The Unwanted Perfect Husband

Chapter 2

Eden raised both hands, letting out a light laugh as if Thaddeus's question had been nothing more than a joke.

“Whoa, relax, bro. I was just guessing. You give Yilna lingerie every year. Everyone here knows that.”

“Yes, Thad. Eden only guessed because that’s what you usually give me on my birthday,” Yilna said, trying to make sure no one became suspicious of her.

“My wife, I also have—” Thad was about to say that he had another gift for her tonight, but one of the uncles cut him off.

“Yes absolutely right,” Uncle Gerald chimed in with a chuckle. “Every year on Yilna’s birthday, or even on their anniversary, it’s always the same thing. Lingerie. Never change it up.”

“Because Thad is just a perverted husband who can only think about that for his wife,” Shein added with a giggle, followed by laughter from the others.

“Yeah, exactly,” one of the aunts said, nodding repeatedly. “Six years of marriage, and it’s always the same kind of gift. He never gives her anything more classy.”

“No, this time—”

“Enough. Please don’t ruin my birthday, Thad,” Yilna said, cutting him off again.

Thaddeus stood there silently. He had never defended himself in front of this family. He had learned long ago that defending himself would only make their laughter louder.

So, in the end, he always gave in.

It was true.

For all six years of their marriage, Thaddeus had always bought Yilna lingerie for every special occasion. Not because he had no other gift ideas.

The truth was much simpler and much sadder. Their marriage had been sexless for a long time. Yilna never initiated anything.

As a husband who had always been too patient, Thaddeus could only try to maintain whatever little warmth remained between them in the only way he knew how.

He knew Yilna only wanted to have sex when she wore lingerie, so Thaddeus hoped it might help bring back some of her desire. At least his efforts had worked twice, resulting in the births of their two children.

But Thaddeus had never expected that his small attempts to keep their marriage alive would become a source of ridicule in front of the entire family.

“You should give her something else once in a while, Thad,” Noura said, taking a sip of her wine with an arrogant air. “Jewelry, for example. Or a designer handbag. Not just cheap lingerie.”

“Yeah, Thad,” another uncle chimed in. “You’re Yilna’s husband, not a lingerie store clerk. Try upgrading your gifts a little.”

“Or maybe that’s all his wallet can afford?” Shein teased again, drawing even louder laughter.

Thaddeus's face grew hot. The embarrassment spread all the way to his ears. He lowered his head slightly, letting the laughter hit him without fighting back.

To anyone looking from the outside, Thaddeus was the perfect husband.

He woke up earlier than everyone else to prepare breakfast.

He had taken care of Xalia and Raxy since they were babies because Yilna hated dealing with her children’s messes.

He cooked every day for Kincaid Family, cleaned the house, handled all the bills, and even found time to massage his wife’s shoulders every night after Yilna came home from work exhausted.

He had never cheated.

Never raised his voice.

Never demanded anything in return.

Everyone outside the Kincaid family would say he was too good to be anyone’s husband.

But in this house, in front of his in-laws and his wife’s relatives, he was nothing more than a domestic husband.

A man who could be ordered around, laughed at, and ignored.

An unwanted husband and son-in-law.

They took advantage of him because they knew he would never argue back.

And because he was always willing to do all the household chores they did not want to touch.

Yilna only gave a small laugh. She did not defend him, nor did she join in the mockery.

She was too busy accepting birthday wishes from relatives lining up to hug her, praising her beauty and celebrating her success as a CEO. Amid all those compliments, Thaddeus seemed to barely exist.

“Alright, stop picking on my husband,” she said, though her tone sounded more like polite small talk than genuine defense. “Come on, let’s have dinner. Everyone’s hungry, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s eat first,” Noura replied with a wave of her hand.

Not long after, everyone returned to enjoying dinner.

The conversation shifted entirely back to Yilna: her increasingly successful career.

Not a single person asked how Thaddeus was doing.

Not a single person offered him a seat closer to the table or invited him into the conversation.

Thaddeus waited until Xalia and Raxy were too tired to fight their sleep any longer. He carefully carried both of them upstairs to their room, tucked them into bed with the practiced movements of a father who had done it countless times, then quietly closed the door.

Behind that door, for a moment, he let his tense shoulders drop. He slowly exhaled.

Then he went back downstairs.

In the dining room, everyone was already seated in their usual places.

The plates had been filled, the wine glasses refilled, and conversation flowed easily among the Kincaid family.

Their laughter rose and fell as if it belonged only to them.

Thaddeus hesitated for a moment in the doorway before walking in and taking the empty seat at the end of the table, the chair that was always left farthest from the center of attention.

He tried to join them because during family gatherings like this, they never invited him into their conversations. They always ignored him. Yet, he desperately wanted to fit in with them and be treated as part of the family.

“Well, I just want to be closer to my wife’s family. This time, I have to make it work,” Thaddeus told himself, stepping toward them with a hopeful smile.