On the tenth time, I found Eulalie Vargas in bed with another person; her response was not as strong as before.

She casually checked her watch and softly placed a jacket over her new lover in her arms.

“Wasn’t the prenatal checkup scheduled this afternoon? Why did you return so soon?”

When I gave no reply, she pressed a kiss to the other man’s face and calmly stepped between us.

“The child is still small. If there is any anger, put it on me.”

She thought I would act like before, out of control, causing a huge scene.

But what she did not realize was that the ten-year agreement from the past was about to end.

I would be free to leave her very soon.

——

On the marriage photo beside the bed, there were now two clear palm marks.

One on the left, one on the right, covering both my face and Eulalie’s.

It was simple to picture the position they had just shared.

I drew a slow breath and turned to face Eulalie.

“Didn’t we promise not to bring anyone home?”

“Do you even remember what date today is?”

Eulalie smiled without care.

She easily lit a cigarette and blew the smoke toward my face.

“I drank too much. How would I remember any of that?”

However, her new lover in her arms was surprised.

While quickly pulling on his clothes, he stared at me with shaking eyes and said, “Mr. Kennedy, I didn’t plan this.”

“It was last night when—”

Seeing him stumble in fear, I stepped closer and calmly pulled up the zipper on the back of his clothes for him.

“It’s alright. You may leave.”

“I understand very clearly what kind of person Eulalie is.”

This was not the first time this sort of thing had happened over the years.

Drinking too much, feeling upset.

Feeling bored, searching for fun.

Anything could turn into a reason for her cheating.

As for the person standing before me, forget being the third party; he did not even count as the eighteenth.

Why should I waste energy arguing with him?

The man rushed away in fear. I called Louise to clean up the room.

In a messy room, condoms were scattered across the floor.

Just more looks already made me feel sick.

I covered my nose and mouth and sprayed disinfectant.

Eulalie, however, used the moment to wrap my waist from behind.

Her soft head rubbed against me again and again.

“Sweet husband, how did you become so well-behaved now?”

“Are you scared I won’t come back, or did you finally learn how to be a proper live-in husband for a rich family?”

She squeezed my cheek with satisfaction and laughed lightly. “How pleasant this feels.”

“As long as you behave yourself, I will never let anyone take your place.”

While speaking, Eulalie smoothly searched through a stack of gift boxes and pulled out a watch to place on my wrist.

“This is your reward.”

“Alright, stop being upset now. I know today is our tenth wedding anniversary.”

“Wipe your tears. I’ll take you out to celebrate.”

She said it lightly.

But she did not know that across these ten years, my tears had already dried out.

I pulled away from Eulalie’s touch and gave her the divorce agreement I had already readied.

“Eulalie, let us get a divorce.”

Eulalie paused briefly, then laughed even harder. “Stop playing games, Valerian.”

“You know it. We cannot get divorced.”

She squeezed my face, her hand sliding across my body.

At last, it rested over my chest.

“Go pack your things and come with me for the prenatal checkup.”

“Do not cause trouble for yourself.”

Back then, to stay with Eulalie, I cut off contact with my family.

My father announced that I was never allowed to return to Vermont, never allowed to go back home.

To punish my stubborn behavior, he even relied on his contacts in Louisiana.

He tied me firmly to Eulalie.

No separation, no divorce.

In this lifetime, whether affection or hatred, we can only stay beside one another.

At that time, Eulalie knelt in front of me.

She promised she would love me for her whole life and said I would never regret my decision.

Yet in the second year after we married, she broke our vows.

Holding her lover in her arms, she faced me boldly and said, “Yes, I was cheating. What can you do about it?”

“Valerian, you have nowhere else to go.”

“In this life, you can only stay bound to me!”

I called my family, crying and saying I was sorry for my choice.

My father ended the call without warmth. My mother watched and stayed silent.

They said this was the path I chose, and even if I cried, I had to walk it until the end.

Because of that, knowing I would not leave, Eulalie grew prouder and more reckless.

Lovers came and left, and rumors spread everywhere.

Now, she even openly brought people to the house.

But what she did not know was that when I left before, my father and I set a ten-year agreement.

We made a wager about how long our love could last.

If I won, he would try his best to support our marriage.

If I lost, then I would return and accept a family-arranged wedding.

Because of Eulalie, this marriage, this wager, I lost everything, fully and completely.

While Eulalie was driving, I called that familiar number.

“Dad, I lost.”

“A deal is a deal. In three days, I will go back to Vermont for the arranged wedding.”

My father had never failed at a betting table.

Facing this expected result, he showed no surprise at all.

He only replied calmly and gave a few simple orders. “Valerian, you are my oldest son. This family business will still be inherited by you.”

“What is over is over. I will not argue with you about it, but there is one thing you must keep in mind.”

“What should not be taken, do not take. What should not be left, do not leave.”

What must not be taken was the baby growing inside Eulalie.

What must not be left behind was the wealth I had made for Eulalie.

These ten years of hurt were the warning he wanted me to keep in mind.

“I get it, Dad.”

After the call ended, Eulalie was already honking downstairs to rush me.

I climbed into the front seat marked with another man’s name.

The whole ride, neither of us said a word.

She acted like she did not notice the space on my face.

I acted like I did not notice the strong perfume inside the car.

When we stepped out, Eulalie reached out by habit to steady me.

Her pushed-up sleeve showed a long blade mark.

For a short moment, I let out a quiet breath.

To stay with me, Eulalie had been stabbed eighteen times across her body, barely staying alive.

The person who once cared for me so deeply that she would risk her life, how did she turn into this person now?

Before I could think any more, a man suddenly walked up and hooked his arm around Eulalie’s.

“Sister Eulalie, you haven’t come to see me for such a long while.”

“So why do you have time to show up today?”

“Did you argue with the man you keep at home, or is the new one no longer good enough for you?”

It was Percy Craig.

The most spoiled one among Eulalie’s many lovers and also the one who had stayed with her for the longest time.

Percy acted sweet and clingy toward Eulalie, leaning against her and rubbing close again and again.

Eulalie’s face was full of smiles.

She ignored me standing nearby and, as if performing a trick, pulled out an old watch to amuse Percy.

“What are you talking about? I might forget other people, but I would never forget my little darling.”

“Wasn’t this meant just to make you smile? I even flew to Vermont to pick out a watch for you.”

“Alright, play on your own for a bit. I still need to go to my pregnancy check.”

“After I finish, I’ll come back to look for you again.”

After saying this, she still remembered to give Percy a tap on his butt.

Seeing that familiar watch, I almost burst out laughing.

A woman who climbed up from nothing truly plans every move carefully.

She bought a real one for her lover and still remembered to add a fake one for her husband.

The watch strap on my wrist burned, making my chest hurt.

I took it off without care and threw it into the bin.

When I turned around, I suddenly heard a few people nearby talking in low voices.

They were curious about the relationship among the three of us.

One of them wanted to step closer to listen, but stopped by a friend.

“Are you out of your mind? Didn’t you notice the man next to her?”

“That’s… the Gambling King’s oldest boy.”

The Gambling King’s oldest boy. I had not heard that name for a very long time.

Before I could say anything, Percy laughed first.

He looked at me with clear dislike and spoke with a mocking smile.

“What Gambling King’s oldest boy? He’s just a useless loser who got thrown out by his own family and hangs onto the Vargas family, a worthless kept man who eats for free and does nothing.”

“The type I hate most is trash like this!”

I am trash.

Then what did that make Eulalie, who made her money by leaning on me?

And what did that make Percy, who was being kept by Eulalie?

When did these two even get together?

Was it after my first car crash?

Was it when I drank until my stomach bled just to help Eulalie lock in a deal?

Or was it when Eulalie was chased by enemies, and I took a bullet for her, ending up badly hurt and unconscious?

It had been too long. I could not remember it clearly.

I only recall that while I was being hospitalized, Eulalie ended up with this young nurse.

The two of them acted like sparks hitting dry wood, loving each other until they lost all reason.

During those days, I often got messages sent by Percy.

I lay flat on the hospital bed, my face turned pale.

There was no one beside me.

Percy sprawled across the bed, his cheeks red.

In his arms lay my wife.

So many years went by, yet Percy remained too arrogant.

It was easy to see how much Eulalie had spoiled him.

But it did not matter anymore.

After I leave, they could be together openly.

What I must handle now was the burden on her belly.

I ignored the teasing couple and walked into the surgery room.

Doctor Eric already knew about Eulalie’s pregnancy.

Before he could even say his good wishes, I passed him the paper in my hand.

“Please help me deal with this baby.”

Doctor Eric stood still for a short moment.

After reading my reports, his face turned much heavier.

“Mr. Kennedy, have you really thought about this clearly?”

“The baby seems very healthy, and you and your wife have waited many years to get pregnant. It was not easy to finally have a child…”

Eulalie’s first miscarriage happened when she was twenty years old.

At that time, we had just moved to Louisiana, and we were just poor.

Every day, we could only crowd into old, cheap rooms just to survive.

She felt I was too poor and could not give her the life she wanted, so she ended the pregnancy and wanted to separate from me.

To prove myself to her, I worked until I was exhausted, making money wherever I could and taking any job I found.

When my work finally started to improve, Eulalie offended a local boss and was taken away.

To save her, I spent every bit of money I had and was beaten until I landed in the hospital.

Back then, I was still young; if I had rested well, I could have healed fully.

But I could not stand seeing Eulalie suffer.

Even if it ruined my own body, I still chose to let her live a better life.