The day before our tenth anniversary, my husband sprung a sudden business trip on me.

While packing his bags, I unearthed two telling items in a box under our bed.

One was a lipstick he scrimped and saved to buy me when we were just 19.

The other was a pregnancy test that wasn't mine—and it was positive.

I was thrown back to the days when Lucas Wilson was 19, whispering to me.

"Someday, I'll give you the best of everything."

"Just relax and be my princess."

Now, there he was, sprawled on the sofa, laughing up a storm with his mistress, calling me a lazy slob.

That's when it hit me.

The lipstick was past its prime, just like my love for Lucas.

——

Seeing these relics made my heart skip a beat.

In disbelief, I rubbed my eyes.

I was dying to confront Lucas, but just then, my phone pinged with a new message.

It was from Lucas' assistant, Maggie Nguyen.

She'd sent a screenshot of their chat from just a minute ago.

[Missing you. Come over tomorrow? I can't stand another day of you home with that fat slob.]

[Sure thing, and wear that new dress I got you.]

Maggie sent back a kissy face emoji.

She added: [Got a surprise for you tomorrow.]

Lucas quickly sent her 52,000 dollars.

Before I could process more, the message vanished.

I was frozen, tears uncontrollably streaming down my face.

It was unimaginable.

Lucas and I had been together since I was 19, through the best and worst of ten years of our lives.

He was always so kind, entrusting me with our finances once his career took off.

No matter how late, he never forgot to bring me a midnight snack.

I couldn't fathom this Lucas cheating, bringing her into our home, sharing our stories with her, and allowing her to openly provoke me.

The shock sent me reeling, and I tripped over the suitcase, crashing to the ground.

Lucas finally looked up from his phone at the noise, concern etching his face when he saw my swollen ankle.

"Careful, you're not a kid anymore. Let me get some ointment for that."

He lifted me up into his arms.

In his embrace, I smelled a foreign perfume.

Nauseated, I pushed him away.

Oblivious, he continued to tenderly apply ointment to my ankle.

The touch was familiar, but his wedding ring was gone, only a faint mark remained.

My heart ached, and I reached for a tissue.

Lucas suddenly grabbed the phone next to the tissue box.

His hurried movement pressed on my sore ankle.

I winced in pain, and only then did he realize.

"Work's been insane lately..."

He glanced at his phone, then sheepishly looked away, unable to meet my eyes.

"Go on with your work. I'm fine. I'll sleep in the study tonight, won't disturb you."

Relief washed over Lucas' face.

Still, he tried to show concern.

"Okay, if you feel worse, just holler."

I stayed silent, and he suddenly held my hand.

"Honey, I know I've been distant. Let me make it up to you. You love stargazing, right? How about a trip to the plains to watch the stars?"

I nodded, silently withdrawing my hand.

Hobbling to the study, I opened my laptop and started to review divorce papers.

After a quick scan, I logged into Lucas' cloud account to dig up dirt on his affair.

Over the years, he'd lavished Maggie with an obscene amount of high-end jewelry.

They'd ticked off nearly every picturesque destination on their bucket list.

Maggie scoffed at me, labeling me a has-been at thirty—overweight, materialistic, and downright tacky compared to her.

Lucas didn't utter a word in my defense.

Sure, I weigh 130 pounds, but that's hardly fat.

I just can't measure up to Maggie's waifish 100 pounds.

Truth be told, I was even leaner than Maggie at her age.

Not out of vanity, but simply because I couldn't afford enough food.

Those were the days when Lucas and I were scraping by.

The more I read, the more the words before me began to blur.

Memories flooded back.

I remembered losing my parents at 19, and Lucas vowing to be the family I needed.

I recalled not having money for college, and how Lucas, always so proud, did whatever it took to get me through.

He pinched every penny to pay for my education.

We even lived in a basement, enduring stifling nights that made sleep impossible.

We'd escape to sleep next to the roadside flowerbeds.

He'd fan me all night, swatting away the bugs.

Resting my head on his lap, I could see nothing but stars above.

It was then that I fell in love with the stars.

I can still picture him, sunburnt and stubborn, refusing hospital visits after collapsing on the job.

He'd press his sweat-soaked bills into my hand, his eyes twinkling like stars.

"Pursue law, chase your dreams. I'm always here to support you," he'd say.

I did graduate, penned numerous briefs, and won many cases.

We relied on each other and life gradually improved.

I never imagined that, as a lawyer, the first divorce agreement I'd write would be ours.

I was mid-draft when Lucas walked in.

"Sarah, you missed dinner. Why not have some wontons? They'll hit the spot."

I gazed upon the hot pancake, and his words echoed as I thought about Maggie's latest brag online.

[He planned a horseback riding day on the plains because I mentioned it once. He listens to me, not like the others.]

So, the plains trip wasn't for stargazing with me.

And those midnight snacks? They weren't acts of love but guilty crumbs of compensation.

I inhaled deeply, trying to steady my nerves.

Lucas' gaze fixed on the open document on the screen.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Divorce papers? What's this about?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just helping a friend. Her husband cheated."

Lucas laughed, spooning up a piece of pancake and holding it to my lips.

"Good men like me are hard to find. You've got a keeper here. Make sure you know it."

His attempt at sincerity only intensified my nausea.

I turned away, my tone cold, "I'm not hungry."

Still clueless, Lucas gently cupped my face and kissed my forehead.

"Well, make sure you get some rest and don't overdo it, babe."

Once Lucas left, I stared out at the sparse stars, feeling an unusual sense of peace.

At 19, Sarah would have raged and demanded answers.

But at 30, Sarah, cynical and calculating, was thinking about a dignified exit and securing her future.

By the time I finished drafting the divorce papers, dawn was breaking.

The bed was empty; Lucas had already dashed off to Maggie's place.

I left the signed divorce papers on the coffee table and began packing up my belongings silently.

I heard that the stars in Alaska's Arctic Village were magnificent, and I wanted to experience them by myself.

I'd head there as soon as my ankle was better.

The twist I suffered last night might seem minor, but it hurt as much as our failing marriage—painful enough to keep me up at night.

I couldn't stand it any longer, so I hailed a cab to the hospital.

Shortly after, Lucas called.

I hesitated, startled.

Had he found the divorce papers already?

Was he calling to explain or to try to keep me?

After a moment's pause, I picked up.

"Sarah, my flight's been delayed. I'd love some fish soup for lunch; could you drop it off at my office? Make sure there are no bones in it."

Lucas hated fish.

It's always the pregnant ones who crave fish soup.

Suppressing my irritation, I responded with frost in my voice, "I don't have time."

I didn't want to kick off a never-ending debate, so I didn't call him out on his lie.

Lucas sounded annoyed.

"You're doing nothing at home anyway."

"Sarah, can't you see I'm working this hard for you? I've got a client who's driving me nuts. I barely have time to eat or sleep..."

I cut him off mid-sentence and pushed the hospital room door open.

Lucas, feeding Maggie, froze; Maggie's smile stiffened on her face.

"You stalking me?" Lucas' face darkened.

"I came to check on my ankle. Saw a figure that looked like you, decided to check."

Ten years of marriage, and I knew his silhouette too well.

I also knew his nervous ticks when he lied.

He relaxed slightly, touched his nose, and forced a sheepish smile. "This is my assistant. She fainted at work, so I brought her here."

"Sarah, we've weathered hard times together. You should understand why I care about my staff."

I didn't get it, and frankly, I didn't want to.

Right then, I realized just how clumsy Lucas' lies were.

I should've seen through them long ago.

It was my love for him that blinded me.

Lucas remembered my ankle injury.

I gave some non-committal replies and then suddenly asked, "When are you going home?"

Maggie straightened up, her demeanor wary, accentuating her figure.

Lucas glanced her way.

"Might be a few days, a week maybe. I need to take Maggie on a business trip once she's up to it."

"Don't miss me too much. I'll bring you back a gift."

"Sure."

A week was all I needed to erase my past.

The doctor reassured me my ankle wasn't serious—just a few days of treatment and I'd be good.

The next few days were a blur of activity.

I was too busy to wallow in sadness.

With Lucas on his "business trip" to Hong Kong, I seized the moment.

I reviewed the company's operations and consulted with industry veterans about the asset division.

As I went through one report after another, I also began to clear out the house.

I used to cling to the past, unable to let go of anything.

Every corner of our home was packed with memories of Lucas and me.

The furniture we chose together.

The myriad gifts he'd given me.

All the couple's items I'd purchased.

I believed Lucas when he gave me those gifts, believed he truly loved me.

But he wasn't just mine.

The same sweet nothings he whispered to me, he whispered to Maggie.

The same gifts were given to her as well.

Maggie always got more.

When Lucas betrayed me, all those cherished memories turned into nauseating reminders of his deceit.

Trash belongs in the bin, and that's where it all went.

After several days, I'd nearly cleared out all our things.

As I was about to throw out the last trash bag, Lucas returned home early.

He couldn't hide his excitement and hugged me tightly the moment he saw me.

"Sarah, I've missed you so much."

The divorce papers lay untouched, but he hadn't noticed them.

The house was nearly empty, but he was oblivious.

My worn, tearful face went unseen.

He was too wrapped up in his own happiness.

"Still tidying up? Take a break. I'm famished. How about you cook us something?"

He handed me a rejected gift box from Maggie.

"This project's far from over. I'll have to stay at the office longer. Could you whip up something special to cheer me up?"

Little did Lucas know, Maggie had spilled everything on social media.

I knew they'd hit up the amusement park in Hong Kong and had a medical checkup.

I even knew that Maggie was expecting a boy, and Lucas was ecstatic, buying her a fancy flat near the office to nest in.

If my guess was right, Lucas' "project" would keep him busy for the next ten months.

I didn't plan to wait that long.

After a pause, I looked up at Lucas.

"I'll make a large pot of fish soup and a few light dishes. Let's have a good meal together."

Without Lucas, I might not have graduated.

Without me, he wouldn't have achieved what he has.

We'll have this meal and part ways amicably, with no debts between us.