Today was the first day after my courthouse wedding with Celeste Harper, and she hadn’t come home all night. Yet, there she was, clear as day, on her childhood friend Liam Everett’s social media. A post appeared around midnight—a photo of them leaning close together. The caption read: “I knew that no matter what, one call and you’d be right by my side.” Content Celeste finally came back around noon after staying out all night. When she saw me sitting on the couch, she didn’t say a word. The silence grew so tense that I finally had to speak up. “Where were you last night?” With an annoyed expression, she replied, “I’m exhausted. Can we talk tomorrow?” I looked around at all the red-and-white wedding decorations and couldn’t help but feel a bit of self-mockery. Celeste—beautiful, smart, practically perfect. She’s a senior executive at a major corporation, with looks, status, and charm to spare. Everyone says I was lucky to get her, that I’m the one who “married up.” I’d always held onto the memories of us, all the good she’d done for me. I’d tried so hard to be the best boyfriend, the best husband I could be. But now that we’re officially married, I just want out. I didn’t reply to her. Instead, I sent a message to everyone who’d known we were getting married. They scolded me, and my family tried to talk sense into me. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone the real reason. Only my closest family knew, and after their initial anger faded into silence, they eventually nodded in support. That night, I went through more than I could process. I didn’t look at Celeste, and she didn’t care to ask, heading off to her room. I packed my suit for the next day neatly, took down all the decorations, and threw them in the trash. If I was leaving, I didn’t need the “newlywed home.” As I was about to leave, I glanced at her room. Since we’d just moved in, we hadn’t been sleeping in the same room yet. I paused a long moment, then left. On the way out, I texted her: “Let’s get a divorce. I’m leaving.” I put my stuff down where I was going, turned off my phone, and went to sleep. What might come next wasn’t even on my mind.
I slept until evening. When I turned on my phone, I saw over twenty missed calls from Celeste and a stream of messages on WhatsApp. The first few were sharp and questioning, but later, her tone grew softer. “What are you doing? We just got married!” “Say something! Don’t just ignore me. Where are you?” … “Where are you, babe?” “Can we please meet and talk this over?” I blocked all her contacts and slept alone till the next day. When I woke, a loud knock came at my door. I deliberately took my time to open it. Celeste stood there, looking exhausted, but the second she saw me, it was as if a light had turned back on in her eyes. “Gabe, can we please stop this?” Hearing her words felt like a cruel joke. What right did she have to ask me to stop this? She saw me staring in silence, and finally sighed, reaching for my hand. “Let’s go home, alright? Don’t do this. I’m really tired.” Her eyes were soft, pleading, but I pulled my hand free. “Miss Harper, are you here to finalize the divorce?” “And I’m not playing around. Please take this divorce seriously.” Right in front of her, I grabbed a disinfectant wipe and scrubbed where she’d touched me. She looked deeply hurt, mouth open as if to speak, but she stayed silent.
“Celeste, I suggest you stop making things so messy. After all, our families have always been close.” Her expression was one of pained innocence. “You canceled the wedding ceremony without telling me. I had to ask everyone why it hadn’t started.” “A crowd gathered, pointing and whispering, and now I have to chase you to come back with me. I’m exhausted. I found out about everything only after seeing your message, and you couldn’t even be bothered to tell me directly?” “Is it my fault you didn’t check your phone? You’re that busy?” “Funny how you’re not busy enough to run off with someone else—and take pictures!” She looked at me, hurt but determined. “Guess they were right,” she said. “A dirty mind only sees filth.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I’m the one with a dirty mind. So when my own wife’s in bed with someone else, should I assume they’re just playing a game?” Celeste’s mouth opened to say something, but she stayed silent. Yesterday, seeing her like this would’ve made me want to hold her tight, tell her it was all okay. “Let’s put off the divorce discussion until later. My parents are waiting for us for lunch,” she added. “Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Sam are there too.” Hearing that, I froze. Her parents had always been good to me. Realizing how harsh I’d been, I reluctantly nodded and followed her back to her parents’ house. The moment we walked in, her dad greeted me warmly. I’d expected anger or blame, but there was nothing of the sort.
I felt out of place sitting in their living room. When I offered to help Aunt Rebecca in the kitchen like always, she waved me off. “Just relax, Gabe. Lunch is almost ready.” Uncle Sam and Aunt Rebecca acted like nothing had happened. Celeste even brought me a plate of my favorite fruit, her eyes twinkling with a smile. A strange guilt tugged at me, but it didn’t change my decision to end things. “What’s with the cold shoulder?” she asked, watching me closely. “I’m here to end this, Celeste. This is the last time I’ll be in your parents’ house.” She turned pale, biting her lip, trembling slightly. Silence filled the room until lunch was ready, and Aunt Rebecca urged me to eat. Celeste kept her head down while Uncle Sam sensed the tension and tried to lighten the mood. “Look at you, Gabe. You’re looking sharper than ever!” he said, chuckling. “Celeste, you’re a lucky woman!” I opened my mouth to correct him, but Celeste pinched my sleeve under the table, giving me an embarrassed look. It was clear she hadn’t told her parents about us. I felt a sudden, overwhelming sadness. Her parents had always treated me with kindness, so I’d tried to do the same for Celeste, supporting her through every little thing, even waiting with hot food if she worked late. But it was never me on her mind.
As I thought about it, my grip on my bowl tightened, my knuckles whitening. Aunt Rebecca noticed and nudged Celeste to serve me a dish. Celeste gave her mother an annoyed look and reluctantly plopped a shrimp onto my plate. I’m allergic to seafood. After all this time, she didn’t even know. From that moment on, I barely tasted a thing. That shrimp stayed untouched on my plate, like a neon sign. After we finished, I thanked Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Sam. “Thanks for the lovely meal,” I said, trying to keep steady, “but I need to make something clear. Celeste and I are separated. I’m sorry to disappoint you.” They looked stunned, and Celeste gripped her fists tightly. Before they could speak, the doorbell rang, and Celeste glanced at me, her eyes dark, before heading to answer. I had a sinking feeling about who it might be.
Sure enough, the voice that greeted Celeste from the doorway was all too familiar—Liam Everett, her childhood friend. She called out cheerfully. “Hey, Liam! What’s for lunch? Smells amazing in here!” Liam froze a second when he saw me but quickly gave a polite nod. “Ah, Gabe’s here, too. That explains it.” He slipped off his shoes and set a gift on the table, making himself at home, even pulling out a chair to sit between us. Like he belonged there more than I did. I glanced down and saw them both wearing matching slippers—the same pair I’d noticed her wearing recently. I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. Liam broke the silence, glancing between us. “What’s with the mood in here?” Celeste shot me a warning look. Uncle Sam and Aunt Rebecca kept their heads down, focused on their food. I looked straight at Liam and spoke, my voice calm and clear. “Celeste and I are done. The divorce papers aren’t signed yet, but hey, feel free to go after her.” Celeste threw her chopsticks on the table. “Gabe, enough! I told you, he’s like a brother to me. You’re the one making it something else!” And just like that, I knew what I had to do.
I stood up and brushed off the imaginary dust from my shoulders, barely giving Liam a glance. “Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Sam,” I said with a slight smile, “thank you for the lovely meal. You’re kind to have me, but I don’t think I belong here anymore. Please, enjoy the rest of your lunch.” They walked me to the door, with Aunt Rebecca’s voice thick with unspoken words. I waved goodbye to them, knowing the only two people in that house who genuinely cared for me were them. Once outside, I sped off to my friend’s place. This friend had helped with every part of the wedding preparations, going above and beyond. Now, he deserved to hear the truth. By the time I reached his place, he was waiting for me with a look of sympathy. I sat across from him, explaining the situation carefully. Though I tried to leave out the ugliest parts, he caught on quickly. With a heavy sigh, he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Man, I knew that woman wasn’t good news. But hey, this is your fresh start. I got some friends to introduce you to.” We shared a laugh, a few drinks, and finally, I was able to breathe. The next day, when I got to work, a couple of colleagues came over, asking if I had wedding treats. After all, I’d taken leave to get married. It felt strange to say anything, so I just laughed it off, dodging their questions as best as I could. For the next few days, I went out of my way to avoid Celeste. I didn’t think it would be that easy, but it was. Eventually, I sent the divorce papers to her email, though she didn’t respond. It didn’t matter. I was moving forward—she’d find her own way. After work, I grabbed my takeout and headed downstairs, only to spot a woman in a red dress waiting outside, holding a bouquet of red roses that matched her perfectly. People passing by were glancing her way. The sight brought back a flood of memories—she was just like that the first time I saw her. It had been junior year, at a party organized by some friends. The moment Celeste Harper walked in, she became the center of my universe. I stood there, spellbound, unable to think straight. Lost in thought, I didn’t realize she was walking toward me, roses in hand, eyes soft and intent. She was impossible to ignore when she looked like that, all glowing.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295063”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #惊悚Thriller
Leave a Reply