My wife was on a business trip abroad when I stumbled upon wedding photos on Facebook, posted by her childhood friend.

He stood tall in a perfectly tailored suit, a luxury watch gleaming on his wrist, smiling proudly.

Beside him was my alluring bride.

His caption read, [After knowing you for so many years, even if it’s just once, I’m willing to be your groom.]

Bitterness surged in my chest as I flipped through our wedding album, recalling how humble our ceremony had been, marked by borrowed suits barely fitting.

Seven years later, she had spent a fortune overseas to give her childhood friend the wedding of his dreams.

Wiping away my tears, I picked up my phone to call my senior.

“Senior, I’m joining the next rural teaching program!” I declared.

“That’s wonderful, Samuel! With you on board, the children in the village will have a brighter future! Start packing; we leave in three days!” My senior’s excited voice rang in my ears and I couldn’t help but smile, catching his enthusiasm.

After hanging up, my wife returned from her trip, pushing the door open.

Aphrodite wore a fitted professional outfit that accentuated her curves perfectly.

Her cold, stunning aura and captivating features were impossible to ignore.

I couldn't shake the memory of that wedding photo, where she smiled sweetly, leaning against her childhood friend.

Each of their smiles felt like needles, piercing my heart and making my breathing harder.

“You made so many dishes again? Didn’t I tell you? There’s no need to go to all this trouble; we can’t finish them,” she remarked, her eyes landing on the dining table as she frowned and gently scolded me.

I had bought fresh produce early that morning, preparing every dish carefully, all of her favorites.

She had always been so picky.

In the past, after a trip, Aphrodite would complain about the food outside, curling up in my arms and saying she preferred my cooking.

Back then, my heart swelled with happiness at the thought of cooking for my loved one.

But now, her eyes held no warmth or affection, only disdain. A chill settled in my heart.

“I’ll handle it; you don’t need to worry,” I replied quietly.

Aphrodite’s gaze shifted toward me, but before she could respond, her phone rang.

“Aphrodite, I’m feeling a bit unwell; can you come check on me?” The deep voice belonged to her childhood friend, Dimitri Whitlock.

Aphrodite’s panic was palpable as she quickly asked about his condition.

“It’s nothing serious, just a bit dizzy, like I have a slight fever,” he explained.

Without hesitation, she said, “Wait for me; I’ll come right over.”

Grabbing her car keys, she hurriedly added, “Dimitri isn’t feeling well; I’m going to see him. Don’t wait for me to eat.”

Before I could respond, she rushed out the door, leaving the house in silence.

I stared at the untouched dishes on the table, a sense of emptiness settling in.

My phone buzzed and I opened it to see a message from Dimitri.

[Samuel, don’t be angry! Aphrodite is just worried about me!]

Then, he sent a picture of Aphrodite, her brow slightly furrowed as she searched through a medicine cabinet.

I glanced at my hand, the small cut on my finger wrapped in a Band-Aid.

I had excitedly prepared her favorite meal when I accidentally cut myself, but she hadn’t even noticed.

A dull ache settled in my chest and a bitter smile tugged at my lips.

I divided the dishes among the neighbors, leaving only a small portion for myself to finish the tasteless meal.

Meanwhile, Dimitri frequently updated his social media with a new caption: [After returning from a business trip, I’m enjoying my favorite juicy steak. Indeed, life is good!]

In the photo, a juicy steak and a spread of sides were laid out, with half a figure visible across the table.

I instantly recognized it as Aphrodite.

The crystal bracelet on her wrist was the one I had chosen for her.

Aphrodite was never good with spicy food but was willing to join her childhood friend at Seasons Steakhouse.

Yet when I accidentally added too much chili to my cooking, she always set down her spoon and fork with a cold expression.

After dinner, Aphrodite went on to ride the Ferris wheel with Dimitri.

[When we reach the top of the Ferris wheel, we can be together forever.]

I turned off social media, tossed my phone aside and started packing my clothes.

My emotions slowly settled, no longer so shaken.

On the other hand, Aphrodite returned late that night. She carried the mixed scent of Dimitri’s cologne.

“I forgot to bring this back for you; it’s a gift I got on my trip,” she said, tossing me a small gift box.

Inside was a tie.

I instantly recognized it, the one Dimitri wore in his wedding photo.

I placed the tie back in the box and tossed it into the trash.

“I don’t want secondhand things,” I said calmly. “By the way, the wedding you organized for him was quite extravagant.”

Aphrodite’s expression darkened when she saw me throw away the gift. She was about to scold me but froze at my words.

“You know about that?” There was a hint of panic in her voice, but she quickly composed herself.

“I’ve known Dimitri since we were kids. He’s never been in a relationship and he just wanted to know what it’s like to be a groom. I had the time, so I helped him organize a wedding,” she explained casually. “But nothing happened between us; you don’t need to overthink it.”

I suddenly found her unfamiliar.

While dating, Aphrodite had always set clear boundaries, never overstepping with other men.

But now, she could casually admit to organizing a wedding for another man.

This was the woman I had loved for ten years.

I felt my eyes moisten, so I tightly shut them before speaking calmly. “Aphrodite, let’s get a divorce.”

She stared at me in disbelief, as if she hadn’t heard me right.

“What did you say? Divorce? Samuel, you’ve lost your mind! It was just a wedding. Why are you being so petty?” Her voice carried a thin edge of anger.

“I’ll get a lawyer to draft the divorce papers. You just need to sign them,” I replied, my eyes opening as my feelings for her quickly faded.

“You’re simply unreasonable!” she spat, slamming the door as she stormed out. I didn’t get up to follow.

The next afternoon, Aphrodite called, her tone cold. “Bring the document from the living room to my office. I need it this afternoon.”

She hung up without waiting for my response.

When I arrived at her office building, I headed straight to her office.

The door wasn’t fully closed and as I approached, I heard laughter and light conversation from inside.

“Aphrodite, try this orange; it’s super sweet!”

“Haha! Got you!”

“You little rascal.”

“Aphrodite, how do you keep falling for this? You’re such a little fool!”

I stood by the door, silently watching the scene unfold in front of me.

Dimitri was leaning close to Aphrodite, holding a few slices of orange, laughing joyfully.

Aphrodite glanced up at him with a helpless smile, her hand resting lightly on his waist in an intimate gesture.

Disappointment weighed heavy in my chest.

After taking a steady breath, I knocked on the door, my face blank.

Dimitri jumped, startled, quickly stepping away from Aphrodite’s side.

When he saw it was me, he relaxed and let out a sheepish laugh.

“Samuel, it’s you! Don’t get the wrong idea; I was just joking around with Aphrodite.”

His tone was casual, but his eyes flashed with subtle provocation.

Aphrodite rubbed her forehead with a soft smile, her gaze lingering on Dimitri.

“You’re still such a kid, even now,” she said with a playful sigh, her eyes full of affection.

“Boys will be boys forever,” he teased, grinning back at her.

Dimitri, without a second thought, placed his hand on Aphrodite’s head, laughing as they playfully bickered.

The two of them seemed to be putting on quite the performance in front of me.

Surprisingly, a wave of calm washed over me.

I set the documents down and met Aphrodite’s gaze.

“You two are a perfect match. Truly made for each other,” I said quietly.

“Samuel, you—” Aphrodite’s face flushed with anger at my coldness.

“Samuel, it’s my fault. I won’t let this happen again! Please, don’t be mad at Aphrodite! She’s already under so much pressure at work, don’t make things harder for her!” Dimitri jumped in, his voice pitiful, eyes faintly red, though his words easily placed all the blame on me.

“Dimitri, don’t blame yourself…” Aphrodite murmured, her voice soft as she wrapped an arm around him, trying to comfort him.

I couldn’t bear to waste any more emotions on the two of them. Without another word, I turned and left the office.

Straightaway, I went to the city’s top law firm and hired a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement.

Aphrodite’s love had turned bitter and I wasn’t the center of her world anymore.

If that was the case, it was best to walk away.

To avoid complications, I chose to leave with nothing.

After the meeting, I headed home, only to stumble across Dimitri's latest social media post.

A picture of a red property deed caught my eye.

Dimitri's smug caption read, [Had a bad day due to some misunderstanding, but someone generously gifted me a house! All is good now! Still secretly happy today!]

A wave of coldness washed over me as I smirked sarcastically.

Aphrodite was indeed generous, giving away an entire house.

After all, they already had a wedding; what’s a house compared to that?

I let out a bitter chuckle.

In our seven years of marriage, Aphrodite had never once mentioned putting any property in my name.

But then again, her things were never mine to claim.

Aphrodite and I had met in college. She was outgoing and bright, bringing warmth to my introverted world.

I had mustered the courage to pursue her and it took a long time before she fell in love with me.

After graduation, driven by her ambition, Aphrodite began building her business while I supported her unconditionally.

Eventually, we married and created a warm home together.

Her business flourished and her net worth doubled, allowing us to live a sweet life.

But everything shifted when her childhood friend, Dimitri, returned.

Aphrodite began to change.

My phone’s lock screen still displayed a photo of us, our faces close together, smiling innocently.

I decided to change the picture.

Then my phone buzzed with a WhatsApp message from my senior.

[Samuel, happy birthday! You’re another year older, stay happy!]

[I ordered a cake for you, so make sure you get it! Looking forward to reuniting with you on the volunteer team!]

My senior, two years ahead, was passionate about charity work and we always got along well.

My nose tingled with emotion as I glanced at the calendar, realizing today was my birthday.

Even I had forgotten.

The doorbell rang and the cake my senior had ordered arrived.

Inside was a card.

Aphrodite had always been the one to celebrate my birthdays, but ever since Dimitri returned, she had overlooked the day.

Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I began to eat the cake.

A message from Dimitri popped up on my phone.

It was a photo of a sunset by the sea, with Aphrodite clinging to his waist, leaning on his shoulder.

[Samuel, I mentioned wanting to see the sunset and Aphrodite brought me here without a second thought. Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon!]

As I sat in lonely silence, my birthday was spent while my wife watched the sunset with another man.

"Have fun," I replied indifferently.

Near midnight, Aphrodite returned, helping a drunken Dimitri stumble through the door.

He reeked of alcohol, slinging his arm around her shoulder, his eyes bleary and unfocused.

Aphrodite, filled with tenderness, carefully supported him as he swayed.

Noticing my cold gaze, she instinctively began to explain, "Dimitri doesn’t handle alcohol well, but he insisted on drinking. I didn’t think it was safe for him to be home alone, so I brought him back. Please don’t mind it."

I scoffed inwardly. A grown man like Dimitri? What was there to worry about?

But I kept my expression neutral, responding calmly, "It’s fine, I don’t care."

My indifferent attitude only provoked Aphrodite’s temper, darkening her expression.

"Aphrodite, you’re so good to me..." Dimitri suddenly leaned down, laughing and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

Aphrodite stiffened, her eyes darting nervously toward me, afraid I’d get jealous or misunderstand.

But I had already turned and walked into the bedroom.

Dimitri was using his drunkenness as an excuse to be intimate with Aphrodite right in front of me, deliberately trying to provoke me.

I clearly saw the challenge in his eyes, masked by his act, as he smirked in my direction.

Fortunately, I no longer felt any pain.

After settling Dimitri in the guest room, Aphrodite came to the master bedroom, clearly trying to say something.

I simply placed the divorce papers in front of her.

"Remember to sign."

Aphrodite was taken aback, her expression shifting from confusion to anger as the reality sank in.

"I won’t divorce! Samuel, stop making trouble, okay? Dimitri is just a kid. Why are you competing with him? I’ve already explained it! Do I have to beg on my knees for you to stop this nonsense?"