Six years with Chloe, and in the end, I still couldn’t compare to her first love. The 88th time her first love, Asher, stood on a rooftop, claiming depression, she shoved a fake divorce agreement at me. “What are you waiting for? Sign it, now!” I knew it was fake, but I still refused. I begged her to find another way. But Chloe stubbornly shook her head, yelling at me, “Asher is literally dying! Do you even care about our marriage? Have you no sympathy? I was so wrong about you. I should have married Asher back then!” I froze. She said she regretted marrying me? I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. Of course. She’d never loved me. So I decided I wouldn’t cling on anymore. I secretly swapped out the fake divorce agreement for a real one, signed it, and then turned around and married someone else in a wedding for the ages. Chloe watched me sign the divorce papers, her face instantly changing. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, bubbling with excitement. “Baby, you’re amazing!” “Don’t worry, I’m just faking it for Asher. I’m still your loving wife.” I could see it clearly: her excitement wasn’t about me. It was because she could finally be with Asher openly, without needing any more excuses. Clutching the divorce agreement, she didn’t hesitate. She turned and headed straight for the rooftop upstairs. As she turned, her arm brushed against my leg, which was still recovering. I cried out, a sharp pang shooting through my heart, followed by a dull, persistent ache. She probably forgot I was still lying in this hospital bed, my leg injured from saving her, needing constant care. I gave a bitter laugh. Of course. In her heart, compared to Asher, I was nothing. Besides, we were divorced now. I didn’t expect her to take care of me. After she left, I opened a super popular live stream. On screen, Asher was on the rooftop. Everyone was tense, trying to talk him down, but it was useless. Then, Chloe suddenly appeared in the frame. She eagerly pulled out the divorce papers and held them up to Asher. “Asher, look! I divorced him!” “You’re the one I love most. Please come down, okay? I’ll stay by your side forever, never leaving.” My fingers paused. *That* was her real truth, wasn’t it? As she spoke, she slowly moved closer. She reached him, ignoring the knife in his hand, and pulled him into a tight embrace. She was always so meticulous about her skin, she wouldn’t even let me gently touch her during intimate moments. Yet now, for Asher, her collarbone was grazed. The two embraced tightly, weeping with joy, and shared a passionate kiss that lasted for ten minutes. The live stream chat exploded with viewers calling it “true love” and shipping them relentlessly. I couldn’t watch another second. I switched off the screen. I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body trembling. Nurses came in to change my dressing, chatting loudly about gossip. “That couple on the rooftop today, the girl was so brave! She dumped her unloved ex-husband and fearlessly pursued true love.” “Oh, you know, I’ve seen it all, and that girl probably married her ex for all sorts of reasons, but definitely not for love!” Hearing them, it hit me. It was true. Chloe had never loved me. I had just loved her too much, living in a fantasy of love, a one-sided devotion. Suddenly, I heard sounds from outside the door. It was Chloe, holding Asher’s hand, coming back. They looked like a new couple, her face flushed with a sweet bashfulness. In all the years we were together, I had never seen that expression on her. So, this is how she blushes for someone she truly loves. Even though we were divorced, that moment still felt incredibly bitter. As they passed my room, our eyes met. Chloe looked a little guilty, but she still linked arms with Asher and walked into the room next door.
Asher was in the room right next to mine, and the soundproofing wasn’t great, so I could hear everything they said. As soon as their door closed, I heard the sounds of their passionate kissing. Their kisses were intense, punctuated by Chloe’s soft moans. “Chloe, you’re completely mine now.” “When was I ever not yours? Asher, I’ve missed you so much all these years. Every single moment I spent with Noah, I was thinking of you.” I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. I opened my music app, trying to distract myself. But my tears fell despite myself, soaking the pillow. That night, Chloe came over. She carried a lunchbox and handed it to me. Then she took my hand, her eyes filled with a manufactured helplessness. “Noah, did you see the live stream today?” “Yeah.” Her grip tightened. “You know we were just putting on a show, right? That kiss was just to soothe him.” “Yeah, I get it.” She suddenly hugged me tightly. “Noah, you’re really too good.” “Quick, try the food I made myself. It’s all your favorites.” She opened the lunchbox for me. The moment I saw the dishes, I froze. Every single dish was loaded with chili peppers. I had gastritis and couldn’t handle anything spicy. It was clearly food she’d meticulously prepared for Asher. Before, no matter how late I worked, or even when I overworked to the point of stomach bleeding, she had never personally made me a single bowl of porridge. Whenever I cautiously asked her if she could make me a soothing stomach porridge, she’d refuse, saying her hands were for playing the piano, not for household chores. But for another man, she was willing to cook and care for him with such devotion. She saw me hesitate to pick up my fork, so she picked up a piece of food to feed me, but I pushed her hand away. I frowned. “Chloe, have you forgotten? I have gastritis.” She seemed to suddenly remember, putting down the fork. “Oh, right. Sorry, Noah, I got caught up.” I didn’t say anything, my heart aching again. Just then, Asher suddenly walked in. He wrapped an arm around Chloe, looking at me with triumph. “Noah, Chloe already divorced you! Don’t cling to her like a pathetic dog anymore. Don’t be so pathetic.” He glanced at the food on the table, scoffing, “Oh, spoke of a dog, and here you are. You’re only fit to eat my leftovers.” Chloe looked flustered. To avoid Asher’s suspicion, she suddenly glared at me. “I came here today to tell you that we’re divorced. I need to give Asher a sense of security. Don’t bother me again.” Then she took Asher’s hand and left. I looked at the food on the table and let out a self-deprecating laugh. My mind drifted back to Chloe and my past. I first met her in a dessert shop. She was working part-time to pay for her mother’s medical expenses. The moment I saw her, I was drawn to her resilience. I began to pursue her relentlessly, even paying her mother’s expensive medical bills. She slowly began to accept me. At the time, I was ecstatic, thinking it was love. Only now, I realize, perhaps it was just gratitude. Because of the vast difference in our family backgrounds, my father adamantly opposed our relationship. To marry her, I cut ties with my family. Leaving home, I became a penniless young man. To continue paying for her mother’s medical expenses and to allow Chloe to pursue her dream of becoming a pianist, I started working day and night. I don’t know how many times I collapsed from exhaustion in the warehouse. I drank until my stomach bled to secure deals, and even had cardiac arrest due to severe lack of sleep. Despite all this, I never allowed Chloe to suffer in the slightest. She could just chase her dreams. After I successfully founded my own company, I gave Chloe all my unwavering affection. But her heart never truly opened up to me. She had a first love she couldn’t forget. Before, I thought it didn’t matter. As long as I gave her enough love, she would eventually make a place for me in her heart. It was only after this incident that I understood: it was useless.
My mom called. For years, she had been trying to convince me to go home and apologize to my dad. I knew he couldn’t stand Chloe, and if I went back, he would definitely demand I divorce her. That’s why I hadn’t returned home all these years. But this time, I agreed. My mom was shocked by my decision. “You’ve really come to your senses?” “Yeah.” During these days in the hospital, Chloe hadn’t visited me once, because she was busy traveling with Asher. Every day, I saw different scenic photos on Asher’s social media feed. Before, no matter how much I begged Chloe, she would never travel with me, saying she had to practice piano and couldn’t slack off. Now it seemed, accompanying Asher was probably the most important thing in her life. I laughed at myself, then turned off my phone. When my leg was mostly healed, I was discharged from the hospital. I went back to the small house Chloe and I shared first. I took out the divorce agreement and placed it on her piano. She often made time to practice, and she would see the divorce papers right away when she did. I stared at the divorce papers, a strange anticipation swelling within me. What expression would Chloe have when she saw them? After all, a *real* divorce was never part of her plan. I sat blankly on the sofa for I don’t know how long, until the door opened. Chloe was back from her trip. Asher was with her. Seeing me, Chloe looked surprised. “Why are you here? We’re already divorced, aren’t we?” She vigorously gave me a look, wanting me to play along. “Just came to pack my things.” I didn’t need to play along. Every word was sincere. Asher looked like he was about to make a scene, so Chloe quickly soothed him, her eyes soft and tender. Then she snapped at me, “Don’t just come and go from this house anymore! Asher gets upset whenever he sees you. Don’t you know that?” Her expression didn’t seem fake. “Chloe, why are his things still everywhere in this house?” “Isn’t this supposed to be *our* home now?” Asher looked at Chloe with a pitiful expression. I hadn’t expected her to let Asher live in our marital home. I was actually curious to see what she would do next. Chloe froze for a few seconds, but her next action chilled me to the bone. She actually ripped up our wedding photos! She reached out and tore every single one of our wedding photos, tossing the pieces to the floor. Her movements were swift and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. Then she rushed into the bedroom and threw my few remaining clothes at me. “Take your things and get out! Don’t ever let me see you again!” My mind went blank. I couldn’t think. It was only when Chloe threw something at me that I was jolted back to reality. It hit the floor with a crisp sound. I looked down. It was our wedding ring. I had taken design classes for two months just to create this ring for her, to give her a perfect proposal experience. To put on a show, she could go to such lengths. No, at this point, I couldn’t even tell if she was still putting on a show. “Take your things and get out!” she shrieked in my face. Asher looked at me with a triumphant smirk, as if he’d won a grand victory. I stared at that ring for a long time, until my eyes burned. Finally, I let out a bitter laugh. “Fine. I’ll have movers come and clear everything out.” Then I turned and walked away. And I would never come back. I drove to my old family home. My mom was already waiting for me at the door. We hadn’t seen each other in years. The moment she saw me, tears streamed down her face.
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