The Secret My Wife Hid in the Safe

It's our tenth wedding anniversary, but my wife made an excuse about work and stood me up.

Then Milan Walsh, the man she promoted herself, posted a photo on social media celebrating ten years since receiving his marriage certificate.

I was about to comment my congratulations, but I noticed something unsettling on the edge of the photo—his wrist bore a distinctive, familiar scar.

It was the same scar my wife had from when she spitefully tattooed her ex's name on herself, only to have it removed after we reconciled.

Since then, she never mentioned her ex again, and I took it as a symbol of our new beginning.

But now, in the safe she never let me touch, I found her marriage certificate with Milan, a glaring red backdrop of their wedding photo, and even a printed divorce agreement.

My hands trembled as I dialed her number, only to be immediately hung up on.

So, what do these ten years mean to her?

Was I just unlucky?

——

Tucked inside their marriage certificate was a slip of paper that read: [Agnes Gill and Milan Walsh, forever.]

Agnes, Milan...

It turns out that Milan is the ex who left Agnes to go abroad. They were even using matching couple names, and they've been secretly entangled right under my nose for a whole decade!

The tattoo that haunted me was for him all along. The wife I've been married to for ten years has been pining for the man who's been with us all this time.

A headache, long dormant, suddenly engulfed me.

I squatted on the floor, gasping for air, my fingers digging into my scalp.

It wasn't until the door was kicked open with a bang that my senses started to return.

Forcing myself to look up, I saw Agnes, with a concerned expression, helping a drunk Milan into the hallway.

Agnes shot me an annoyed glance. "River? Why are you squatting there? Help me out."

Glancing sideways at Milan, I saw him give me a mocking look before collapsing onto Agnes.

He arrogantly lifted her hands above her head and then planted a kiss on her.

"Honey, you smell so good. I want to go to bed. Can we go to the bedroom?"

Agnes was visibly shocked but didn't push him away. When her gaze fell on my motionless figure, her brow furrowed. "He's drunk, stop getting jealous for no reason. Go make some hangover soup, and I'll take him to the guest room.

"He just had surgery recently and still showed up to the party for me. Meanwhile, you're here acting small and petty. Are you even a man?"

Clutching the marriage certificate tightly in my hand, I threw it in Agnes' face with a cold expression. "Did he really go to that party for work, or did you two celebrate your tenth anniversary together?"

Her pupils shrank immediately, and her voice became slightly unnatural. "Who gave you the right to touch my stuff!?"

I snorted. "Shouldn't you explain what this is first?"

Agnes' eyes grew icy. "What kind of attitude is that? I'm not a criminal! Don't use your dirty lawyer tricks on me!"

Knowing Agnes as well as I did, I recognized this attempt to change the subject as proof of her guilt.

My expression remained unchanged, but my heart grew colder.

Silence filled the air for a long time.

Finally, Agnes spoke, reluctantly, "It's a fake marriage certificate I made just to calm him down. You knew how unstable Milan was when he first returned. He loved me so much he even threatened to commit suicide multiple times. I didn't want anyone to die."

I might have believed her if her eyes hadn't been darting around nervously.

Unfortunately for her, lying wasn't one of her strong suits.

She tried to wrap her arms around me to soften the blow, but I stepped back, avoiding her touch.

I shot her a cold, sarcastic look. "Do you really think I'm an idiot?"

Agnes looked at me pitifully, "You don't believe me?"

Milan, still pretending to be drunk, suddenly swung his fist at me. "Don't you dare be mean to my wife!"

I had no patience for his act. I kicked him aside, sending him flying. Agnes immediately rushed to his side, concern written all over her face, before turning to shout at me.

"Are you crazy!?"

Milan, a grown man, threw himself into Agnes' arms and started crying.

"Am I going to lose you again? It was my fault for leaving without a word twelve years ago, but I've never stopped loving you. When I heard you got married, I rushed back. I can't lose you. Please don't leave me."

His nonsensical rambling left Agnes flustered, and she could only keep patting his back to calm him down.

I watched the scene in front of me, my eyes filled with nothing but sarcasm.

This is the wife I've been married to for ten years, the woman I've loved for over a decade.

Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of meaninglessness. Exhausted, I muttered, "Let's get a divorce. There's no need to continue this."

Agnes' face stiffened as she spoke in disbelief, "What did you just say?"

"Let's get a divorce. There's no longer any reason for this marriage to continue."

Agnes' face darkened instantly. "You think you can divorce just because you say so? Don't forget, you were the one who pursued me relentlessly back then!"

I let out a soft "hmm," and said, "I haven't forgotten. I regret it. I should have wished you both happiness long ago."

After saying that, I turned around and went upstairs to pack my things.

Behind me, Agnes shouted angrily, "If you dare walk out, don't blame me for really abandoning you! Don't forget, you're nothing but a penniless loner now!"