Claire politely excused herself after a few words and left.

By the time Vivian wiped away her tears and came out of the bedroom, Noah and I had already gone to play video games, leaving the table in complete disarray.

Vivian said nothing. She rolled up her sleeves and started washing the dishes.

After finishing the dishes, she carried a fruit platter and knocked before entering the room.

"Honey, Noah, I brought some fruit. You need your vitamins."

Noah and I treated her like she was invisible. Vivian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She endured the awkwardness and set the fruit plate on the desk, then left, making sure to close the door behind her.

Back in the living room, she kept herself busy. She vacuumed the floor, then mopped it. For the stubborn corners of the house, she had to get on her knees with a rag to reach them properly.

Vivian stole a moment to rest on the couch, her lonely silhouette the only thing visible to the camera.

When it was time to wash up, Noah and I came out of the room. Vivian immediately tossed her phone aside and rushed over with a smile.

"Sweetie, let me read you a bedtime story tonight. When you were little, you loved spending time with me!"

Noah shook his head vigorously and hid behind my back. "No way. I want Daddy with me."

Vivian swallowed hard and settled for less.

"Honey, why don't we put Noah to bed together? The three of us haven't been in the same bed in so long."

I narrowed my eyes and sneered. "Stop pretending."

In an instant, Vivian looked completely lost. "Honey, what did I do to make you hate me so much? Tell me and I can change!"

I shoved her, making her stumble back, my tone still full of disgust. "I have nothing to say to you. You can't change anyway."

Noah made a face at Vivian and skipped into the room.

She still would not give up. She called out gently to our son. "Sweetie, if you let me read you a story, I'll take you to the amusement park this weekend!"

Noah poked his head out and rolled his eyes. "I don't want to. If Daddy wasn't home, I wouldn't even want to see you."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "That's enough. Back in your room."

I waved Vivian off and slammed the door shut. When Vivian did not know what else to do, she went back to her room and posted another video.

She asked her followers for advice. "I really don't know what to do anymore. Even my son rejects me. Every word he says cuts right through me."

The comments section erupted with fury, everyone chiming in.

"What a waste raising that kid. My mom was never that gentle with me when I was a kid."

"This is making me so angry. Can OP wake up already? That father and son are trash. The more you throw yourself at them, the more they think they've got you under their thumb!"

"Don't attack OP, everyone. If you're going to curse someone, curse that father and son. What did OP do wrong? She's walking on eggshells."

"Everyone follow OP. Once she gets famous, they'll come crawling back to her eventually."

Vivian's three videos gained her nearly 100 thousand followers.

Since the videos were edited with blurred faces, I did not run into any of her followers on my commute to and from work.

However, people who knew about my relationship with Vivian all tried to give me roundabout advice.

"Bro, what kind of problems do you and your wife have that you can't talk through?"

"I've been married three times, man, and none of my wives combined had as much charm as your wife does."

I asked back, "How do you know about our family business? Did Vivian tell you?"

He gave an awkward laugh, scratched his head, and walked away.

They treated my life like some reality TV drama. No one wanted to tell me they had seen the videos, so no one said anything more to me. Still, the looks they gave me were complicated.

When it was time to leave work, Vivian had learned her lesson. She left work early to pick up Noah and took a cab to wait for me outside my office building.

When Vivian saw me, her face lit up. She stumbled toward me with Noah in her arms.

"Honey, I made a reservation at a restaurant nearby. We didn't get to have a proper meal on our anniversary, so let me make it up to you."

Passersby looked at us with envy. Some even gave us a thumbs-up in admiration.

Meeting her expectant gaze, I kept my expression neutral and took Noah from her arms.

"I don't like the food there. Let's go home."

Vivian pressed her lips together, her face flushing red. Her hurt was written all over her face, but she still did her best to accommodate me.

"Okay, I'll forget about the deposit. I'll cook for you at home."

My nostrils flared slightly as I said arrogantly, "You think money grows on trees? Go get that deposit back!"

Without waiting for her answer, I carried Noah to the car without looking back.

Through the rearview mirror, I could see Vivian covering her face and crying. A woman nearby handed her a tissue.

Vivian thanked the woman and quickly caught a cab home. We arrived one after the other.

The moment she saw me, she rushed over with open arms, wanting a hug. Just as Vivian was about to speak, I gestured that I had a phone call.

It was my direct supervisor calling.

As soon as the call connected, he demanded, "Elijah, treat your wife better. A lot of our colleagues saw what you did today. What will outsiders think of our company?"

He shouted at me for three full minutes and still did not seem satisfied. I held the phone away from my ear as Vivian leaned closer.

"Sir, it's all my fault. Please don't scold my husband anymore."

My supervisor was momentarily speechless, then said in exasperation, "Elijah, you have such a good wife and you don't treasure her. Don't take your blessings for granted!"

My face tightened as I mocked him. "Oh, so you're the eloquent one now? Do I need you explaining things for me?"

Vivian clutched her apron with both hands, looking dejected. But she truly did not dare say anything more.

"I know I was wrong, honey."

My supervisor hissed and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Elijah, I can't watch this anymore. You should at least have basic respect for your spouse, shouldn't you?

"Don't let me find any issues with your work!"

He cursed under his breath and hung up.

Vivian was so nervous she did not dare meet my eyes. Tears fell from her face in steady drops.

She sniffled and started chopping onions, as if to deceive herself that the tears were not for me.

Vivian got smarter. After making dinner for Noah and me, she took a small portion for herself back to her room.

Before eating, she finished editing her video and started a live stream while she ate. Within moments, tens of thousands of people flooded into the live stream to comfort her.

"Sweetheart, don't cry. Watching you makes my heart ache. Why stay in a marriage like this?"

"Stop making excuses for him. This kind of man deserves to be condemned by everyone. Even his boss couldn't stand watching it. Does your husband have a heart of stone?"

"You couldn't be a better wife if you tried!"

"OP, why don't you drop your payment info? I'll donate something so you can treat yourself to something nice."

The live stream was filled with nothing but words of comfort for her and criticism of me. Even my college roommate, whom I had not contacted in a year, could not help calling me.

"Elijah, you and Vivian are perfect for each other. So many people envy you for marrying her. Even if you don't treasure what you have, you shouldn't treat her like garbage.

"Have you forgotten how many times you bragged to us when you were drunk, saying the happiest thing in your life was marrying Vivian?

"In just a few short years, you've become a stranger to me!"

I stared in the direction of Vivian's room and said casually, "Sometimes what you see with your eyes is not the truth."

Over the weekend, my mother took Noah to the amusement park. Vivian and I both happened to take the day off.

"Honey, we haven't had any alone time in so long. Why don't we go to that shooting range behind the university district? You were such a sharpshooter back in college!"

Vivian tied her hair up and changed into a clean, practical athletic outfit.

I looked her up and down. I could tell she was filled with anticipation.

Her athletic shoes from college sat in a prominent spot. Despite their age, she had kept them in pristine condition, and they practically gleamed.

When I stood there without moving, she gathered her courage and took my hand. She led me to the entryway and gently guided me to sit on the small bench.

Vivian knelt on the floor and carefully helped me put on my shoes, tying the laces with tender care.

Her every move seemed like the epitome of a devoted wife.

"Honey, you're almost exactly the same as you were in college. When we get back, let's have a candlelit dinner. Even I get romantic sometimes."

I looked down at her, refusing to play along with her script.

"I'm not going, and I'm not having a candlelit dinner with you either. Just looking at your face makes me sick. I can't even eat."

Her pupils contracted in shock, and her eyes brimmed with tears. But her hands kept moving, continuing to tie my shoelaces just as I had done for her back when we were in school.

She sat on the couch in a daze, numbly watching some mindless TV drama.

When lunchtime rolled around, she thoughtfully made me a bowl of seafood pasta. Then she went back to her room to upload another video.

Vivian's followers were extremely engaged. Within five minutes of posting, the comments poured in.

"What a jerk! What does she have to do to make him smile? Even royalty isn't this demanding."

"From what I've heard, Elijah has alienated everyone around him. Nobody in real life wants anything to do with him anymore."

"No wonder. He takes out all his frustrations on his wife. What a loser!"

That afternoon, I took a nap. When I woke up and left my room, Vivian stood on the balcony with her phone, arguing with whoever was on the other end.

When she caught sight of me from the corner of her eye, she quickly hung up. She hurried over to me, asking how I was feeling and fussing over me.

I was used to it by now.

Seeing that I was not angry, Vivian rushed into her room and changed into a seductive dress.

Right in front of me, she curled her hair, trimmed her nails, and removed any unwanted hair. She made herself look absolutely stunning, radiating charm from head to toe.

After finishing her grooming, she poured two glasses of red wine. Before she even took a sip, two rosy circles appeared on her cheeks.

"Honey, we haven't been intimate in so long. Back in college, when we first slept together, my mom found out and almost went to the school to confront you. I was the one who convinced her to trust you.

"You had nothing back then. But I was right to choose you. Now we can afford a big house and nice cars.

"You even joked at our wedding reception that you wanted me five times a week. All my friends were impressed."

Vivian draped herself against me like she had no bones, leaning on my shoulder.

She breathed hotly against my ear, her hands exploring my body. She was doing everything she could to offer herself to me.

"Honey, hold me."

I looked at her with a half smile. Then I put my hands around her waist and whispered something so quietly it was barely audible.

Vivian looked thunderstruck, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Why?"