Ever since I said 'I do' to Lucas, I placed his needs before mine, tailoring even my meals to suit his taste buds.

He was a total seafood junkie. Me, though? I used to break out in hives just thinking about it.

I had sucked it up more times than I could count, just to make him happy.

However, all my toughing it out? He just took it as a given.

Last time, my allergy went nuclear, and Lucas did not even blink. Dragged me to a seafood feast anyway.

I ended up gasping for air in the ER, and he was moaning about how I ruined the fun, calling me oversensitive. He even had the nerve to say Yvonne would never pull a stunt like that, because she had been his seafood buddy since they were in diapers.

Was I blind or what, trying to push his childhood crush out of the picture?

Seriously, if he really cared about me, would he play the comparison game when I was feeling like death warmed over?

"Oops, Harriet's allergic, my bad, totally slipped my mind," Yvonne cooed, her words dripping with fake pity. "I just love seafood, and Lucas, bless him, he's always going along with it."

I just flashed her a tight smile and shot back, "Yeah, he's super considerate of you."

Lucas's face turned stormy, and he slammed his cutlery down like he was trying to make a point.

Mad? I was just calling it like I saw it. What was he mad about?

Right then, my soup showed up. I kept my head down, focusing on my bowl, but Lucas made a big show of sitting right next to me.

That left Yvonne across the table, chomping on her cheek and shooting me the stink eye.

The rest of the meal passed in dead silence.

I was about to bounce the second I finished my soup, but Lucas caught my hand. "We need to talk," he said, all serious.

"Lucas, my parents say they miss you. They want me to bring you over. Got time later?" Yvonne butted in, reaching for his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world.

However, Lucas, in a move that shocked us both, kept his distance, leaving her hanging. He did not even bother to answer her.

I threw him a curveball. "Hey, did you check out that news article I sent you yesterday?"

Lucas blinked, surprised, and whipped out his phone to scroll through our texts.

I watched his face lose color as I said, "Lucas, there was an incident involving a plane yesterday. I was freaking out that you'd be upset for me. But what about you? If I had actually died, how long would it have taken you to notice?"

I left Lucas standing there, lost, and caught a cab back to my parents' place.

After a lot of thinking, I decided to come clean to my parents about my divorce and all the bottled-up frustration from the past few years.

That heart-to-heart got me their understanding. All they have ever wanted was for me to be happy.

I crashed at their place for the next few days. I used to be all about Lucas, hardly ever hanging with Mom and Dad.

It was funny how staring death in the face could make things crystal clear.

If I could not be the only one in the spotlight, then forget it.

Lucas started showing up after work with gifts in tow, cozying up to my parents and quizzing Mom about my favorite meals—stuff the old Lucas would never bother with, thinking it was not manly.

He even got me presents—a bracelet and some lady's perfume.

I barely gave them a glance.

"Don't you like them?" he asked, all careful and concerned. That was new for him.

I gave him a weird look. "Ever seen me wear this kind of bracelet? And the perfume—it's too sweet, not my style."

I watched his expression fall as I laid it out without pulling any punches.

"Yvonne put you up to this, didn't she? Sorry, but I'm not into being just like everyone else."

Back in the day, I would have been over the moon to get anything from him.

Lucas's jaw tightened, and in a sudden burst of anger, he knocked the pile of gifts to the floor.

"Why do you have to talk like that? The hike with Yvonne was planned way before, and it's not like I could've stopped the plane from having issues. Look at you! You're totally fine, aren't you?"

I thought I was over it, but his icy words sent a shiver through my heart.

Everyone I knew, even people I barely talked to, had kind words for me after hearing about my close call.

My husband? He had not said one caring thing to me that whole time.

I gave him a small, wry smile. "I don't remember asking you to shower me with gifts, did I?"

"You're going to regret this, Harriet!"

With his teeth gritted in anger, Lucas stormed out without a backward glance.

I ended up going back home. I had stuff to pack and a divorce agreement to discuss with my lawyer friend.

Lucas changed his late-night habits. He started coming home right after work and even cooked meals that were just to my liking.

He even started offering to drive to work together.

However, I had him drop me off just before we got to the office.

He looked at me, bewildered, asking why.

"You wanted to keep our relationship hush-hush around the office, remember?"

Lucas was speechless.

When he started at the company, I was the one with the higher position. He was worried about office gossip and did not want us to be public. I got it and respected his wishes.

Even after we got married and he climbed the ranks, he still kept us a secret.

He even had to have his own car, refusing to commute with mine.

"Where's your ring?" he suddenly asked, eyeing my left hand on the steering wheel.

I brushed it off. "It's not practical, so I took it off."

"No way! You never took that off before..."

His words were tinged with a whiny nasal sound.

True, I had always worn it, a silent signal to my coworkers that I was taken, though they had not a clue about the man I had married.

They would joke about my top-secret love life, guessing he must be some kind of catch.

If only they knew it was my husband who would not own up to being mine.

Lucas held out the ring to me, but I could not care less, actually feeling more bugged than anything.

"Keep it if it means so much to you."

Later that night, Yvonne's picture popped up on my phone.

There was Lucas, numbing his woes with booze at a bar, slumped over in her embrace.

Her message read, [Thanks for giving him back to me.]

I left her hanging, snapped a screenshot, and blasted it on my feed.

[Perfect pair. Best wishes.]

Come morning, Lucas was at my door, desperate to clear the air, insisting they had not done a thing.

"Take down your post, will you? Yvonne was just blowing off steam. Her new business can't take the hit if your clients see that..."

I coolly told him, "I really do wish you the best."

That set off his alarm bells.

I slid the signed divorce papers across to him.

"We're done, Lucas."