On our seventh wedding anniversary, Justin Matthews brought home the woman he’d been seeing on the side.

The girl fell to her knees with tears in her eyes, not offering any explanation. "Maeve," she pleaded, "you can’t control love. Justin and I genuinely care for each other. Please, let us be together!"

I looked over at Justin. He was cradling April Green tenderly, awkwardly wiping away her tears—something I’d never expected from him, given his usually meticulous demeanor. Without meeting my gaze, he said, "April has been with me without any acknowledgment, and I can't let her down. Don’t worry; April’s not ambitious. It’s just another seat at the table."

With that, Justin took April into the bedroom and shut the door, as if our anniversary was just another day. Forgotten, too, was the woman who had once stayed by his side without acknowledgment, seven years ago.

I stared at the cheerful anniversary sign on the table. It was obvious now—there was nothing left for us.

The spiced honey cake on the dining table had melted. The elaborate dinner prepared by the housekeeper had gone cold long ago. I picked up my phone and snapped a photo of the untouched table, but no filter could make it look warm and inviting. With a wry chuckle, I was about to put the phone down when a notification popped up—April’s social media post.

“From today on, I have a recognized place!” The photo showed her in a car, fingers interlocked with a man. I recognized it immediately—it was Justin’s car. And April was in the passenger seat Justin once promised would only ever be mine.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I liked the post and left a comment. “Congratulations, is being the other woman fun?”

I glanced at the closed bedroom door, curious to see how she would respond. Suddenly, the door opened, and Justin emerged, still wet from a shower, wearing only a towel. Red marks dotted his chest. When he noticed my gaze, he flashed a doting smile. "April was just being playful; don't mind her."

He leaned in, intending to kiss my cheek, but I turned my face away, unfazed. Justin frowned slightly but settled into the seat across from me, his voice sugary yet insincere. "I know I messed up today. I've just ordered you the latest jewelry and bags online; they’ll be here tomorrow. Don’t be mad, okay?"

“April's young and can be a bit thoughtless. Don’t hold it against her. Just delete your comment, please. She's in there crying her eyes out.” I didn’t reply, crossing my arms as I regarded the man I’d loved for a decade.

Ten years of love and seven years of marriage. Suddenly, his face seemed alien to me. Annoyed at my silence, Justin tried to cajole me anyway. "Maeve, stop this nonsense. I know April isn’t easy to accept right now, but once you get to know her, you’ll see she’s genuinely sweet. Now be good and delete the comment."

"What if I don’t?" I replied evenly. Before he could respond, April emerged, tears rolling down her face as she cried. "If you don’t want me here, then I’ll leave!"

She turned to go, but Justin caught her, holding her close. "You’re mine now. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Your first kiss was with me, your first night was with me, and even your first love was with me. You've given me everything precious. How could you live without me?"

April's voice quivered with emotion. “I don’t want to leave, but Maeve doesn’t want me here. I was asking too much. Justin, let me go. I’ll leave and just silently wish you and Maeve happiness from afar. I’m not selfish like her. I don’t need to have you all to myself.”

Justin looked up and met my gaze coolly. "I’m the head of this house, and as long as I want you to stay, no one will make you leave, April!"

“Hush now, you’re pregnant. Crying isn’t good for the baby,” he soothed, gently rubbing April's stomach. His words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me stunned and pale.

April's tear-streaked face briefly twisted into a triumphant smirk aimed solely at me, hidden from Justin’s view. He led April back into the bedroom with tender patience. Watching them made my stomach churn.

I stood and dumped the cake and dinner straight into the trash. After washing the dishes, I picked up my phone to find a flood of notifications. Among them was a rare post from Justin, who seldom used social media—a photo of April’s profile. Squint, and you might mistake April for having a slight resemblance to me, leading many to believe he was flaunting his love for me.

Comments flooded in, heart emojis mocking me. On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband was flaunting his affair. I understood—it was Justin's retaliation for not deleting my comment. He truly pampered April and knew just how to humiliate me.

As I stared at the cascade of red hearts, a wave of helplessness washed over me. When had our love turned into a tactical game? A game of jealousy among three, rather than an intimate bond between two.

I didn't sleep at all last night. Ever since I was a child, I've always had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds. Back then, Justin even went as far as having a bed custom-made to match the one at my house, just so I could sleep comfortably.

Maybe it was the lack of food or water last night, but my chronic stomach issues flared up unexpectedly. Clutching my stomach, I stood in the kitchen, making myself a light bowl of minestrone soup. I took a quick trip to the bathroom, and when I returned, there she was.

April was sitting in my chair, savoring the soup I had just prepared. Justin was at her side, gently wiping the corners of her mouth.

"Is it really that good, little foodie? If you like it, I’ll ask Maeve to make you another bowl," he said, smiling.

April glanced at me with amusement. "Really? Justin, I’m afraid Miss Vasquez might not be so willing."

Justin followed her gaze and noticed the cold sweat on my face. He hurried over, worry evident in his expression.

"What’s wrong, Maeve? You look so pale."

Not wanting to show any vulnerability in front of him and April, I pushed him away, my tone sharp. "Why do you care?"

April looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "Miss Vasquez, if you’re upset, take it out on me, not Justin!"

I intended to return to the kitchen to find something else to eat. As I walked past April, she suddenly pretended to hand me the bowl. In the commotion, she tripped and fell to the floor, spilling the scorching soup all over both of us.

I winced in pain, the burning sensation bringing tears to my eyes. Justin, however, immediately rushed over, shoving me aside with eyes full of desperation.

My head hit the corner of the wall hard, and the room started spinning. Blood trickled down from my forehead, but Justin didn’t even glance my way. His focus was entirely on April beneath me.

April clutched her stomach, crying out loudly, "Justin, it hurts so much! Is our baby going to be okay?"

"Miss Vasquez, if you can't stand me, you can hit or scold me, but why harm my child? He's done nothing wrong!"

Justin glared at me with a severity I had never seen before. "Maeve Vasquez, have I spoiled you too much? How could you be so heartless, not even sparing a child!"

I leaned weakly against the wall, managing a faint smile at him. "You and April, what a perfect match: one a compulsive liar, the other blind as a bat."

My words provoked Justin, and he stormed toward me, raising his hand to slap me hard across the face.

A burning sensation spread across my cheek. Clutching my face, I fought back tears and the stabbing pain in my abdomen. Through blurred vision, I could barely make out his face. How could this be the same man who once promised me the world?

"Now you cry, but didn’t think twice when you hurt others, did you? Didn’t hesitate to put on a brave front, did you? Maeve Vasquez, you really let me down!"

I watched helplessly as he carried April away in his arms, without a single backward glance, rushing her to the hospital. He left me behind, dealing with a flare-up of gastritis.

As I stared at his retreating figure, memories flooded back of the reckless girl who once ran away with him. That same Justin, who had vowed to be with me forever, now abandoned me without a second thought for someone else.

I struggled to hold myself together as I dialed 911. When I regained consciousness, it was already afternoon. The doctor informed me that I had suffered from acute gastric bleeding and that if I had arrived any later, it could have been fatal. Fortunately, the episode was both sudden and short-lived.

The doctor tended to the wound on my forehead and applied a bandage. He said I could be discharged that afternoon, but I’d need to return for a follow-up. As I got up to handle the discharge paperwork, I ran into Justin Matthews on the lower floor. He was pushing April Green in a wheelchair.

April put on a pitiful act, holding her stomach dramatically when she saw me. Justin frowned as soon as he spotted me.

“What are you doing at the hospital? What’s your game this time? Because of you, the doctor said April needs to stay in bed!”

His gaze then moved to the cut on my forehead, and for a brief moment, I caught a flicker of concern in his eyes. “What happened to your forehead?”

I met his eyes calmly. “April’s condition has nothing to do with me. I fell and hurt myself.”

Justin looked like he wanted to ask more, but April tugged at his sleeve. “Justin, I'm not feeling well. Let's go home.”

Swallowing his concern, Justin turned away, and I walked off without looking back.

Home was just as chaotic as I had left it. I called Helena Kelly to come and clean. I headed to the master bedroom. In the span of a single night, April had already claimed the space. My clothes and makeup were unceremoniously stuffed into the wardrobe. She had slept in my bed, beside my husband.

I fought back the wave of emotion, refusing to cry. I had shed too many tears for Justin Matthews already. I wasn’t willing to continue.

I left everything Justin had given me in the master bedroom, taking only what I had brought when we ran away together, and packed them into a small suitcase to put in the guest room. Just as I finished, Justin returned. He had helped April with her luggage and only then spared a glance in my direction.

I didn’t look at him, pretending to check my phone. He lit a cigarette, and the smoke made me cough. He quickly put it out and sat across from me, feigning casualness.

“April's due in seven months. The baby can’t be born without a legal status. I can't let my child be illegitimate. We should get the divorce papers finalized, and once the baby is born, we can remarry.”

I was stunned for a long moment before finally lifting my head to look at him. Justin gazed at me in silence, unusually guilty.

“Maeve, I swear, just this once, okay? April, she's done so much for me, being pregnant out of wedlock. If I don’t do anything, I wouldn’t be a man.”

He watched me intently, as if afraid I might blow up. To his surprise, I didn’t make a scene. Instead, I smiled slightly. “Alright.”

Justin exhaled, looking at me with relief and joy reminiscent of when I agreed to marry him. Back then, his youthful face couldn't hide his happiness. Times had changed, and now he was asking for a divorce.

I lowered my eyes. “Let's do it now; we should still have time.”

The bureaucracy was swift, and we had our divorce papers by the end of the day. It was already dark when Justin offered to drive me home. But after we passed a traffic light, he received a message from April. He dropped me off at a bus stop.

“Something came up with April. I need to get to her. You’ll be fine to get home, right?”

He left me alone by the roadside.

Suddenly, I remembered the year we were most in love. My parents had tried to force me to move abroad. At the airport, Justin had clung to my hand, refusing to let go. His palm had been so warm, his declarations of love so moving, that I had believed him. I had been willing to cut ties with my family just to be with him.

Justin and I were living proof of that saying: the one who loves first stops loving first; the one who falls in love later never gives up.

Looking at the bright red divorce certificate in my hand, I let out a small breath, tears streaming down my face. The summer where I defied the world for one person had ended. So had my ten years with Justin Matthews.

I opened my phone and booked a plane ticket.