At our seventh wedding anniversary party, Caleb Thorne shares a drink with his childhood sweetheart.

My face darkens, and he publicly snaps at me in front of everyone. "It's just playful fun between friends—why are you so uptight? If I really had something going on with Emma, do you think you'd ever have become my wife?"

He storms off in anger. That same night, his childhood sweetheart updates her social media banner to a photo of her holding hands with Caleb.

In the past, I would've rushed to her house without a second thought, dragged Caleb out, and demanded to know if he ever truly loved me.

But this time, I don't care anymore.

My husband, Caleb Thorne, only returned from wherever he was the next day.

When he did, I was busy cleaning up the mess in our backyard.

It was our seventh anniversary yesterday.

Before things went downhill, he had once told me, "I hear people say that a marriage will fall apart after seven years, but I don't believe in such nonsense. So, we should invite all our friends and family to our seventh anniversary. That way, we can flaunt our happy marriage right in their faces."

It was precisely because of those words that I eagerly prepared to celebrate our seventh anniversary. I had even started prepping three months in advance.

I would drag myself home after work just to learn how to bake and mix drinks. Even though I was exhausted, I would still painstakingly learn how to master all the dishes that I wasn't familiar with.

Unfortunately, the anniversary party that I had prepared oh-so earnestly had instead turned into a venue for him to flirt with his darling childhood friend, Emma Davis.

He even stayed out the entire night just to be with Emma.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked upon noticing the cut on my finger.

I replied dully, "I accidentally cut myself while cooking yesterday."

Caleb scoffed before saying, "Look at you. You can't even do something as simple as that. What are you even good for?"

In the past, I would never tolerate being seen as anything less than perfect in his eyes. If he had said those words to me back then, I would have gotten into a fight with him that would have lasted for at least half an hour. Once that was over, I would drive myself crazy just to achieve perfection.

Still, that was all in the past now. I had neither the energy nor the desire to waste my time on him now.

Caleb probably noticed that I was upset. So, he reached out for my hand and offered, "Allow me."

I instinctively avoided his touch, but he stubbornly reached for me yet again.

In my struggle to dodge him, I accidentally tripped over a stool and fell.

He chuckled. "You're so clumsy."

I didn't say anything in response. Instead, I winced in pain. That was when he saw that I was bleeding between my legs.

Caleb immediately helped me up and blurted, "Let's go to the hospital."

The pain assaulting my lower abdomen was excruciating. A bad feeling surged up within me, so I didn't reject his help.

We soon bumped into Emma in the lobby when we arrived at the hospital.

She looked pale as she fell into Caleb's arms, whining, "Caleb, my stomach hurts. I think my gastritis is acting up again."

Caleb caught her and said to me absentmindedly, "You're probably just on your period, Ophelia. You're probably fine. You should register yourself at the counter. I can't leave Emma alone. Her gastritis is a serious matter. I'll take her to the ER."

I nodded. "Alright. Go ahead."

He stopped short, a curious look on his face. "You're not angry?"

I found his reaction odd. Why should I be angry? Was he behaving this way because I wasn't throwing a tantrum at him?

In truth, I was just so done with everything.

Why should I care about his relationship with Emma?

"I'll be leaving now if that's all you have to say," I said blandly.

I spun on my heels and sauntered off. I could hear his footsteps turning distant, but I never bothered looking back.

Later, my bleeding got worse. The nurse working at the reception desk noticed my plight and wasted no time rushing me to the OBGYN.

It turned out that I had a miscarriage.

The doctor inquired, "Where is your family? You need to undergo a minor surgery for this. We need a signature."

I touched my abdomen dazedly and muttered, "I have no family."

So, I signed the consent form myself and went for the surgery alone.

The entire process, including the anesthesia, took me three hours.

Caleb didn't ask after me even once.

When Caleb finally returned home that evening, I was lying on the couch as I stared blankly into space.

He shot a glance at the kitchen and demanded, "Why haven't you cooked dinner?"

Throughout our seven years of marriage, there would always be a hot meal waiting for Caleb when he came home.

It didn't matter whether I was swamped with work and couldn't make it home in time, as I would still order his favorite takeout before coming home myself.

This was the first time he ever came face-to-face with an empty dining table.

He assumed I would hurriedly get on my feet and start whipping a meal up for him. However, I only responded dully, "Make yourself a sandwich if you're that hungry."

Caleb frowned and handed me a bag.

"I remember your period pains can get awful, so I got you some heat pads."

I tilted my head slightly and finally met his gaze. "I don't need it. Leave them to someone who does."

He had no idea that Emma had posted a picture of those same heating pads on her social media.

The hand in the photo, the same hand placing them on her, was wearing his ring. It was his left hand.

Although Emma had deleted the photo, I was well aware that these heat pads that he claimed to have gotten for me were merely Emma's leftovers.

These heating pads were exactly like him, really—both only finding their way to me after Emma had no use for them anymore.

Caleb stubbornly opened one of the pads and tried to stick it on me.

I shoved him away, causing him to slam against the coffee table. Pain shot up from his waist, making him grimace.

"What's with you, Ophelia? Emma's gastritis was acting up. You were only on your period. Can't you tell which one of you needed my help more? Are you seriously throwing a tantrum because of this?"

I calmly looked at him straight in the eyes and said, "Caleb, I wasn't on my period. I had a miscarriage."

Caleb froze.

After a long moment, his lips curled into a mocking smile as he sneered. "Is this a new trick? Are you trying to guilt-trip me? Have you forgotten the tests we did seven years ago, Ophelia? It's nigh impossible for you to get pregnant. Don't you feel ashamed telling such a humiliating lie?"

I had once desperately hoped that I would be able to build a family with Caleb.

I had broken down sobbing when I discovered that I might never be able to conceive a child.

Still, I secretly registered myself to undergo various treatments over the years. I would sleep with Caleb whenever I was ovulating, hoping over and over again that I might finally get some good news. Alas, I never got my wish.

So, I didn't expect that the baby that I had been dreaming about for years would finally come to me after I had given up on my obsession.

It was just unfortunate that the very day I learned of my baby's existence was also the day I lost them forever.

Perhaps my baby's death was a sign. A sign that it was the beginning of the end between Caleb and me.

I pushed myself off the couch and muttered, "You can think whatever you like. It doesn't matter anymore."

I picked up the heat pads that had been scattered across the floor and threw them into the trash. Then, I grabbed my purse and headed for the door.

Caleb demanded, "Are you leaving?"

I replied monotonously, "Blair just moved into her new home. I'm going to stay with her for a few days."

Caleb chased after me with a frown on his face.

Frankly, this was the first time he had ever bothered trying to stop me from leaving.

After all, he would only watch on coldly when I did this in the past. Back then, it didn't matter who was in the right after we got into a squabble, as I would always come crawling back to him, begging for his forgiveness. My determination to show him who was boss would only last for two days at most.

However, this wasn't the case now.

I walked past him, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the close button without the slightest hint of reluctance.

I arrived at Blair's house half an hour later.

I told my best friend about my miscarriage. She hugged me and comforted me, coaxing me for hours.

I never once bothered texting Caleb the entire time.

Instead, he sent me a text consisting of a single question mark.

I ignored it. He shot me another text the following day, saying, "The breakfast they serve out here tastes horrible."

Blair, who was sitting at the dining table and enjoying breakfast with me, regarded me with unconcealed bewilderment before blurting, "I can't believe you're still here! You actually stayed here instead of running back home to cook him a meal."

I gave her a smile and hummed in agreement.

Her surprise was understandable because I would drop whatever the hell I was doing just for Caleb.

However, that was in the past, and I… was done.

Blair said sincerely, "You've finally put yourself first for once."

I looked up at the ceiling for a long while after hearing her words. As the silence stretched on, I finally murmured, "Blair Smith, you're a divorce attorney… Do you have any advice for me if I plan on getting a divorce?"

Blair practically leaped to her feet as she rattled off a long list of clauses.

The jargon spewing out of her mouth had gone completely over my head. She saw my dumbfounded state and said with a wave of her hand, "I'll handle it. Don't worry."

So, I settled in her home and lived with her. I never bothered texting Caleb for days on end.

My peace lasted for about five days. On the fifth day, my mother-in-law, Pauline Wood, posted a picture in the family's group chat. She had tagged the picture, saying that hardly anyone had bothered visiting her, even though it was her birthday soon.

It was a picture of the Thornes having a meal together.

Among them sat Caleb with Emma clinging onto him like a lemur.

Caleb called me within ten minutes after the picture was posted, saying, "Ophelia, please don't misunderstand me. Mom arranged the gathering. She's my mother, so I couldn't possibly disrespect her. I—"

I cut him off, replying blandly, "Alright, I understand. Is there anything else?"

He started hesitantly, "You're not… mad?"

I huffed in amusement and asked, "Why should I be mad?"

Caleb fell silent.

After a while, he said, "It's my mother's birthday this Saturday. I'll pick you up then."

He immediately ended the call right after he said that. It was as if he was worried I would reject him.

Caleb arrived at Blair's place on Saturday. He had come early.

When his car pulled over, Emma popped out from the passenger seat and called out, "Ophelia, come on! We've been waiting for you for ages."

She was behaving as though she were Caleb's wife.

If she had done this in the past, I would have most probably dragged her out of the car and forced Caleb to choose between us. I would've been hysterical over a seat.

However, this was no longer the case now. I only gave Emma a slight nod in greeting before getting in the back seat.

Caleb's hands tightened around the steering wheel as he shot a glance at me through the rearview mirror.

I tugged my lips into a polite smile before returning to my conversation with Blair.

When we arrived at the Thorne residence, I promptly took out the gift I prepared for Pauline and said courteously, "Happy birthday, Pauline."

Then, I sat down and quietly enjoyed my meal.

Caleb and Emma were sitting next to me. They were both craning their necks as they happily chatted over my head.

Eventually, I rose to my feet and suggested, "Let's switch seats. You two would be able to chat better this way."

Everyone at the table froze.

After all, I had thrown a huge fuss when Emma had insisted on sitting next to Caleb a few months ago. I had even called her a homewrecker.

So, none of them expected me to say those words so calmly.

Emma was overjoyed and wasted no time switching seats with me. On the other hand, Caleb kept staring at me, his gaze darkening with every passing second.

I left to use the restroom.

When I returned, the atmosphere at the table had returned to its previous harmonious state.

I heard Emma say, "Mrs. Thorne, it's your birthday today. How could you give me a gift?"

I followed her voice and saw Pauline placing an emerald bracelet on Emma's wrist.

Caleb didn't stop her.

Everyone else around them had mixed expressions.

They all knew that the bracelet was an heirloom that was traditionally passed down to the next mistress of the Thornes.

Pauline hadn't been pleased when Caleb and I had gotten married. She thought I wasn't good enough for their family.

As years passed with me remaining childless, her dissatisfaction with me grew. So, it was only natural that she had never bothered giving me the bracelet.

She had wanted to give Emma the bracelet on her birthday last year.

I refused to allow such a thing to happen. So, when Emma reached for it, I immediately fought Emma for it.

Both of us fell into the lake during our struggle. Caleb didn't even hesitate to rescue Emma before lashing out at me viciously.

He had barked, "It's just a bracelet! Haven't I gotten you enough gifts? Why do you have to fight Emma for this bracelet? I've spoiled you rotten, haven't I? Fine, I'll just get you another one!"

I came down with a cold after that incident. My fever had lasted for two whole days.

Caleb only continued to berate me, saying, "It serves you right for being so immature and reckless."

I would no longer lose myself over something like this now.

Instead, I calmly took my purse, excused myself politely, and left.

I made no detours and returned home.

Caleb was right on my tail. He had a thunderous look on his face when he returned home.

"Ophelia, do you even have any common courtesy left in you? It's one thing for you not to come home for days, but how could you be so rude to our elders?"

When he noticed my silence, he yanked at his tie and sneered. "What's this? Are you giving me attitude right now? Fine, let's get a divorce."

This was the third time Caleb had brought up divorce.

He threatened divorce the first time because I had refused a drink offered by his boss, embarrassing him.

To make up for it, we invited his boss to a meal, and I ended up drinking so much that I was hospitalized. I had begged for Caleb's forgiveness whilst on IV drip.

Then, he threatened it again because I accidentally broke the jigsaw puzzle Emma had gifted him.

He was furious. I groveled and cried as I swore it would never happen again.

This time, I only looked at him calmly and said, "Alright."