I had been pleading with my husband, Kai, for half a year before he finally agreed to join me for a concert. As I waited at the airport, the boarding announcement echoed through the terminal, but there was still no sign of him. I called countless times, only to be met with silence. Then I saw Adrianna's post on Instagram.

Caption: "Big thanks to someone for staying up two nights straight and still coming along to watch the esports tournament."

Attached was a photo of her and Kai, arms around each other, flashing victory signs at the event.

Without a second thought, I turned off my phone and proceeded to check in for my flight. This concert was the final performance of my favorite artist before retiring—a poignant metaphor for my dwindling marriage.

After the plane landed back home, I switched my phone back on. Five days had passed without a single call from Kai. As I stepped out of the airport, a heavy rain poured down. I waited endlessly but couldn't catch a ride. Suddenly, Kai's call appeared on my screen. His voice was cold.

"Where are you? Come and pick up me and Adrianna from the airport."

I remained silent. In the past, I might have angrily confronted him about Adrianna, but now, I had no desire to engage.

Kai sounded annoyed. "Soleil Cook, have you lost your voice?"

"I'm at the airport entrance."

Kai predictably asked why I was there.

"Just got back from a concert," I replied.

He went silent for a moment, perhaps remembering his promise to join me. Before leaving, I had noticed Kai’s hospital schedule had been rearranged, which made my heart skip a beat. Yet, I hadn’t anticipated he would use his rescheduled break to attend an esports match with Adrianna.

"Where are you? We'll come find you."

I casually mentioned my location and hung up. Before Kai arrived, someone accepted my ride request for the extra fare I’d offered. The ride-share vehicle and they arrived simultaneously. Kai quickly grabbed Adrianna’s hand and got into the car.

“Adrianna's a bit tired, I'll take her home first and come back for you.”

As the car drove away, Adrianna rolled down the window, her tone smug. "Thanks for booking the ride, Soleil."

I watched them, feeling an empty silence within me. Kai frowned slightly.

"Don't bother with thanks for small things like this. Close the window before the rain gets in and you catch a chill."

Though his words carried a hint of reproach, his gesture of pulling her back into the car was gentle.

That car could have easily fit three, but in Kai and Adrianna’s world, there was no space for me. I stood there soaked, clutching my suitcase at the airport entrance, eventually left standing alone.

When the rain ceased, Kai didn’t reach out; instead, I saw his latest Instagram post. "Off to watch matches with my little buddy, making her wishes come true during our getaway in Switzerland."

Below were snapshots from their five-day trip. As I scrolled to the last image, my finger froze—Adrianna and Kai were in the matching loungewear I had bought for us.

I had tried countless times to persuade him to wear them, let alone share photos on Instagram. Seven years of marriage, and he had never acknowledged me on social media. Yet now, his feed overflowed with images of someone else.

Something I had longed for over seven years was effortlessly granted to another. The ice mountain I failed to melt in seven years was now thawed because of someone else.

I turned off my phone, letting out a relieved smile. Then, dragging my suitcase, I checked into a budget hotel near the airport. Returning home now would only lead to more unpleasantness.

After checking into the hotel, I went straight to the shower and then to bed. The next morning, I woke up early and headed to the hospital for work. Our hospital is well-respected statewide, renowned for its excellence. Kai Cook is one of the major shareholders, while I'm just the Deputy Head of Neurology.

I had hardly sat down, without even having a sip of coffee, when I was called to the emergency room for a collaborative consultation. Just as I reached the entrance, I ran into Kai. A car accident victim, a pregnant woman, had severe injuries that required both the obstetrics and neurosurgery teams to operate together.

When it comes to work, both Kai and I put personal feelings aside and focus on doing our best. Perhaps that's the only connection we have left. After the surgery was a complete success, Lauren, a nurse from the operating room, joked, "Director Kai and Deputy Director Cook really are a perfect pair. Every time they team up for a surgery, their silent communication is incredible. It's such a waste they're not together."

Kai's face darkened at her comment. Before he could deny it, I jumped in, "Please, don't say such things. I'm just an ordinary doctor, definitely not on Director Kai's level." No one at the hospital knows about my history with Kai since he prefers to keep work and personal matters separate. In the past, when someone suggested we belonged together, I secretly felt pleased, thinking that even if we weren't officially a couple, others still saw us that way.

Now, however, I find those comments tiresome and am trying to distance myself from Kai. Lauren playfully asked me what kind of boyfriend I was looking for. The first image that came to mind was Kai. I pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Aside from money and work, nothing else really matters to me." This made the nurse burst out laughing.

Kai suddenly spoke up from behind, "Deputy Director Cook, I have some questions about the surgery that I'd like to discuss with you." Picking up on the tension, Lauren quickly excused herself and left. I sat in Kai's office, asking what questions he had. Abruptly, Kai asked, "Soleil, where were you last night? You know I'm detail-oriented, and if I find out you..." I interrupted him with a smile, "Director Kai, we're on the clock, so let's keep it professional."

There was a time when I casually asked Kai about dinner plans during work hours. He immediately checked that no one else was around and sternly reminded me not to mix personal matters with work. Since then, I haven't brought up personal topics with him at the hospital. Kai seemed surprised by his own words and, after a moment, curtly asked me to leave. As I closed the door, I gave him a smile. "Director Kai, perhaps you should check with my husband if it was suitable for me to go home under those circumstances last night?"

He looked slightly guilty at my remark. Not expecting him to say anything else, I simply left the room. Near the end of my shift, I received a message from Kai, a screenshot of two movie tickets. I recognized it as his way of offering a peace gesture. After replying to my last message to Lennon, the lawyer, and making sure everything was in order in the department, I clocked out and headed to the meeting, intending to discuss the divorce with Kai.

As I was leaving the hospital, I saw Adrianna Robinson in Kai's car, waiting for him to finish work. Kai then got into the car and drove off right in front of me. Shortly after, I received a message from him, saying Adrianna needed his help and asked me to wait for him at the cinema entrance. I didn't wait; instead, I headed to the law office.

After finalizing the divorce discussions with Lennon, I went to the cinema to pick up the tickets and went inside. The movie Kai chose was never to my taste. In the past, to please him, I would sit through the whole film. This time, however, I left halfway. I booked a ticket online for a sci-fi movie instead. After the film, I treated myself to some pulled pork sandwiches before heading home.

Previously, because Kai said he disliked such junk food, I adjusted my habits to suit his tastes. Yet on Adrianna's social media, Kai is pictured enjoying countless "junk food" meals with her. I dedicated myself to him for seven years, and still, there was no room for me in his heart. For us, apart from divorce, there seems to be no other path forward.

After grabbing a late-night snack, I bought a bottle of beer and drank it by the river until almost midnight before heading home.

When I opened the door, I was surprised to find Kai sitting in the living room. Lately, he often had "urgent matters" related to Adrianna that kept him busy until the early hours, sometimes not coming home at all. Our dual-medical careers meant we already didn’t see each other much as it was.

When we first got married, Kai had just taken over the clinic. He was either working overtime or attending business dinners every day. All I could do was prepare various healthy meals for him whenever I had free time. But instead of appreciating it, Kai compared me to a housekeeper, constantly nagging, which drove him up the wall.

Once the clinic stabilized, Adrianna entered the picture. His busy schedule shifted from clinic work to Adrianna-related concerns. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and looked up to meet Kai’s cold stare.

"Soleil, you've been drinking? You know I can’t stand the smell of alcohol," he said with disdain.

I blinked but remained silent. I knew all of his dislikes and hates were selective. When Adrianna drank too much, Kai would look after her with care. But for me, it was his "most hated smell." Favoritism was his specialty, and it seemed it was better that we no longer lived together.

Kai seemed taken aback by my silence. In the past, if he ditched me for Adrianna, I would have confronted him, demanding an explanation. As I thought about heading for a shower, Kai unexpectedly asked if I knew what day it was today.

I glanced at my phone’s date and realized yesterday was my birthday. I say yesterday because it was already past midnight. In previous years, I’d subtly remind Kai a week before my birthday. If he was in a good mood, he’d get me a gift; if not, he’d dismissively say birthdays were pointless.

This was the first time since our marriage that he brought up my birthday voluntarily. Feeling slightly buzzed, I yawned and lazily replied, "It's just a birthday, not a big deal..."

Before I could finish, Kai impatiently tossed a gift box at me, his tone somewhat remorseful, "I specifically got this for you, see if you like it."

If I was surprised Kai remembered my birthday, I was even more shocked he got me a gift. It was like the sun rising in the west. In the past, I’d have thanked him profusely, taking pictures of the gift from every angle to post on social media.

I picked up the gift box from the floor and placed it casually on the dining table, saying offhandedly, "Thanks, you shouldn't have. I really like it."

My indifference baffled Kai, and he started to get flustered. "I was wrong to miss today, but I've apologized! Adrianna’s brother entrusted her to me on his deathbed, so I have to take responsibility."

With my head down, replying to messages, I retorted, "Yeah, I know you're responsible, especially when you two spent a lovely five days alone in the UK."

My words made Kai's face briefly show guilt, but then he furrowed his brow, his whole expression darkening.

It was entirely his fault, so he just stared at me coldly. In the past, seeing his expression, I’d have hurried to make amends and admit fault. Over time, Kai believed that as long as he kept a grim face, I would comply without question.

But this time, I focused on replying to the lawyer's messages. Divorce was my top priority now. Kai, noticing my silence, came over and asked what I was looking at.

I turned off my phone and casually replied, "Just consulting someone about a few things."

"I drank, so I'll sleep in the guest room tonight."

With that, I ignored Kai's expression and shut the guest room door behind me.

I slept dreamlessly through the night.