He took the call, and his expression turned serious.

"Alright, don't worry. I'm on my way."

Then he approached and knelt beside me.

"Sweetheart, something urgent has come up at the office. I need to head back."

"I've already covered the bill for dinner. I'm really sorry, I'll make it up to you later."

With that, he got up and ruffled my hair—a familiar gesture—before leaving the grill without a backward glance.

I didn't call him out on it. The restaurant was unusually quiet today. Although I was close, I couldn't hear the caller's words, but I could tell it was a woman's voice. I watched his figure disappear, lost in thought for a moment.

Elijah used to hate being apart from me even for a moment. Every morning before he left for work, he would softly kiss my forehead as a farewell. He’d linger and watch until I was out of sight. When did things change? When did he start leaving so easily, without a second thought?

I walked home through the rain, feeling the chill seep into my bones, draining the warmth from my heart.

Half an hour later, Macy posted an update on Instagram. The photo showed her hand and Elijah's, both holding identical cups of latte. I had no doubt it was Elijah; the ring was the one he had chosen for us.

"Raelyn, this matching ring signifies 'You are my only one.'"

"Just like us, for the rest of my life, I will love only you."

He had leaned down and kissed my hand delicately, making my heart feel like it weighed a thousand pounds. He had carefully slipped the ring onto my finger, then looked up at me, his smile brimming with real joy.

Now, there it was—an identical ring on Macy's hand, making me question how meaningful "only one" really was.

The caption said: "With you by my side, thunderstorms don't scare me anymore. The latte is just the right sweetness, like your love for me." I smirked in self-mockery. It seemed he could remember more than just my likes. He remembered someone else's preferences, choosing to deceive me to be with her, fully aware that it bothered me. This time, he made his choice right before my eyes.

I spent the whole night packing. I tossed all the mementos we made together into trash bags. I replaced whatever matching items I could. Eventually, I took off the ring and threw it into the trash bin downstairs with the rest. Looking at the mark it left on my finger, I was surprised by how little sadness I felt. Then I occupied myself by moving my things into the guest room.

Once done, the exhaustion of the past few days hit me, and I fell asleep without even realizing it.

The alarm clock woke me up the next morning, my head still a bit foggy. Checking the calendar, I remembered I was supposed to visit Lacey today. Ever since she fell ill, I'd been visiting her every Sunday, chatting or helping with household chores, fulfilling my duty as her daughter-in-law.

The house was still silent as I looked around. Elijah hadn’t come home last night, which was unusual.

I glanced at my phone and saw several messages from Elijah.

12:36 AM:

"Honey, why didn’t you text me to check what time I’d be home?"

"Are you still mad at me? Work has been hectic, I’m sorry."

1:10 AM:

"I might be working all night. Don’t wait up for me."

1:45 AM:

"Are you asleep? I miss you."

3:28 AM:

"I love you."

From anxious to carefree. I chuckled bitterly. It’s typical for someone who's messed up to cover their guilt with fake affection.

I didn’t reply with my usual "I love you too."

I got up, collected my things, and made my way to Lacey's house. Lacey had always treated me kindly, more like a daughter than a daughter-in-law.

On the way, I reached out to a friend to help me find a divorce lawyer. After a brief conversation, I shared what was going on between Elijah and me and asked for a divorce agreement to be drawn up promptly.

As I arrived at Lacey’s door, I was about to knock when I overheard muffled voices inside. Elijah’s father had passed away years ago, so Lacey usually lived alone. Driven by curiosity, I leaned in to listen.

"How long are you going to keep this up? I’m telling you, women can see through this..." Elijah's voice was laced with frustration, as if this conversation had happened many times before.

"I know, Mom, stop worrying. I really love Raelyn, it’s not just a show."

"Just keep pretending to be busy convincingly. Give me more time, and I’ll handle it."

"Raelyn should be here soon, so don’t let anything slip."

It felt like a crushing weight on my chest, squeezing the breath out of me. So, I was the only one kept in the dark. Lacey had known about his affair all along, and instead of stopping him, she helped him deceive me. This was the woman I considered a second mother.

I should have seen it coming. Like mother, like son.

Thinking back over the past few months, Elijah had spent less and less time with me. It was always overtime, fancy dinners, or taking care of Lacey. Their fabricated busyness was the perfect excuse. In reality, he must have been spending his time with that woman, just like last night.

I took several deep breaths to steady myself and knocked on the door. The conversation inside stopped abruptly, and Elijah opened the door with a sheepish grin.

"Babe, you're here."

"I left the office at five, didn’t want to disturb you at home."

"Since Mom usually wakes up early and you were coming over, I thought I’d give you a ride back."

I didn’t even look up. "I didn’t ask, so why are you so jumpy?"