.
Jacob nodded to his computer. “Yes, let’s continue.”
He had erased everything and deleted his password history, making it difficult for Liam to access anything he needed. Jacob had also decided to erase everything and installed a virus capable of corrupting any USB or external hard drive. The only solution would be to erase everything from the computer and completely reinstall the operating system.
The process only took an hour, and he heard when Melissa called him for dinner. He was feeling much better, so it was easier to sit down with her and eat as if it were just another night. He continued to talk about Mia and how worried he was about her. But his wife also reminded him of something.
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“Your parents are having a dinner party at their house tomorrow. You didn’t forget, did you?” Melissa said.
“That’s right,” Jacob muttered. “Sorry, I forgot.”
“That’s good, but I was thinking of doing something for Liam,” his wife continued, which made Jacob grip his fork tightly. “And Emma, of course. I don’t know. What do you think?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. We could offer them some money.”
“Yes,” Melissa nodded and sighed. “I wish there were more. I can see how worried Liam is, and it’s not like him. Oh, watch out.”
“Sorry,” Jacob apologized because his fork had flown while Melissa continued talking about her brother. He stood up and picked up the cutlery. “I’m done eating. You can plan something special for Sunday. Just don’t forget Emma.”
“Of course,” Melissa smiled, quickly shaking her head. “I won’t forget Emma.”
“I’m going to take a shower,” he shook his head and stepped away from her. He thought hacking the computer had been enough, but hearing his wife’s words only made the blade sink in deeper. As the water cascaded down his back, Jacob knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until Melissa and Liam were exposed.
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But how could I ruin both of their lives? Jacob wondered.
***
Friday evening…
Everyone laughed as the creak of dining room chairs scraped the floor. Jacob quickly sat down and waited. Melissa sat next to him, and across from them were Emma and Liam, who had coincidentally chosen the seat directly across from Jacob’s wife.
They’ll play innocent right under our parents’ noses and pretend nothing happened , Jacob fumed, but he held himself back. His plan would soon be excused. All he had to do was wait a few moments.
Jacob and Liam’s parents, Victor and Marianne, sat on either side of the table and said how happy they were to see everyone together. Marianne kissed and gently squeezed Mia’s cheek and ruffled Ella’s hair.
Jacob stared at the girls, feeling only a pang of remorse for them and Emma. They didn’t deserve what was coming their way, but there was no turning back. After his shower, Jacob decided he couldn’t stay silent any longer and let them continue their romance. He had to end this situation quickly.
“Hey! Are you listening to me?” Liam’s words broke into Jacob’s introspection.
Jacob blinked and shook his head. “What?”
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“I need you to come to my house. My computer’s gone crazy. I even got a call from the bank about suspicious activity. They’ve frozen our accounts for now,” Liam continues, frustrated. “I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if I downloaded a virus or if Emma did. But I lost everything. I need you to get it back. Can you come later?”
“Of course,” Jacob answered automatically.
“What have you lost, my son?” asked Victor.
“Everything, Dad! It’s crazy. My boss is going to kill me if I can’t get some of these files back. I worked so hard for this promotion. But there’s also a lot of family business, and I have to go to the bank to fix what happened. I didn’t have time today,” his big brother continued.
“It’s serious,” added Marianne.
“Yes, Mom. But I’m sure Jacob can help me. I don’t know if the hackers got any of my money, but I hope not. Brother, hackers can be tracked, right?”
“Maybe you should call the police,” Victor suggested.
“I think the bank will investigate first, then call the police,” Liam added, and Jacob only grew more and more impatient. He shifted in his seat, waiting for the “bomb” he’d planted to go off.
“Are you feeling okay?” Melissa asked after moving closer to him.
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“Yes.”
“We can go to Liam’s together,” she added, smiling.
“Very well,” he sighed, looking at his watch.
One two three…
Everyone’s phones were going off with a notification.
Jacob stared specifically at Liam, who grabbed his cell phone and used his fingers to enter the password. He knew immediately when he pressed the video because his eyes widened, and just as quickly, he put his phone down.
Liam started sweating and met his gaze, realizing it was Jacob who had done it, but he didn’t have time to speak, explain, or apologize. The rest of their table—except for the little girls—had received the same video, and they were all watching it.
“Grandma, what are you looking at?” Ella asked, and her mother looked up, hiding her phone. She knew the rest of the family was watching in awe and quickly stood up.
“Girls, let’s go eat your nuggets in my room. Right now,” she said, hurrying them away, but Jacob saw her glance at Liam.
He finally looked at Emma, whose mouth was set in a perfect “oh,” but no sound came out. She looked up and slowly turned to her husband. “Liam, what is it?” she asked quietly, then looked at Melissa. “Mel, what is it?”
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“Emma, I… this isn’t real,” Melissa began, looking at Liam in a panic.
“It’s very real, Emma,” Jacob interrupts before his wife can spout more lies. “I saw them on my phone. I’m the one who sent the video.”
“Liam!” their father called to his eldest son. “What does that mean?”
“Dad, I…” Liam began, looking at Jacob pleadingly. “Why did you do that?”
“Me? Damn, you’ve got some nerve!” Jacob shook his head and took a deep breath.
His head tilted forward, and his voice grew more furious as he said, “You cheated on your wife with mine, and I did something to you?”
“Jacob,” Melissa stammered.
“Shut up,” he snapped at her and finally stood up. “Our family is dealing with the possible death of my niece, and you two decide to have sex. IN MY OWN HOUSE?”
Marianne came back into the room at that moment and was just as angry as Jacob. She walked over to Melissa, pulled her off the table by her hair, and slapped her twice. The force resonated through the room, causing Victor to stand up.
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“Marianne, stop,” he said, grabbing his wife from behind, struggling as she tried to free herself while yelling profanities at Melissa.
Jacob understood. She needed to vent her anger, and doing it on her own son was harder. Melissa seemed to be the homewrecker here—the one who had driven a good father away from his family.
Liam stood up, trying to explain his point, but eventually, sweet and charming Emma followed Marianne’s lead and slapped her cheating husband. Her eyes were watery and her face reddened as she pounded on him with her fists, hitting him wherever she could.
This prompted further insults from Jacob’s mother, who eventually scolded her son. Victor was yelling too, but he tried to diffuse the situation. When everyone focused on Liam, Melissa grabbed Jacob’s arm.
“Jacob, darling, I can explain,” she mumbled softly, one hand cupping her sore cheek. Her eyes begged for his forgiveness, though she didn’t apologize.
“You have one day to leave my house, you worthless piece of trash,” he whispered, his mouth moving closer to her ear. “My lawyer will send you divorce papers immediately. So help me, God, Melissa, if you try to find me, I will release this video.”
She backed away, scared, and openly sobbed, covering her face. Jacob rolled his eyes and sat back down. He grabbed some mashed potatoes and the roast his mother had made and ate while the chaos continued.
He heard Emma ask for a divorce and was glad she didn’t forgive them. But Jacob looked up from his food to see Mia and Ella watching them. The same feeling of guilt and uncertainty gripped his chest, but the damage was done.
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Jacob smiled at them and gestured for them to return to their room. Mia nodded and led Ella aside.
***
The ice in his scotch glass clinked as he swirled his celebratory drink. Jacob wasn’t much for whiskey, but this was a special occasion. It was Saturday morning, and he hadn’t slept. He’d brought Melissa home after the fight at her parents’ house had ended and told her to pack her things.
She left after that, and he stayed up all night drinking and toasting his victory. He must have fallen asleep in his gaming chair because his phone rang and woke him up.
Surprisingly, it was Liam.
Jacob accepted the call. “I can’t believe you have the nerve to call…”
“I should have known it was you! You did this!” Liam yelled through the phone, and Jacob’s eyes widened as he leaned forward in his chair.
“I’m not the bad guy here, big brother,” he said sarcastically. “YOU WERE HAVING SEX WITH MY WIFE ON MY COUCH!”
“MIA IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU!” Liam screamed back, and painful, wet, horrible sobs pierced the call. “My daughter! My daughter! You took her life!”
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A cold chill ran through Jacob’s body as his anger immediately vanished. “Is Mia gone?” he asked. “No, no, no, no!”
“YES! SHE SAW AND HEARD THE WHOLE FIGHT, YOU IDIOT! She got worse and worse when Mom and Dad kicked me out! They rushed her to the clinic…” Liam’s tears subsided as his anger returned. “And they couldn’t find her medical records. We had a backup at home, but it disappeared because of you!”
Jacob immediately understood why his brother was reproaching him.
“It was on our computer! It’s the one you messed up to punish me!” yelled her big brother. “I DON’T CARE ABOUT MY JOB. I DON’T CARE ABOUT MY MONEY. MY DAUGHTER LEFT BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT INTERVENE IN TIME WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION!”
“No, it’s not my fault!” Jacob denied it, his nails scratching his cheek in despair. “It’s the hospital’s fault! We have to sue them!”
“WHO CARES ABOUT THE HOSPITAL? THEY COULDN’T GET HER IN TIME! MIA IS DEAD! SHE’S DEAD, AND THE LAST THING SHE SAW WAS HER PARENTS SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER AND TALKING ABOUT…Divorce,” Liam lowered his voice on the last word. He breathed quickly through the phone.
He was clearly at his wit’s end, but Jacob had sat back down at his computer and started clicking. But it was no use. It was senseless. It was too late. “I can do something. I can fix this!” he had told his brother. All the anger of the last few days was gone. Jacob no longer cared who had cheated on whom or why.
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“Fix what? THERE’S NOTHING TO FIX!” Liam screamed and coughed roughly as if his throat was on fire. “You have no idea what it’s like to watch your child suffer and wait, not knowing if she’ll get the organ she needs. I’m sorry about Melissa. I was stupid, but this was way worse.”
“No, please,” cried Jacob, losing all his strength and falling from his chair.
“I hope your revenge was worth it,” Liam said, swallowed loudly, and ended the call.
Jacob stared at the flatness of his hardwood floor, looking at the lines, and completely dissociated himself from reality for several hours. When he came back to earth, the pain was too much to bear, so he picked up his phone and dialed the number.
“Rabun County Sheriff’s Office,” a male voice answered.
“I have a confession to make,” Jacob said, swallowing loudly.
What can we learn from this story?
- Revenge is never the solution because it doesn’t change what happened. Jacob felt a momentary satisfaction after his revenge, but he soon realized that revenge wasn’t worth it.
- Don’t make choices when your emotions are running high. Jacob acted without thinking and disrupted the lives of everyone in his family because he was too angry.
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