The Fourth of July coincided with the fifth anniversary of my marriage to Serena Sinclair. We had planned a trip to Napa Valley for the holiday, but on the morning of our departure, Serena hastily packed her suitcase and said, “There’s a last-minute work trip I need to attend to for the company.” I believed her—until later that night when I scrolled through Instagram Stories and saw a post from her first love, Lucas Stone. In the photo, the two of them were close, fingers intertwined, their matching silver bracelets glaringly prominent. I let out a bitter laugh. Serena had made it to Napa Valley, just not with me. I didn’t call to confront her. Instead, I calmly gave the post a like. A minute later, Serena called me, her voice frantic. “This is just a misunderstanding. We just happened to run into each other while on business. I promise I’ll make it up to you next Fourth of July.” I chuckled disdainfully. “No worries. Have fun.” She paused, confused. “Why aren’t you jealous this time?” … When Serena returned a week later, dragging her oversized suitcase through the door, I stayed seated on the couch, my eyes on the TV. In the past, I would have rushed to help her, taken her bag, and even swapped her shoes. Not this time. Serena leaned against the door, frowning at me. “Elias, where are my slippers?” I nodded toward the shoe rack. “In the cabinet. Help yourself.” Her brows furrowed tighter, but after a brief hesitation, she relaxed and fetched the slippers herself. Walking over to me, she glanced at the empty dining table and pouted. “I’m starving. Can you make me some chicken soup?” Normally, I would’ve jumped up at any time, even at 3 a.m., to make her something. Today, I simply replied, “No time. Order takeout.” Serena’s face flickered with annoyance, but she sighed and softened her tone. “Honey, I know the sudden trip upset you. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I even brought you a gift. Can you forgive me?” I didn’t look at her. “You’re overthinking it. I’m not mad.” She froze, clearly surprised, before knitting her brows again. From her suitcase, she pulled out a plain-wrapped gift. Inside was a navy-and-emerald tie. She smiled expectantly. “Do you like it? I picked it out just for you.” Three days earlier, Lucas had posted about a Fourth of July mall promotion: spend over $10,000 and get a complimentary tie. That exact tie was now Serena’s “thoughtful” gift. I kept my composure, took the tie, and thanked her flatly. “Appreciate it. You’re so thoughtful.” Serena blinked, stunned. “That’s all you’re going to say?” “Mm-hmm. What else would you like to hear?” Her frown deepened as she clutched my arm, trying to explain. “You’re still mad, aren’t you? I already told you, Lucas and I just ran into each other at the airport and had a meal. That’s it.” I nodded. “I know. I’m not mad.” She stared at me, shocked. “Why aren’t you jealous this time?” “Because I’ve stopped caring.” I grabbed my coat and headed for the door. Serena stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Where are you going? And what about my anniversary gift?” A month earlier, I had won a sapphire charm bracelet at an auction, and Serena had seen the news about it. Instead of explaining, I took out my phone and transferred $5,000 to her account. “Forgot to prepare one. Buy yourself whatever you like.” She stood in stunned silence. In five years of marriage, I had never once failed to prepare a thoughtful gift for any occasion. After a few seconds, she grew angry, grabbing my hand. “Where’s the bracelet?!” I let out a cold laugh and pointed at her wrist. “What bracelet? Isn’t that matching bracelet with Lucas enough?” Serena flushed with embarrassment. “It’s… just something he gave me as a friend. Don’t overthink it. I’ll take it off now.” After living together for five years, I knew her micro-expressions well. The way her fingers fidgeted with her shirt revealed her unease. Having lost faith in her, I had no desire to argue. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I turned and left.
For five years of marriage, I put Serena first, which meant I hadn’t seen my old friends in forever. I booked a flight to Charleston and called up my closest buddy, Adrian Starr. Adrian immediately arranged a gathering. Three rounds of drinks in, the guys eyed me curiously. “We thought you abandoned us after you got married. Does Serena know you’re here?” I took a sip and smiled. “From now on, call me anytime. No permission needed.” My phone buzzed incessantly with calls from Serena. Ever since Lucas returned to the States, there had been countless nights when Serena didn’t come home, leaving me anxiously dialing her number. When I confronted her about not answering, she once snapped, “Did the sky fall? Every time I see a bunch of missed calls from you, I feel sick.” Now, she was the one endlessly calling. We stayed out until late, nearly midnight, when Serena suddenly burst into the bar, looking disheveled. She pulled out a chair and sat beside me as if nothing had happened, taking my glass and scolding, “You shouldn’t drink so much when you’ve got stomach issues. Do you even care about your health?” Her sudden concern felt jarring, almost foreign. I glanced at her, my tone icy. “What are you doing here?” The guys greeted her politely, and she smiled before gripping my hand tightly. “You didn’t answer my calls. I had no choice but to come find you.” I shook her off, my voice cold. “Serena, I’ve already told you. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Don’t overstep.” She froze, staring at me in disbelief. I ignored her and left with Adrian, brushing past her. Serena followed us outside, shouting after me. “Elias, I’ve come all this way to make amends. What else do you want me to do?” “Grow up. We’re almost thirty. Do we really need to play these disappearing games after an argument?” She climbed into the car with me and Adrian, determined to follow us. In the car, she clutched my arm, begging to talk. I refused, and she grew flustered. “Enough is enough. You’ve had your fun, drowned your sorrows, and now it’s time to come home.” “You’re jealous, aren’t you? But I swear, Lucas and I are completely innocent. Why are you hurting yourself over this?” I smirked. “You’ve misunderstood. I drank tonight because I was happy to see my friends. Nothing more.” I pushed past her, heading into Adrian’s home, ignoring her frantic knocking at the door. That night, I slept like a baby.
The next morning, Adrian knocked on my door. “Serena’s here.” Dressed and ready, I went downstairs to find her sitting at the table, face clouded with anger. In the past, even the smallest frown would have me rushing to cheer her up. This time, I walked past her without a word, flagged down a cab, and headed to the airport. At the gate, I ran into Serena again. She marched up, her tone sharp. “Elias, we’re married. There’s no need to avoid me over something so trivial.” Without looking up, I typed on my laptop and replied, “You’re overthinking it. I’m not avoiding you.” Before I could finish, her phone rang, the ringtone indicating her priority contact. From where I sat, I heard Lucas’s voice. “Where are you? Don’t forget tonight’s event. Whether or not we close this deal depends on it.” Lucas had been back in the States for three years, and Serena had quietly leveraged my name to help him numerous times. I had tolerated it, choosing to look the other way. But the tender smile on her lips and the sweet tone in her voice were things she had never given me. Whenever I asked for more warmth in our conversations, her response was always the same: “Work already drains me enough. Can’t you stop being so demanding?” I sent a message to my assistant, instructing him to inform our partners that Serena and I were beginning divorce proceedings. After ending her call, Serena turned to me, her earlier smile gone in an instant. “There’s still work to do, and flights are fully booked. Give me your ticket. You can take the next one.” I stayed put. Serena repeated herself, her tone more insistent. “I didn’t buy a ticket back to Charleston,” I replied flatly. Her face twisted in frustration. “So this is all a show, huh? You’re just trying to make me jealous?” “You’re being ridiculous!” she snapped before storming off. I watched her retreating figure, a pang of bitterness rising in my chest. No matter where she was or what she was doing, Lucas always came first. As Lucas had once posted: true devotion is when someone’s priority is always you.
I didn’t buy a ticket back to Charleston because my destination was Seattle. After taking over Ford Enterprises, my primary goal was to expand into retail chains, and the land in Westfield District seemed like the perfect location. Adrian Starr had recommended a mentor to me, someone who was a close friend of his father. He assured me that one dinner with this man could teach me a great deal. From the moment we met, we hit it off. Over dinner, Professor Nathaniel Huxley helped clarify many of the challenges I was facing. He liked me and suggested that I join his company for six months. He assured me that, during this time, I’d not only learn the ropes but also secure a foothold in the retail business and carve out my own path. With such an opportunity handed to me, I couldn’t refuse. After dinner, as I was about to drop him off at his residence, my phone started ringing incessantly. Serena was calling. I dismissed the calls repeatedly until Professor Huxley, noticing the affectionate name I had saved her under, asked, “Shouldn’t you inform your spouse that you’re in Seattle?” I shook my head, correcting him. “She’s no longer my spouse. I’ve already decided to divorce her.” After dropping off Professor Huxley, I finally called Serena back. As soon as the call connected, she launched into accusations: “Elias, what’s going on? Why did the corporate partners tell me they’ll only discuss matters with you directly?” “What’s happening? Haven’t I been managing all the company’s operations for years? Don’t you realize how important tonight’s deal is for me?” Her commanding tone was the same as ever, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “And?” Before she could respond, I heard Lucas’s voice in the background: “Serena, you have to help me with this. You’re my only hope.” Serena’s tone immediately softened as she reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” Hearing this, I clenched the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turning white. Serena had repeatedly claimed that her relationship with Lucas was strictly professional, yet here she was, offering him a level of warmth and care she’d never shown me. The pretense was sickening. I coldly declined further conversation and hung up, turning off my phone.
I spent two days in Seattle. Between sipping tea with Professor Huxley and completing onboarding paperwork, I also scouted a place to live near the company. I had my assistant notify several business partners about my plans to move abroad and took the opportunity to thank them for their support over the years. The house showed no signs of Serena’s presence, and everything seemed as usual. I changed the door lock code. After a day of rest, my business partners started calling, insisting on a farewell dinner. Unable to refuse, I agreed. When I arrived, the door to the private room was slightly ajar, and I could hear Lucas and the partners chatting. I hesitated, puzzled as to why a simple farewell dinner included Serena and Lucas. After a brief pause, I walked in. Lucas sat close to Serena in the seat of honor. When she saw me, she glanced up and said, “Everyone here is a friend, so just sit wherever you like.” “There were some misunderstandings during the last event. Now that everyone’s here, let’s clear the air.” All eyes were on me. I didn’t speak, and the room fell silent. Lucas’s smug expression radiated as he smirked at me. I avoided sitting near them, pulling out a random chair and taking my seat. Throughout dinner, Lucas raised his glass frequently, enthusiastically toasting the partners while boasting about the bright future of their newly signed deals. He was clearly enjoying himself. Meanwhile, my phone kept buzzing with messages from Serena. “I need to make an announcement later. Just play along. Whatever concerns you have, we’ll talk about them at home.” “You’ll see tonight that there’s nothing improper between Lucas and me. There’s nothing to hide.” I read through her messages until the latest one popped up: “Lucas will probably drink too much tonight. I might need to take him home afterward.” Raising an eyebrow, I responded with a curt, “Do as you like.” After a few rounds of drinks, Serena decided the time was right. She stood with Lucas, clinking glasses as she addressed the room. “Starting today, Lucas Stone will be the new project manager for our company. He’ll be your primary point of contact moving forward. Please take care of him.” A business partner sitting closest to me raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Point of contact? For what? Ford Enterprises has already decided to pull out of Charleston, and we’ve made plans to withdraw as well. Who’s he supposed to work with?” “What? Pull out of Charleston? Elias, you…” Serena’s face turned pale as she whipped her head toward me. I nodded calmly. “That’s right. I’m planning to move Ford Enterprises overseas.” Serena’s eyes widened in shock, her expression frozen. “You’re moving Ford Enterprises abroad? What about me?”
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