Chapter 1

The night before our wedding anniversary party, my husband—Harvey Clarke—receives constant calls from his first love, Cassie Moss. He responds by holding me closer, and I ask, "Aren't you going to pick up? What if it's urgent?"

He firmly shakes his head and says he has already moved on. But when he receives news of her at the party, he breaks down right there and then, oblivious to the room of staring guests. When he tries to leave, I stop him in a panic, but he turns to me with a pure look of disgust.

"Cassie's dead. Happy now?"

The words hit me like a lightning bolt.

Chapter 1

Harvey didn't hesitate to yank his hand off and walk out, never once looking back.

Even after he was gone, I was frozen in that moment and could still see the look of pure hatred in his eyes. It was a mix of venom and bitterness so intense that it nearly brought me to my knees.

His mother—Wendy—rushed forward to steady me and stomped her foot. "This is such a mess!"

I steadied myself, forced a smile, and turned back to appease the guests with the excuse that Harvey had left for an urgent issue at the company. But everyone had seen what happened and knew I was just trying to preserve what was left of my dignity.

Their looks carried disdain, mockery, and a touch of pity.

With that, it was official that on our wedding anniversary, Harvey—my husband—abandoned me for his first love—Cassie Moss—and left me alone to face the guests.

One of our mutual friends raised a glass as though to console me. "The dead are the priority right now."

I stayed silent and didn't argue.

It made sense. Even if it had just been a casual friend, death would have been a solemn distress, not to mention that this was Harvey's first love, who had weighed heavily in his heart.

Before walking away, he had asked if this was what I wanted. But I hadn't known what to say when I had no idea what I had done wrong.

Last night, Cassie had called again and again. I had asked if he'd like to answer, but he had resolutely said no. The constant ringing annoyed him so much that he completely shut off his phone and pulled me in for a tight hug.

"The phone's too loud, and I just wanna be here with you. Don't tell me to answer it, babe. Please don't doubt how I feel about you, alright?"

I thought he had moved on and believed that after five years, we had finally found our way into each other's hearts.

Chapter 2

After sending off the last of the guests, I dragged my exhausted body home. What should have been a celebratory party turned into my punishment site.

The house was a mess with things knocked out of place. The sound of Harvey's sobs came from the bedroom, and he was crying so hard it seemed he might choke on it.

I had only seen him cry like that on the day he lost his wedding ring on a trip. I had spent hours soothing him until he calmed down and bought us a new set of rings. And now, his tears were flowing for someone else.

Bending over, I picked up a pillow from the floor and asked softly, "Is there something about the house that makes you unhappy?"

Instead of answering, he asked in a broken voice, "If I had answered her call last night, would I have been able to see her one last time?"

"And then what?"

My words stopped him cold, and he had no answer.

A heavy weariness settled over me as I gathered the scattered items on the floor. Suddenly, he shot up from the bed and dragged out a suitcase. Turning around, he opened the closet and began stuffing clothes inside.

The shirts I had ironed, folded, and sorted into neat stacks were now tossed in like rags, forming a tangled mess.

"I've packed for your business trip. It's the set on the far right."

Ignoring me, he rummaged through his clothes faster and faster, flinging them everywhere. When he couldn't find what he wanted, he started panicking. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Where's that shirt? The white shirt with the ink stain on the collar?"

"It was yellowing, so I donated it. You already have plenty of white shirts."

His eyes flashed with a ferocious glint, and his voice sharpened. "Who told you you could touch my stuff?"

And with that, he slapped me hard across my face. Dazed, I stumbled back against the door, clutching my stinging cheek.

After life started getting better for both of us, I would donate clothes I could no longer fit into. He used to call me kind for that and said I could do whatever I wanted with his old clothes.

Now, my chest felt hollow. He wasn't packing for a business trip at all. All he wanted was to wear that shirt from Cassie to meet her one last time.

In truth, our anniversary wasn't until two days later, but he had to travel for work, so he decided to move the party up. I had found it troublesome and suggested keeping it simple. "Why not skip the party this year? Let's just have dinner with the family."

He had gently kissed me then. "No. You deserve a party and the best of everything, babe."

And now, he had canceled his business trip just to show up at Cassie's funeral. But what role would he claim there? A friend seemed too insignificant, and an ex-boyfriend would only invite mockery.

As I watched him frantically pack, I slipped off our wedding ring before leaving it on the shoe cabinet by the door. Perhaps it was time to reconsider whether we had any reason to continue this marriage.

Chapter 3

Rory called while I was at work.

"Jilian, could you reach Harvey? He sent me a proposal, then disappeared. I'm here just as a filler, so he should at least walk me through it."

I switched over to WhatsApp, where the dozens of texts I had sent Harvey were all unanswered. And as if I had annoyed him, the last text bounced back with a red exclamation mark.

"Maybe he's just too busy. I'm sorry, Rory. Let me call him for you."

"Thanks, Jilian. I'll be waiting for your good news."

After his promotion to manager, Harvey was assigned an assistant, Rory. The kid was quick-witted but hardly stepped in when it came to actual projects.

When I dialed, the line rang and rang before cutting off. After I tried several times again, he finally picked up. The background was noisy, and his voice came through thick and nasal. "Stop blowing up my phone. Aren't you tired of this?"

He sounded so upset, as though the one who had died was his wife.

For a moment, I froze. First, it was because he had never spoken to me like this, though part of me had seen it coming. Second, it was because of the voice of an older woman in the background. It had gone hoarse from crying.

"Harvey, if only Cassie had married you back then. She was unhappy all these years and had always wanted to reach out to you, but you're already married. If only she had waited a little longer, the two who truly loved each other wouldn't have had to miss their chance."

So, those two had been so close to marriage. I pinched my arm to snap out of it. "Rory said the project—"

"I've handed everything over. Don't bother yourself with it," he said, impatiently cutting me off.

Then, realizing his sharp tone, he softened his voice to say, "I'm at Cassie's funeral. We'll talk later."

After the line went dead, I sat still, staring at my phone for a long time. He had forgotten that today was our fifth wedding anniversary. He was at his first love's funeral, crying as if the world had ended.

All I could do was send Rory an apology, and he replied with a sticker.

[Cheer up, Jilian. It'll be fine once everything blows over.]

But if I claimed that I wasn't sad, I would just be lying to myself. Why did I have to wait for this to blow over? How long was I supposed to endure this grief?

The way Harvey cared so much made me wonder if all those times he seemed lost in thought, he had been thinking of someone else, whom he had done similar things with.

Chapter 4

Harvey cut off all contact, so no one could reach him. The company was in chaos and scrambling to find someone to fill his role. Even with all the groundwork he had laid, the deal still collapsed in the end.

Once he had everything settled for Cassie's funeral, he came back days later with a little girl. She hid timidly behind him, looking both adorable and pitiful.

"Say hello to Mrs. Clarke," he said while smiling, his voice sounding softer than I had ever heard.

If we had children, maybe he would've been a loving father. But in all these five years, I showed no signs of pregnancy and even blamed myself, until the hospital discovered that the problem was his low sperm count.

For the family's pride, Wendy begged me to keep it a secret.

As I stroked the little girl's hair, she obediently slipped her arms around my leg and was so sweet that I couldn't help but smile. "So, where did she come from?"

Harvey hesitated before saying, "She's Cassie's daughter."

The smile froze on my face, while Harvey got up and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Let's adopt her, honey."

The two figures, one tall and the other small, held me close. We must have looked like the perfect family to anyone watching, but deep down, my heart had long turned cold.

"Is the child's father dead too?" I heard myself asking in a startlingly calm voice.

Harvey rubbed his nose and replied, "No, but Cassie's husband can't possibly raise her alone. A child needs motherly love too. If he remarries, who knows what her stepmother will be like? Her life will be miserable."

I once heard a love quote that went something like, "If you love someone deep enough, you plan for their future."

I couldn't relate much back then, but now, it hit me like a blow and broke me apart.

"Those are just your assumptions."

Harvey's gaze sharpened. "When did you become so cold, Jilian?"

Then, his voice softened as he continued, "Plus, we don't have children anyway."

I gave a short, bitter laugh. "Is it my fault that we don't? Her father is still alive, and since she's not related to me or you by blood, what right do you have to talk about adopting her? If you're so eager to care for a child, the orphanage is full of them. You've been there with me enough times to know that those left behind are the ones with disabilities; they need love the most.

"Is this really about us not having kids, or is it because she's your first love's child?"

The little girl's wide, watery eyes met mine. I couldn't bear to look into her gaze, so I gently pressed my hands over her ears. And with that, Harvey and I erupted into the worst fight of our marriage.

Chapter 5

I slammed the door behind me and shut myself in the guest room, leaving Harvey outside with nowhere to vent his anger.

So, this was what it felt like to refuse reason, throw words, and walk away. It felt almost satisfying.

It wasn't as if we had never fought before, but it usually ended with him slamming the door. By then, I always knew it meant he wouldn't bend and that I couldn't convince him.

My pillow was soaked as I broke down in aggrieved tears. Suddenly, a knock came from the door. I quickly wiped my face and smoothed my hair to make myself look less wretched.

Cassie's little girl was standing at the door, holding out a cup of milk. "Have some milk, Mrs. Clarke."

She was such a sweet, obedient child with eyes that seemed to hold stars. I looked behind her and saw that not far away, Harvey was smiling as he watched us. "Honey, you forgot your milk."

I had always struggled with getting quality sleep. The doctor said a cup of warm milk before bed would help, so fresh milk was delivered to our door every day. The woman who took my orders once told me, almost enviously, that my husband took really good care of me.

Every night, he'd warm the milk himself. Even if he couldn't make it home in time because of a business dinner, he'd text to remind me and demand a photo of an empty cup as proof.

I briefly drifted away and started wondering if I was too sensitive. But when I looked into the little girl's eyes, so much like the ones of the woman in the photos Harvey kept hidden in his drawer, I could only manage a bitter laugh.

"Just take it, honey. Munchkin's arms must be tired from holding it out for so long."

Munchkin, huh? The way it rolled off his tongue sounded so natural.

"It's alright. Children need to drink more milk to help with their growth, so tell her to drink it," I said, smiling before turning around to close the door.

Then, the strength drained out of me as I slid down against the door and collapsed onto the floor.

Through the door, I could hear Harvey's low, soothing voice comforting the child. "It's okay, munchkin. Your new mom will love you soon. I'll never send you back."

A crushing pressure kept building in my chest until I could barely breathe.

Then, the gentle ping of a message snapped me back.

[There's nothing wrong with her husband. He treated her well and took on all the house chores himself. Cassie didn't even need to work and spent her days having fun. He was the one in charge of raising the kid. If I were to point out a flaw, it's only that he isn't as rich or as promising as Harvey.]

I was terrified that my prejudice might push the little girl back to a dangerous father, so I had someone look into it. Turns out, that man was a good father and nothing like Harvey claimed.

Chapter 6

The little girl was sent to Harvey's parents, only to be awkwardly brought back. On this matter, they sided with me. They already felt sorry for how I had been treated, and to bring home his ex-girlfriend's child was pure absurdity.

Wendy spent the past two days soothing me. She had scolded Harvey and even tried to beat some sense into him, but he remained unmoved. His family members were decent people, and Harvey was the only one who wasn't.

My heart was already cooling. Deep down, I wondered if I should resign to this and treat marriage as nothing more than a partnership. After all, it was rare to find such kind in-laws.

I even tried to console myself that this way, I could become a mother without having to go through the pain of childbirth. Children were an agony to bear, and with this little girl all grown up now, not much effort was required.

At the door, Harvey kneeled to change the little girl's shoes. When he looked up and noticed my bare fingers, panic crashed over him. He scrambled up and tried to reach for me, but I pulled away.

"Where's your ring, honey? Did you… lose it again?" His voice was shaking.

But I hadn't gone anywhere these days, and there was only one possibility he couldn't bring himself to say out loud.

My gaze shifted to the top part of the shoe cabinet, where the ring had sat alone for days. He'd been fussing around the little girl since he brought her back, so wrapped up in her that he hadn't even noticed.

I couldn't help but find everything so absurd. What had I been hoping for?

The last time we lost the ring, we had searched through shops for weeks. Whenever my patience wore thin, he'd catch me and kiss me, saying that wedding rings shouldn't be chosen carelessly. And we finally settled on the current pair.

But maybe nothing that came after the first ring ever shone as brightly as it did.

Harvey's eyes followed mine, and he saw the ring. His face drained of color as he staggered up to grab the ring, only to drop it onto the floor. After crawling on his knees to snatch it up, he fumbled to slip it back onto my finger.

I took a deep breath and stepped back to keep some distance. "No need. Harvey, let's get a divorce."