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.

Lucas clapped me on the shoulder, clearly pleased.

He then settled into the couch, busy himself on his phone.

I chucked the expired lipstick into a trash bag, taking the last batch of trash out with me.

I wasn't planning on coming back after today.

At the market, I picked up a variety of fresh ingredients.

Maybe it was because it had been so long since I last cooked fish, but I was a bit out of practice.

I cut my finger slicing the fish, then got splashed by sizzling oil—a real comedy of errors in the kitchen.

It took half a day, but I managed to cobble together a full meal.

Lucas tried to hug me but recoiled at the smell of cooking on my clothes and backed off without a word.

I hung up my apron and whispered, "Isn't she coming to eat? It's best served warm."

"What?"

"Call Maggie over. I tailored these dishes for pregnancy. She's young, and doesn't know about these things. You'll need to keep an eye out for her."

Lucas went pale, suddenly lost for words.

"Sarah, I... I don't understand what you're talking about."

I laid out three place settings and handed him the divorce papers.

"I know all about it. I can't wait for her to have the baby."

"Lucas, let's get a divorce. You love kids—don't start his life in the shadows."

Lucas, frantic, clutched my hand.

"No, this isn't what it looks like. Let me explain."

I studied his face closely.

His features were the same as ever, but the youthful innocence I fell in love with was gone.

His eyes, once bright as stars, now welled with tears.

Something inside me stirred, prompting me to ask, "Lucas, for the sake of our ten years together, can you finally tell me the truth?"

"Do you really love her that much?"

Why doesn't ten years of marriage measure up to a fleeting crush?

Lucas knew he couldn't lie to me anymore.

He remained silent for a long time, then slowly began to speak.

"She's different," he admitted.

They had met a year ago on a stormy night when everyone else was cursing the rain; Maggie was jumping around, laughing.

Soaked to the skin, yet she joked about it being like a day at a water park.

Lucas looked down, his voice a murmur, "Just at that moment, I felt she was unlike any other woman..."

Raising his head, his voice grew strained.

"Sarah! Haven't you ever made mistakes?"

"Back then, you just pushed me to be more ambitious, to buy a house, a car."

"I was under so much pressure, only with her did I feel relief. I didn't want to betray you—it was you who drove me to it!"

I thought I could hold back, but I couldn't.

My hand struck his cheek before I could stop it.

Tears flooded my face as I trembled uncontrollably.

"Lucas, do you even have a conscience?"

"Is my stress any less significant than yours? Have you forgotten how we lost our baby? Or why I ended up like this?"

I'll never forget—I can't ever forget.

Back then, we believed love was enough to fill our bellies.

Couldn't afford a house? We'd rent. No car? We'd use scooters.

As long as we were together, I thought I could handle anything.

The night we lost our child was also a stormy one.

Unable to hail a cab, by the time help arrived, it was too late—the heartbeat had stopped.

I survived a massive hemorrhage only by a hysterectomy.

Long-term hormone treatments after that caused my weight to balloon.

That's when I realized how important money really was.

If we had money, we could have had a car.

And with a car, we could have gotten to the hospital in time to save our baby.

Yes, I became materialistic, I pushed him, because I couldn't forget our loss, because I dreamed of a better future for us.

Now, we have everything.

Except each other.

Hearing this, Lucas began to cry.

"Sarah, I'm sorry... I was just weak."

"I've been hiding this to protect you from the pain."

"Can you forgive me just this once? We've survived worse. I promise I'll make sure we just keep the baby and Maggie doesn't interfere with our lives again."