That night, I got off work early and brought home some late-night snacks.

When I opened the door, I saw a pair of high heels carelessly tossed in the entryway and Gregory’s blazer thrown over the couch.

His heavy breathing and the woman’s moans could be heard through the gap between the door and its frame. I was all too familiar with this sight.

This time, I did not storm out like I used to. Instead, I sat quietly at the dining table and finished my cold pizza.

After ten minutes, the noises inside the bedroom stopped.

Gregory came out of the bedroom shirtless and stretched his body. There were fresh scratch marks on his back.

When he saw me sitting at the dining table, he did not even give me a single glance. He just lit a cigarette.

“I thought you were working overtime at the office tonight.”

After eating my final slice of pizza, I wiped my mouth and replied, “I finished work early today.”

Gregory blew smoke rings and nodded wordlessly.

A young lady followed him out in a torn nightdress. Her fair skin was covered in love bites.

It looked like they had an intense moment in bed.

I recognized the young lady as Gregory’s new personal assistant, Amelia Campbell. She was in her early twenties and was very beautiful indeed.

Amelia wrapped her arms around his back like a puppy. “Greg, how did I do?” she asked in a playful and prideful tone.

Gregory chuckled and patted her on the head.

“Good. I was very satisfied.”

Riding high on his praise, Amelia took it a step further and whispered in his ear, “Shall we try it in the office some day?”

Right after she spoke, she saw me and cried out in surprise.

Amelia instantly released her hands as if she had been electrocuted. Then, she hid behind Gregory, as though I were a ghost.

I smirked.

“She has less guts than the last one. The last one even greeted me with a smile.”

Amelia’s face instantly turned red.

Gregory glared at me. Then, he turned around and caressed Amelia’s face as if he were comforting a child.

“Put on your clothes. I’ll get the driver to send you home.”

After Amelia left, Gregory grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge as if nothing had happened. “Amelia’s just a young girl. Don’t be mad at her,” he said with a drawl.

I snorted. “You expect me to welcome the woman you bring home with a big fat smile, huh?”

The hickey on his neck was still fresh, and Gregory did not look guilty at all.

He slumped onto the couch and said, “I’m hungry. Make me some food.”

Meanwhile, he grabbed the remote control and turned on the television. He acted as if the ridiculous thing he just did never happened.

When I stood there motionlessly, he frowned and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Something seemed to occur to him, and he wore a teasing smile.

“What? Are you angry?”

Gregory leaned closer to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Then, he slowly slipped his fingers under my shirt.

The smell of intimacy still clung to him, and I felt nauseous from it. So, I subconsciously pushed him away.

Gregory did not expect me to reject him. After all, I had never done that before.

He was stunned before his expression darkened.

“Melody, what’s wrong with you?”

I looked down and saw a used condom on the carpet.

Gregory followed my gaze and clicked his tongue in frustration.

“How many times do I need to repeat myself?” He sounded irritated. “You’ll always be my one and only wife. Can’t you just turn a blind eye to all of this? You and I can flirt with whoever we want. Isn’t that good? Why are you even putting on a long face?”

I remained silent and stared at him expressionlessly.

His expression continued to darken as he put on his clothes.

“You make me sick!” he blurted out and slammed the door on his way out.

After half an hour, Gregory deliberately provoked me by sending me a photo of him and Amelia soaking in a bubble-filled bathtub. They were holding their hands tightly together. There was also a faint mark on his ring finger where his wedding ring had been.

I stared at the screen, but to my surprise, I felt nothing. Instead, I found it hilarious.

After all, this was not the first time Gregory had cheated on me.

Two years ago, I caught him cheating on me for the first time.

I trembled in anger and shouted through gnashed teeth, “Divorce!”

At that time, I loved him wholeheartedly, and I was obsessed with him. I could not tolerate even the slightest betrayal.

He knelt at my feet and cried till dawn. He repeatedly swore that it was just a mistake.

I cried throughout the night, but I never backed down.

Gregory tried different ways to earn my forgiveness in the following month.

He took me to the restaurant where we had our first date. He flipped through the photo album of our university days and recalled details from the first time we met to the day we tied the knot. He even waited outside my office the entire day.

I eventually gave in when I saw how exhausted he looked.

To be fair, he really did do well during that time.

He even wrote me a letter of guarantee and kept me updated on his schedule, down to the minute. He also turned down business dinners to come home for meals.

Unfortunately, it did not last. In just less than half a year, I caught him cheating again with a company intern.

At that time, Gregory defended himself by saying that he was drunk and had mistaken the intern for me.

I said nothing. I merely looked at him with a cold smile. He flew into a fit of rage out of humiliation and slammed the door on his way out.

Ever since then, Gregory had become unrestrained with his cheating.

He stopped hiding it and did not even bother to make up any excuses.

He openly dated his mistresses and brought them home countless times.

I fell into self-doubt for a long period.

When I looked at myself in the mirror every morning, I would inevitably scrutinize my increasingly haggard appearance.

I began to notice loose skin and the fine lines around my eyes.

I wondered if I had lost all my charm.

I wondered if I was so boring that Gregory had to seek pleasure elsewhere over and over again.

Those thoughts were like serpents sinking their poisonous teeth into my every nerve.

I started to suffer from insomnia. Clumps of hair even gathered on my pillow and filled the sink.

The psychologist diagnosed me with severe depression. Those words stung.

I felt like I had been trapped inside a maze without an exit. Whenever I thought that I had finally found a way out, I would eventually bump into Gregory flirting with another woman.

Those memory fragments ran through my head so many times that I felt suffocated and wanted to scream in the middle of the night.

Worst of all, despite knowing that my marriage was hopeless, I still could not break free from this disgusting prison. It was as if I had been cast under a spell.

Whenever I made up my mind to leave Gregory, he would casually say this to me, “Dear, I’ll be home for dinner.” I would pathetically become hopeful again.

We fought many times. During the worst bout, I even used a knife on him.

I grabbed a fruit knife and pressed it against his neck. My voice was hoarse as I said, “Gregory, since you can’t keep yourself in check and stay faithful to me, we’ll get a divorce! You can enjoy your life while I can be free.”

I knew I was sick. Gregory drove me mad to the point that I was not myself anymore.

He sighed in exhaustion and gently pushed the knife away.

“Melody, stop making a scene. It won’t do you any good.

“I promise you that you’ll always be my wife. You’re my only legal wife.”

The most ridiculous part was that even my friends tried to talk me down.

“Gregory’s great at earning money. You should be grateful. He gives you all his money and keeps you in his heart. What more do you want?”

“It’s true that he flirts around with other women, but you’re still the one who matters the most to him. As a woman, you need to be more big-hearted. There’s no need to cause such a fuss over it.”

“Those are meaningless flings. None of the women surpasses you. Why must you keep picking a fight with him and making things hard for yourself? You’re not a kid anymore. Stop being obsessed with the idea of faithful love.”

Those words cut like a dull knife and slowly made me feel accustomed to my humiliating married life.

It took me a long time to finally admit the truth that Gregory did not love me anymore.

He was not the young man who used to make me blush or the one who held my hands tightly during our wedding while tearfully delivering his vows. That man was long gone. The man whom I had loved so deeply had already died the night he cheated on me the first time

Since then, Gregory was no more than just a stranger in his old skin.

The next morning, I called my former mentor, Professor Fiona.

“Professor Fiona, are you still looking for people to join your research expedition team? I would like to join your team.”

The person on the other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds.

When I graduated, Professor Fiona strongly encouraged me to join her research expedition team. It was one of the top research teams in the country. But it required year-round assignments at remote and harsh field bases.

Gregory held me in his arms and said, “Melody, I don’t want you to go so far away.” He swayed my arm playfully like a child. “Stay at home. I can take care of you.”

“Melody.” Professor Fiona’s voice brought me back to reality. “Have you considered this carefully? Life will be harsh in the team. Besides, there may be long stretches where you won’t be able to contact anyone.”

Professor Fiona paused for a moment.

“What about Gregory? Does he agree to let you go—”

“Professor Fiona,” I interrupted her and firmly said, “I’ve decided to file for a divorce.”

“What happened? Did you two have a fight?”

I nodded with a smile before shaking my head.

“Gregory cheats on me.”

“Are you sure you can give up your ten-year relationship?”

“There’s nothing I can’t give up.” I wiped my face. “Professor Fiona, I need to go as far away from here as possible.”

“Okay. You can come with me, Melody. I’ve been saving a spot for you all this time!”

I handed in my resignation letter to the company. My superior looked at me regrettably and said, “Melody, with how skilled you are, you’d be promoted to manager in no time. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider this?”

I shook my head with a smile.

I had reluctantly accepted this nine-to-five job to prove my ability to Gregory.

My dream was to join the research expedition team and travel around the country.

I sacrificed my dream in exchange for his betrayal. How foolish!

Gregory did not show his face for the next few days.

I sent him a message on WhatsApp, but he did not reply to me. I called him, but he did not answer my call either.

I needed to wrap up my work, so I was not in the mood to cajole him.

So, I finalized my departure date with Professor Fiona. We would leave after two weeks. On that day, I went to Gregory’s company.

When I pushed open the glass door of his office, I saw Amelia straddling him and kissing him. They appeared disheveled, and her blouse was mostly unbuttoned.

“It looks like I picked a bad time.” I closed the door calmly, but the sound snapped them out of their passion.

Amelia fumbled with her buttons, but her skirt had already slipped down to her calves.

She shot me a glare that was full of resentment and bluntly said, “Ever heard of knocking? Didn’t anyone teach you basic manners?”

Gregory said nothing and gave her a sidelong glance with a tinge of amusement.

He slowly adjusted his tie before the corners of his lips curled into a prideful smile.

“So, you’ve finally decided to come looking for me?”

He smacked Amelia on the butt and said in a teasing tone, “Babe, give us a minute. I need to have a little chat with my wife.”

Amelia glared at me again with resentment. Before she left, she purposely slammed the door.

“Missed me after just a couple of days?” Gregory leaned back in his office chair. “Like I always say, why cause a fuss like a kid? See. I just have to give you a few days to cool off, and you’d come running back to me­—”

However, I interrupted him calmly. “I want a divorce.”

Gregory’s hands froze in mid-air. He narrowed his eyes and stared at me. “Say that again.”

I looked him in the eye and enunciated every word, “I said, I want a divorce.”

Gregory let out a bark of laughter like he had just heard a ridiculous joke.

“Melody, when did you learn how to use such methods to get my attention?”

He moved closer to touch my face.

“I know I’ve neglected you recently. I’ll cancel all my appointments next week and take you to the Maldives. How does that sound?”

However, I took half a step back to avoid his touch. Gregory froze when he saw this.

Then, I took out the divorce agreement from my bag and handed it to him. He did not take it, though.

As such, I had no choice but to put the agreement on his office desk.

“I’m not joking around,” I said gently but with absolute firmness. “I don’t want to drag this out any longer. This agreement spells everything out. Our assets will be split fifty-fifty. Go through it. If you have no qualms about the arrangement, just sign it.”

Gregory rested his gaze on the agreement, and his pupils contracted.

He returned to his office chair and flipped through a few pages. Soon after, he snorted and tore it in half.

“So, you want a divorce, huh? Over my dead body!”

I rubbed my temples in exhaustion.

“Why make this harder than it already is? Once we’re divorced, you can even bring home a hundred women, and no one will care about it.”

“Melody.” He softened his tone as if he were comforting a child. “We’ve been together since we were in university. When I started my business and I was at my lowest, you were the one who stayed by my side.

“Those women are just meaningless flings. I’ve never thought of leaving you.”

He skirted around his office desk and came to me. The smell of post-intimacy and his cologne made me feel nauseous.

He made it sound so noble, as though he were a faithful man.

He was the one who had brought women home and made out in front of me. He even celebrated another woman’s birthday when I was having a high fever. He had betrayed me countless times. He was the one who hurt me the most, like stabbing a knife into my heart.

Ultimately, Gregory was just afraid of being labelled as a man who ditched his wife after gaining wealth.

He needed me as a cover to maintain his image as a successful entrepreneur.