“Joe, thank you for taking such great care of me.” I accepted the glass of milk and drank it all.

“It’s nothing. I want to care for you my entire life.” Joseph smiled sincerely. I kept my head lowered in an effort to hide the sadness in my eyes.

I made an excuse to wash up in the bathroom. Then, I vomited all the milk that I had drunk. But I purposely left the milk stains on my lips and staggered back to bed.

“Yulia?” After a long while, Joseph called out to me tentatively and wiped away the stains on my lips. I pretended to be sound asleep.

Before long, someone gently knocked on the door. I already knew who it was.

“What are you doing here?” Joseph sounded dissatisfied and rebuked the visitor softly.

“Didn’t you promise? I came to check on you.” I could sense that person entering the room.

“Don’t worry. Yulia’s very receptive toward sleeping pills. She dozes off soon after she takes them,” Joseph gently explained.

“Why do you know her so well?” Selena complained. She was full of jealousy.

“Hey, why are you mad? When her grandmother died, she started having trouble sleeping. She could only sleep soundly after she took sleeping pills. That’s why I know,” Joseph explained lovingly.

He spoke casually about my most painful experience just to pacify her. Heartbroken, I pinched my thigh under the blanket to ease my pain.

“It’s our first anniversary today. I’m so sad that you didn’t spend time with me.”

It was a quiet night, and soon, I could sense Joseph’s heavy breathing.

“Mm!” I could even hear Selena moaning.

“Let’s go back to the room,” Joseph suggested hoarsely.

In the next second, someone approached me and quickly took off my clothes. I was hit by the cold.

“You bought these for me. Why is she wearing them?”

“Go back, Selena!” Joseph suddenly scolded her. I was shocked.

It seemed like Selena was gone as Joseph sat on the edge of my bed.

He helped me put on a pair of comfortable and fitting pajamas. Then, he tucked me in and kissed my forehead.

After that, he walked out and closed the door behind him. He would not be back the entire night.

I opened my eyes and told myself that his infidelity was not my fault. Yet, bitterness still gripped me. I cried, and my tears rolled down to my lips.

They had been together for a year. They first got together on my ninth-year anniversary with Joseph.

In fact, Joseph had been missing for a week a day before that. My friends told me that he was going to propose. Being in love, I was full of joy.

When I went shopping at a jewelry shop, a salesperson approached me. We were familiar with each other, so she congratulated me on my upcoming marriage.

“Mr. Lynch booked a pair of expensive rings with us. Has he proposed? Congratulations!” My heart raced as this confirmed my thoughts. I wondered if we were finally getting married.

“They’re in a style that you generally don’t like, though. They’re too flashy. But it’s for your wedding after all, so it’s okay to be a little flashy.”

I did not take the salesperson’s words to heart.

However, I could not get in touch with Joseph during our ninth anniversary. Eventually, he came home late at night in exhaustion.

He casually gave me an expensive makeup set to get it over with. He was so tired that he was not even in the mood to open the gift I had painstakingly prepared for him.

I just felt sorry for him and assumed that I would get that ring one day.

After a year of waiting, I realized all too late that the ring had long found an owner.

I snuggled up in bed and flipped through all the photos I had with Joseph. They were all happy group photos.

I did not understand why he would stop loving me for no reason.

I cried until I had difficulty breathing and my eyes ran out of tears. I kept recalling the happy times we had together. But my excruciating pain reminded me that it was all in the past.

Soon after, I got up and changed my clothes. I did not want to stay there anymore.

My suite was on the top floor, so I could see the brightest star through the roof. There were only two such suites on the whole floor.

When leaving, I had to pass by another suite.

“Joe, do I look good?” They were probably leaning close to the door. Hence, I could hear their voices vaguely.

“Look in the mirror,” Joseph said.

I was rooted to the spot, and I felt numb all over. My fingers kept trembling as my mind urged me to open that door.

However, I was too timid to do so.

In the end, I wandered alone outside on that silent winter night. Even though I fell, I felt no pain.

I reached home at dawn. My mother, Catherine Levine, was already waiting for me at the door.

“Hey, why didn’t you answer my calls? I’ve been waiting for you all morning!” I got used to her rebukes long ago, so I silently opened the door.

“I’m talking to you! Are you listening?!”

“Yes, I am,” I replied coldly and returned to my room to pack up my things. I did not have many items to bring with me, so I casually stuffed a few clothes into my luggage.

“Where are you going? Where are you going?!” Catherine roared angrily, but I was too tired to interact with her.

“Joseph is cheating on me. I’m getting out of here,” I explained calmly.