When I'm paying the pension for my jobless wife, Lilith Ingram, I accidentally find out that she's had a job this whole time.

She's paid a salary of two thousand dollars, which is wired into her personal bank account. Every month, the money will be transferred elsewhere, leaving her without a single cent.

I've never seen the money before. Back when our daughter, Maisy Ingram, was severely ill, we were 200 dollars short to pay for her hospital bills. I was so poor that I had to sell my blood and beg everyone around me just to get them to lend me money.

But during that time, Lilith never thought of sharing the burden with me. She merely comforted me with empty words before transferring two thousand dollars to her first love, Hayden Grant, the next day.

Our marriage of 30 years is reduced to nothing but a laughingstock.

I place the divorce agreement that I've printed out in front of Lilith. It's a silent confrontation between us.

"Must you really resort to this method?" Lilith snaps impatiently. "It's just two thousand dollars! You have an annual salary of 200 thousand dollars! Why care so much about chum change?"

Even Maisy takes her side by calling me a petty, stingy geezer.

"Everyone has an unattainable first love when they're still young! You should be grateful that Hayden has been holding back his urges without crossing the line for so many years!"

I feel as though I got struck by lightning at that moment. It's then that I belatedly realize I'm the only outsider in this family.

"Getting a divorce is fine by me. Hayden's getting on with the years. I just want to take care of him and send him off when his time eventually arrives."

Maisy adapts a righteous tone. "As compensation for me, I get the house, the car, and the savings. You're leaving this marriage without a single cent under your name."

Facing my questions, my wife, Lilith Ingram, shifted from guilty fluster at the start to a reckless abandon, then finally just admitted it flat out.

"I can't forget Hayden. I love him so much it's driving me crazy. He didn't force me to send him money. I did it willingly. If you're mad, just come at me. Don't make things hard for him."

My heart broke.

The love I fought so hard to protect turned out to be a one-man show.

My daughter, Maisy Ingram, jumped in. "Calm down, Dad. You're already so old. Why even talk about divorce? There's no such thing as a marriage that lasts forever these days. People stray.

"Besides, Mom's innocent. She and Hayden grew up together. They were childhood sweethearts. If there was anything going on, do you really think you could've married Mom?"

She spoke with such righteous conviction, her face masked in genuine bewilderment.

It was as if she truly didn't understand why I was so angry.

But did she really not get it?

Back when just feeding ourselves was a struggle, I was supporting four mouths and paying the mortgage, stretching every penny thin.

At my lowest, I even tried to get Lilith to work.

She blew up, crying and yelling, and even went to the rooftop with Maisy in her arms.

"You useless piece of trash! If you can't even make money, I might as well just die! I didn't marry you to suffer. If I'd known you were this useless, I'd have run away with Hayden long ago!"

Lilith threatened to kill herself, so I gave in.

I worked three jobs a day and risked my life in dangerous mines. I even lost two fingers just to barely keep food on the table.

But today I found out I didn't have to struggle so hard.

Lilith had a job. She was a famous comic artist, making over two thousand dollars a month for 30 years.

I loved her, but she treated me like a thief.

When I saw the bank statements, I was crushed and felt dead inside.

She felt bad for Hayden Grant but ignored my suffering.

"What's the point of bringing up the past? Yes, I secretly sent money to Hayden, but only because I didn't want you to get jealous and cause trouble. I did it for the family's peace. Besides, that was my salary. I can give it to whoever I want. You don't have the right to question me."

Lilith looked down on me, her voice cold as ice. "What are you complaining about? Weren't you the one begging me to marry you back then?"

Lilith slapped me and mockingly said, "Look at yourself in the mirror. You're old, dull, and fat. I've put up with sleeping next to you for 30 years, feeling sick every day. I haven't even made a fuss, but you think you can talk about divorce?"

The pain was like a dagger to the heart. My eyes welled up before I could stop them.

"Alright. Let's both step back and move on. When Hayden moves in, I expect you to get along."

Lilith softened her tone, though she was still impatient as she tried to calm me.

"Hayden's coming back to Valoria soon. His health isn't good. He needs a place to retire. You're good at taking care of people, so you can be his caretaker."

She ordered me to pack and leave the master bedroom for Hayden, telling me to move to the basement.

"Out of sight, out of mind," she muttered. "Once Hayden's here, you're useless. Better if you just die soon, or else…"

Her words froze me, making my blood run cold.

Lilith wasn't always like this.

She used to stay up all night by my hospital bed when I had gastrointestinal bleeding.

When I worked late, the house lights stayed on. Lilith would appear at the door, half-asleep, and throw herself into my arms.

Those tiny moments of happiness now felt like the sharpest pain.

"Let's get a divorce," I said.

I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, nothing remained but cold indifference.

"Love whoever you want. I don't care anymore. This disgusting marriage should have ended long ago."

Lilith's lips turned pale. She clearly didn't expect me to say that.

"Dad, you've lost it!"

Maisy couldn't hold back anymore. She swung her arm at me.

"How could you abandon your wife and daughter?"

As the slap descended, Lilith made a purely symbolic gesture to intervene.

"Enough, Sean. I get that you're upset."

She softened her expression, grabbed her phone, and then wired me 200 dollars.

"Go buy that suit you've been eyeing. Be nice to yourself for once."

After 30 years together, she knew my tastes and remembered every little detail.

But words without action were Lilith's usual game.

She always told me that I didn't deserve it, so she never gave me gifts. This was the first time she sent money.

The living room fell silent.

Thinking she'd calmed me down, Lilith tore up the divorce agreement and went back to her room.

Maisy shot me a glare, slammed the door, and left.

Fireworks lit up the sky. The New Year had arrived.

But I felt no joy. I felt like I was soaked in ice water, the pain numbing me.

I called my lawyer friend, Reuben Webb. A brief conversation was all it took to end it all.

"I want a divorce. Yes, she cheated. Before and after our marriage."

After I hung up, Lilith was still in the bathroom, applying skincare in front of the mirror.

Through the steam, I noticed that though we were the same age, Lilith looked so much younger.

She loved going to spas and spending money on skincare. Her skin was soft and smooth, without a wrinkle.

We only had one child. Once, she got pregnant by accident, and she was furious.

To keep her figure, she had an abortion and demanded that I get a vasectomy the next day.

Time flew, leaving no trace on her. She still held onto the hopeful heart of a teenager longing for love.

Meanwhile, I had aged. My hair had turned white, and illness had made me fat.

Time spared no one. She drained my vitality to keep her youth.

Then, it hit me. I'd actually met Hayden before.

In the evening paper featuring the top ten outstanding youth, his interview held the top spot. Dressed in a pristine suit, he had an impressive presence.

I pointed at the old photo and said to Lilith with some envy, "He's from our hometown. A backwater place like that actually produced an expert sent abroad.

"Studying overseas must've cost a fortune. I saw he did both his bachelor's and master's there. No way he could've done that without some serious family backing."

Lilith barely reacted, but she stared at the photo for a long time. Her eyes shone bright. She was clearly proud.

"True talent shines everywhere. He was born unlucky but lucky to have someone to help him. Comparing yourself to others just makes you bitter. Being jealous won't change anything. You just don't have the talent. When he joins the research institute, you'll still be just an average worker."

Her words hit me hard, and I never expected that the "someone" Lilith mentioned was herself.

"Are you spacing out?" A cold voice snapped me back.

Lilith caught me staring and frowned. "Don't sulk in front of me. If you don't want to sleep, get out."

Perhaps my expression was too grim. Thinking I was throwing a tantrum, Lilith lost her temper instantly.

Normally, whenever she showed signs of anger—no matter who was in the wrong—I'd pacify her and promise to never mess up again.

But now, there was no point in doing that anymore.

I lowered my head and opened WhatsApp. Reuben had sent me a bunch of divorce property division cases.

The text was a little blurry. My phone's screen was cracked like shattered glass from heavy use.

Lilith couldn't stand being ignored. She snatched my phone and threw it to the ground, furious.

"Sean Houghton, do you even want to make this marriage work? It's just two thousand dollars, not two million. That's barely enough for charity. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

Sadness washed over me.

Even now, Lilith stubbornly thought I wanted a divorce because of the money.

It never crossed her mind, nor did she care to consider that if I were truly materialistic, why would I have tolerated her reckless spending all these years?

My heart bled as I stared into her bloodshot eyes and said firmly, "Lilith, I'm divorcing you for sure!"

At the mention of divorce, her face turned stone cold, and she slapped me hard.

"Aren't you embarrassed? What will the neighbors and friends think? How am I supposed to explain it?

"Maisy's about to get married. The engagement is right around the corner. Are you seriously starting a divorce now? Do you want to ruin her whole life?" she shouted hysterically without a hint of regret or apology.

Her mind was consumed by worry over her reputation and a paralyzing fear of the future.

No one cared about how I felt.

My heart felt like it had a giant hole torn open—empty and hollow.

As I looked at the woman I'd loved for over 30 years, I was overwhelmed with sorrow.

"Lilith, be honest with yourself. Who has really kept this family going all these years?

"I sold my family's house, used every penny I had saved before marriage, and even took on a 100-thousand-dollar loan to cover the 400 thousand dollars for your mom's liver transplant!"

"When Maisy didn't get into high school, the international tuition was 70 thousand dollars. I landed ten big deals, but I gave myself a stomach ulcer, went half a month without sleep, and almost dropped dead at work!

"Do you think money grows on trees? After all these years, haven't I patched every hole you've made with grit and teeth?"

Lilith was speechless. She started crying and woke Maisy up with her yelling.

"Dad, I'm begging you. Enough of this nonsense."

Maisy sighed deeply, her brow furrowed with frustration.

"You're a man. Providing is only natural. Don't use that to guilt-trip Mom. It's not that she's biased. You can't hold a candle to Hayden Even an idiot would know who to choose."

My fury was doused with cold water.

I looked at Maisy's face, which was so much like Lilith's.

The ache from my severed fingers flared up again.