Six Years Too Late

I felt dazed upon hearing his sincere words.

The pain I felt was unbearable. Yet, my mind had never been clearer.

I stared straight into his eyes and asked, "When did it start?"

His gaze flickered. "Six years ago."

Something solid deep inside me collapsed.

We had been married for 10 years, but he had spent six of them cheating on me. Yet, I hadn't noticed a thing.

Grief swallowed me whole. Details I had once brushed aside now came crashing back all at once.

Lawrence often worked late into the night, coming home exhausted. Even so, he never forgot to bring me my favorite late-night snacks.

I would sit beside him, listening to him talk about his day. I would listen to him chatter about the tiniest details and chuckle when he told me about the funny moments he'd run into.

Sometimes, I would find him texting absentmindedly when we were at a gathering with friends. I always assumed it was urgent work and even helped block drinks for him.

Now that the truth was out, I finally saw how foolish I had been.

All those nights I fell asleep alone. All those times I worried he might drink too much at business dinners. Where had he really been? And who had he been with?

Every memory I had spent married to him had to be reexamined. Every moment from the past looked completely different now that I had the full picture.

My tears poured out uncontrollably, soaking my collar. Yet, I didn't even have the strength to sob out loud.

"Why?" My voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard it clearly.

Lawrence sat beside me, head lowered.

After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Willow isn't like you. She's young and full of energy. She loves having fun, but she's willing to cook for me. When I'm tired, she finds ways to take me out and help me relax. She supports every decision I make."

As he spoke, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. He looked utterly content just then.

However, the light in his eyes dimmed when he turned his attention back on me. "Sylvia, I love you. But sometimes, I want to be loved too."

I could tell that he meant every word, and each of them were like knives to my heart.

He was the one who didn't want me to suffer, who urged me to quit my job at a major company so I could become a carefree housewife.

He was the one who felt sorry for me, who warned me again and again never to cook after I did it just once.

I had plans to travel with him, too. However, he was the one who said he didn't want to waste precious time on things that weren't his career. He claimed that he was doing it all for our future.

I obediently did everything he wanted just so he would worry less about me and get a little more rest.

So how did it all suddenly become my fault?

"Our child is very well-behaved. He could already call me 'Daddy' at eight months old. When we go on picnics, and I see them smiling…I feel like it was all worth it. Miles takes after his mom. He clings to me all day and keeps asking for kisses. Willow would lean in too, looking at me with those bright eyes…"

My heart ached with every word falling from his lips. My tears fell anew, and my chest tightened with suffocating pain.

"I don't want to hear this."

"Sylvia…"

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even form a complete sentence.

As I saw Lawrence open his mouth again, I broke down and begged him, "Please. Stop talking."

The Birthday He Didn't Wait For

Lawrence let out a sigh.

Then, he took a deep breath, curled his lips into a smile, and asked casually, "Sylvia, where's my birthday present?"

He asked me that every year.

Even though I always gave it to him right on time, he could never wait even a minute longer.

This year, I had planned to ask him whether he wanted to adopt a child—one that would belong to both of us.

For so many years, his firm refusal to have children had made me assume he had fertility issues. To protect his pride, I had never brought it up.

It turned out that he wasn't incapable of having a child. He just didn't want one with me.

When I didn't answer, he didn't press. Instead, his eyes stayed glued to his phone.

On the screen was a full-size photo of that woman named Willow.

He accidentally tapped a voice message, and her bright, energetic voice spilled out of the speaker.

"Honey, I made a whole table of your favorite dishes. When are you coming over? Let me whisper a little secret to you. After dinner, Miles will head to his grandma’s, and then… I’ll be all yours to savor."

Lawrence listened with obvious pleasure, not caring at all that I was still right there.

He picked up his phone and replied, "Really? I'm looking forward to that main course. Since Miles won't be home tonight, I'll make sure to spoil you properly."

He grabbed his coat while soothing her like an indulgent lover. "Alright, I'm coming over now. I'll be with you soon, okay?"

Only when he reached the door did it seem to dawn on him that I existed. He turned back and smiled at me.

"I'll have someone come clean up the mess later. Don't touch the broken porcelain, okay? And when I get home, I hope I'll see my birthday present."

I felt unbearably cold, my whole body trembling. It was as if all my emotions and senses had been drained away. I felt hollow, lifeless.

The person on the other end must have grown impatient and called again. Lawrence answered instantly.

"Lawrence, we're getting a divorce if you walk out that door."

He only responded with a distracted hum and kept putting on his shoes. Only when he was about to leave did he reluctantly hang up.

He turned back and asked, "Sylvia, what did you just say?"

Before I could respond, he smiled again. "Don't worry. I'll bring back your favorite walnut cookies. Just relax and continue to be Mrs. Ashford. My heart is with you. There's no doubt about that. She can never take away the things that belong only to you."

The door closed, sealing off the outside air.

Just then, I remembered the promise he made to me when he proposed.

"I'll love you for the rest of my life, Sylvia. I'll only be good to you. I don't want anyone else."

The memory felt as vivid as yesterday, yet ten years had already passed.

Sincerity had always been fleeting. Promises only mattered at the moment they were spoken.

The love we had between us was already gone. Since that was the case, I would be the one next out the door.

A Family Portrait

The living room was a disaster everywhere I looked. This place that I had once personally turned into a home now looked completely unfamiliar.

My phone buzzed. It was a friend request from Willow.

The moment I accepted, she promptly sent me a family photo.

Lawrence was wearing a birthday hat. Willow, in a deep V-neck camisole, leaned into his chest.

Beside her stood a middle-aged couple I didn't recognize, their smiling faces creased with joy.

And on Lawrence's other side were my parents-in-law.

The two people who once treated me like their own daughter were beaming. A little boy named Miles sat on their laps, grinning.

"What's the point of holding onto the title of Mrs. Ashford? Lawrence's heart is completely with me. I heard Old Mr. Ashford and Old Mrs. Ashford didn't like you at first and only accepted you later. But guess what?

"They gave me the family heirloom meant for their daughter-in-law as a welcome gift the second they met me."

Willow wasn't wrong.

My parents-in-law had never thought much of a woman from a modest background like mine.

It took Lawrence refusing to eat for an entire week before they finally showed me any respect.

Later, after years together, they began to treat me like their own daughter.

So it turned out all of that had just been an act.

Bitterness spread across my face. In this game, I lost completely.

My phone rang again. This time, it was Lawrence.

His voice was as gentle as ever, as if nothing between us had changed.

"Sylvia, let's go to that restaurant you've always wanted to try tomorrow. Mom and Dad will come too. It's been a long time since we all had a meal together."

I knew that I would have to tell his parents about the divorce eventually, so I raised my head and said okay.

…

The next day, I showed up in a T-shirt and jeans.

In the past, I always wore glamorous, eye-catching dresses for their sake.

But now, I only wanted to be comfortable.

My parents-in-law looked surprised when they saw me, but they didn't say anything.

Matilda held my hand. "Sylvia, I haven't seen you in a while. Why have you lost some weight?

"Don't you dare follow those young girls and diet yourself thin. A woman needs a little softness. Is Lawrence not feeding you properly? When he gets here, I'll give him a good lecture."

My silence clearly caught them off guard.

After all, I used to be the one who kept the conversation going.

When Lawrence walked in holding Willow's hand with Miles beside them, the private room fell into complete silence.