"Hey, honey. Miss me already?"

"It's only been one day and you're already this clingy. Can't a grown man have a little dignity?"

She ran her fingers playfully across my chest as she spoke.

The scent of her perfume hit me instantly, flooding my nostrils. I stepped back without thinking, dodging her embrace.

"I pulled overtime today too. I'm beat. Let's just get some sleep."

I turned and headed for the bedroom without looking back. I didn't see the surprise on her face.

Sonia didn't try to stop me. She hummed her way to the bathroom in a perfectly good mood.

I lay in bed, and images flickered through my mind like scenes from a movie.

I'd known about Sonia's male best friend before we got married.

At the wedding, during the toast, Lucas had walked up and shoved a glass of straight liquor into my hand.

"If you want to marry Sonia, you'd better prove you can handle it."

I'd frowned at the brimming glass of baijiu and laughed it off, saying I'd already had too much and asked if we could switch to wine.

He'd made a big show of it, raising his voice so the whole room could hear.

"What's the matter, bro? Weak constitution? No wonder Sonia says you can't perform in bed. All you're good for is bringing her breakfast."

His friends had roared with laughter. Every guest in the room looked at me differently after that.

And Sonia? She'd just patted him lightly on the chest and told him to stop making things up. Not a single word of real anger. Not one sharp rebuke.

After we got married, she'd answer Lucas's calls right in front of me without a second thought, chatting for an hour at a time. She gave away the birthday present I'd bought her, re-gifted it straight to Lucas.

On our wedding anniversary, she left me sitting alone to go comfort Lucas because he was in a bad mood.

It wasn't like I kept quiet about it. More than once I'd stewed in silence, then told her she needed to maintain boundaries. That there had to be limits between a man and a woman.

She'd just laughed and called me old-fashioned. Said I was a grown man with the pettiest heart she'd ever seen.

"Lucas and I have known each other since we were twelve. If anything was going to happen between us, would I have married you?"

That day she'd vanished for three days. Wouldn't pick up. Wouldn't text back. I was the one who apologized. I was the one who promised I'd stop overthinking. That was what it took to bring her back.

I compromised again and again. Told myself again and again that I was reading too much into things. That marriage meant giving each other space. That trust was the foundation.

Until that stack of movie ticket stubs, cheap props from a bad stage play, made me realize her acting had never been convincing. I'd just been too deep in the role to notice.

The next morning, Sonia was up early. I didn't know how to face her, so I kept my eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

From the living room, her voice came in a low murmur. Lucas's name still carried through the walls.

"Okay."

"Don't forget to bring your ID."

A moment later, the front door clicked softly shut. Her footsteps faded down the stairwell.

I threw off the covers and got out of bed, grabbed my car keys, and followed her out.

I watched Sonia duck into Lucas's secondhand car. I watched Lucas wrap his arm around the back of her neck and pull her into a hard kiss.

Sonia swatted at him a few times, coy and half-hearted. Then her arms looped around his neck, and they were locked together, mouths pressed tight.

Lost in each other. So completely absorbed that neither of them noticed my car parked right behind them.

Ten minutes later, the car pulled away and sped toward the new development district.

I followed them into a freshly built residential complex. A sales agent greeted them at the door like old friends.

"Mr. Harding, Ms. Henson, did you bring your IDs and bank cards? We can get the contract signed right away."

Lucas slid the documents across the table with a smug grin.

"All here. Let's get it done."

That was when I saw it. The bank card sitting on the table was the savings card I'd set up for Sonia.

The sales agent's bright, cheerful voice rang in my ears.

"You two have wonderful taste. This three-bedroom unit has a fantastic layout, and the balcony faces the lake right in the center of the complex. The view is absolutely stunning."

Lucas slipped his arm around Sonia's waist and planted a loud kiss on her cheek.

"Mainly because my wife has excellent taste. Whatever she likes, she gets."

Sonia laughed and wrapped her arms around him in return. They gazed at each other, shared a knowing smile, and sat down to sign the contract.

The sales agent picked up the bank card and asked politely, "Mrs. Harding, whose name is on this card?"

Sonia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. "It's my brother's card. Use it for the down payment. Put the full amount on it."

My throat tightened instantly.

Three years of marriage. I'd handed over every cent of my salary to her, every single paycheck going straight into our household savings.

I ate at the office. I stretched my bonuses and benefits to cover my own daily expenses. As a sales director, I'd worn the same suit for three years and never once replaced it. Every dollar I saved went toward buying Sonia gifts on holidays and special occasions.

More than once, I'd stood in front of a store window, staring at a watch I wanted.

Then I'd think about the children we'd have someday. I'd think about all the things I could buy Sonia instead. And every time, I walked away.

That small want, that tiny longing for myself, always got buried under the weight of responsibility and love for her.

Now she hadn't even blinked before taking my money to set up a new home for another man.

I stood behind the crowd, watching them lace their fingers together. Watching Sonia reach up and straighten Lucas's collar with the tenderness of a woman in love.

"Lucas, once we have our own place, we won't have to sneak off to the private theater anymore."

Lucas pulled her tight against his chest. "From now on, we can see each other whenever we want."

The sight of them pressed together burned behind my eyes like staring into the sun.

I watched them buy the apartment with my money. I watched them visit a renovation company. I watched them browse furniture stores, picking out everything they'd need for their new life together.

In front of a jade-inlaid bed priced at twenty-two thousand dollars, the two of them lay down side by side, holding hands, dreaming aloud about the wonderful future ahead of them.

The moment they went to pay again, I called Sonia.

"Hey, babe. Where are you?"

"The bank just sent me an alert. There's been a huge charge on the card."

Across the store, I saw Sonia's expression flicker with panic. She straightened her spine a second later.

"Mom needed money urgently. Uncle Rick had a sudden heart attack and needs treatment."

"You know how good he's always been to me since I was little. He's the only family Mom has left. We can't just let him die, can we?"

I let out a quiet scoff, watching Lucas flash her a thumbs-up from a few feet away.

Sonia shot him a smug glance, then let her voice shift to something sharp and indignant.

"Noel, what's that supposed to mean? You said the card was mine to use, and now you're monitoring me?"

"I spend a little money on Uncle Rick's medical bills and suddenly you have a problem with that?"

The last thread of hope in me snapped clean. My voice went flat. Calm.

"No. You're right. Paying for his treatment is the right thing to do."

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you. I saw a suit at the mall. Could you come take a look with me? You know I've been wearing the same one for three years."

Sonia went quiet. Then her tone turned impatient.

"Uncle Rick is seriously ill and you're in the mood to go shopping for clothes?"

"We're going to have plenty of expenses down the road. Save where you can. You're a grown man. What does it matter what you wear?"

"Forget it. We'll talk about it when we have the money. I'm busy right now."

Her voice was harsh, but brittle underneath, threaded with the kind of panic that comes from guilt. The line went dead the second she finished speaking.

I watched her give instructions to the delivery clerk. I watched the two of them stroll arm in arm into a steakhouse, sitting side by side, raising their glasses in a toast to their brand-new home.

The two of them left with flushed faces, swiping my card at a hotel nearby.

I glanced at the hotel, then turned and walked away.

Not long after I got home, the private investigator sent over the information I'd requested.

At ten years old, Lucas Harding became Sonia Henson's new neighbor. They walked to school together and walked home together every day.

According to the file, Lucas had a father who was a gambling addict. His mother had run off when he was three.

Throughout his entire childhood, Lucas was pitiful and downtrodden. Sonia often looked after him, and Lucas treated her like an older sister.

When they were eighteen, they slept together in a cheap motel. Lucas swore he'd give Sonia a good life.

In the years that followed, Sonia funneled her own paychecks to him. Lucas tried flipping goods, opened a convenience store. Every single venture crashed and burned, bleeding money until there was nothing left.

Six months into one job, he got reported to his company by a client for demanding kickbacks. His reputation in the industry was destroyed after that. Nobody would hire him.

At twenty-two, Lucas showed up at the Henson family home to formally propose. Delilah Henson cursed him out and threatened to kill herself if Sonia didn't end it. The two of them parted in tears.

It finally made sense. Why Sonia had been so eager to marry me after just one month of dating. I didn't just earn a six-figure salary. My family's properties had been bought out for two apartments on top of that.

She'd wanted a naive, well-off husband to bankroll her lover boy and put her mother's fury to rest.

A sharp ache flared in my chest. I turned, poured myself a glass of cold water, and drank it down to dull the sting.

Then I picked up my phone and called the company lawyer.

"Attorney Barnes, I need you to compile a full record of all my personal assets. And while you're at it, draft me a divorce agreement."

After I finished laying everything out, Sylvester Barnes was livid.

"People this shameless actually exist? Don't worry. I'll pull detailed spending records and evidence of the affair. She'll leave this marriage with nothing."

I replied with a single word: "Good."

Leaving with nothing was too easy on her. At the very least, her little love story deserved to see the light of day.

Another first of the month rolled around.

Sonia had gotten up early and changed into a new spring outfit, complete with a full face of flawless makeup.

The moment she picked up her purse and headed for the door, I opened my eyes, sleepless all night, and called out to her, my voice weak.

"Sonia, I drank too much last night and my stomach's been killing me. Can you come with me to the hospital?"

Sonia stopped in her tracks and frowned at me.

"Why is your stomach suddenly hurting?"

"Yesterday. The boss brought in a new client, and I was entertaining them. Got carried away and drank too much before I realized it."

Sonia stood where she was, not moving. Conflict flickered in her eyes, and her voice carried a note of reproach.

"You know you can't handle alcohol, and you still drank?"

"Don't we have stomach medicine at home? Just take some and drink some hot water. Rest a bit and you should be fine."

I pressed a hand to my chest, my brow creased in pain.

"I already took some in the middle of the night. I coughed up some blood, too. I really think I should go to the hospital. It might be a stomach bleed."

As I spoke, I covered my mouth and coughed twice, then leaned over the trash can and retched. Dark red liquid hit the paper lining with a sickening splash.

Sonia's face blanched. She was just about to reach out and steady me when her phone rang.

She glanced down at it quickly and swiped to decline.

It rang again.

Sonia stared at the name on the screen, panic flickering across her face. As if terrified I might see it, she straightened up and stepped back.

"Noel, I already made plans with my best friend. I can't just bail on her, can I? She's in a bad mood today. It'd be even worse if I canceled."

"You should just take a cab to the hospital and get a scan. It's an old problem anyway. It's probably nothing serious."

She grabbed her purse and turned to leave.

My voice cut through the room, sharp and loud.

"Sonia Henson. Is it really that urgent? If you don't go, what, your best friend is going to cut you off?"

I stared into her eyes, unblinking, wanting to give her one last chance.

Sonia's gaze darted away. She fumbled for words, her voice climbing with barely concealed panic.

"You don't know what she's like. She's sensitive and pushy. She'll seriously get upset."

"Besides, all these years, she's never once broken a plan with me. How can I be the one to bail?"

She paused, then added, "You know she's my only real best friend. If we had a falling out, I'd be devastated..."

"How about I just call you a cab? It'll be quick, I promise..."

Her phone rang again. I closed my eyes.

"Forget it. Go."

Her footsteps hurried toward the door. I didn't say another word to stop her.

The moment silence settled over the room, I sat up, tossed the cherries I'd crushed to pulp in my fist into the trash, and made a call.

"Mom, I'm feeling fine today. How about I take you and Dad and Aunt Bianca and Aunt Vivian out to that private theater in the suburbs for a movie?"

"That's right, we'll have dinner there too. Country-style cooking. Get ready. I'll pick you all up in ten minutes."

The moment Delilah stepped into the private theater, a smile spread across her face.

"Noel, you really do know how to find the nicest places. I never would've known a spot like this existed."

I smiled and walked up to the front desk. I gave them Sonia's phone number and told them we were her family, here to join her for the movie.

The attendant beamed and led us down the hallway without hesitation.

We'd barely reached the door of the private suite when sounds drifted out from inside. Giggling. Squealing. Playful shrieks. Sounds I'd never once heard from my wife.

The second the attendant unlocked the door, I kicked it open and slapped the light switch on.

The scene inside the suite froze every single person behind me.

Lucas was shirtless. Beside him on the floor lay a pile of shredded black stockings, torn to ribbons and scattered everywhere. A strip of fabric was stuffed in his mouth.