I pushed him away, bile rising in my throat. "You reek of sweat. Go shower."

Frank snuggled closer, playing coy. "Work was brutal. Let me hold you for a while."

As we tussled, my fingers brushed something crusty on his pants, dried evidence of his betrayal.

"Kid spilled oatmeal on me last night," he mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. "I'll change."

As he showered, I doubled over, vomiting into the sink, my stomach churning from more than just my condition. I grabbed his phone and opened his chat with Lila.

Her avatar was a sketch he'd drawn—art he'd once sworn was only for me. The latest one was when he went to buy my medicine.

Lila: [Back at school, and you haven't visited. Got new lingerie. Wanna see if it fits?]

Scrolling up revealed more flirty texts, money transfers, and coded plans for meetups.

Turned out, they had been sneaking around since our wedding. This explained his goofy grins at his phone and the hours spent in the bathroom.

When I confronted him, he claimed he was watching funny videos. When I got upset about his distance, he'd take a day off, whisk me away on a trip, and spoil me with gifts.

I'd relent, never seeing the truth staring me in the face. The signs were there all along.

...

Fresh from the shower, Frank wrapped me in a bear hug. "Honey, let's have a baby."

His hands tugged at my pajamas, slipping inside.

Once, I'd have melted into him, our nights a blur of passion. Now, I shoved him away and gathered my clothes.

Fighting back my nausea, I said, "I'm on my period and feeling awful. Sleep in the guest room."

"It's my fault," he murmured. "I've been so busy, I've neglected you. You're mad, right?"

"You mean busy cheating?" I almost blurted out.

I bit my tongue and managed, "You're overthinking it."

But what happened in the car the other night kept flashing across my mind. Annoyed, I got out of bed and tossed every perfume bottle from my vanity into the trash.

Frank pursued me for three years, and we'd been married for two years. Our backgrounds were worlds apart, but I always stood by him as he clawed his way up, building a life from nothing.

When I accepted his proposal, everyone was against it.

"You could have anyone," said my mom. "Why him? We're moving abroad. What will you do here alone?"

"Frank values me more than life," I replied, brushing off her concern. "He'd never betray me."

Later, he won over my parents and friends with his actions. I chose to stay and build a life with him.

Now I was the fool.

I called my mom, set on divorce.

"It's not your fault," she sighed. "We all misjudged him. I'm glad you're seeing the truth. Come home. I'll make your favorite food."

The next morning, I woke up to see a cup of ginger tea on the table. It was Frank's silent apology.

At work, he sent me bouquets of roses.

A coworker swooned, "You two are still so romantic after all these years. Total couple goals!"

I forced a smile, only feeling bitter inside, because no one knew the rot beneath the petals.

I handed in my resignation and passed off my work.

As I left, a delivery guy brought lunch and wedding favors.

He announced, "Frank and Adeline's second anniversary is coming up! Lunch and candies on them!"

On my phone, Lila's new post popped up.

She and Frank were at an amusement park, sporting Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps headbands. Their poses were flirty and intimate.

Last year, I had begged Frank for those movie-themed photos, but he had laughed it off, calling them childish.

Apparently, they weren't childish with her.

I liked her post and walked out.

The janitor called after me, "You're leaving these beautiful flowers?"

"They look pretty, but rotten inside," I replied without looking back.

Not long after I arrived home, Frank rushed in with a StellaLou keychain.

"Babe, I know you love StellaLou," he wheezed, struggling to catch his breath. "Got this for you. Seeing it is like seeing me."

Years ago, when we were broke, I'd eyed that keychain at the park but passed to save money.

Now, I barely glanced at it. "Leave it on the coffee table."

From Lila's post, I knew it was a freebie for spending $999.

"Babe, don't be mad," he said. "It was Lila's birthday, and she begged to go to the park."

"Don't worry," I said, my voice flat. "Birthdays matter."

He noticed my packed desk. "You quit? No big deal. I'll take care of you. My money is yours, too."

I sidestepped him. "Go hang out with her. Lila has preferred you since middle school. No one else cuts it."

Once, I took Lila out, buying her snacks and rides, but she was not satisfied.

She sat on a bench all morning, wasting the expensive tickets.

My cramps were brutal that day, so I called Frank to take over. When he showed up, Lila lit up, dragging him around and chattering about wildflowers.

When they returned, Frank fussed over me. "Babe, you okay? Need a hospital?"

Lila pouted, dropping her toys. "Adeline's been sitting there forever, and my feet hurt. Why don't you ask about me?"

Frank chuckled, grabbing her bags. "I'll drive you back to school."

She clung to his arm, beaming.

I saw her as a kid then and let it slide. Now, she was an adult, crossing lines she should've respected.

...

"Go. If she can't find you, I'll be the one dealing with her complaints," I said.

Frank tapped my nose, grinning. "Jealous, huh? I'll tell her to cab back to school. I'm staying with you today."

Sensing my mood, he suggested dinner at Sky Garden, where we had our first date.

He ordered my favorite dishes, and during a pause in the live piano, he whispered to the waiter.

Then he took the stage, sitting at the piano. "Babe, our second anniversary's coming. You've stuck by me through everything. I won't let you down. You can always count on me."

Frank played a soft melody, then shouted, "Adeline, I love you!"

His smile was as dazzling as it was at our freshman gala, when he'd confessed on stage. I'd turned him down, and he chased me for three years.

My friends bet he'd give up, but he didn't.

At our wedding, my best friend toasted, "Frank, you're relentless. No one believed in you back then, but you managed to win her heart. Respect."

Frank grinned. "Marrying Adeline is my greatest fortune."

Now, those words were a cruel joke. I couldn't forgive his betrayal.

When he paid the bill, he overpaid by double.

I tried to remind him, but he whispered to the waiter, "Send the takeout to Dorm #1 of Riverdale University."

I stayed quiet and got in the car alone.

Our anniversary was two days away, and Frank took the day off.

Each year, we'd retake our wedding photos. He once enthused that he loved seeing me in a wedding dress, marrying him annually.

We booked a shoot at the park where we had dated in college.

Under a sprawling oak, he held my hand, and I slipped into memories.

In our broke days, we'd vowed eternal love under that tree, dreaming of a life he'd build for us. Now, I wondered if I could pretend nothing had changed. I couldn't.

A staff member cooed, "Seven years and still holding hands? You guys are adorable, living my dream married life."

I managed a faint smile, silent.

Frank kissed my hand, and the crowd cheered until his phone rang.

The ringtone was a special one he had set for Lila, and his phone charm matched hers.

He'd claimed he bought the wrong one and didn't want to waste it.

He stepped away to answer the call, returning quickly.

"Lila's got diarrhea from bad food. I'm going to check on her." He paused, backtracking. "Never mind. If you want me here for photos, I'll stay."

He sounded like I had begged for the shoot, forgetting he suggested it.

I shrugged. "Go ahead. Lila's health comes first. We can take photos later."

He patted my shoulder and bolted.

The photo team grumbled as I dismissed them. "What's so urgent he'd ditch his anniversary shoot? Wasting our time."

Silent, I went home and packed my things. My flight was at 8 a.m. the next day, and everything was set.

After a shower, I received a package. In it was a stunning ring and a handwritten love letter from Frank.

His text followed: [Happy second anniversary! Gotta work late tonight, but tomorrow's all planned out. I'll spend the whole day with you.]

I changed my flight to 8 p.m. and took a cab to the airport.

Frank called. "Babe, where are you? Why is your closet empty?"

I hung up and boarded the plane.