When I returned from my business trip, I found my five-year-old daughter, Selina Whitaker, sitting alone at home, nibbling on some cookies. Feeling a pang of guilt, I embraced her tightly and asked, “Selina, where’s your mom?” Selina pouted, her face full of grievance, and burst into tears. “Mommy is at the hotel downstairs marrying Mr. Blackwell. She told me to stay home by myself… Daddy, I’m so hungry…” After settling Selina down, I rushed to the hotel. And sure enough, it was true. There was Ophelia Whitaker, dressed in a wedding gown. When she saw me, her face turned pale with shock, and she quickly pulled me aside. “Dorian, don’t misunderstand! This is just me helping Nathan act out a scene. His mom kept pressuring him to get married, and this was the only way…” Furious, I let out a cold laugh. “Congratulations. May your life together be filled with love and laughter, and may your arguments always be short!” Later, at my wedding to her younger sister, she begged me to take her back. But instead, I made her listen to the sounds of us making love all night. Chapter
“Congratulations. May your life together be filled with love and laughter, and may your arguments always be short!!” Everyone present thought I was an invited guest, and they applauded my blessings to the groom and bride. Only the bride, Ophelia, looked at me in disbelief, thinking I must be joking. When she realized I wasn’t kidding and saw the seriousness on my face, she reluctantly let go of Nathan Blackwell’s arm and dragged me into a corner, visibly annoyed. “Dorian, what’s the meaning of this?” I couldn’t believe she had the audacity to ask such a question. Last week, during my business trip to Frandel, I had taken a shortcut, desperate to get back early out of concern for her and our daughter’s safety. That choice had nearly cost me my life in a foreign land. But when I finally returned home, the first thing I saw was my five-year-old daughter sitting alone, nibbling on some cookies, while my beloved wife was downstairs marrying her first love. When I walked into the hotel earlier, I saw her and Nathan locked in a sweet embrace, making their vows with sincere devotion. “In wealth or poverty, in sickness or health, through good times and bad, I vow to stand by Nathan for the rest of my life…” She looked utterly devout, her eyes even sparkling with tiny stars of emotion. Yet when we got married, she had asked the officiant to skip the vows altogether, saying it was “too much trouble.” It turned out it wasn’t about the vows being troublesome, and it was about the person she was vowing to. With Nathan’s parents, she was warm and natural, the perfect picture of charm. But in our six years of marriage, she had never once treated my parents with such enthusiasm. If this wedding with Nathan was just an act, then what had our years together been? My heart felt like it had turned to ash. In a flat voice, I said, “I mean what I said. You two belong together, and I’ll bow out.” Ophelia’s brows furrowed, and she let out a derisive snort. “Dorian, stop being unreasonable, will you? My patience has its limits. “I’ve already explained everything to you. Nathan and I are just staging a fake wedding to put his parents at ease. And here you are, making a scene. Can you not let it go?” I let out a cold chuckle and replied indifferently, “Don’t overthink it. I’m genuinely stepping aside. Rest assured, I’m not the clingy type. I’ll file for divorce as soon as possible and won’t drag you down.” Ophelia looked at me in stunned disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. “You…” Before she could finish, I turned and started to leave the hotel. But Nathan stopped me, his face full of guilt as he repeatedly apologized. “I’m so sorry, Dorian. Let me explain. “My parents have been pressuring me about marriage, and I didn’t want them to worry, so Ophelia and I staged this. We should have told you beforehand. I truly apologize.” Before Nathan could finish, Ophelia grabbed his arm, her voice icy. “Why are you apologizing to him? He’s just being petty. If he wants to sulk, let him! We don’t need to bother with him.” When I married Ophelia, I had known she still harbored feelings for her first love, Nathan. I had naively thought that with time and my love, I could win her over. But she treated my sincerity as nothing more than the behavior of a pathetic fool. I no longer wanted to play this one-sided game of giving without receiving. If someone else wanted to take my place, they were welcome to it. I felt nothing toward her shameless, outrageous behavior—not anger, not indignation. All I wanted was to sever ties with this woman completely. Chapter
Seeing my silence, Nathan put on an aggrieved expression. “Dorian, how about this? I’ll explain everything to the guests and publicly apologize to you in front of them. “It doesn’t matter much to me. The worst that can happen is that I’ll lose face in front of my relatives and friends, and my elderly parents will worry about me. As long as it doesn’t hurt the relationship between you two, I’m willing to bear these sacrifices.” He sounded so self-righteous, but I could hear the insincerity dripping from every word. Yet Ophelia seemed completely moved by his performance. She glared at me and was about to scold me when Nathan’s father walked over. Nathan’s father asked, “Ophelia, what are you doing? This is your wedding. Why are you here arguing with another man?” The moment Ophelia saw Nathan’s parents, her demeanor shifted instantly into one of meek compliance. “This is just my neighbor. He happened to be passing by and stopped in to congratulate me.” To protect an outsider, she could so casually refer to me, her husband of six years, as merely her “neighbor.” That was probably all I was to her—a man who shared a roof but held no place in her heart. When I met her gaze, I saw a flicker of panic in her eyes. “Fine. Let’s grant her wish,” I thought. Faced with the curious stares of Nathan’s family and friends, I decided to help them keep up appearances. “Yes, I’m just her neighbor. I came by to wish them well. I’ll leave now. Enjoy the party.” Perhaps my resoluteness caught Ophelia off guard. For a moment, it looked like she might come after me. But Nathan grabbed her hand. “Ophelia, don’t go. My aunt and uncle are waiting for us to toast them. “After everything’s settled, I’ll go with you to find Dorian and clear things up. Once he’s calmed down, it’ll all be fine.” At Nathan’s words, Ophelia stopped in her tracks. However, I walked out of the hotel without looking back. When I got home, Selina threw herself into my arms. “Daddy! You’re finally back. I don’t have to sleep alone tonight! “Daddy, the wind outside was so scary last night. I was hiding under the blanket all by myself, and I was so scared.” When I looked at her sweet, innocent face, my heart ached. I deeply regretted leaving her with her unreliable mother while I went on that trip. Seeing the empty croissant box on the table, I praised her, “Wow, my little princess is amazing! You finished all four croissants I bought for you.” Selina pouted and mumbled, “Daddy, I’m still hungry. Mommy hasn’t cooked for me in three days. She said she’s been busy with Mr. Blackwell…” A lump formed in my throat, and guilt washed over me. Gently stroking her head, I pressed my cheek against hers to comfort her. “Daddy’s here now. I’ll make you something delicious to eat right away.” Selina cheered and jumped up. “Yay! Daddy’s back, and I can have real food again!” Her words brought tears to my eyes as I headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal for her. But when I opened the fridge, I found only some pasta and nothing else. Clearly, no one had cooked at home for days. In the end, I made a simple creamy pasta soup for Selina. Even so, it lit up her face with joy. “Daddy, this is so good! You’re the best!” Hearing her childlike praise filled me with mixed emotions. Just then, the door clicked open. Ophelia walked in, her face sullen, holding a takeout box in her hand. She tossed the box onto the table and glared at me. “What’s wrong with you? All you made for Selina is some lousy pasta? Is this how you take care of your daughter?” Chapter
In front of Selina, I didn’t want to argue with Ophelia, so I gave her a warning glance, silently telling her not to go too far. Seeing my expression, Ophelia seemed to remember our agreement not to argue in front of our daughter. She refrained from saying anything more but still shot me a defiant look. Nathan, who had come in right after her, immediately tried to diffuse the tension. Squeezing between us with a cheerful smile, he opened the takeout box. “Dorian, we had the hotel pack this for you. Knowing you and Selina might not have eaten, we thought to bring it over.” I glanced at the contents: the remains of a fish with nothing but bones left. It was clearly leftovers. Selina is allergic to fish, and I didn’t want her to be affected even by proximity, so I pushed the box aside. Upon seeing this, Ophelia’s expression darkened. She seemed to think I was insulting Nathan and immediately snapped. “Nathan, don’t bother with them. If they want to eat, fine. If not, who cares?” I hadn’t intended to argue, but I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Ophelia, have you forgotten that Selina is allergic to seafood and fish?” Ophelia’s brow furrowed as if she had just remembered. My family has a history of allergic reactions to fish, and Selina was no exception. I had repeatedly reminded Ophelia not to expose Selina to fish, but she never seemed to take it seriously. However, Nathan loved fish and chips. Whenever they ate out together, he would order it and sometimes even take Selina along. Every time they came back, Selina’s face would be covered in rashes. I had to carefully apply ointment to soothe her skin while reproaching Ophelia for bringing Selina near fish. Yet she remained indifferent. “Oh, it’s just a little rash. Girls her age get these things. It’s no big deal,” she would say. It wasn’t until one incident when Selina’s allergic reaction became severe, causing her throat to swell and her breathing to become labored, that she finally seemed to take it seriously. Thankfully, we got her to the hospital in time to save her. After that, Ophelia seemed to learn her lesson and stopped bringing Selina along to her outings with Nathan. But it didn’t last long. To continue dining out with Nathan, she began leaving Selina home alone, distracting her with snacks and toys. Once, Selina nearly choked on a snack while she was home alone. Luckily, I arrived just in time to save her. She had brought fish back for Selina to eat. It seemed that, just like me, Selina didn’t matter to her as much as Nathan, the one who had once abandoned her. Seeing Ophelia’s embarrassment, Nathan quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Oh, my apologies. I packed this, and I completely forgot about Selina’s allergy to fish…” Ophelia looked at Nathan gratefully, her tone softening. “Nathan was just being thoughtful. Dorian, can you stop nitpicking? “It was inconsiderate of me today. I’ll cook a big meal at home tomorrow to make it up to you and Selina. Will that do?” Before I could respond, a commotion erupted outside the door, followed by the sound of someone unlocking it. I was puzzled, wondering who else besides Ophelia and I could have a key to our house. The voices of Nathan’s parents bragging to their guests provided the answer. “This is my son’s marital home. It’s enormous! “Ophelia is amazing, and she paid for it in full. Nathan didn’t have to spend a penny!” Chapter
Nathan’s parents entered, cheerfully leading their friends and relatives into the house, only to freeze when they saw my furious face. I was about to explode when Ophelia grabbed me, her eyes pleading. Nathan’s parents’ smiles faltered, and they looked awkwardly at their guests. As everyone exchanged puzzled glances, Nathan’s mother, Hailey Blackwell, avoided confronting me. Instead, she stormed over to Selina, who was eating her pasta and slapped her hard across the face. “Whose child is this, so ill-mannered? Sneaking into someone else’s home and eating their food!” Seeing Selina struck, I lunged forward, ready to kick that vile old woman, but Nathan held me back with all his strength. “Dorian, please, I’m begging you…” “Mommy, she hit me! My face hurts!” Selina, now wailing in pain, tried to run to Ophelia for comfort, only to be pushed away. “Selina, I’m not your mommy. You’re just the neighbor’s kid here for a visit. Don’t call me that… “Sorry, everyone. She’s the neighbor’s child who comes over to play sometimes. I jokingly told her to call me Mommy. Don’t misunderstand.” Ophelia’s face was full of embarrassment as she explained herself to Nathan’s family, desperate not to tarnish his image. “Mommy… Mommy…” Selina, now utterly helpless, tried to inch closer to Ophelia again, only to be stopped by her icy glare. I wanted to comfort Selina, but Nathan still held me back tightly. Nathan’s father, witnessing this, was livid. He picked up a bowl of creamy pasta soup from the table and poured it over Selina’s head, shouting obscenities. “Where did this little bastard come from, calling Ophelia ‘Mommy’ in my son’s new home? How disgusting!” The scalding soup spilled onto Selina’s head, making her scream in pain. I kicked Nathan aside, rushed to hold Selina, and tried to take her to the bathroom to rinse off the burns. But Hailey blocked my way with a group of their guests. “This is my son’s new home. What do you think you’re doing, barging around like this? “Get out of here! You’re bringing bad luck!” I couldn’t hold back anymore. “To hell with you! This is my goddamn…” Before I could finish, Nathan and his people dragged me toward the door. He shouted loudly at Ophelia, “Ophelia, talk to your neighbor! Tell him to leave and not ruin our big day!” Selina and I were thrown out, and Ophelia stood at the door, tears streaming down her face, begging me. “Please, just let this go. I’ll get them to leave tonight. Don’t embarrass Nathan in front of his family…” Looking at the blister forming on Selina’s face and hearing Ophelia’s outrageous words, I couldn’t hold back my rage. “You shameless woman, Ophelia! I want a divorce! “And unless you drag those bastards out of my house this instant, I’ll make sure all of you spend your honeymoon in a jail cell!”
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