At a class reunion, my wife Hanah Wagner’s first love, Richard Gordon, asked her, “If you could do it all over again, would you marry me?” Hanah answered without hesitation, “Yes.” The entire room instantly fell silent, with everyone turning their gaze toward me, waiting for my reaction. However, I took the lead in applauding, “It’s not too late to get married now. You two shouldn’t miss your chance again!” ***** At the Christmas class reunion, Richard asked Hanah, “If you could do it all over again, would you marry me?” Hanah firmly answered, “Yes.” The entire room instantly fell silent. Everyone held their breath, turning their gaze toward me, waiting for my reaction. However, I just smiled faintly, raised my glass and took a small sip, as if Richard’s heartfelt confession had nothing to do with me. After finishing my drink, I stood up and took the lead in applauding, “It’s not too late to get married now. You two shouldn’t miss your chance again!” The crowd grew even more silent, as if no one could understand why I would willingly accept such an awkward situation. Even Hanah suddenly looked up at me, her eyes filled with confusion and suspicion. She probably thought I was plotting something again. Elise Palmer, who organized the reunion, quickly said, “Richard and Hanah were just joking. Right, Alex?” But I completely ignored Elise’s gaze and turned to address Hanah and our classmates, explaining seriously, “I’m not drunk. In fact, I’ve already decided to divorce Hanah. Richard, don’t miss your chance this time.” After saying this, I gave Richard a cold glance, continuing with a hint of mockery, “Don’t run away like you did seven years ago, claiming you weren’t good enough for Hanah.” Hanah’s expression suddenly turned ugly, her brows furrowed as she said irritably, “Alex, what’s wrong with you? Richard and I were just joking around. Why are you so angry?” I laughed bitterly. Hanah had been taking advantage of me for seven whole years, and now she had the nerve to flirt with her first love right in front of me, expecting me to play along. I didn’t want to play their game anymore. Ultimately, I was the fool. For these seven years, because I loved Hanah deeply, I spoiled her. But she was like a stone that could never be warmed no matter how long you held it—no matter how much I gave, her heart always belonged only to Richard. Had I not accidentally discovered her secret with Richard, I might have continued like a delusional idiot, humbly staying by her side.
Three months ago, I saw a post by Hanah online. [We’ve been married for seven years. We only chose to be together because of our parents’ wishes. Seven years of marriage has made me lose all passion, and the mundane life makes me see the end in sight. I suddenly realized I can’t keep living in this daze. A few days ago, my first love came back. I want a divorce, but there are too many entanglements between us, both in life and career. What should I do?] This post was published a month ago, right when Richard had just returned. So, Hanah had been planning to leave me for a while. Actually, I wasn’t completely oblivious back then. Hanah used to be somewhat gentle with me, but since Richard’s return, she became impatient with me, and eventually didn’t even want to come home, often staying out all night. After seeing this post, I sat on the couch, my hand holding a cigarette trembling slightly. Cigarette butts were scattered all over the floor, and the wall clock ticked away like a death knell. I opened my phone and clicked on my chat with Hanah. The latest message was me asking when she’d be home. However, she hadn’t replied. That night, I sat until dawn, still waiting for Hanah to return. Yet her Instagram had been updated with a photo of a man and woman watching the sunrise together, captioned: [Glad to have you by my side.] Friends thought the man in the photo was me and congratulated us in the comments. Hanah personally replied: [It’s not him.] I felt a wave of irony. Hanah was so shameless, openly flirting with another man. With trembling hands, I zoomed in on the photo. The letters “RG” on Hanah’s wrist were particularly clear in the morning light. At that moment, my heart ached intensely. Those were Richard Gordon’s initials. I had naively thought that seven years would be enough for Hanah to forget him. But reality told me I was terribly wrong. Seven years hadn’t made her forget Richard; instead, it made her even more unable to let him go. They were meant for each other, and I was just an interloper who took advantage of their separation. Just then, my daughter Claire Lawson came out rubbing her eyes, saying in a sweet voice: “Daddy, I’m hungry. Where’s Mommy?” “Ew, you smell bad. Why did you smoke so many cigarettes?” Claire wrinkled her nose, looking at me with disgust. Seeing her, my rigid body seemed to regain a bit of strength, and I managed to force a smile. “Your mom will be home later. Let me change my clothes and make you breakfast.” I couldn’t help but think, this is my daughter with Hanah, my little princess I’ve cherished for four years. After dropping Claire off at preschool, watching her walk away, a sense of reluctance and hope welled up in me. I thought, if Hanah and I really separated, what about Claire? She’s only four years old. Perhaps Hanah just wanted to catch up with Richard after not seeing him for so long. After all, we still have Claire. With this thought, I called Hanah. Her cold and impatient voice came through. “Alex, what is it? Oh, I know, you’re monitoring my whereabouts again, aren’t you? I just watched one sunrise with Richard, do you have to be so sensitive?” My heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. I could only stammer: “No, I just wanted to ask if you’re busy.” She said: “I’m back at the office now, about to go into a meeting. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up.” Before I could answer, the phone went dead with a beeping sound. I stood there dumbfounded with my phone, unable to help but smile bitterly. I don’t know when it started, but Hanah and I couldn’t even manage three sentences of conversation anymore. I wondered, is our seven-year marriage really going to end like this? But Claire, she can’t be without a mother. Thinking about this, I decided to actively try to win back Hanah’s heart. So, I bought some small cakes that Hanah loves and went to her company. After all, we’re husband and wife, it doesn’t matter who makes the first move. I kept consoling myself this way. However, just as I reached the building, I overheard employees gossiping: “What do you think is the relationship between the new business partner and our boss?” “I think they make a good match.” “But isn’t our boss’s husband Mr. Lawson? Isn’t that guy’s last name Gordon?” Gordon? Those words pierced my ears, making my heart race uncontrollably. I wondered, were they talking about Hanah and Richard? My hand holding the small cakes started to tremble. After blinking a few times, I walked to the door of Hanah’s office with an inexplicable sense of dread. The light inside was on. Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard a conversation from inside. “Hanah, I never expected…” It was Richard’s voice. I froze. Why was Richard here? What did he mean by “arranging work”? Hanah said: “Richard, you don’t need to tell me these things. Actually, this company was established for you. Richana Group is a combination of our names. Richard, do you know? During all these years you were gone, I missed you so much.” Then, Richard pulled Hanah into his arms for a passionate embrace. I stood there, feeling as if I had been frozen in place, unable to move.
I don’t remember how I left the office. I was just grateful that no one noticed me, allowing my pitiful self-esteem to barely survive. The image of Hanah and Richard embracing kept haunting my mind. Hanah and I grew up together, while Richard was like the perfect male lead who suddenly appeared in a novel. Richard was our high school classmate. During college, I went abroad while they attended the same university. I heard they were the model couple everyone envied at school. Everyone said they were the definition of love. Some even bet that Hanah and Richard would get married after college graduation, with over ninety percent betting on their marriage. However, when Richard and Hanah began discussing marriage, the family background issues they deliberately ignored during college became the biggest obstacle between them. Richard came from an ordinary working-class family, while the Wagner family was a local wealthy dynasty. Naturally, the Wagner family wouldn’t accept someone without a house, car, or stable job. Later, Richard chose to leave. Under family arrangements, Hanah and I got married. But now, Richard has returned, becoming a wealthy and powerful boss. Those walls that once blocked their love seemed to collapse overnight. Thinking about this, I felt utterly dejected, my heart aching. Perhaps my marriage with Hanah was approaching its end. I drove around aimlessly for hours before returning home with a heart full of frustration. As soon as I reached the door, I heard laughter coming from inside. Opening the door, I clearly saw Claire nestled in Richard’s arms playing, while Hanah stood nearby in an apron watching them. What a heartwarming scene. But I only felt my head buzzing, as if the whole world was drifting away from me. An inexplicable anger swept over me. I thought, “This is my home, they are my wife and daughter. What right does Richard have to invade my territory?” Anger made me lose my mind. I kicked the door open violently and, amid Claire’s crying, Richard and I started fighting. In the end, Hanah left with Richard and Claire. Before leaving, she looked at me coldly. “Alex, you’d better pray Richard is okay, or I’ll never forgive you.” At that moment, all my expectations for Hanah completely collapsed. I sat amid the mess, unable to hold back my tears. I’ve known Hanah for over twenty years, yet I could never compare to her four years with Richard. Two weeks have passed since that day. This is our first time seeing each other. My thoughts return to the present. Under the dim light, Hanah looks at me with disgust. I smile slightly. “I’m going to the bathroom.” Just as I come out of the bathroom, Hanah and Richard appear before me. Seeing me, Hanah frowns and walks forward. “Alex, Richard and I were just joking around. Why are you being so petty? Is causing this drama really worth it?” Hanah’s face is full of anger, as if I’ve done something extremely malicious. I remain silent. I’ve already given in to her wishes, yet she’s still unhappy. I say, “I’m letting you two be together. You probably don’t want people knowing you’re cheating in our marriage, and I don’t want to be ridiculed. Besides, I’ve already prepared the divorce papers. Claire stays with me, and you can pursue your love. This way, you won’t need to complain online anymore.” Hanah freezes. Perhaps because she’s never seen me so serious before, or because she’s surprised I discovered her posts. I say, “I’ll send you the divorce agreement. Just let me know when you have time to go to court.” With that, I turn and leave without hesitation. Probably realizing I’m serious, Richard pretends to be magnanimous and urges Hanah, “Hanah, why don’t you apologize to Alex? He seems serious, and after all, you two have a daughter.” But Hanah stubbornly replies, “If it weren’t for Claire, I would have divorced him long ago. Since he’s brought it up, we should all be happy.” Although I’ve already decided on divorce, hearing Hanah’s resolute words still causes my heart to ache intensely. Seven years, and Hanah never developed any feelings for me. My nails dig deep into my palms, leaving red marks. For seven years, I lost myself, with only Hanah in my life. From today on, I’m going to live for myself. Back in the private room, all eyes were fixed on me. After all, a love triangle was a topic captivating enough on its own. Shortly after, Hanah walked in with a stern face, following behind Richard. A subtle yet oppressive atmosphere began to permeate the room. Elise rushed to my side and whispered, “Alex, did you really…” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m not joking. I’ve already calculated our assets—split evenly, fair and square. As for Richana Group,” I looked up at Hanah and Richard, “I’ll let that go completely. Consider it my wedding gift to you both. After all, the company is named after you two, which makes it quite meaningful, doesn’t it?” Upon hearing the company name and connecting it to Hanah and Richard’s relationship, the classmates who had been ready to offer advice fell silent. We were high school classmates, and everyone knew my situation well. Hanah and I grew up together, with similar family backgrounds. Back then, many people thought we would end up together. However, when I finally gathered the courage to confess my feelings, I discovered Hanah was already with Richard. Initially, I genuinely wished them well. But later, I gradually realized Richard wasn’t a man who took responsibility—he abandoned Hanah. So I returned to Hanah’s side, accompanying and protecting her, eventually marrying her with both families as witnesses. From then on, Hanah became the most important person in my heart. My friends often joked that I was under my wife’s thumb. I would always respond with a smile, “Being managed by your wife is a form of happiness.” But everything now seemed to be telling me that unconditional devotion indeed leads nowhere good. By the time I left the gathering, it was already dark, with a light drizzle falling. Just as I was about to drive away, Hanah suddenly slipped into the passenger seat. I deliberately glanced out the window and saw Richard standing on the steps, staring intently at us. “What about Richard? Aren’t you going back with him?” I asked calmly. Hanah widened her eyes, looking completely confused. “I didn’t drive. How else would I get home if not with you?” I was momentarily speechless. The ride home was silent. As soon as we got home, Hanah casually said while taking off her shoes, “Alex, I’m going to rest for a bit. Didn’t you buy cherries last time that we haven’t eaten yet? Wash some and bring them to me. I’m going to lie down for a while.” Her tone was so natural, as if this was completely normal. I didn’t answer. Instead, I silently took out divorce papers from my bag and handed them to her. Hanah took one look and immediately widened her eyes, asking in disbelief, “Alex, are you serious?”
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