On our wedding anniversary, my husband, who had never cooked a day in his life, prepared a table full of dishes. With every bite I took, my husband, Liam, asked detailed questions and carefully jotted down notes. During the meal, he stepped into the bedroom to answer a phone call. It was the specific ringtone he set for his assistant, Chloe. I casually picked up the notebook he left behind, only to find it filled with detailed notes that had absolutely nothing to do with me. "The green beans are a bit undercooked, Chloe probably won't like them." "The mushrooms are too salty, remember to use less salt when making this for Chloe." "The lamb is too gamey, swap it for beef when cooking for Chloe." Liam returned and reached for the notebook, freezing when he saw it in my hands: "Mia, were you raised in a barn? Did I say you could touch my things?" Before I could respond, a splitting headache hit me, and my vision of Liam began to double. "Liam, I don't feel so well. I think the green beans were undercooked..." "I better write that down quickly, need to cook them longer when I make them for Chloe." Ignoring me completely, Liam hastily scribbled in his notebook while walking toward the door. "I need to head out. Your immune system is strong; if you feel sick, just take some medicine." Before passing out, I managed to call my husband one last time, but his impatient voice snapped through the phone: "What's the big deal? Are you dying? Call me when you're dead!" Liam, I'll never call you again. I stared at the disconnected call, my mind echoing with the horrific words Liam had just said. "Are you dying? Call me when you're dead!" I fought down the bile rising in my throat, forcing my failing body to stay upright just long enough to dial 911 with my last ounce of strength. As it turns out, sometimes emergency dispatch is far more reliable than Liam. The doctor said I was suffering from both raw green bean and mushroom poisoning. Thank God the ambulance arrived quickly. A few minutes later, and I wouldn't have been lying safely in this hospital bed. While receiving IV fluids in the hospital bed, my phone suddenly rang. Once my grogginess cleared, I picked it up. It was Liam. "Mia, do you think the beef stir-fry tastes better with or without scallions?" His question stunned me. After a moment, I managed a weak smile and spoke softly: "Liam, I'm in the hospital." He sounded annoyed: "Yeah, alright, just get the doctor to prescribe some extra medicine." Without skipping a beat, he returned to his previous question: "Hurry up and tell me, with or without scallions?" Before I could speak, a woman's voice drifted through the receiver: "Liam, as long as you make it, I'll love it, with or without scallions." In a flash, the call ended. I stared blankly at the disconnected phone. Two messages popped up. "An urgent project came up at the company, I have to work overtime. I'll be back tomorrow." "Get extra medicine at the hospital. Let me know if you need me to transfer you some money." Looking at the words on the screen, it felt like my heart was violently squeezed. Urgent overtime? Just get extra medicine? How could someone be this dismissive? This time, I just set the phone down and didn't reply. I lay in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. A little girl was occupying the bed next to mine. Seeing me sitting in silence, she giggled, hopped over, and rested her chin on her hands, watching me: "Big sister, why are you all alone?" "When my mom was in the hospital, my dad stayed with her the whole time. Where's your husband?" I looked at the innocent little girl and said softly, "My husband?" "I don't have a husband." Hearing this, the little girl stood up abruptly, planted her hands on her hips, her face turning red: "Liar! I saw it! You have a wedding photo with a big brother tucked inside your phone case!" "Adults aren't supposed to lie! If you lie, your nose will grow huge!" "Sister, your husband is so handsome! Can I see the picture of you two again?!" The little girl's words brought me to a sudden halt. In all the years Liam and I had been together, the only photo we had was the one in my phone case. Liam said he hated taking pictures, so in all these years, we only took one—on the day we got our marriage certificate. The little girl's mother must have noticed my discomfort. She quickly pulled the girl away, smiling apologetically: "Kids are just like that, please don't mind her." I waved my hand, not saying anything. I picked up my phone again and started scrolling mindlessly. The moment I opened Instagram, I saw a story Chloe had posted just a minute ago. It was just a screenshot of Liam's Instagram story, with the caption: "Loving you is the best choice I've ever made." Seeing Liam's story, I froze. With trembling fingers, I tapped on Liam's profile. Before me, his profile showed "Only visible for three days," and there was absolutely nothing there. Acting on a bizarre impulse, I logged into my burner account and clicked on Liam's profile again. In that moment, I saw it. I saw everything. His latest post was from ten minutes ago. It contained two pictures: one of Liam and Chloe pressing their cheeks together intimately, and the other of a table full of food. I stared at the food. It was the exact same spread he had "cooked for me" earlier today. The caption read: "Happy birthday. For you, I am willing to do anything." And pinned to the top of Liam's profile was a photo of him and Chloe against a red background—the style used for marriage certificates. The timestamp was three years ago. I looked at the photo of Liam and Chloe with the red background, then pulled our marriage certificate photo out from my phone case. The contrast was jarring. In his photo with Chloe, Liam was smiling with profound tenderness. In our photo, Liam looked impatient. We had even gotten into a minor argument that day. With shaking fingers, I scrolled through Liam's posts, one by one. He posted almost every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. I tapped randomly on one photo: Liam and Chloe kissing passionately under fireworks. I remembered that day. It was New Year's Eve. I had waited for him in the plaza with a bouquet of flowers for hours, only to receive a text saying he was working late and telling me to go to bed. So that night, we were in the exact same plaza. While I stood shivering in the freezing wind holding flowers, they were kissing in each other's arms. I clicked on another photo: Liam and Chloe kissing at the peak of a Ferris wheel. I remembered that day too. I had a severe fever and begged him to bring me some medicine. I called him repeatedly before he finally answered. When he eventually came home, he tossed me a box of digestive pills. Now, seeing this post, I understood. He hadn't bought those digestive pills for me. He bought them for Chloe and just grabbed an extra box for me as an afterthought. My eyes red, I clicked on another picture: The two of them taking Chloe's dog to the vet for deworming. I don't think I'll ever forget that day. My grandmother was critically ill, clinging to life. Before she passed, she held my hand, pleading to see her grandson-in-law one last time. I called Liam over and over again. When he finally picked up, his voice was laced with irritation: "I had a sudden work emergency. I'm out of town on a business trip. What do you expect me to do? I can't make it back." So, while I was calling him from the hospital, he was literally across the street at the veterinary clinic. Looking at the endless stream of posts, my heart turned completely to ice. So, every time I offered understanding, it was met with another lie. My phone suddenly buzzed with a message from Chloe: "Mia, Liam and I were just so busy eating, we only just remembered you went to the hospital. He asked me to transfer you some money for your medicine." "Liam said if we don't send you money, you'll just start throwing a tantrum for no reason. Mia, just accept the money." I stared at the $10 transfer on the screen, smirked, and hit decline. "Keep it. Buy yourself a birthday present." "After all, that's exactly what you're worth." Less than a minute after I sent the message, Liam called. As soon as I answered, before I could even speak, Liam started yelling: "Mia, are you sick in the head?!" "Chloe was nice enough to remember to send you money for medicine! If you don't appreciate it, fine, but why the hell are you being so passive-aggressive?!" "I'm handing the phone to Chloe right now. You are going to apologize to her properly. Today is her birthday, don't you dare ruin her good mood!" Listening to the accusations and complaints pouring through the phone, I smirked and said softly, "Liam, why exactly should I apologize?" "Mia, do you seriously think you're in the right?!" "What is wrong with you lately, Mia?! You know Chloe grew up poor, and you use money to mock her?!" "Mia, you are going to apologize to Chloe. Right. Now!" When I remained silent, Liam's tone became even more aggressive: "Fine! You refuse to apologize to Chloe?!" "Then you are never spending another dime of my money! You looked down on the money she sent you, didn't you?!" "When you finally figure things out and apologize to Chloe, I'll consider forgiving you! Think long and hard about what you've done!" And with that, he hung up before I could say another word. Less than ten minutes later, I received a notification that Liam had frozen all the credit cards in my name. I lay in the hospital bed, looking out the window, my eyes filled with bitterness. The little girl next to me blinked, her face full of sympathy: "Big sister, did you have a fight with your brother?" "Big sister, what did you do wrong? Why is he being so mean?" I forced a smile and said softly, "Sometimes, a person can do absolutely nothing wrong, but in the eyes of certain people, they're still the one to blame." The little girl looked at me, completely confused. "I don't understand, I don't understand." "But I do know that my mom told me my own freedom and happiness are the most important things in the world!" Her words made me freeze. I stared blankly at the little girl. She was right. My own freedom and happiness were the most important things. I lay there, turning my head to look out the window, my eyes filled with a profound loneliness. Perhaps I was just too exhausted lately; I actually drifted off into a deep sleep. I was woken up by a nurse telling me I needed to renew my hospitalization fees. I instinctively reached for my debit card, but realizing Liam had frozen all my accounts, I smiled wryly and said softly, "There's no need. I'm checking out today." "Wait, big sister, you're leaving today?" The little girl from the next bed skipped into the room, hugging a small robot that looked incredibly familiar. "Little girl, where did you get that robot?" "You mean this? The wife of one of the big brothers here is in the hospital. To keep us kids quiet so we wouldn't disturb her rest, he gave every single one of us one of these!" "Big sister, do you like it too? If you really like it, I can give it to you!" "Hey, weird... I just realized that big brother looks a lot like the guy in your phone case picture..." With every word the little girl spoke, my heart grew colder. Until she said that last sentence. I suddenly felt weak, stumbling backward and collapsing onto the bed, my face deathly pale. I knew that robot all too well. After Liam and I got together, we dedicated ourselves to developing a highly sensitive specialized diagnostic robot. Creating this specific robot had been our shared dream for years. The truth was, I potentially carried a rare, genetic family disease. Back then, Liam had looked at me with red eyes and promised, "I have the company, and you have the technical skills. We'll build a robot to accurately detect your genetic markers. I swear, you're going to live a long, long life." Over the years, I had tried countless times, and finally, a year ago, I successfully developed this robot. The unique thing about this highly sensitive robot was that once it was activated, it could never be reset to its initial state. I had been waiting for the perfect moment to test these prototypes. There were only a handful of them in existence, and now, Liam had just handed them all out as toys. When I finally snapped out of it, my hands shook as I dialed Liam's number. It took a long time for him to answer. His voice dripped with impatience: "What? Did you finally figure it out? Are you calling to apologize?" "By the way, Mia, you did that on purpose, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me the green bean poisoning was that severe? Do you have any idea that because of you, Chloe got poisoned too?!" Listening to the endless stream of blame and complaints, my eyes filled with utter desolation: "When I told you I was poisoned and asked you to take me to the hospital, what exactly did you say?" Perhaps because I had spent the last ten years yielding to his every whim, my sudden pushback actually silenced him for a moment. After a pause, his voice returned, completely dismissive: "Are you two the same? How can you even compare yourself to Chloe?" "Chloe was born with a weak constitution. Green bean poisoning could literally kill her! You're different. You're as strong as an ox, how could anything happen to you? Besides, aren't you perfectly fine right now?" "Alright, enough of this nonsense. I'm very busy, Mia. If you aren't going to apologize, I'm hanging up!" I looked at the robot in the little girl's hands and asked slowly, "Did you give away all my robots?" "Yeah, so what?" "They're just a few robots, you can just build some more, right?" Hearing his utterly unbothered tone, all my suppressed emotions finally exploded: "Liam! Do you have any idea what you've done?! Those robots are unique! Once they're casually activated, they're completely ruined! You just destroyed almost ten years of my hard work!" "Mia, are you sick in the head?! Why are you yelling at me?! It's just a damn robot, is it really that serious?!" "Actually, since you brought it up, I'm informing you right now: starting today, your robotics project is suspended. When Chloe is discharged, you will hand the entire project over to her." "Why?" Perhaps sensing I was losing control, Liam sighed and explained with strained patience: "Chloe is new. She needs an opportunity to prove herself. You've been at the company for almost ten years; you don't need this kind of opportunity anymore." "Stop being so jealous and petty. You need to support the younger generation more." "Alright, I'm done talking. I have work to do." Before I could say another word, Liam hung up the phone. I sat on the edge of the bed, gripping my hands tightly together, trying desperately to suppress the churning in my chest. My eyes were filled with absolute agony. I never imagined—I truly never imagined—that Liam could become this kind of person. The man who once had tears in his eyes, telling me he loved me, promising he'd sacrifice anything to build this robot for me, swearing he wanted me to live a long life... was now asking me, "Is it really that serious?" I shook my head, desperately trying to clear the chaotic thoughts from my mind. I stood up, packed my things, and walked out of the hospital room. As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I immediately spotted Liam from behind. He was carefully supporting Chloe. Even without seeing his face, I could feel his intense anxiety and care for her. Perhaps sensing my gaze, Liam suddenly turned his head, our eyes locking instantly. The moment he saw me, a flash of panic crossed his eyes. I ignored him, turned around, and headed toward the exit. I didn't expect him to actually chase after me. He grabbed my wrist from behind, his eyes filled with mockery: "What? You tracked me all the way to the hospital, and now you're just going to leave without saying anything?" "You're just here to ask about the robotics project, aren't you?" "Then I'll tell you again: the project goes to Chloe. As for you, the security guard at the front gate has a family emergency. Go cover his shift." Seeing me remain completely silent, a look of exasperation crossed his face. "Mia, why are you getting angry so easily lately? Are you hitting early menopause or something?" "You're not mad about Chloe, are you? There's absolutely no need for that. She and I are strictly boss and subordinate. I just saw her looking so pitiful here all alone, and wanted to take care of her." "What, is it a crime for a boss to care about his employee?" Looking at the man standing in front of me, acting so incredibly self-righteous, I couldn't even remember when he had started changing like this. Probably from the exact day Chloe joined the company. Everything silently shifted. "You're right. You did the right thing." I brushed him off casually. Right now, I just wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. Hearing that, Liam let go of my wrist, eyeing me suspiciously: "Do you really mean that?" When I nodded, his expression relaxed, and he looked at me with satisfaction: "Good. Stop letting your imagination run wild." "Alright, I have to go take care of Chloe." "Go home and wait for me. I have something to discuss with you." With that, Liam turned and walked back toward the hospital room without looking back. On the ride home, I watched the scenery blur past the window. An indescribable pain churned in the pit of my stomach, rushing up to my chest, suffocating me. When I got home, I collapsed onto the sofa. My eyes landed on a diary tucked away in the corner. Curious, I picked it up and started flipping through it casually. But as I read, I slowly sat up straight. In all these years, Liam never let me read his diary. He said he was recording our love story so we could reminisce about our youth when we grew old together. But looking at the blocks of text in front of me, I lost the courage to keep reading. "Today, Mia asked me, 'If you ever meet a woman who is better than me, and she likes you too, what would you do?'" "My instinct was to tell her, 'I will only ever love you in this life!'" "But in that moment, Chloe's face actually flashed in my mind." Those few simple sentences brought tears streaming down my face. So, changing one's heart is human nature, and loyalty is merely a choice. And Liam had chosen the former. I didn't read any further. There was no point. Truly no point. I picked up my phone and called my best friend. "Well look who it is! What brings the busiest person I know to call me?" "Sarah, please draft a divorce agreement for me." Hearing the deadly seriousness in my tone, Sarah's attitude shifted instantly. "What happened?" After telling her everything that had transpired recently, she was silent for a long time. Finally, she let out a sigh and said softly, "Ten years of history, and this is how it ends. What even is love in the end?" I gave a bitter smile. "It's divorce." "Babe, you're making the right choice. Don't doubt yourself. You did nothing wrong. Leave the paperwork to me." After hanging up, I got up from the sofa, walked over to the fridge, and pulled out a few cans of beer. I sat on the floor, watching fireworks suddenly erupt outside the window. My heart cooled, feeling as fleeting and empty as the explosions in the sky. I drank can after can, trying to let the alcohol numb my brain. My head started to spin. That was exactly when Liam walked in. As the lights flicked on, our eyes met. Seeing my red eyes, he froze for a second. Then he walked over, snatched the beer from my hand, and said angrily, "Didn't I tell you I hate it when you drink?!" "Mia, are you just completely ignoring everything I say now?!" "This is the last time! Do not let it happen again!" "Go wash your face and sober up. I have something to tell you." With that, he grabbed my arm and practically shoved me toward the bathroom. I struggled to stay upright, slapping my cheeks, trying desperately to sober myself up. I really did need to wash my face and clear my head. After all, I had something to tell him, too. When I walked out of the bathroom, Liam was sitting on the sofa, looking at me with intense anticipation, holding a document in his hand. "Honey, look at this!" Hearing him call me that, I stopped dead in my tracks, completely stunned. We had been together for almost ten years, and this was the very first time he had ever initiated calling me "Honey." "Come here quickly! Come look at what this is!" Snapping out of it, I walked toward him, totally confused. As I got close, a cloying wave of women's perfume hit me. I forced down the nausea rising in my stomach, looking at him with absolute calm. Just as I was about to ask for a divorce, he shoved the document into my hands. Looking at the paper, I froze. How could this happen? "Honey, we're having a baby! Your physical exam results from last time came back! You're going to be a mom!" "We finally have a baby! We're going to be parents!" "Honey, why aren't you saying anything? Are you just too happy?!" Liam waved his hand in front of my face, his eyes shining. This sudden pregnancy completely destroyed my plans. I stared blankly at the prenatal report, my emotions a tangled, chaotic mess. "I'm pregnant?" Liam smiled and nodded enthusiastically. He threw his arms around my neck and said softly, "Yes, you're pregnant." I casually tossed the report onto the table, walked back to the fridge, and grabbed another beer. Seeing this, Liam looked deeply displeased. He marched over, snatched the beer away again, and started scolding me: "What is wrong with you?! I just told you I hate it when you drink! And you're pregnant now! You absolutely cannot drink alcohol!" "Even if you're happy about the baby, you still can't drink!" "Alright, I haven't eaten yet. I'm hungry. I want fish soup. Go make me some fish soup right now." When I didn't react, a flash of impatience crossed his eyes. He shoved me toward the kitchen. I shook my head, trying to force myself to stay clear-headed, but this sudden twist had left me completely lost. I had no choice but to try and push those thoughts aside for now and started cooking. Seeing me busy in the kitchen, Liam sat back down on the sofa, looking incredibly satisfied. He pulled out his phone and started texting someone, a massive smile on his face. After finishing the food, just as I placed the last dish on the table, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a message from Chloe. She didn't say anything; she just sent a picture. Confused, I tapped on it. It was a prenatal report. The name on the report was crystal clear: Chloe Evans. Suddenly, everything made sense. How incredibly pathetic of him. He didn't even notice that the prenatal report wasn't mine. I watched Liam drinking the fish soup while smiling and replying to texts. I asked softly, "Is that prenatal report really mine?" Since all his attention was on his phone, Liam looked up, confused. "What did you say?" "Were you asking how the fish soup tastes? It's pretty good, but use less salt next time. Too much salt is bad for the baby." I set my phone down, pulled out a chair, and sat directly across from him. "Liam, let's get a divorce." Hearing this, his hand holding the spoon froze. Then he started coughing violently, his face turning beet red. "Honey, what did you just say?" "Honey, I'm starting to think pregnancy really does make people stupid. Since when do you make jokes like this?" "You heard me correctly. I said I want a divorce." I looked calmly at the man in front of me, my eyes carrying an ocean of profound sorrow. Liam snapped his head up, his voice trembling: "Honey, you want a divorce?" "Are you joking? We're having a baby now, why are you suddenly bringing up divorce?" "It's not April Fool's Day, and this joke isn't funny. Enough, stop messing around and eat. I've had a long day and I'm exhausted." I picked up my phone, opened the chat with Chloe, and slid the picture across the table to him. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" The moment he saw the picture, the color drained entirely from his face. He grabbed my hand, speaking rapidly: "Honey, it's not what it looks like. I swear it's not." "Chloe photoshopped this! She's just trying to ruin our marriage! You're the one who's pregnant!" I violently yanked my hand out of his grip, saying coldly: "Fine. Since you say that, let's go to the hospital right now and get tested again." Liam's expression became incredibly unnatural. He looked away and mumbled, "There's no need. You really are pregnant." "How much longer are you going to lie to me?"
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