Chapter 1

I toyed with a cigarette in one hand, my eyes locked on the comments under that Instagram post.

More than ten minutes passed before I turned off my phone. The page reflected the wedding photo hanging on the wall, and it looked a little ironic.

For an entire night, my wife, Bella, vanished without a trace. She didn’t answer my calls or reply to my texts.

I sat on the couch and couldn’t fall asleep for a long time, my mind constantly replaying the moments when we used to love each other.

That night, when I got off work and opened the door the next evening, I was about to change my shoes at the entryway when I saw Bella sitting on the couch.

She looked pretty upset, like she was angry.

I ignored her completely and walked straight past her, heading to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water.

“Ethan!”

She kicked the coffee table in front of her and glared at me with barely restrained anger. “What the hell did you post on Instagram last night?”

I picked up the water on the table and took a sip, looking completely normal. “What did I post? Wasn’t it the truth? Since you like Ryan that much, what’s wrong with me wishing you a long and happy marriage?”

After hearing that, she frowned. “Can’t your brain hold anything besides romance all day long? Ryan and I are just friends. It’s not as dirty as you’re making it sound!”

“Friends? Have you ever seen ordinary friends holding each other and kissing?”

Bella’s eyes instantly reddened. She looked wronged and hurt. “It was just a game with a few friends we knew. A loss is a loss. It’s not like I can’t handle that.”

I let out a cold laugh.

Every time we fought, Bella would make this kind of wronged expression, and for some reason, I could never stand it. The second I saw her cry, I’d hurry over like a fool to comfort her.

But this time, I didn’t want to give in anymore.

I just quietly watched to see when her clumsy act would finally end.

Seeing how cold I was, Bella’s face changed instantly.

We’d been married for five years. Whatever Bella said, I did it. I tried to satisfy her as much as possible no matter what it was. Maybe over the years she had completely figured out my temper, so she’d been acting however she wanted.

But this time, she’d personally put a green hat on my head. As a man, I still had my pride!

“Ethan, can you stop acting like a woman and nagging like this? I already told you the kiss was just part of a game. Besides, Ryan had his hand blocking my lips at the time, and he didn’t even really touch me. It’s been five years. Do we really not have even this much trust?”

She was crying as she spoke, and in the end her tone softened. “I know you feel bad after seeing that video. I’ll contact someone to delete it. Please don’t be mad, okay?”

I looked at Bella, and a chill flashed deep in my eyes.

That video had almost no blind spots from 360 degrees. There was no way Ryan’s hand was blocking her lips. The more Bella explained, the more I felt like something was going on between them.

“Everyone under it was blessing you two. You still want to delete it?” I let out a soft scoff, my voice full of disappointment in her.

“Ethan! I’ve already backed down. What else do you want? Are you trying to force me to my death?”

Very calmly, I took the divorce agreement I had prepared last night out of the living room drawer. “Sign it... let’s just treat it as a peaceful ending after these five years.”

Bella took a few steps closer. When she saw the words divorce agreement, her eyes widened in disbelief. “Ethan, are you sick in the head? Do you even know what you’re doing?”

Yes! I was sick in the head! But wasn’t this exactly what Bella wanted to see?

I’d tolerated everything for five years after we got married, only to get one betrayal after another from her.

Five years of sincerity in exchange for a green hat. Any man would be unable to accept that!

Being able to sit here and talk to her calmly about divorce while holding back my temper was already my absolute limit!

Actually, over these five years, I could tell that there had always been a place in Bella’s heart reserved for Ryan.

For her, no one could shake that place.

Thinking about it now, I was really stupid. I had noticed it a long time ago, yet I kept lying to myself again and again in the name of love.