Chapter 1

My wife, Cheryl Sharpley, has a low sex drive. Every time we're intimate, she keeps a strict track of the time. Tonight is no different.

We're only halfway through when the special notification on her phone goes off. It's a custom alert, reserved for one person. Her secretary, Henry Sadler, sounds extremely upset.

"Ms. Sharpley, I dreamed about you. My chest hurts so much…"

Without a second thought, Cheryl gets dressed and climbs out of bed. Pressing my lips together, I lower my eyes and reach out to catch her hand.

"It's late. We haven't even—"

"Henry is all alone in this city with no one to rely on. I'm his boss. I can't just ignore him."

She doesn't even look at me as she says that. Calmly, she slips her hand free and stands before the mirror, applying fresh lipstick to her lips.

"Today's task is complete," she adds. "I'll make up the time to you next time."

My breathing falters. That's all I am to Cheryl—a task.

Not long after she leaves, a message from Henry pops up on my phone. The attached photo shows him leaning against her shoulder.

"Joseph, I'm really sorry. I was just so scared of losing her. I'll make sure she makes it up to you next time. You'll have to make do with your hand tonight."

I read every word in silence. Quietly, I get out of bed, take a long shower, and strip the sheets from the bed, tossing them straight into the trash. I then change into a fresh set of pajamas.

At that moment, I decide that I no longer want her in my life.

Chapter 1

Joseph's POV

Several more laps passed on the clock before the faint click of the doorknob broke the silence. My wife, Cheryl Sharpley, was home. Still, she didn't look at me.

After hanging up her handbag, she dropped straight into bed. A lingering trace of an unfamiliar men's cologne clung disgustingly to her clothes.

I turned over just as her phone started buzzing nonstop. Picking it up, I saw messages from her secretary, Henry Sadler.

"Ms. Sharpley, thanks for coming to keep me company today."

"Your husband isn't mad, is he? I'll apologize to him in person another day."

I stared at the screen, my fingers freezing for a split second. Almost unconsciously, I scrolled up. Their conversation was intimate and full of shameless flirting.

Cheryl replied far more often than she ever did to me. She was nothing like the cold woman she transformed into whenever she was with me.

A lump formed in my throat. I carefully typed, "She's asleep. And I'm not angry. You can talk to her tomorrow."

After locking the screen, I set the phone back on her nightstand. I grabbed my pillow and turned to head for the guest room, but a warm sensation suddenly wrapped around my wrist.

I stopped in my tracks. Cheryl had grabbed me. Her eyes remained closed as she murmured in her sleep, "I'm here, Henry…"

Looking at her strikingly beautiful face, I smiled dryly. I pulled my wrist free and walked away.

The next morning, the guest room door was kicked open.

With her sleeves rolled up, Cheryl stood in the doorway and interrogated me, "Why would you say those things to Henry? He's young and sensitive. Don't you know that? Besides, he's just my new secretary. What's the point of picking on him?"

I slowly raised my eyes to meet the anger burning in her eyes. "Just your secretary? What kind of boss calls out her secretary's name in her sleep?"

She froze, her expression turning uneasy. "He's nothing more than my employee. I say his name so often at work that it's become a habit. As my husband, you shouldn't be so petty."

I looked away and simply nodded. "Fine. You can call his name as many times as you want from now on."

She suddenly grabbed my arm, her patience snapping. "There's nothing between Henry and me. Enough with the sarcasm, Joseph!"

I pulled my hand free. My fingertips brushed lightly through her hair as I spoke in the same calm voice. "Nothing? Got it. You're just the kind of boss who buys her secretary's underwear, right?"

Cheryl's back stiffened, and she looked somewhat awkward. She took a deep breath and argued, "His hips are bigger than yours. He couldn't fit into yours, so I had to buy—"

My hand stopped midair as I looked up at her. "How thoughtful of you. You even know your secretary's size."

The truth was, I had noticed something was amiss for quite some time.

It wasn't just the underwear. There had been unfamiliar ties at home, an electric razor that didn't belong to me, and even clothes left behind before anyone had the chance to take them away.

I simply hadn't bothered to confront her over every single thing.

Cheryl frowned. Straightening up, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at me coolly. "I've explained this to you a million times, Joseph. You've changed. You're becoming utterly unreasonable."

No sooner had her words fallen than her phone chimed again, the same custom ringtone that had gone off in the middle of the night.

"Go ahead," I said flatly. "If you don't, he'll just come looking for me again."

It wouldn't be the first time, anyway.

Cheryl parted her lips as if to say something. She hesitated, albeit just for a second. In the end, she still turned and left anyway.

I sighed wearily. Lowering my head, I looked at the map spread out before me and then drew a red circle around a small city in the south.

Chapter 2

Joseph's POV

Just like that, Cheryl and I fell into a silent standoff. She didn't come home, and I stopped asking where she was.

By the third morning, her assistant, Millie Fletcher, unexpectedly sent me a message.

"Mr. Marsh, Ms. Sharpley has been busy these past few days. She just flew back from Somaland today."

I replied, "You don't have to send me updates of her from now on."

Scrolling up through the chat history, I realized almost every message was from me asking about Cheryl. I had contacted Millie far more times than I had contacted my own wife.

Not long after, Millie wrote back.

"Did you and Ms. Sharpley fight?"

I didn't answer, but she kept typing.

"She really does care about you. Otherwise, given her personality, she never would've pursued you so relentlessly."

My eyelids twitched. Indeed, Cheryl was the one who insisted on marrying me.

She was famous as an untouchable femme fatale, yet back then, she would always take the initiative to spend time with me. She would always stare at me and say how handsome I was.

Somewhere along the way, things stopped turning out the way either of us had hoped.

Another message from Millie came.

"She remembers it's your birthday today, so she specially picked out a gift for you. It's the watch you've wanted for a long time."

She sent me a photo, and she was right. It was the very watch I had been talking about for a few months. I never expected Cheryl to remember.

Frankly, my heart started wavering. I sighed helplessly, turned toward the kitchen, and started cooking all her favorite dishes.

By the time Cheryl came home, it was already dark outside. She untied her hair and headed straight for the study. I called out to stop her, and she finally turned around, albeit with a frown.

"What?" she blurted out as coldly as ever.

My breathing grew uneven as my fingers dug at the apron around my waist. "Do you know what day it is today?"

Her frown deepened. "What?"

Bitterness rose in my chest. My voice was hoarse as I reminded her, "My birthday."

Cheryl finally nodded, casually smoothing down her sleeves. "Is it today? I forgot."

That was the end of it.

My throat tightened. It felt as though a soaking wet blanket had been thrown over me, heavy, damp, and suffocating.

She glanced at me before speaking matter-of-factly. "I'll make it up to you next month. It's not like birthdays are something you absolutely have to celebrate. There's no need to make a fuss."

The next second, I saw a post Henry shared an hour ago. In the photo was the very watch I had wanted for months. Alongside it were gifts I couldn't even bring myself to identify.

His caption read, "Thanks, wifey! (She's just my boss)."

Cheryl replied beneath it, "Cut it out. You deserve it."

A bitter smile pulled at my lips. I remembered asking her to like my posts or leave me a comment once in a while, but she always refused. She said it was childish and inappropriate.

I never stood it. Why was this supposed to be, then?

My hand, still holding the phone, began trembling uncontrollably. "So, you do know how to interact with someone's post. Did you have fun giving him those gifts?"

Cheryl frowned. She reached out and snatched my phone away, then lowered her head to do something on my phone.

"If it bothers you that much, you can just block his posts. The gifts were just a gesture of appreciation for an employee to motivate him to work harder. He's been working hard, so he's earned it.

"Unlike you. You just stay at home all day doing nothing."

I couldn't believe what I just heard. An invisible lightning had struck me in place.

Cheryl stayed up late year-round, ate at irregular hours, and was always complaining about stomach issues. She was the one who said she never felt well and only felt better when she had the delicious soup I made.

That was the only reason why I quit my job. I stayed home so I could take care of her full-time.

I had spent years as the teacher's favorite student, the one everyone expected to go far in life. I had even received an offer from a university abroad. I could've had a completely different future.

How the hell did things end up like this?

She was the one who claimed she loved me first. Why was I the only one trapped in this loveless marriage in the end?

Honestly, I couldn't quite keep my emotions under control. My breathing turned ragged, and my throat tightened until I couldn't force out a single word.

Without sparing me a glance, Cheryl looked at the dishes on the table. As always, she had a bone to pick.

"And another thing. How are you at home all day and still can't work on your cooking? Look at how bland they all look. It kills my appetite."

A mocking smile slowly spread across my face.

Right. She and Henry had gotten used to eating spicy food together. How could she possibly appreciate my healthy home-cooked meals?

Before I knew it, I heard the study door close behind her. Not a trace of hesitation was in her muscles.

I stood alone in the empty living room. Glancing at the table of dishes, I picked up every plate and dumped them all into the trash.

Chapter 3

Joseph's POV

Over the next few days, Cheryl started leaving early and coming home late. During the day, I sorted through the things I planned to take with me. We always missed each other.

One day, just as I was finishing up, she suddenly called me. I hesitated when I saw her caller ID, but ultimately answered. "What is it?"

Her tone was as businesslike as ever. "My clothes got wet. There's a black suit on the far right side of the closet. Bring it to me."

I didn't agree. Instead, I reached over and touched the suit out of habit. Something hard was hidden inside the pocket. My breathing hitched.

A soft laugh came from the other end. Cheryl's voice was casual and calm. "Found it?"

I froze for a moment before taking it out. It was a ring.

I gripped it harder than I should, the edges stabbing painfully into my palm. My throat felt dry and rough. "You…"

"Do you like it?" she asked in her usual steady voice, only slightly louder this time.

My heart suddenly raced. Cold sweat seeped out of my palms. I parted my lips but didn't answer right away. I couldn't quite name what I was feeling in that moment.

"Why would you—"

"Thank Henry. It was his idea," Cheryl said. "He's too kind—wanted me to apologize to you and ask for your forgiveness. I didn't want to disappoint him."

I stood there frozen, as if someone had run over just to dunk a bucket of cold water over me. The cold sank deep into my bones.

I stared at the ring on my palm as I gripped my shirt. A burning sensation surged in my throat, rendering it hard to breathe. "Cheryl, do you have to humiliate me like this?"

For a long time, there was no response from the other end. Then, after a brief silence, I heard her faint, unclear murmur. Henry's soft gasp followed.

"Dodging me again?" she muttered softly. "What are you afraid of? It's me."

The tone in her voice made it obvious. She had fallen for him.

My entire body stiffened, and I closed my eyes sharply.

I almost laughed at myself for still having expectations of her. From what I had learned, she had always been someone with almost no sex drive.

After a long while, Cheryl's voice came through again.

"Right. You saw the ring. Are you happy now? If you are, stop being upset with me. You've been ignoring me and avoiding me for days. Keeping this up won't do you any good, Joseph."

She paused before continuing, "If you agree, we can add another hour to our time together in the future."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

I didn't hear a response from Cheryl. Instead, I heard Henry's voice.

"Ms. Sharpley, didn't you say you'd give the ring back to me after you used it to make things right with Joseph? When will you do that? My name is even engraved inside."

I froze. Suddenly, the ring in my hand felt scorching hot. I looked inside the ring, and sure enough, I saw "H.S."

A chill ran through my body. I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"You are utterly shameless, Cheryl!"

Her voice immediately turned cold. "Hey, I already tried to make it up to you. Why are you still unhappy? You called me shameless? Weren't you shameless when you begged me to spend more time with you in bed?"

My eyes were as wide as saucers. My lips moved, but I couldn't utter a single word.

Then I heard Cheryl comforting Henry. "Come on. I'll give it to him for now. I'll buy you a more expensive one next time."

He complained in his childish voice. She continued, "As long as you work hard, I'll give you whatever you want. Okay?"

I tossed the ring to the floor. By then, tears had started running down my face.

"How could you do this to me, Cheryl? Do you even remember what you said to me?"

When we first got married, Cheryl had curled up in my arms and said, "Don't worry, Joseph. I'll forever be your comfort person. One day, we'll have a child. They'll be as charming as you."

What now?

My body trembled. Only then did I realize she had hung up. My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor. Even breathing started to feel hard.

The next second, I heard movement coming from the living room. I pushed the door open and rushed out. Someone was hanging up a wedding portrait.

They turned around and smiled, hoping to get some tips from the newlyweds.

"Congratulations on your marriage! Your wife really loves you, doesn't she? These photos weren't cheap. She didn't hesitate at all and booked the whole set. You two really do look like a perfect match."

I slowly raised my head, only to be slapped by reality.

In the wedding photos were Cheryl and Henry, not me.

I smiled bitterly. "Yeah. She never hesitates when it comes to spending money on her lover."

The workers froze.

I picked up my phone and dialed Cheryl again. "The wedding photos are here. Did you really have to humiliate me like this?"

Chapter 4

Joseph's POV

The other end of the line fell into a brief silence before Cheryl realized something was off. "What is it now?"

I took a photo of the delivery and sent it to her. "Take a good look yourself."

She was speechless for a second, then sighed. "They delivered it to the wrong address."

"Oh, so it was just a wrong address? Nothing wrong about the fact that you took wedding photos with him?"

Cheryl sounded helpless. "Come to my office. I'll explain everything."

I hung up and immediately went to her company. My heart was bleeding.

Cheryl never allowed me to visit her company. She said it wouldn't be a good look. How ironic that the one time she allowed me to do so was because of this?

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, an employee stopped me. "Sir, you're not allowed to enter the office area. Why don't you wait in the reception area instead?"

I was about to explain when Henry suddenly appeared. He waved them off, looking so at ease, as if he were the real owner of this place. "It's fine. I know this guy."

Once I was led into Cheryl's office, Henry poured me a glass of water. "Ms. Sharpley is in a meeting. Just wait here for now, Joseph."

I didn't take the glass. Instead, I slowly looked around the office.

Their matching pajamas were still sitting on the couch. Cheryl's cup had been replaced with a matching couple's set. Even the desk was covered with countless handmade crafts they made together.

I smiled wryly.

After we got married, I used to tell Cheryl that I wanted to make things together with her. She was always reluctant, using work as an excuse and taking one raincheck after another.

Every time, my invitation led to nothing.

It occurred to me then that Cheryl wasn't as busy as I had imagined. She simply didn't want to make time for me.

Henry didn't seem bothered at all. He put those crafts away with a polite smile.

"Don't get it wrong, Joseph. Nothing is going on between Ms. Sharpley and me. I know you're still upset, and I know your married life hasn't been enough to satisfy you. I'll talk to her and persuade her to spend more time with you.

"Still, I have to say, she's a very creative and adventurous person when it comes to these things. You're just too… boring, I suppose. It's no wonder she doesn't want to do it with you…"

Although his words conveyed concern, a provocative smile hung on his lips.

My heart bled profusely. I snickered. "Wow. How do you know so much about our married life?"

Henry smiled, his face turning slightly red. "Ms. Sharpley just trusts me a lot. That's why I saw the video."

As he took out his phone to show me, he continued, "My friends have seen it, too. Honestly, for a man, you're way too reserved. That doesn't make sense, though. Usually, with a father who was a homewrecker, you wouldn't…"

His gaze slowly fell on me. The way he said it sounded like he was trying to cover something up.

A chill shot down my spine. "How did you know about that…"

Henry smiled gently and took my hand. "I'm not trying to do anything here, Joseph. It's just that having a father like that is embarrassing enough. It's only natural that Ms. Sharpley despises you."

I slapped his hand away, my breathing turning ragged. "Don't you dare talk about my dad like that!"

The scandal involving Dad was huge back then. He had always been in poor health, and he married into Mom's family.

Later, when his condition worsened, he could no longer afford to raise me. He took me on a long journey to find Mom. When we arrived, we discovered that she already had a husband and a daughter.

Her husband threw us out. They cursed Dad, calling him shameless. To protect me, he eventually ended his life.

But Dad never knew the truth before. He foolishly believed that his wife had gone away to earn money.

Cheryl had been the only one who knew about this, yet she went and told Henry everything.

My eyes reddened with anger. I raised my hand, my fist tightening. It was then that Cheryl walked in.

Without hesitation, she shoved me away. "Joseph, I asked you here to solve our problem, not to throw another tantrum!"

I pushed her away in return, then grabbed onto her tightly. "Why did you show him our video? Why did you tell him about my dad? You knew he was innocent!"

Cheryl's voice softened, but her expression remained indifferent.

"He only saw it by accident. Besides, he only showed it to his friends. He promised me he wouldn't share it with anyone else. As for your dad…"

She dragged out the words, her tone careless. "It takes two to tango."

I couldn't believe her. An exasperated laugh escaped me.

So much for "he wouldn't share it". So much for "it takes two to tango".

I gathered all my strength and raised my hand, slapping her across the face. But the force ultimately sent me stumbling backward. My back crashed into the bookshelf behind me, and the shelf shook violently.

By the time I looked up, I saw it tipping toward me. My heart jolted.

Cheryl didn't think twice before pulling Henry into safety. The next moment, I was buried underneath everything. My vision started to blur.

In the final moment before losing consciousness, I saw Cheryl running toward me.

When I opened my eyes again, I didn't know how much time had passed. All I knew was that three of my ribs were broken.

This time, Cheryl was the one who texted me first.

"I'm buying you clothes. Which one do you like?"

In the photos she sent, I could still see Henry in the corner, trying on suits. Maybe I was just an afterthought again.

A sudden urge to laugh rose in me. Facing one of the few times she had initiated contact, I found myself not wanting to entertain her.

Instead, I calmly deleted her contact, left the divorce agreement behind, and headed toward the airport.

…

Third-Person POV

For a long time, Cheryl never received a reply from Joseph Marsh.

"Is he still asleep?" she wondered.

She ended up buying him several outfits based on his preferences. When she returned to the hospital, all she saw was an empty bed. Only a signed divorce agreement sat on top of it.

Her eyes widened in shock. The bags in her hands dropped to the floor.