I suddenly saw screenshots of my lawyer husband chatting with his young new intern in our shared photo album. I had forgotten we shared an iCloud account. “You’re a lawyer, surely you can find a way to leave her with nothing,” the message read. It’s true my husband is a lawyer. But they forgot one thing – I’m a seasoned judge who’s presided over cases for years. After judging so many other people’s cases, this time, I’ll be the plaintiff. “Olivia, we’ve got another case from Ethan’s firm. Looks like a new lawyer will be representing them this time – quite young too,” my judicial assistant said as she handed me the case file. I looked up from the documents I was reviewing and pushed the file back to her. “I’ve recused myself from all cases involving his firm. Make sure this gets returned.” My assistant hugged the file to her chest. “Right, of course. Even without you saying anything, Ethan’s associates win 9 out of 10 cases. He really is the top lawyer in the city.” I handed her the judgment I had just finished signing. “It’s not ‘even without me saying anything.’ I never say anything about it.” The assistant laughed awkwardly and left with the signed judgment. A moment later, the door opened again. A lively young woman walked in, clearly new to the profession and still quite naive. Behind her was Ethan, my husband. The young woman bounced up to my desk, beaming. “Judge Olivia, I’m representing a case that’s been assigned to you. I hope you’ll look kindly on it!” Ethan chuckled softly, his tone unusually indulgent. “In court, you should address her as ‘Your Honor.’ Only laypeople call her ‘Judge.’” The young woman nodded several times, revealing her inexperience. “Oh, I see. Your Honor, I’m Mia.” I frowned slightly. “Your case isn’t assigned to me. You’ve got the wrong person.” Mia looked confused and turned to Ethan, tilting her head in a naturally coquettish way that only young women can pull off. “But wasn’t it assigned to Judge Olivia when we filed?” To avoid conflicts of interest, I always recuse myself from cases involving Ethan’s firm. This is common knowledge. Ethan explained gently, with a patience I rarely saw from him. “Olivia and I are married. She doesn’t preside over cases from our firm.” Mia furrowed her brow slightly. “Oh? I thought the recusal rule only applied to you personally. Why does it cover the whole firm?” Ethan shrugged, indicating it was out of his hands. The two of them chatted back and forth in front of me. I had asked Ethan about this when I first started my career. What did he say back then? “Cases are judged based on the law. If you’re unsure, just refer back to the legal codes.” But the law doesn’t tell me what to do when a husband cheats.
I closed the file I was working on and interrupted Mia’s incessant chatter. “The courtrooms are on the other side. This is a private office area, lawyers and other unauthorized people aren’t allowed in here.” My blunt words left Mia stunned. She looked helplessly at Ethan. Ethan stepped forward to smooth things over. “Olivia, Mia’s new to the profession. She’ll need to interact with judges a lot. I just wanted to introduce her around.” Mia? I raised an eyebrow at Ethan. “That includes you, Mr. Jiang.” Ethan’s face flushed red then pale. “Olivia, don’t be so petty. Mia’s new, give her a break.” My hand paused as I was writing. My expression remained neutral. “Mr. Jiang, you said yourself to use formal titles in court.” My refusal to back down left Ethan at a loss. Annoyance flashed across his face. “Is this really necessary?” I rested my chin on my hand and looked at Ethan. “Well, do you think it’s necessary? How long before you replace this one?” “Olivia!” He used my full name, with a hint of warning. Sensing the tension, Mia quickly grabbed Ethan’s arm. “Ethan, let’s not bother Judge Olivia while she’s working. We can come back another time.” Her soft, pleading tone contrasted sharply with my unyielding stance. Ethan clearly preferred Mia’s approach. He took her arm and stormed out, slamming the door. My husband, holding another woman’s arm, completely forgetting it was my birthday.
With just an hour left of my birthday, the cake on the table had long since melted into a sad puddle. I scooped up a bite and put it in my mouth. It tasted awful. I sent Ethan a message: “Are you coming home tonight?” Lawyers often travel for work, so it wasn’t unusual for him to stay out. I never asked before. This time I texted because I had a feeling Ethan was still angry about what happened earlier. But I hadn’t wronged him. This really was the fifth young intern he’d brought around this year. They were all young and pretty new lawyers. He always brought them to the courthouse to get acquainted. Everyone knew what that meant. Out of respect for my position as a judge, no one said it directly, but I could feel the mocking glances. When those meaningful looks swept over me, I felt stripped bare for everyone’s amusement. They all wanted to see me humiliated. My once beloved husband was no longer my armor, but had become a stain. Ethan didn’t used to be like this. He used to be my shield. He would wait outside my dorm for three hours just to bring me materials for a competition. I’d poke him and say, “Why didn’t you call or text? I could have come down earlier.” He’d just grin sheepishly. “I figured you were napping. Wanted to let you sleep.” How could 20-year-old Olivia resist such a thoughtful, gentle Ethan? When I graduated and moved to his city for work, I showed up at his door with my suitcase. He was so surprised he couldn’t close his mouth. “You…you’re here? Why didn’t you tell me? I could have picked you up.” I stepped forward and hugged him. “You’re so busy with cases. I wanted to let you sleep in.” Ethan said we were meant for each other. But Ethan never said that meant we had to walk together. He didn’t say it because he had stopped walking with me. After he became successful, countless people gravitated towards him. We started to drift apart. The ping of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I thought it was Ethan replying, but it was a message from Nathan. “Hey Liv, I’m back in the country!” I refreshed my social media feed and saw a new photo Ethan had posted. In it, Mia was smiling radiantly like a porcelain doll, while Ethan pored over some documents in the background. The live photo captured sound: “Ethan, with all this evidence, think we’ll make it home tonight?” Mia’s voice. “What if we don’t?” Half teasing, half joking. The way Ethan looked at Mia in the photo was familiar. It was how he used to look at me back in college. My heart sank. Ethan was serious this time.
Ethan never came home. That photo on social media kept me tossing and turning all night on the couch. Yeah, what if they didn’t make it home? Deep down, I knew there were problems between Ethan and me. We’d been going through the motions for years, but never confronted the issue head-on. I’d found long strands of hair on his shirts that weren’t mine. Smelled perfume I never wore. Even noticed the passenger seat adjusted in ways I didn’t like. But we maintained an unspoken agreement – I didn’t ask, he didn’t tell. Like many middle-aged couples, we silently papered over the cracks. The naive young lovers we once were had long since become jaded adults. I was enduring, night after lonely night, until I couldn’t take it anymore. When Ethan opened the door and saw me, he looked surprised. “Why aren’t you at work?” I turned my stiff neck to look at him wearily. “Took the day off.” Ethan was about to ask more but then spotted the sad remains of the cake. He smacked his forehead. “Olivia, I’m so sorry! I was working late at the office. I completely forgot your birthday.” He crouched beside me and rubbed the back of my neck. “Since you’re off today, why don’t we go out? We haven’t had a nice meal together in ages.” His eyes sparkled with a hint of his younger self. My heart softened a bit. “Okay,” I said. “I texted you last night but you didn’t reply. Figured you were working on a case.” Ethan loosened his tie. “You texted? I must have missed it.” I didn’t mention the photo he posted. Didn’t tell him I’d been up all night because of it. I’d checked again – the photo was gone. I knew it was Mia. Women have an intuition about these things. She’d deleted my message. Posted that photo from Ethan’s phone. This young woman was different from the others. Ethan came out of the bathroom after showering and hugged me, still damp. “By the way, the spare room’s been empty. Why don’t we let Mia stay there for a bit? She’s new to the city and needs a place temporarily. She’ll move out soon.” His eyes were bright and earnest in the steamy air. It’s hard for anyone to agree to have another woman living in their home. Ethan kissed my neck lightly. “Rent’s expensive in the city. You know junior lawyers barely make enough to get by. I’m her mentor, so you as the mentor’s wife should help out.” I wanted to refuse, but we’d already had that unpleasant encounter at the courthouse. I was afraid pushing it would make things worse between us. Marriage is half compromise, half tolerance. When you can’t tolerate anymore, that’s when it’s over.
Mia moved into the spare room. I had worried she might feel awkward, but my concerns were unfounded. “Olivia, can I use this towel?” She held up a pink hand towel. The blue one next to it was Ethan’s. Before I could say no, Ethan spoke up. “Can’t you buy your own stuff? Stop using my wife’s things.” He said not to, but handed her the towel anyway. Mia stuck out her tongue playfully. “Thanks Olivia.” Ethan had told her several times to call me “sis” at home. But Mia never did. There’s a big difference between “Olivia” and “sis.” “Olivia” is formal, for professional interactions. “Sis” acknowledges me as Ethan’s lawfully wedded wife. She knew what she was doing by refusing to use it. One day when I got home from work, I was surprised to see the gardenia I kept on the bedroom windowsill had been replaced with succulents. I loved tending to plants, and Ethan never touched them. “Where are the flowers? They were about to bloom. Why are there succulents now? Did you change them?” Ethan didn’t look up from his computer screen. “Mia probably did it. She said the place needed more greenery and bought some plants at the market.” Mia again. My heart clenched. It was hard not to notice how Mia had been slowly inserting herself into our lives, starting with that towel. The fridge was now full of her favorite drinks and snacks. I could barely find room to store ingredients for cooking. She’d replaced the plain white cotton throw on the couch with a cartoon print one. When I questioned it, she put on an innocent face. “Oh Olivia, I’m so sorry. I accidentally spilled milk on the old one today, so I had to switch it out.” Every time she changed something, she’d excitedly post about it on social media. Ethan liked every single post without fail. It looked like she was just sharing her life, but really she was staking her claim. They were all small things, but like grains of sand in your shoe – tiny, yet irritating. I unceremoniously tossed the succulents in the trash. Ethan looked up in surprise. It was the first time I’d shown any displeasure since Mia moved in. “I don’t like her touching my things.” For once, Ethan didn’t defend Mia. He just nodded seriously. “Don’t go in the master bedroom anymore. I don’t like it.” “Okay.” I thought Ethan had finally grown a conscience and felt guilty. But I forgot – people are quick to agree when they feel ashamed. [Pausing point]
I don’t know what Ethan said to Mia, but when I got home the next day, she was standing in front of me with red-rimmed eyes, clearly having just cried. She wrung her hands, sniffling. “Olivia, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize those things bothered you. Please believe me, I was just trying to help out around the house. I didn’t have any other intentions.” “Olivia, Mia’s young and didn’t know better. Don’t hold it against her,” Ethan said. It sounded like he was defending me, but really he was putting me on the spot. I’d only said not to enter the bedroom or touch my things. How did that turn into me holding a grudge? Ethan stubbed out his cigarette. “Mia, start looking for an apartment near the office. There should be some decent options.” At his words, Mia’s eyes went wide. Still red from crying, the look of dismay on her face was even more pronounced. I was confused too and glanced at Ethan. I had never suggested Mia move out. Clearly Ethan hadn’t discussed this with Mia either. She looked shocked and resentful, but swallowed it down. After a glance at me, she meekly agreed. “Okay.” I thought that would be the end of the Mia saga. In a while, Ethan would bring his sixth young, pretty intern to parade around the courthouse, continuing the endless cycle. But I forgot – human nature isn’t something that can be explained by legal codes. When my assistant rushed in to tell me about an emergency meeting, I tried to beg off. She hesitated, then said quietly, “Your Honor, you should probably go. I heard it’s about disciplinary action against you.” My heart jolted, but there it was in black and white on the official document – a disciplinary decision. A photo of a computer document had been posted online showing the damages amount from a traffic accident case I’d presided over. The amount in the photo was vastly different from what I’d actually awarded in the official judgment. Damage awards are based on laws and evidence. A judge can’t just make up whatever number they want. The amount in the photo far exceeded legal limits. Any legal professional would know it was absurd, but the plaintiff didn’t. Believing I’d ruled unfairly, the plaintiff had caused a huge scene at the courthouse. They’d even stirred up a frenzy online. Because of this, I lost my chance at a promotion and raise this year. My pending promotion was also canceled. The meaningful looks and hesitation from my superiors and colleagues made me deeply uncomfortable. Prying eyes in the courthouse multiplied, not even trying to hide their scrutiny anymore. I’d always kept my professional and personal lives separate. My rulings were always careful and fair. My work and career were the foundation of my confidence. I cherished them and never acted carelessly. Now because of this sordid affair, Mia had used underhanded tactics to interfere with my career. Mia, you’ve gone too far. I called Mia directly. Who else would do this? That photo was from my bedroom computer. She must have gone in there, altered the amount, and posted it online! I’d clearly told Ethan I didn’t want anyone in our bedroom! To my shock, the call connected to the sound of passionate moaning. Mia’s breathy gasps came through the phone, growing louder after the call connected. The challenge was unmistakable. I was all too familiar with the muffled grunts of the man on top of her. It was like someone had hit pause on my nervous system. My blood stopped flowing. I froze in place. The disciplinary action and the affair hit me simultaneously, mercilessly. Mia and Ethan were sleeping together. My husband was in the throes of passion with another woman as I listened on the phone. The charade we’d maintained for so long had finally, irrevocably shattered. When I got home, the house was tidy. Only Ethan was there, taking a shower. He came out and smiled brightly at me, not surprised to see me. “You’re home early today!”
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