Ten years into our marriage, my CEO wife, Victoria, flaked on our plan to spend the May Day holiday together again, claiming a last-minute business trip. But then, a message popped up from Julian, the man she’d always carried a torch for. It was a photo of his whole family on a trip, Victoria in the picture, laughing and playing with a kid. “Alex, if I’m not mistaken, she told you she had to go on a business trip again, didn’t she? After all these years, it’s hilarious how you still fall for that excuse.” “Guess where she’s taking me this time?” My gaze fixated on the corner of the plane ticket in the photo. It clearly said “Fairbanks.” I typed out a reply and sent it back: “Even if she goes to hell, it has nothing to do with me.” Moments later, Victoria’s furious call came through. “Julian was just sharing a moment from his life. Why are you so petty, snapping at him for something like that?” “Go apologize to Julian right now. I’ll make time to take you on a trip when I get back from my business trip.” Listening to yet another one of her empty promises, I mumbled a few perfunctory words and hung up. But she had no idea. I already knew about the twins she had with someone else. Three days from now, my divorce petition would go through. It was time for this marriage, built on lies, to finally end.
I stared at the dozen or so accusatory calls, all from my wife, Victoria Sterling. All I did was snap back at Julian, her first love, and she immediately jumped to his defense, practically demanding I kneel and apologize to him. Anyone who didn’t know better would think Julian was her actual husband. The screen went dark again. Perhaps his patience had run out, as the frantic ringtone didn’t sound a second time. Instead, a few messages popped up on Snapchat. They were from Victoria: “Alex, apologize to Julian right away. I promise, I’ll take you on a vacation when I get back.” “Haven’t you always wanted to see the Northern Lights? We’ll go to Fairbanks to see them.” The thought that she was going to Fairbanks this time too instantly hit me. I couldn’t help but sneer. Did she have to take Julian to every place I wanted to go first? I didn’t want to deal with it and was about to turn off my phone when another message from Julian popped up. It was a family photo. I didn’t even need to zoom in to recognize the slender figure in it as my wife. “Alex, I genuinely can’t believe it. You know your wife has another family out there, yet you’ve endured it for years. How do you do it? You must have been a spineless turtle in your past life.” “Given how much you’ve put up with all these years, I’ll tell you one more thing: about Victoria’s hospitalization abroad three years ago.” “She told you she had uterine fibroids and needed to go abroad for treatment, but that was a lie. It was the excuse I came up with for her. I just never expected you to believe it so easily, even giving her your life savings so thoughtfully. In reality, she went abroad that year to have my children. I wanted her to give birth in a local hospital, but she considered you and insisted on flying abroad to deliver…” The long, rambling text that followed, I didn’t read. I had no desire to read any further. Three years after we got married, all my friends had families that felt complete, and I was so envious. I went back and told Victoria I wanted a child, but she said her career was on the rise and a child would only be a burden right now. Two more years passed, and just when I finally got her to agree, she cried and told me she had uterine fibroids and had already contacted a doctor abroad, claiming a small surgery would cure her. She was gone for three years. When she finally returned home, she tearfully told me the surgery had gone wrong, and she could never have children. I still remember her tears streaming down her face that day as she said, “Alex, I’m so sorry. I made you wait all these years, and I still couldn’t fulfill your dream of becoming a father.” Looking at her red-rimmed eyes, I said with a pang of sadness, “Vicki, it’s okay. As long as you’re healthy, just being with you like this for a lifetime is enough.” I thought Victoria and I would adopt a child and live out the rest of our lives. But then, Julian, her first love, suddenly sent me an ultrasound report with my wife, Victoria Sterling’s name, clearly written on it. I thought it was a prank, one of Julian’s tricks to fool me, and I dismissed it several times. Deep down, I still believed Victoria’s heart belonged only to me. It wasn’t until I received another photo from Julian, showing a child strikingly similar to Victoria, that I had no choice but to believe that the ultrasound report was real. She had truly given birth to Julian’s children behind my back—twin children, at that. She’d even gone as far as to use her health as a cruel excuse to deceive me, just to prevent me from suspecting anything. A sharp pain tore through my heart at the thought. The stinging pain in my palm brought me back to reality. I quickly blocked and deleted Julian from Snapchat. A moment later, Mr. Davies, the butler, came over with a gift box. “Mr. Alex, this is a birthday gift from Miss Victoria.” With that, Mr. Davies opened the box directly. Inside was an exquisite watch, clearly custom-made. My heart froze when I heard what the butler said. Looking at the expensive watch, I suddenly remembered Victoria’s promise years ago: she would spend every one of my birthdays with me. Since Julian appeared, her earlier promises had become empty words. Whether she spent it with me or not, she still prepared a gift for me every year. Except, this watch, she had already given it to me three times. With this one, it was the fourth. Yet, the things she gave Julian were never repeated, and each gift was clearly more thoughtful than this watch. I snapped a few photos of the watch with my phone and casually posted them on an online auction site, setting the starting bid at $10. Mr. Davies, seeing me smile, thought I was chatting with Victoria and said, “Seeing you two so in sync makes me feel at ease.” I didn’t reply. After a couple more words of concern, Mr. Davies left. Just as I was about to go upstairs, my phone buzzed with an update on my divorce application. The paperwork would be finalized in three days. I gripped my phone, my eyes hardening. This marriage, full of lies, was finally coming to an end.
No sooner had I packed the watch than Mr. Davies came in with a parcel. “Mr. Alex, this package arrived with some damage. The delivery person requested a direct signature. Could you please check if there’s anything wrong inside?” I took the package Mr. Davies handed me, feeling suspicious. I hadn’t ordered anything recently. I instinctively knew it couldn’t be from Victoria, as she never ordered things online; I personally bought all her daily necessities. She wouldn’t touch such things. It wasn’t until I saw the recipient’s name on the package that my shocked expression softened. It was Victoria’s package. At Mr. Davies’ urging, I opened the box. Inside were two pairs of children’s shoes. Mr. Davies also looked a little shocked. “This… could Miss Victoria be pregnant? Didn’t she say she could never—” Before Mr. Davies could finish, Victoria’s call came through. Her voice was a mix of urgency and nervousness. “Alex, did a package just arrive at the house? Did you…” Before she could finish, I already knew what she was going to say. Looking at the children’s shoes in the box, I calmly replied, “Just received it. Don’t worry, I’ve already signed for it.” She paused, then after a long silence, said, “Good. Don’t overthink it. Those are gifts for a friend’s kids. He helped me out a lot before; I’m just showing my appreciation.” I couldn’t help but sneer when I heard that. They were clearly for Julian’s twin sons, and she was still making up excuses. I couldn’t resist snapping back, “That friend of yours, is his name Julian?” At my words, Victoria’s tone immediately changed. “Alex, what are you stirring up now? Are you mad I didn’t spend your birthday with you? Didn’t I promise you? I’ll make it up to you when I’m back from my time off.” “Stop dragging Julian into everything! How many times have I told you, we’re just friends!” I gripped the gift box in my hand and asked with a laugh, “Then why are you so anxious to call back? Isn’t it because you’re afraid I’ll go confront Julian?” I expected her to lash out, but she just said a few casual words: “You’re being completely unreasonable. I was just worried you’d overthink it if you saw the package. I never imagined you’d think so little of me. Looks like my concern for you was completely wasted!” I was somewhat surprised. In the past, whenever I mentioned Julian to her, she’d explode like a lit fuse. But the doubt that had just arisen vanished the next second when I heard a child’s tender voice through the receiver. I realized she hadn’t changed; she just didn’t want to argue with me in front of the kids. Before I could speak, she hung up, leaving me with a dial tone. She kept telling me that she and Julian were just friends, but then she went and had his children. Were they really just friends? Just then, Victoria’s Ragdoll cat, Whiskers, suddenly ran over. My eyes hardened, and I was about to leave, but it was too late. Red spots had already started to appear on my arm. In moments, what were just a few scattered spots had spread all over my body. They were incredibly itchy, and there were even signs of swelling. I’m allergic to cat hair, but Victoria insisted on keeping a cat, simply because Julian had given it to her. I even gave her the silent treatment for a month because of it. She just shrugged it off, a look of disdain on her face. “It’s just a little allergy, isn’t it? I can just buy you some allergy medicine. Only a cold-blooded person like you would shut out such a cute cat!” The swollen areas on my body were growing larger, so I quickly went to find allergy medicine. But I rummaged through the medicine cabinet several times, and there was no allergy medicine inside. I felt worse and worse, even my breathing became difficult, and my head felt heavier and heavier. The next second, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I overheard Mr. Davies on the phone with Victoria. Mr. Davies was elderly and accustomed to using speakerphone. Victoria’s cold voice, distorted by static, cut through the air: “It’s just a minor allergy. Is it worth calling me in the middle of the night for? Just buy him some allergy medicine! You’ve been with the Sterling family for years; do I still need to teach you such basic things?” “And by the way, don’t bother me with trivial matters like this ever again!” Through the crack in the door, I saw Victoria had already hung up before Mr. Davies could even speak. I let out a self-deprecating laugh. I should have expected this outcome. What was I still hoping for? Mr. Davies came into the room, looking at me with sympathy.
After a day of observation, the doctor finally discharged me. No sooner had I completed the discharge procedures than I received a message from the Registry Office. With the divorce certificate in hand, I took a taxi home. As I approached the main gate, I heard a burst of cheerful laughter from inside. I thought Victoria had returned early. I was planning to give her the divorce certificate and explain everything to her face. The next second, I heard Mrs. Sterling and Aunt Carol’s voices from inside: “If Vicki hadn’t been so insistent on marrying him back then, and I couldn’t sway her, I certainly wouldn’t have allowed him to step foot in my Sterling family home!” “Anyway, Vicki and Julian have children now, and Alex is completely useless. When he comes back, we’ll just have him sign the divorce papers!” Aunt Carol quickly chimed in, “Exactly, the children grow up in the blink of an eye. You should enjoy the blessings of a house full of grandchildren.” I couldn’t help but clench my fists. So, their entire family knew Victoria had given birth to twins outside of our marriage, and I was the only one kept in the dark, foolishly believing her all these years. I pushed open the door, my face a mask of cold fury. The two women turned, startled. “Are you a ghost? Make some noise when you walk!” Mrs. Sterling shot me an impatient glance, her face darkening. “What are you standing there for? Go make some tea! I don’t know what you learned from all those etiquette lessons over the years; you’re still so unrefined, annoying to look at.” Years ago, Mrs. Sterling despised my humble background. Although she agreed to my marriage with Victoria, she secretly arranged various etiquette lessons for me. She implied, both overtly and subtly, that I wasn’t good enough for her daughter, and if I didn’t practice diligently, her daughter would embarrass the Sterling family when taking me out. Despite my strong reluctance, I endured everything and complied with Mrs. Sterling’s wishes, thinking about how Victoria had faced her mother’s coldness and difficulties because of me. But I never imagined that after all these years, she still looked down on me. As I brought them two cups of hot tea, Aunt Carol exchanged a knowing look with Mrs. Sterling. Just as I was about to go upstairs, Mrs. Sterling casually flung a divorce agreement at me. She said coldly, “Wait a minute. Sign this divorce agreement first.” She paused, then added, “This is Vicki’s wish too. She’s too shy to say it herself, so as a mother, I naturally have to help her.” “I’m sure you heard what Aunt Carol and I were saying. I won’t hide it from you, Vicki has already had children outside of this marriage. This divorce was bound to happen sooner or later.” I looked up at her. Regardless of whose wish it was, I already had the divorce certificate in hand. This marriage was over no matter what, so what harm was there in signing another agreement? With that thought, I quickly scribbled my signature. Seeing how decisive I was, both women looked stunned, as if they were dreaming. “Can I go now?” I asked, looking at their shocked expressions. Aunt Carol instantly recovered, disdainfully saying, “You certainly should. You’re no longer the Sterling family’s son-in-law. There’s no reason to linger.” Mrs. Sterling immediately chimed in, “Mr. Davies, quickly have someone pack his things. Tell him to get out of the Sterling house today.” Mr. Davies heard this and was about to call for staff when I stopped him. “No need. I’ll pack myself.” Aunt Carol’s eyes darted around when she heard this, and she scoffed, “Someone should watch him, just to make sure he keeps his hands clean. If anything goes missing, it’ll be our Sterling family’s money lost!” I ignored her and went straight upstairs to pack a few of my most used clothes. I didn’t touch any of the clothes Victoria had given me. I also placed the divorce certificate in a gift box and asked Mr. Davies to give it to Victoria. After I finished everything, I dragged my luggage out of the Sterling house. I hadn’t walked two steps past the main gate when I heard a servant mention that they were preparing to welcome back the young masters who had been living outside in a couple of days. It was then that I realized Mrs. Sterling was in such a hurry to get me divorced because she wanted to welcome Julian’s two sons back into the family. The next day, Victoria returned from her time off, with Julian following behind her. She stepped inside and looked around. Not seeing me, her heart inexplicably began to pound. Julian, however, was scanning the living room. “Vicki, Whiskers is gone. Did Alex get rid of him while you were away?” Whiskers was the Ragdoll cat’s name. Victoria frowned, remembering my allergy. She wanted to say something but held back. It wasn’t until Mr. Davies said the cat had been sent for vaccinations that Victoria’s expression softened slightly. Then she asked, “Mr. Davies, where’s Alex?” Before Mr. Davies could reply, Mrs. Sterling spoke from the top of the stairs, “Alex has already left the Sterling house.” Victoria was puzzled. “Mom, what do you mean?!” Mrs. Sterling had always had issues with me, and putting me down was a common occurrence. She was about to say more when her gaze shifted to the gift box in Mr. Davies’ hands. Mr. Davies handed the gift box to Victoria. “Mr. Alex asked me to give this to you.” Victoria’s eyes flickered with hesitation as she saw the familiar gift box. She remembered it as the box she’d used the very first time she gave Alex a gift. She never thought he’d kept it for so long. Julian, noticing the strange look in her eyes, scoffed, “That box looks so old. Did Alex just find some broken old box to gross you out on purpose? Vicki, you shouldn’t even look at it.” “What good could possibly be in such a piece of junk? He’s probably just messing with you. You’ll regret opening it.” The next second, Victoria opened it right in front of everyone. When she saw what was inside, her face instantly went ashen. Everyone looked utterly bewildered. It was a divorce certificate. Julian was the first to react, his tone dismissive. “Vicki, what’s Alex’s game with this fake certificate? Does he think you wouldn’t dare to actually divorce him?”
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