On my birthday, I was lying at home with a high fever while my girlfriend was at the hospital, carefully tending to her depressed ex-boyfriend. She coldly hung up on my call and sent a message, “Why are you pretending to be sick? You’re a grown man.” After three years of marriage, she was attentive to her ex but indifferent to me, her husband. Later, I finally realized that a woman whose heart you can’t warm should be let go. I chose divorce and even tried to bring them together. But she regretted it and spent a night crouched outside my door, just begging me to look at her one more time. “You know Ethan is very fragile right now. Why did you lie to me about coming home?” Olivia’s voice was filled with impatience over the phone. “And you say you have a high fever? How can a grown man like you get sick so easily? Can you stop being so childish?” I could almost imagine her expression of disgust, disdain, and even contempt. Breathing heavily, I endured the pain throughout my body. I was full of anger, but when I opened my mouth, I felt like I couldn’t say anything. What’s the use of saying anything anyway? “You’ve really disappointed me. I’m not coming home tonight, that’s final!” The call was disconnected. She’s doing it again, planning to stay at the hospital to take care of him all night. Then she’ll sleep by his hospital bed, waiting for his every command. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes at the hospital, I probably wouldn’t have believed that my wife was at the hospital every day taking care of another man. Even the nurses were moved by it. When they showed me the way, they introduced them as the most loving and faithful couple they’d ever seen. This is too ridiculous! Thinking about this, I weakly put down my phone and lay on the living room floor, staring blankly at the ceiling light. It was a bit dazzling. In my daze, I remembered our wedding day, when she held Ethan’s hand with red eyes. I saw her abandoning me during our dates to comfort him when he was in a bad mood. And on countless nights, her body would shy away as soon as I got close. She said she was very traditional and a bit afraid of such things, that we needed to take it slow. Even now, we still haven’t made any progress. In our relationship, she’s always held the upper hand. Whether we’re close or distant depends entirely on her mood. The fever made my head hot, my thoughts were in disarray. In my confusion, I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I felt sore all over. Fortunately, the fever had subsided. After a quick shower, I felt like I had regained some energy, but I was still weak. I called in sick to work. My usually strict boss told me to rest well and take care of my health. I was a bit surprised. Just then, the door opened. Olivia came home looking slightly tired. Seeing that I wasn’t seriously ill, she said mockingly, “Weren’t you sick?” I ignored her sarcasm and just took a sip of warm water, enjoying the feeling of new life. “Cat got your tongue?” Seeing that I didn’t speak, she crossed her arms, looking like she was waiting for an explanation. “Let’s get a divorce.”
“Fine.” Olivia was stunned for a moment, but then agreed without hesitation. I saw a flash of anger on her face and instantly understood her thoughts. She probably thought I was just using another way to threaten her. “Alright, I’ll bring back the divorce papers this afternoon.” After saying this, I changed clothes and left. It turns out, saying it out loud wasn’t difficult. I thought I would feel reluctant, angry, or unwilling to let go. But the moment I actually said it, I felt relieved. Olivia just sat on the couch playing with her phone, not responding to me at all. She just treated it as one of my usual tantrums. After leaving, I bought breakfast and went to the nearest hospital. My father-in-law was currently hospitalized there, and for this period, my mother-in-law and I had been taking turns caring for him. Coincidentally, my company had been particularly busy lately. Every day, besides working overtime, I had to go to the hospital after work to relieve my exhausted mother-in-law. It was non-stop. This routine had continued for a month. Olivia remained indifferent. Not only that, but I was also paying for the expensive medical bills. Olivia’s entire salary was spent on finding psychologists for Ethan. She never had any money left over, and it was good enough that she didn’t ask me for more. I had talked to her about her father’s medical expenses, but she thought I was threatening her. Last night it rained, and to save some money on a taxi, I trudged home in the rain. Combined with the continuous fatigue, my body finally gave in to illness. “Having a son-in-law like you is truly our blessing.” “My wife and I have discussed it. We’ve seen all you’ve done these past days. You’re a good kid, much better than Olivia. We’ve decided to entrust our savings to you.” Hearing my father-in-law say this, I paused while peeling an apple, and quickly refused. In the past, if I could get the support of my in-laws, I would have been overjoyed and unable to sleep. Would their approval improve my relationship with Olivia? I thought about it carefully, but this hypothesis didn’t make me feel joyful. Strangely, I only felt pressure. “Little Ning isn’t really busy, is she? You’ve been lying to us all along. Is she at the hospital looking after that guy again?” Suddenly, my father-in-law sighed. I remained silent, not knowing how to answer. The day my father-in-law was hospitalized, I told Olivia, but she said Ethan was at a critical point and she couldn’t leave. She asked me to take care of her father more. “Look, her own father is sick and she doesn’t care, but she’s looking after some other man!” “How can I trust her with money?” Seeing that I didn’t speak, my father-in-law gave a bitter smile. In the end, I still refused and didn’t mention the divorce. As I was leaving the hospital, I saw Olivia’s social media post. The photo showed two hands tightly clasped in front of a green plant, with the caption “If we persevere together, we can surely thrive like this plant and overcome all difficulties.” I knew those were her and Ethan’s hands. In the past, I would have angrily called her and questioned her. Then she would describe me with words like petty and narrow-minded. Back then, seeing me angry and frustrated, she must have found it laughable, like a child fighting for attention, childish and annoying. But now I didn’t feel anything. I even found it a bit funny. Come to think of it, they really do look like a couple now. Since I’m so redundant, I might as well step out.
I brought the divorce papers home, but the house was empty. I was used to it. In the past, I would have argued with her for not coming home often. At first, she would explain, saying she had to attend dinners or team-building events. Later, she simply remained silent or casually said it was nothing. Now I think this is quite good, not bothering each other. I sent Olivia a message, then threw the signed divorce papers on the coffee table. Counting the days, it had been a long time since I visited my mom. Since my dad passed away, she’s been living alone in an old house in the suburbs. I realized that when I stopped revolving around Olivia, I had a lot more free time. And I had also neglected my family a lot. It’s a good time to go see my mom. After I got home, my mom was overjoyed. “Why did you come alone? Where’s Olivia?” “Did you have fun yesterday?” I was stunned. Fun? “What, did you forget your birthday yesterday? I even called you, and you said you were out with Olivia.” Only then did I remember that I was busy with a project contract at work yesterday. I hurriedly answered my mom’s call and briefly brushed it off. I completely forgot about my birthday as soon as I hung up. I didn’t know how to answer, and I couldn’t explain. It turned out yesterday was my birthday. At least in previous years, Olivia and I would have a meal together. This year, it was completely forgotten. I thought I would feel disappointed and sad. But now that it’s brought up, I only feel guilty towards my mom. “You came back this time, is there any difficulty?” Fortunately, my mom didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she held my hand and asked with a smile. “Don’t worry, Mom has saved up some money for you. If anything’s wrong, just say it.” My eyes turned red, and I repeatedly said there was nothing wrong. I felt very guilty inside. How long had it been since I last came back? Before, every time I came to my mom, it seemed to be for money. Because Olivia never took care of the household, I had to be responsible for the mortgage and car loan, and the pressure was too great. That evening, I enjoyed the dinner very much. After eating, I watched some TV shows with my mom. We were happy and chatty. I hadn’t been this relaxed in a long time. Before, it was all for Olivia, I didn’t have my own life. And now, I can spend any amount of time with my mom. In the evening, I don’t have to make a table full of dishes waiting for her. I can spend an evening eating with my mom, watching dramas, listening to her talk about neighborhood stories. When I go home, I don’t have to think about how to ask for money. In the past, holidays had to fit her schedule. Now I can go wherever I want. Without Olivia, it turns out to be so relaxing and enjoyable. Until the next morning, when I was woken up by my mom’s coughing. When I found her, she was outside the front door, trying hard to cover her mouth, her face red as she coughed. “It’s nothing, just a small problem.” Seeing me come out, she forced a smile and said it was nothing, but the next second she couldn’t help but cough up a bloody phlegm. Without a word, I carried her on my back and took her to the hospital. The examination result: tuberculosis. Looking at my mom’s evasive eyes, I felt extremely heartbroken. The words of questioning that came to my lips turned into complaints, complaining that she didn’t tell me. “Mom is old, there’s no need to waste money on this kind of disease. You’re under so much pressure now, and you have your own family…” Mom seemed a bit embarrassed. I took a deep breath and, ignoring her refusal, forcibly arranged for the best doctor to consult her. When it came time to pay, I found that I didn’t have enough money. I paused for a moment, smiling bitterly as I explained to my mom that the money was with Olivia. But… “That money, it was all borrowed by Ethan for medical treatment. You’ll have to think of another way.” After hearing what I said, Olivia said lightly. As expected. I wasn’t surprised, and I was too lazy to argue with her. I just told her to remember to come home and sign the divorce papers. “Haven’t you had enough?” Her tone finally carried some anger, expressing her dissatisfaction. “I told you, I’m serious.” She still thought I was joking with her. This time, I hung up the phone first.
With no other choice, I went to my father-in-law’s house and told him the truth about my mother’s illness. My father-in-law, who had just been discharged from the hospital, gave me $10,000 without a word. I didn’t refuse, and after taking it, I was about to write an IOU. “The money you spent on our treatment, I’ve kept track of every penny. This is your own money.” My father-in-law refused. Before leaving, he asked about Olivia again. I thought the divorce couldn’t be hidden anyway, so I just told him straight. “What a mess…” I didn’t answer. After giving the money to the hospital, I stayed with my mom at the hospital. She sighed, saying we hadn’t spent so much time together in a long time. I felt extremely ashamed. During this time, Olivia called me to urge me to come home. “I’m not coming back tonight, that’s it.” I didn’t have the heart to talk to her much. After that, I didn’t answer any of her calls. I just chatted with my mom about traveling to relax after she recovered. It wasn’t until the next day, after I had confirmed the surgery date with the doctor and reassured my mom, that I went home. As soon as I got home, I saw Olivia sitting on the sofa with a dark face. “Signed it?” I directly bypassed her to look at the divorce agreement on the table. Unexpectedly, she snatched it first and tore it to pieces. “Enough, Luke. How long are you going to keep this up? Taking things to the point of divorce, just because I didn’t come home that day?” “When did you become so unreasonable? You weren’t like this before!” “Say something!” Olivia was in a rage. I just stood there silently looking at her. In the past, it was always me who was angry and irritable like this. Suddenly, I understood her a little. People who lose control of their emotions are really ugly. “Fine, I know what you mean.” Seeing that I didn’t speak, Olivia sneered and started to undress in front of me, moving very quickly. “What are you doing?” I stopped her. “I know you’re not satisfied with me going to take care of Ethan, but there’s nothing between us. I’m still pure. Now I’m giving myself to you, is that okay?” “You don’t need to refuse, this is my duty as a wife, isn’t it?” After saying this, she pushed away my hand and stubbornly continued to undress. I walked to the window and pulled the curtains. When I turned back, I found her looking at me mockingly: “What, you want to do it in the living room?”
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