From age eighteen to twenty-four, Eliana Moore's affection for Samuel Thomas only grew stronger.

The name Samuel Thomas was imprinted in Eliana's youth.

On the day they got their marriage certificate, Eliana happily posted it on all her social media platforms to share her joy.

However, two years after their marriage, the wedding she wanted never came to fruition.

Samuel's family was in the import-export business. After they got married, the two of them rarely spent time together.

She repeatedly bugged Samuel to say, "I love you!"

It was just to ease the uneasiness in her heart.

Today was their wedding anniversary. Eliana made his favorite dishes early and decorated the house romantically.

Eliana's hope slowly faded as the clock hands moved past hour after hour.

She called Samuel, but no one answered.

She then called Samuel's assistant, but no one answered.

Finally, she dialed Samuel's mother's number.

"Hello, what's wrong?" said Zoey.

Samuel's mother, Zoey Clark, was naturally cold-hearted. Her words were always hurtful.

"Mom, I can't reach Samuel. I'm afraid something happened to him," said Eliana.

There was a pause on the other end. "Just wash up and go to sleep! He's safe," said Zoey.

"Wait, Mom, where is he? Can you tell me? Today is our wedding anniversary."

Eliana lowered her tone, pleading sincerely.

"So what if it's your wedding anniversary? He's got things to do. You can't expect him to be home with you every day, can you?" said Zoey.

Every word stabbed at her heart.

Eliana hung up the phone and sat on the sofa, feeling powerless.

A woman's intuition told her that something was going on with Samuel outside.

But she felt utterly helpless.

It seemed like Samuel didn't love her that much. Or perhaps, he didn't love her at all.

From school to the wedding dress, their love story was envied by many.

Only she knew that she was the one most deeply caught up in this love.

Even though she knew Samuel wouldn't stop flirting with others and knew Zoey didn't like her, she still hopelessly married him.

At eleven-thirty at night, Samuel came home reeking of alcohol. He took off his clothes and went to shower.

Eliana wiped away her tears and cleaned up Samuel's clothes.

Suddenly, she smelled a perfume that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

It was familiar because she had smelled it more than once. But, she was unfamiliar because she didn't know who it belonged to.

She quietly lay in bed and. For the first time, she refused Samuel's advances.

The next day, Samuel left early in the morning.

He left behind only a necklace and a note.

"Good morning! Happy anniversary! Making up for my absence yesterday," said the note.

It was signed, "Love, your husband Samuel."

Eliana put the necklace in the drawer. She put on her makeup and went to work.

Lucy looked at the haggard woman in front of her. It was hard to connect her with the vibrant woman from a year ago.

"Is Samuel treating you badly?" asked Lucy.

Eliana shook her head. "No, he turns in his paycheck on time, comes home for dinner often, and even puts effort into making me happy."

But he just didn't love only her.

Lucy didn't ask any more questions. She knew that some things had to be realized by the person involved.

"By the way, has Mason contacted you?" asked Lucy.

Eliana shook her head. "Why would he contact me?"

Lucy sipped her coffee and smiled. "How would I know? I met him while I was in Zanexes for training, and he asked for your contact information back then," said Lucy.

Eliana smiled. "Maybe he was just being polite. You really gave it to him?"

Lucy smiled but said nothing.

After work, Lucy dragged Eliana out for a night of fun. Eliana didn't come home that night.

The next morning, as Eliana returned home, she wondered how she would explain it to Samuel.

But when she opened the door, the house was empty.

She had messaged Samuel last night, saying she was staying at Lucy's place. But, she never got a response.

She skipped breakfast and rushed home in the morning, afraid he might be upset.

But what happened?

Seeing the tidy room, Eliana knew that Samuel hadn't come home last night either.

In the end, Eliana had overestimated her importance in Samuel's heart.

Eliana lay in bed, trying her best to fall asleep. But she couldn't. The memories of the past were too beautiful. So, she couldn't accept her current state.

The tears kept flowing. She tried to cry as quietly as possible.

In the afternoon, Samuel came home early, which was unusual.

He smiled, tiptoeing into the room.

He slipped into the warm bed, pulling the sleeping woman into his arms.

Actually, Eliana had woken up as soon as he entered the room. But she didn't open her eyes.

When Samuel held her, Eliana felt a slight comfort.

But when she smelled the perfume, all she felt was disgust.

Eliana knew that socializing inevitably involved going to such places.

For the sake of this family, she could accept Samuel's flirtations, his continuous ambiguity, and even Zoey's difficulties.

But she couldn't accept that Samuel had a long-term ambiguous relationship with someone. That was cheating!

Seeing her tears, Samuel asked, "What's wrong, baby?"

Eliana cried, saying, "I had a nightmare."

Samuel wiped away her tears, saying, "What nightmare? I'm here. You have nothing to fear!"

"I dreamed you cheated on me. You didn't want me anymore."

Eliana held him tightly. Her tone was full of grievance.

Samuel's body stiffened. But he quickly returned to normal.

"How could that be? I love you the most. I'll never leave you."

He stroked Eliana's hair. A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes.

Eliana lifted her head, saying, "Samuel, if you don't like me anymore, you must tell me one day. I won't cling to you."

Her tone was sincere. Her expression was earnest.

"That won't happen. It will never happen."

Samuel closed his eyes, no longer looking at her. He said, "I'm tired, baby. I want to sleep for a while."

Eliana lay in his arms, saying softly, "Okay, you sleep."

Eliana thought she might be pregnant. She hadn't had her period for more than a month.

She went to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor told her that no embryo had attached in her uterus.

Eliana was stunned. What did this mean?

The doctor said, "You might have an ectopic pregnancy."

The doctor scheduled her for a check-up the next day. She agreed.

That night, Eliana still went to sleep alone.

Samuel still returned in the middle of the night.

The next morning, Samuel was gone again. Only a hot breakfast and a note were on the table.

"Remember to eat breakfast on time."

Eliana put the note away. She ate the tasteless cereal, one spoonful at a time.

In the morning, Eliana went to the hospital.

The doctor told her, "Unfortunately, you have an ectopic pregnancy. But it was detected early. Surgery will take care of it."

When she got home, Eliana quietly packed two pieces of clothing.

She called Samuel. But no one answered.

By nightfall, Samuel came back.

He smelled of alcohol. His face was full of joy.

He held Eliana, saying excitedly, "Baby, look what I bought for you?"

After saying that, he handed over a bag, signaling Eliana to open it.

Eliana opened the bag. Inside was a red dress.

"Do you like it?"

Samuel kissed her, saying, "You look the best in red."

"Samuel, I have an ectopic pregnancy."

Eliana placed the dress on the sofa. She spoke calmly.

She had always wanted a child. But unfortunately, she never got her wish.

Ectopic pregnancy?

Samuel was stunned for a moment. Then he hugged Eliana.

"It's okay. We'll go to the hospital tomorrow."

He held Eliana tightly. His tone was somewhat dejected.

The next morning, Samuel accompanied Eliana to the hospital.

The surgery went well. The doctor said the damage was minimal. With proper care, she would recover quickly.

Samuel stayed with Eliana for a week. During this week, he learned to make supplements. He washed clothes and cleaned the house.

He would sit with Eliana in the sun. Every night, he held her as they slept.

For Eliana, this week was the most peaceful since she got married.

Samuel was no longer unreachable or working late. It was as if the world only had the two of them.

"Eliana, you didn't tell me. If I hadn't asked Samuel, you would've kept it from me," said Lucy.

Lucy showed up at the door, demanding answers.

She put down the gift she was holding. She gave Eliana a big hug.

Eliana pulled her down to sit. She said softly, "I didn't want to disrupt your work. Aren't you busy lately?"

Lucy patted her on the head. She said, "What are you talking about? How could I ever leave you alone?"

She saw Samuel wasn't home. She couldn't help but comment, "How is he not home given your situation?"

Eliana smiled. She said, "He went out to see a friend. It's not like I'm paralyzed. I can manage on my own."

Lucy tapped her on the forehead. She said, "You silly girl, you're in a special time right now. Even if he's not home, shouldn't your mother-in-law be checking on you?"

Eliana gave a helpless smile. She said, "You know his mom doesn't like me."

After that, Eliana changed the subject.

Lucy stayed at Eliana's house all afternoon. She only left reluctantly when her firm called.

"Eliana, if you're ever unhappy, you have to tell me," said Lucy.

Lucy looked at her intently before she left.

Lucy had been Eliana's friend for ten years. She had witnessed Eliana's passionate youth. She had also seen her change.

In this marriage, Eliana gradually lost her original self.

She was no longer vibrant. She was no longer full of life.

Lucy saw it. Eliana also noticed her own change.

But fortunately, everything seemed to be going in a good direction.

Her marriage seemed to be reviving.

Days passed by. Eliana was like a rose blooming again.

Her life got back on track. Samuel came home more and more often.

Her marriage seemed to gradually become what she had dreamed of.

But a leopard can't change its spots.

At night, after the passion, Eliana smelled that scent again.

It was on his shirt, on his coat, even on his hair. It was that disgusting scent.

At that moment, Eliana felt incredibly nauseous.

She soaked in the bathtub. She covered her head and cried softly.

Everything had been going in a good direction, so why?

Why destroy her last hope?

In the morning, Samuel got up and prepared breakfast as usual.

"Babe, I have to go on a business trip for a while," said Samuel.

Samuel handed her a glass of milk.

"Go ahead," said Eliana.

Eliana didn't even look up.

Seeing her like this, Samuel felt a pang in his heart. He swallowed the words he wanted to say.

After breakfast, Eliana packed the things Samuel needed for his trip.

"Babe, aren't you going to ask where I'm going?" said Samuel.

Samuel hugged Eliana as she folded clothes.

"You're a grown man. You have your freedom."

Eliana kept folding clothes. She continued, "Marriage isn't a shackle. Everyone has their freedom. As long as boundaries are respected, a marriage can continue to function."

Samuel nodded thoughtfully.

As soon as Samuel left, Eliana went out as well.

In the afternoon, Eliana stood in front of the building. She thought for a long time.

This wasn't Eliana's first time here, but it was the first time she came as a guest.

"What's wrong? You don't look well," said Lucy.

Lucy saw her expression and knew something was wrong.

Eliana held her coffee. She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. She gazed at the traffic outside. She seemed deep in thought.

"I want a divorce," said Eliana.

Lucy was shocked. Did she hear right?

She had known they would divorce eventually, but she hadn't expected Eliana to bring it up first.

"What's wrong? Are you surprised?" said Eliana.

Eliana smiled weakly.

"Do even you think I'd never let go?" said Eliana.

Lucy's complicated expression said it all.

"Samuel doesn't love me. Or he doesn't love me enough. So why should we keep torturing each other?"

Eliana put down her cup. She took out some photos.

"Take a look," said Eliana.

Lucy took them and looked closely. She gritted her teeth. "That jerk is playing around quite a bit!"

Eliana gave a self-deprecating smile. She said, "It's not that I don't allow women around him. He's a businessman, after all. But he's keeping a woman who goes with him to every social event."

"Did you have someone take these photos?" said Lucy.

Lucy put the photos away. She handed them back.

Eliana shook her head. She said, "Someone sent them to my email."

"That woman?" Lucy asked.

Eliana nodded. She said, "I met her. Just now."

That woman was very beautiful.

She wore a red dress identical to hers. She wore a necklace just like hers.

The moment she saw her, Eliana knew why she had lost.

Some people don't need to do anything. Just standing there, she's already won.