On the third anniversary of our marriage, Jade made this huge, public love confession to her first love on the big screen in the central square.

"We're never gonna have to miss each other like this ever again."

Of course, I had to ask her why it had to be tonight.

She shrugged like it was no big deal and said, "Because this day's important to you! When you get mad, it just makes him happier, and that makes him love me even more!"

I posted their little declaration online, captioning it:

'A Blessing for Eternal Love.'

But as soon as the video went viral, Jade logged into my account and quickly deleted it. As expected, the scolding phone call followed.

'I was just trying to make him happy! Do you really have to overreact? Your petty behavior is disgusting!'

The next second, I got a photo of Jade with her first love, Henry James. They were kissing, full-on, in French style. In the past, I would've lost it. But this time, I chose to stay calm and just walk away.

Then, Jade finally came home around dawn.

I woke up to the noise she was making. "Luke, I was only gone for one night! Why are you acting like this is a big deal?"

Glancing at the mess on the dining table, I didn't say anything. I went straight to wash up. Jade is somewhat obsessed with cleanliness, so I knew the sight of the mess I left behind from my solo candlelit dinner would get on her nerves.

Usually, I would've cleaned it up and waited for her, stubbornly hoping she'd come home before morning. But after seeing that photo of them from Henry last night, I felt oddly relieved. I drank some wine, slept soundly, and didn't even bother leaving the lights on or waiting on the couch.

It was peaceful.

"I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?" Jade snapped.

I spat out the toothpaste and replied, "If you can't stand it, clean it up yourself."

Her face darkened. To my surprise, she rolled up her sleeves and cleaned the mess. When she noticed the ten empty wine bottles, her brow furrowed. "You drank all of these by yourself?"

When we got married, we purchased ten bottles of wine together, promising to open one every ten years to celebrate our anniversary. But last night, I only had one glass.

The rest? I poured it down the drain.

Besides, I didn't feel like explaining it, so I just nodded.

Meanwhile, she looked shocked, mistaking my silence for sorrow, and said, "I couldn't get your favorite soup dumplings, but the seafood porridge from next door is just as good. Have some to fill your stomach. I'll make you some hangover soup."

I replied stingily, "Oh."

It was classic Jade.

She would slap me, then try to appease me with a sweet gesture. It was her usual way of manipulating me. But, of course, I didn't call her out on it.

Ten minutes earlier, Henry had posted on his social media:

'Someone went to the pier before dawn to get the freshest seafood just to make me a bowl of seafood porridge, feeling blessed.'

In the photo, the woman who wouldn't normally lift a finger in the kitchen is wearing a dark apron and focused on preparing seafood.

Contrasting with the woman in front of me, I opened Jade's food container to find the porridge cold, with just a few pieces of scallion and celery. There was no seafood. I tossed it in the trash just as she turned around.

"Luke, I waited in line to get that for you, and this is how you act? So ungrateful!" She thought if she told a lie to please me, I should just let it slide.

With a blank expression, I said, "I can't eat seafood right now."

Her hand froze mid-slice as she cut ginger. "Stop being so dramatic!" she snapped.

I knew exactly what she really wanted to say. After venting her frustration, she focused on making the hangover soup, but it was nothing compared to the effort she put into that seafood porridge for Henry. Right then, Jade's phone buzzed. She gestured for me to hand it over.

I glanced at the screen. It was a message from Henry. I read it aloud, "Jade, I feel like the happiest man in the world."

Jade hadn't expected me to read it out loud and in a teasing tone, no less. She immediately exploded, smashing the plate she was holding. "Can you stop being such a jerk for once?"

A shard from the plate cut my foot, and I felt a sharp pain. As the blood started pouring out, I looked at her and said, "Isn't this how Henry talks to you?"

Jade was queasy around blood, so she immediately leaned against the stove, panicking. "You idiot, can't you move? Don't think that getting hurt will make me care about you!"

I ignored her, grabbing the first aid kit to stop the bleeding. When I realized the cut wasn't healing quickly, I wrapped my foot and got ready to head to the hospital. But Jade insisted I drink the hangover soup first. I wasn't drunk at all, and I definitely didn't want to drink anything she made. In a hurry, the hot soup spilled all over her hand, instantly causing blisters.

She let out a soft hiss of pain but didn't curse like she usually would. "You're deliberately making this harder for me, aren't you? Fine, we'll both go to the hospital now."

When we got to the parking garage, Jade offered to drive. Since my foot was killing me, I didn't argue.

As I slid into the back seat, she couldn't resist a sarcastic jab. "What? Is the front seat cursed or something?"

I rolled down the window, needing some air. No curse, but the car reeked of Henry's cologne.

Feeling her eyes on me, I replied casually, "You don't do well with blood."

That seemed to settle her down a bit.

"I spilled some perfume yesterday. The smell's probably still hanging around," Jade explained, handing me a half-empty bottle. "I actually made this as your anniversary gift, but I spilled half of it. You can still have it, though, if you don't mind."

I didn't touch it. I don't do leftovers, whether it's food, someone else's perfume, or anything secondhand, including women.

I just leaned back and said, "My foot's bleeding all over your car. Can we get to the hospital already?"

Jade went quiet. Her little attempt at kindness fell flat. But she kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror like she had something on her mind but didn't know how to say it.

When I closed my eyes and pretended to nap, she finally said, "Mom wants us to stop by her house today. Could you..."

She was clearly worried I'd let it slip that Henry was back. Since I was already set on the divorce, I didn't want to make things messier than they needed to be. If her mom found out Henry was the reason, it'd just drag everything out.

So, I just nodded. Jade then let out a sigh of relief.

The rest of the drive was awkwardly quiet, but oddly enough, I didn't mind. It was kind of nice, actually. When we got to the hospital, Jade gave me a squinty look, probably trying to figure me out, then dropped me off at the emergency room before hurrying to the burn unit.

"I'll grab my medicine and be back in a bit. Then we'll head to my mom's."

As soon as we got there, the ER was chaotic. A car accident patient came in, covered in blood. Jade definitely wouldn't have handled it well. She couldn't stand the sight of blood.

It had already been an hour by the time the doctor finished with me, but Jade hadn't returned. Instead, my mother-in-law called, asking when we'd get to the house.

Right then, I got a notification on my phone. Henry had posted something on social media:

'Too much seafood, and now my stomach's killing me. Someone freaked out, but the doctor says it's just indigestion.'

I glanced at the picture. It was taken right here in the hospital.

So much for Jade making it to the old house with me.

Not in the mood to deal with my mother-in-law's endless questions about grandkids, I came up with an excuse to skip the visit. As I left the hospital, nausea hit me, and I had to lean against the wall, dry-heaving while cold sweat dripped down my face.

A passing doctor noticed and stopped.

"You okay, sir?" she asked, looking concerned.

I shook my head. "I'm good, thanks."

Ignoring the dizziness, I headed toward the restroom but overheard a conversation as I turned the corner.

"Henry, you've gotta stop being so reckless. I told you not to overeat, and now you're dealing with indigestion!" Jade said with concern.

Henry smiled mischievously. "Jade, it's your fault for making that seafood porridge so damn good. I wanted to eat the whole thing, even the bowl!"

I turned and saw Henry grinning at Jade like she was the only thing that mattered. The sight of it made my stomach churn even more.

Jade giggled back at him, "If you liked it that much, just let me know. I'll make it for you whenever you want. But you've gotta stop stuffing your face like that!"

Henry noticed me standing there and, with a smug grin, grabbed Jade's face and kissed her hard. "Now that I've locked it down, no backing out!"

Those hands that never cooked for me were now eagerly making seafood porridge for him like it was nothing.

First Love really has a hold on people.

Then, my stomach cramped up even more, and sweat dripped down my forehead. I knew I looked pathetic right then. I glanced at the restroom just a few steps away, then back at the two of them, locked in their little moment.

I decided to walk away, and just so, Henry called out after me, "Luke? What are you doing here?"

When Henry saw me standing at the dermatology clinic's door, his eyes lit up, and he started walking toward me.

But as he got closer, his expression shifted to one of disdain. "What's the rush, Luke? Afraid we'll find out you've got some... embarrassing disease?"

The smile on Jade's face vanished the moment she saw me. "Luke, didn't I tell you to wait for me? What's the point of following me around all day? Even with an injured foot, you can't stop being pathetic?"

I looked up at Jade, and it seemed she was expecting my gratitude. Gratitude for trusting that I didn't have some filthy disease and for maintaining my dignity in front of Henry. But her face showed no embarrassment or discomfort at being caught in a lie. Instead, her expression was full of cold reprimand.

As for the cold sweat trickling down my forehead?

It didn't matter.

I walked past them, heading straight for the restroom, but Henry blocked me. My instinct was to avoid his touch. With a light shove, he stumbled to the ground.

Jade reacted instantly, steadying Henry while shoving me to the ground. "Luke! Haven't you had enough of this nonsense?"

She didn't push me hard, but my foot had just been stitched up, and now that the anesthesia had worn off, all I felt was excruciating pain. I couldn't handle the shove. That slight fall made my whole world spin. The pain from my abdomen and foot spread to my stomach, leaving me feeling nauseous and my temples throbbing. All I wanted was to get up and rush to the restroom to throw up.

After struggling to rise, Jade grabbed my wrist, refusing to let me leave. "Apologize to Henry!"

Her eyes were as cold as ice, completely ignoring the bloodstained bandages on my foot. Every cell in my body screamed in pain. Using all my strength, I barely managed to stand.

Suppressing my anger, I asked Jade to let go. But she dug her nails into my wrist, immediately leaving red marks. I wasn't about to back down. "You couldn't keep your dog on a leash. What's that got to do with me? If you don't let go, I won't hesitate to tell your family about your little affair!"

Jade released my wrist and slapped me hard, her eyes reddening. "Luke, how dare you!"

She seemed to be thinking about how best to curse me. But in the next moment, I vomited. It wasn't intentional. It was purely a reaction to the pain in my stomach.

Standing too close, Jade ended up with a lot of my vomit on her clothes. Compared to my pale face and sweat-soaked appearance, her now filthy dress looked far worse. Oddly, it made me feel a bit better.

Seeing my red, Jade's swollen face and pained expression didn't explode at me for dirtying her. Instead, she seemed to forget Henry was right next to us and instinctively moved closer to pat my back.

"You drank too much last night, didn't you? You're giving yourself gastritis! You just can't go a day without messing things up, can you?"

The sickening smell from her clothes made me pinch my nose and back away from her.

Jade's outstretched hand froze, and the trace of concern on her face vanished. "Luke! You're really taking advantage of me, aren't you?"

I ignored her, limping toward the restroom to clean up my mess. It was only then that Jade seemed to remember my injured foot.

Guilt flashed across her face as she followed me to the restroom door, trying to coax me. "Okay, fine, I shouldn't have hit you! But why are you stalking me like this? Isn't it embarrassing? Let's just go see a gastroenterologist. Stop acting up, alright?"

It was the first time since Henry's return that she spoke to me gently as if she was trying to soothe a kid. But instead of calming me, it made me feel even more nauseous, and I couldn't stop myself from retching again.

In a rare moment of panic, Jade forgot we were in the men's restroom and rushed inside to pat my back.

"Get out! Don't touch me!" I snapped. Without hesitation, I swatted her hand away.

She froze in shock. Her eyes widened in astonishment, quickly shifting to fury. "Can't you be a man for once? You've got the honor of being married to the McKenzie family, so start acting like it! But if you're gonna keep being this insufferable, then let's just get a divorce!"