I went straight to the reception desk with my ID and gave them Edward's ID number.

"My husband booked a room earlier, but I can't reach him. Can you check which room he's in?"

The receptionist quickly provided the room number. "1314."

Quite funny.

As luck would have it, I ran into a food delivery guy in the elevator.

"200 dollars. Help me knock on this door."

He was a good sport, agreed to the deal, and even offered to hold down the jerk for me.

Edward opened the door, completely confused, and called back into the room, "Did you order food?"

Then he noticed me standing at the door.

I walked in with my phone recording the whole scene.

There was no one in the room. The bed was covered in a pile of women's clothes, including matching pink lingerie.

Classy. The bathroom was practically all glass, with just some frosted glass for privacy.

A woman's silhouette was visible inside. "I didn't order food. Must be a mistake."

I kicked the bathroom door open, and a scream erupted.

She took a moment to react, then grabbed the showerhead to try and spray me. I had already recorded everything I needed, so I turned and walked out.

The delivery guy asked if I still needed help. I tipped him an extra 500 dollars and signaled that I could handle it from here.

By then, Edward finally found the time to come face me.

His expression was a mess. The shame, guilt, and maybe even a hint of blame?

"Freya, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be on bed rest at the hospital?"

I almost laughed in disbelief. "Yeah, I'm on bed rest, and you're here for a romantic rendezvous with your ex?"

"It's not what you think."

"I only trust what I see. If it wasn't planned, are you saying you just happened to run into each other while you were out doing business?"

As we spoke, the woman came out, now wearing a bathrobe, and stood beside Edward. "There's nothing between us, Freya. Don't think so dirty."

I glanced at the pile of clothes on the bed. This woman had some nerve.

"What, are you seriously going to tell me you booked this room just to chat? You might as well ask a dog if it believes that."

Edward's face darkened. "Freya, don't talk like that."

The woman's eyes welled up with tears, putting on a pitiful act. "I'm Edward's ex. We were together for seven years and were forced apart. I came to see him before marriage just to create one last beautiful memory. Why do you have to ruin my final hope?"

"Last hope? Are you dying of a terminal illness? Who do you think you are that I should indulge you? I'd love to swap husbands every day. Who's going to make that happen for me?"

The woman opened her mouth to speak again, but I had no interest in hearing more.

I looked directly at Edward. "If you have anything to say, get rid of this disgusting thing first. It's sickening to look at."

Edward pressed his lips together and gently coaxed her to leave.

"Freya, let me explain."

I waved him off. "I don't want to hear it. Let's just get a divorce. I'm heading back, you can come by to sign the papers later."

With that, I walked out the door.

With my back to him, I finally felt the sting in my eyes and the tightness in my chest.

Edward ran after me, trying to grab my arm and explain.

I didn't want him to see me in such a pitiful state, so I spun around and kicked him where it hurt.

He wasn't prepared, so my kick hit him squarely. He doubled over in pain, letting out a yelp.

Taking advantage of the moment, I jumped into the car and sped off without looking back.

I thought I heard him shouting my name. The wind scattered his words, and they faded completely.

It was only then that my tears finally began to fall.

I wanted to stay strong like I had acted earlier, to look like I didn't care. But I couldn't control myself.

That woman said she and Edward had been in love for seven years, but did she know I'd given just as much time?

Eight years of my life, from twenty-one to twenty-nine. Now it feels like it was all for nothing.

After graduating from college, I sent my resume everywhere, looking for a job.

So many big companies offered me opportunities, but I turned them all down and chose Edward's small startup instead.

It was because I saw a spark in his eyes, a dream in his words. I was drawn to his drive and felt like I wanted to join him in the fight.

I wasn't sure if I was just being swept up by my emotions, but at the time, I felt like I had a good eye for spotting potential.

Together, we worked hard, growing from a tiny office to a company with over a hundred employees.

Our relationship evolved from boss and employee to business partners, then boyfriend and girlfriend, and finally husband and wife.

I knew he had an ex-girlfriend named Alina Moore. He often joked about it when we were just bosses and employees.

He said they started dating in their freshman year and had a seven-year relationship, but it eventually fell apart due to reality.

They were almost at the point of discussing marriage, and the bride price was set at 150,000 dollars.

When he finally gathered the money, her family suddenly disagreed and demanded an extra 80,000 dollars.

His family wasn't well off. Even 150,000 was a stretch, and they couldn't afford another 80,000.

He realized this was the family's way of turning him down.

And that's how the relationship ended.

Later, with that 150,000 dollars, he threw himself into starting a business, determined to prove himself. That's how our story began.