Seraphina Vance had found the perfect excuse to legitimize her blatant infidelity. Before we got married, I signed a non-disclosure agreement, which meant I could only be her secret husband. If I initiated the divorce, I’d walk away with a measly $9.9. For three years, I watched her shamelessly flaunt her staged romance with her so-called colleague, Caleb Reed. They traveled together, made public appearances, and even checked into the same hotel. All while I, her supposed “understanding partner,” was left to care for her ailing parents and act as her personal assistant, handling every single one of her affairs. I had no idea when her “work” would end until Caleb called her late one night, his voice thick with complaint. His fans were hounding them to get married, demanding to know when she’d finally make their relationship official. “Darling,” Seraphina cooed softly into the phone, “I’ll give you a perfect wedding soon, okay?” The cold night air blowing in from the balcony carried Seraphina’s hushed whispers. Hearing her answer, my body, nestled in the sheets, went rigid. My throat constricted, and I could barely breathe. On the other end, Caleb persisted, his voice low and melancholic. “Seraphina, everyone’s expecting us to get married. I can’t wait. Let’s do it soon.” Seraphina stood on the balcony, her profile appearing exceptionally tender in the dim light. She soothingly reassured him, “Don’t rush, I won’t let you down.” It was clear that even when disturbed late at night, she was more than happy to coddle her rumored boyfriend. Seraphina returned to the bedroom, a faint smile still lingering in the corners of her eyes. But the moment she saw me sitting on the edge of the bed, her expression hardened. “Julian, it’s the middle of the night. Why are you sitting here trying to scare me instead of sleeping?” I swallowed the dull ache in my chest and met her gaze. “And how does it feel for you to be up in the middle of the night, sweet-talking your lover?” “Lover? What are you talking about?” Seraphina frowned, annoyance flashing in her eyes. “Can you stop being so crude? Caleb and I are just work partners. Isn’t it a bit much to label him like that?” Watching her righteous indignation, my voice involuntarily tightened. “Me, too much? What ‘work partners’ in this industry plan a wedding together?” Seraphina stumbled over her words for a second, then looked away. “You heard all that?” She nervously rubbed her nose. “I couldn’t help it. The fans were practically demanding it. Caleb and I have too much attention as a screen couple. If we don’t see this act through, how can I justify his cooperation these past three years?” “Justify his cooperation?” A searing, numbing pain shot through my heart, and my body trembled uncontrollably. Three years of marriage. I watched the entire world believe she and Caleb were a match made in heaven, saw them interact sweetly on camera, flaunting their affection as if no one else existed. As Seraphina’s legitimate husband, I was hidden away like a shadow, banished from the light. Yet, all these years, Seraphina had never shown me a shred of guilt. She actually felt she owed Caleb. So what did my years of silent endurance and sacrifice count for? “Julian, you know how it is. You have to commit to the role. For the sake of publicity and career benefits, can you just bear with it a little longer? This is my job.” Seraphina was an A-list actress. Every time, she’d spout some high-minded BS, making it sound like she and Caleb were just professional colleagues. If my friend hadn’t personally seen them embracing as they entered a private hotel last week, I probably would have still believed everything she did was “just for work.” But now, her “work” had escalated to planning a global sensation of a wedding with Caleb. And when she and I got married, we didn’t even have the simplest ceremony. I suppressed the bitter churning in my stomach, my voice hoarse. “Seraphina, Caleb is just a colleague, yet you’re planning a lavish, public wedding for him. What about me? Your legal partner? Have you ever given me any kind of ceremony?” When we got married, Seraphina was just a struggling actress. She thought a rich kid like me was just playing around and always treated me with cold indifference. I voluntarily signed a prenuptial agreement, agreeing to only $9.9 if we divorced. I even gave up inheriting my family business to be her assistant. For the sake of her career, we didn’t even have a wedding. She once promised me that once she made it big, she’d give me a grand wedding. Later, she shot to stardom, but never mentioned the wedding again. I’d subtly brought it up, suggesting even a simple dinner with our families would be enough. But she’d always brush me off with “work is too busy, we’ll talk later.” Now, for a grand, extravagant wedding, Caleb just made a phone call, and she agreed without hesitation. Seraphina probably thought I was being unreasonable. She grew impatient, her tone sharp with frustration. “Julian, I’ve explained it countless times. Why can’t you just understand me?” “Caleb and I have such high public visibility as a couple. I can’t let all that effort go to waste.” “Can’t you just wait a little longer?” I didn’t say anything else. The night stretched long, the wind outside cold and fierce. Watching Seraphina’s irritated expression, a profound weariness washed over me. I couldn’t wait any longer.
“Julian, Caleb and I have talked it over. After the wedding’s public attention dies down, we’ll announce our ‘breakup.’ In a year at most, I’ll tell everyone that you’re my real partner.” “Everything I’m doing now is for our better future, don’t you see?” Seraphina probably sensed my mood was off and tried to salvage things. But I just found it utterly absurd. I was her rightful partner, yet I was hiding in the shadows, waiting for my wife to grant me official recognition. For her colleague, Caleb, Seraphina always went out of her way to ensure he was treated with the utmost respect. When she and Caleb first started pretending to be a couple for publicity, he was a newcomer working with the famous actress, and many fans couldn’t accept it, attacking him online. Seraphina then made a classic public defense, taking everyone who insulted Caleb to court. At a gala dinner, reporters pressed them about their relationship. Seraphina just smiled, then turned and kissed Caleb under a flurry of flashbulbs. The entire venue erupted. And I, as her assistant, watched from below as my own wife kissed another man. Later, Seraphina explained to me that it was “just a script” arranged by the company. But similar “scripts” kept piling up. They were inseparable in public, always together. Even at private gatherings with mutual friends, she stopped bringing me along. Gradually, even our shared friends started to think Seraphina and Caleb were the perfect match. I felt wronged and pained, but Seraphina would always tell me not to care about other people’s opinions, emphasizing that I was her legal partner. “Julian, I know you’ve endured a lot of hardship with me these past few years. I don’t want it to be like this either.” “Darling, please don’t be angry, okay?” Seeing my silence, Seraphina slowly moved closer, intending to kiss my forehead. She gazed at me deeply, as if in that moment, only I existed in her eyes. Many times before, I had been swayed by those soulful eyes, softening my resolve again and again, continuing to endure. I’d forgotten she was an actress; she could look deeply into anyone’s eyes. “I’m tired. Let’s just sleep.” As she leaned in, I turned my back to lie down. Seraphina raised an eyebrow, a little surprised, then lay down herself, wrapping an arm around me. The simple ring on my ring finger lightly brushed against the one on her hand, making a faint click in the darkness. The sound vanished as quickly as it appeared. I lay in the dark, lost in thought. When I met Seraphina, I was scouting film projects for my company at a studio lot. She was an extra, only getting roles as a corpse or a stunt double who got beaten up. Once, Seraphina offended an assistant director and was deliberately tormented, filming a beating scene twenty times. When I found her, she was sitting alone in the shadows, covered in bruises, looking so lonely and pathetic. I brought her home, meticulously cared for her, and used my connections to help her get opportunities. But at first, Seraphina always thought I, a rich kid, was just temporarily amused, and she never gave me a kind look. Until one time, to help her secure a role with lines, I endured severe stomach pain and drank too much, eventually passing out at the dinner table. When I woke up, Seraphina was by my bedside, her eyes red, her body still trembling with fright. “Julian, when I saw you in the hospital, I suddenly got so scared…” I was a bit helpless. “Scared of what?” “Scared of you leaving me.” After saying that, Seraphina paused, then seemed to understand something. She lifted her deep, captivating eyes and said earnestly, “Julian, I think… I’ve fallen in love with you.” From then on, she became incredibly attentive to me, working tirelessly on her acting. And I voluntarily stepped away from my family business, becoming her personal assistant, handling all her complicated affairs. Soon after, Seraphina proposed to me. She saved money for six months to buy me a branded ring. Though it had no diamond, I, submerged in love, was deeply touched. I wore that ring close to me for three years until I passed by that brand’s store one day. On a whim, I went in to inquire, only to be told by the sales clerk that the ring I was wearing was a fake, not even a decent replica. Meanwhile, Caleb? Over these three years, Seraphina had personally bought him countless designer gifts, their value immeasurable. And me? All I had was this fake ring. The memories faded, and I felt a wave of nausea, instinctively wanting to remove the ridiculous ring on my ring finger. The moment I stirred, Seraphina seemed to sense it and held me even tighter. “Don’t move,” she mumbled groggily. “Caleb…” A sharp pain seized my chest, and I curled up in agony. Even though the person beside me breathed warmly, I felt only a chilling coldness, so cold that my heart went numb, almost suffocating.
The moment I woke up the next morning, Seraphina called. “Remember to go to the nursing home to see my parents today. Don’t skip it just because you’re angry.” Seraphina prided herself on being filial. Even though her parents lived in the best nursing home, her pronouncement, “Children should personally care for their parents,” had me looking after my in-laws for three full years. Meanwhile, I barely saw my own parents once a year. “Yeah, got it.” I numbly replied, hung up the phone, and drove alone to the nursing home. “Oh, sweetie, look how wonderful Caleb is! He’s going to be our son-in-law!” My mother-in-law was proudly telling the nurse, pointing at Caleb on the TV, as I walked into the room carrying a pot of freshly made soup. The nurse’s eyes lit up. “Are they really getting married?” “Of course!” my in-laws said in unison. My steps faltered, and a familiar sharp pain pierced my chest. I suppressed the bitterness in my throat and softly spoke. “Mom, Dad.” As soon as they heard my voice, my in-laws’ faces immediately soured. The nurse looked at me, a bit confused. “And this gentleman who comes every day is…?” “He’s our godson!” my mother-in-law quickly interjected. The nurse suddenly understood, a look of envy on her face as she left. “Sir, I’m so envious you get to be Seraphina’s brother. How lucky!” I forced a smile, but it wouldn’t reach my eyes. The moment the door closed, my mother-in-law’s voice turned shrill. “Julian, why didn’t you tell us you were coming? You want to scare two old people to death?” I managed a strained smile. “Mom, Dad, you seemed to be enjoying your conversation, I didn’t want to interrupt.” “I made you some soup today. Please try it.” As soon as the soup was handed to them, my father-in-law sniffed it and slammed the bowl on the floor. The hot soup splattered on my hand, making me wince in pain, but they just said, “What kind of soup is this? It’s so greasy! Julian, you can’t even cook properly anymore. What good are you?” “I’ll make it again next time,” I said, enduring the pain as I cleaned up the mess on the floor. A profound sense of powerlessness swept over me. Suddenly, I felt that three years of unwavering care had all been in vain. After massaging my in-laws, I prepared to leave, but couldn’t resist asking one last question, holding onto a final sliver of hope to gauge their attitude. “Mom, Dad, do you know? Seraphina is going to have a wedding with Caleb.” I said, trying to sound calm. “Really?!” As soon as the words left my mouth, my in-laws cheered excitedly. “That’s wonderful!” Though I had anticipated it, my heart still sank. “But… I’m her husband…” “Don’t be ungrateful!” My father-in-law frowned and sneered. “We never agreed to you two being together in the first place. You’ve bled Seraphina dry enough over the years. You should know when to quit and stop clinging to her,” my mother-in-law snapped, her face darkening with impatience. Bleed her dry? Even though I knew my in-laws were always harsh, hearing those words firsthand made my body involuntarily tense up. In three years of marriage, I had never asked Seraphina for a single dime, nor had she spent any money on me. Most of our daily expenses were covered by me. I cared for my in-laws relentlessly, managed everything for Seraphina, and in the end, I was branded a “vampire.” At this point, I understood where Seraphina’s coldness and selfishness came from — it was a family trait. Three years of genuine affection had moved neither my in-laws nor Seraphina. My in-laws continued to chatter, even ordering me to empty their bedpan. I numbly turned around, ignoring their curses and walked out without looking back. Walking out of the nursing home, I looked at the distant sunlight gradually dispelling the gloom, took a deep breath, and dialed a number. “Hello, Dad, are you free right now?” “…I’ve made my decision.”
When I got home, the living room lights were already on. Seraphina sat on the couch, her face contorted with fury. I was about to speak, but she suddenly stood up, rushed towards me, and yelled, “Julian, what the hell is wrong with you?! I already swallowed my pride, and you actually went to my parents’ place to give them attitude?!” Seeing the identical smugness on all their faces, I sneered. “I made soup for your parents, and they knocked it over without even tasting it. The nursing home has plenty of caregivers, but they insisted I take care of them personally.” “As Seraphina’s husband, I’m treated worse than a servant.” Seraphina frowned impatiently. “My parents are old, it’s normal for them to be emotional. There are many caregivers, but they trust you more. They’re treating you like family by asking you to do it.” Hearing that, I just felt sick. “They trust you the most, so why don’t you personally empty their bedpans?” In three years, apart from sending her parents money, she had barely visited the nursing home, always claiming to be too busy with work. In reality, she just found her incontinent parents disgusting. She pushed everything she didn’t want to do onto me. Because I once loved Seraphina so deeply, I willingly endured it all. My self-sacrifice, in their eyes, was simply expected. “Julian, how dare you speak to me like that!?” Seraphina, stung by my words, angrily flipped over the coffee table in front of her. I couldn’t dodge in time, and the scalding hot water, just boiled, splashed all over my hand. A huge blister immediately swelled on the back of my hand. The burning agony spread from my skin through my entire body. My vision blurred, and I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain. “Now do you know how to talk to me?” Seraphina looked pleased, advancing toward me step by step. “You only calm down when I throw a fit. As my husband, why can’t you be more like Caleb, gentle and considerate, instead of constantly talking back to me?” It’s like three words out of four from her family were about Caleb. I stood up, enduring the pain, and sneered. “If you think Caleb is so great, then marry him!” “Julian!” Seraphina hadn’t expected me to talk back again. Her eyes turned red with rage as she threatened, “If you dare talk back to me again, I’ll divorce you!” That was exactly what I was waiting for. I met her angry gaze, my voice firm. “Fine! Let’s get divorced then!” Seraphina was uncharacteristically stunned. After several seconds, she slowly raised her eyes, an expression of disbelief on her face. “Are you serious?” “Yes.” But Seraphina’s emotions were unusually agitated. “Julian, are you insane?” I scoffed. “Perhaps only an insane person could tolerate their wife publicly dating someone else and even planning a grand wedding.” Seraphina’s voice trembled. “If you initiate the divorce, you’ll only get $9.9 in compensation.” Because of that paltry $9.9 compensation, Seraphina had never worried that I would leave her. I unhesitatingly pulled out my payment QR code. “Transfer me the $9.9. Let’s divorce immediately. And I’ll even give you an extra gift!” As soon as I finished speaking, Seraphina’s face instantly turned ashen.
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