The day I was diagnosed with stomach cancer, Ethan ditched me to party all night with Jessica, the girl he’d always idealized. While I was in bed, dying in pain, he, conveniently using his amnesia as an excuse, showered Jessica with endless attention. He once swore that no matter what happened to him, he'd always remember his love for me. Even if he forgot everything else, my name would be etched on his heart. But… everything had changed. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I asked for a divorce, no longer hoping he’d regain his memory and remember the love we shared. I never expected that after the divorce, Ethan would come running to me like a madman: "Sarah, I remember everything now! You’re the one I’ve loved from the very beginning. Can you give me another chance?" I pulled my hand away, a cool breeze teasing my hair. Looking at his pathetic state, I chuckled. "But Ethan, I don’t love you anymore." 1. Clutching the report, my hand trembled as I called Ethan. The phone rang until it was about to go to voicemail before it was picked up. Jessica’s voice came through first. "Hello, Sarah. Is there something you need?" I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, fighting back a sob. "Please put Ethan on the phone." Jessica chuckled smugly. "But he's busy cooking for me right now. Why don't you tell me, Sarah? I'll pass it on when he's free." I clutched the report in my hand, nearly crumpling the paper. Then I heard Ethan’s voice from her end. "Jess, do you want the ribs steamed or braised?" "Either way is fine. As long as you're making it, I'll love it." Jessica’s sweet laughter felt like a dull knife twisting in my heart. I balled up the report in my hand, finally losing control and screaming, "Put Ethan on the phone!" The moment I said it, the call ended with a sharp click. I squatted on the floor, helpless, shiny tears welling in my eyes and splashing onto the ground. I cried until I was almost out of breath. Then, my phone, still in my purse, started vibrating. I picked it up and saw Ethan’s name on the screen. Quickly, I wiped my tears, cleared my throat to make my voice sound normal. I didn’t want him to worry about me. The second I answered, Ethan’s angry shout filled my ear, "Sarah, what the hell is wrong with you?" His yelling stunned me. Jessica’s tearful voice followed. "It's okay, Eth. Sarah has every right to be angry and yell at me." "After all, I'm all alone and always troubling you. Please don't fight with Sarah because of me." "Sarah, if you're angry, take it out on me. Yell at me, hit me, whatever you want. It's all my fault. Eth and I are just close friends. If I've caused any misunderstanding, I apologize." I smiled through the pain in my body and heart. When you love someone, you stand by them, no questions asked. As soon as Jessica finished speaking, Ethan, without even asking me a single question, rushed to comfort her tenderly, "You don’t need to apologize. You did nothing wrong." "Sarah, you know Jessica isn't well! You've made her cry! Apologize to her right now!" Ethan barked. Suppressing my emotions, I retorted, "Why should I apologize to her? I didn’t do anything!" 2 Hearing my rebuttal, Ethan got even angrier. "You mess up and won't even admit it. I never knew you were such a deceitful and malicious woman!" Deceitful? Malicious? He wouldn't even listen to a word of my explanation, unconditionally believing Jessica's side of the story. My emotions were on the verge of collapse. Gripping my phone, I asked him, "Ethan, whose husband are you, anyway?" Forcing back the churning sickness in my heart, I let out a cold laugh, but the tears wouldn't stop falling. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were Jessica's husband." "What nonsense are you spouting! How can your mind be so filthy and disgusting?" Ethan snapped, and Jessica immediately chimed in, "I'm sorry, Sarah. There's really nothing between Eth and me. If you mind, I'll..." Ethan cut her off, his voice full of concern, "Stop crying. This isn't your fault at all." "Sarah, it's bad enough you're slandering me, but now you're dragging Jessica through the mud too. You need to apologize to her immediately!" Clutching my abdomen, where the throbbing pain made it hard to breathe, I forced out the words, "I won't apologize, Ethan." The next second, I finally couldn't hold on anymore and slumped to the ground, completely drained. The doctor said that in my condition, chemotherapy was my best chance for survival. But I knew that chemotherapy meant spending my remaining time in the hospital. I didn't want to spend my days in a hospital room reeking of antiseptic, every moment feeling like a death sentence being read out. It was the next day when I got home. The house was just as I’d left it. Ethan hadn’t come back. This wasn't the first time he'd stayed over at Jessica's. I let out a bitter, small laugh. Laughing at myself for being such a fool, for always fantasizing that this relationship could go back to how it used to be. Ethan didn't come back until evening, carrying a takeout container. "Why are you asleep so early?" He threw back the covers and roughly pulled me up. "I brought you some food." Clutching my faintly aching stomach, I was dragged to the dining table. He casually tore open the packaging. "Jessica cooked this for you specially. She knows you have a sensitive stomach, so she made you some nourishing chicken soup." Ethan thrust a spoon into my hand. The moment he opened the lid, the greasy smell hit me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. "What are you waiting for? Eat up." The doctor had told me to eat light, bland food for now, nothing greasy or spicy. I put the spoon down. "I don't want to eat." Ethan’s face changed instantly. "What’s with the attitude? Jessica put aside your earlier fight and was kind enough to make you soup. Don't be ungrateful." He knew my stomach was sensitive, that I never ate greasy food, yet he stubbornly pushed the bowl into my hands. "Eat it! Jessica spent over two hours simmering this!" I looked at the man before me, the man I had loved for nearly seven years. From eighteen to twenty-five, scenes from our past flashed through my mind. The year we graduated, at the bustling ceremony, he knelt on one knee with a bouquet of flowers. "Sarah, marry me, will you?" In that instant, everything else faded away; my world was only him. But in the second year of our marriage, he had a car accident. The car plunged off a cliff, his life hanging in the balance. I begged God, I'd do anything, just to keep him alive. Perhaps the heavens took pity; he woke up after being in a coma for two months. But his memory had regressed to the year he graduated high school. He’d forgotten all the hard years I’d spent by his side, but he remembered Jessica, the girl he’d loved from afar in high school but couldn't have. I quit my job and took care of Ethan for three months. Then, Jessica came back. 3 The moment Jessica appeared, his dull eyes lit up with a brilliant spark. My heart ached with a crushing pain, yet I refused to give up, comforting myself that one day he would fall in love with me again. But it’s been almost three years, and Jessica is still his unwavering favorite. Since she reappeared, I was no longer his special exception. Ethan’s phone vibrated. The ringtone was the special one he’d set for Jessica. He immediately put down what he was doing, picked up his phone, and replied to her message with intense focus. Whenever, wherever, if Jessica texted, he replied instantly. For me, he never did. Suddenly, I started to laugh, laughing until tears welled up in my eyes. Ethan frowned. "Sarah, hurry up and eat the chick—" Before he could finish, I cut him off. Looking up into his eyes, I said, word by word, "Ethan, let's get a divorce." His expression froze, as if he hadn't processed what I'd said. "What did you say?" I pushed my chair back and repeated, "Let's get a divorce." The phone vibrated again, but this time he didn't rush to answer. He turned and grabbed my hand. "Are you kidding me? You want to divorce me? Did you hit your head or something?" I shook him off and walked towards the bedroom, step by step. "I'll have my lawyer draw up the divorce papers tomorrow." Ethan dropped his phone, ran over, grabbed me by the shoulders, and pinned me against the wall. "Why are you being so unreasonable?" "Have you forgotten? You were the one who shamelessly told me how much we loved each other, begging me not to divorce you back then." After a moment, as if he'd come to his senses, he let go of me and chuckled. "Or is this some kind of tactic? Playing hard to get? Trying to threaten me with divorce?" "Sarah, are you three years old? Still playing these childish games? How immature can you be?" I ignored him. The pain made every word feel like it drained all my energy. I pushed open the bedroom door and went in. Ethan followed me in and stood by my bed, staring at me with a complicated expression. He reached out to adjust my blanket. "I've explained it to you countless times. There's nothing going on between me and Jessica." I turned my back to him, not wanting to engage. His simple "nothing going on." In reality, he'd left me when I was about to pass out from a high fever to go fix Jessica's plumbing; ignored me when I was doubled over in bed with period cramps to go with Jessica to a hot spring... Incident after incident, I could talk for half an hour and not cover them all. Every time I thought about it, it felt like a thousand needles pricking my heart. 4 "I've just been too busy lately. I'll take some time off soon and stay home with you." Ethan left. I lay in bed, wiping away tears, one after another. He was busy, yes, but when it came to Jessica’s affairs, he could always find time. For me, however, everything was always postponed. The next day. An enticing aroma of food filled the room. But things were different now. My body wasn't what it used to be. The pain in my lower abdomen was a constant, stark reminder of the time I had left. No food, no matter how tempting, held any appeal. After washing up, I headed out. Just as I pushed open the door, I heard a familiar female voice. "Wow! That smells amazing! Is that my favorite, sweet and sour ribs?" "Not quite done, but you can taste the sauce." Ethan dipped his finger in some sauce and held it to Jessica's lips. Jessica smiled and expertly licked the sauce off his finger. "So good! Eth, your cooking is still the best!" Jessica praised him, hugging his arm. The water in the pot suddenly boiled over, and Ethan spun around, pulling Jessica into his arms. He anxiously checked her arm, while Jessica nestled in his embrace, playfully tapping his chest. "You scared me to death~" "Go wait on the sofa. There's ice cream you like in the fridge." "Thanks, Eth!" Jessica stood on her tiptoes and happily kissed Ethan's cheek. As she turned, her eyes met mine. I was leaning against the doorframe, watching their intimate interaction. Jessica’s expression immediately turned flustered. "Oh, Sarah! I was just so happy, I didn't mean anything by it..." "Sarah, don't misunderstand. Kissing on the cheek is just a friendly gesture in other countries." Ethan’s expression shifted instantly. He asked her meaningfully, "You've kissed other people's cheeks?" There was a hint of jealousy in his tone; I heard it. Jessica quickly turned back to him to explain, "No, only you in this country, okay? You little jealous thing." Ethan chuckled softly and walked over with a dish. "Jessica was worried you'd misunderstand our relationship, so she came over specially to explain." Jessica smiled and walked over, picking up a gift box from the side. "Sarah, Eth told me you like this brand of dress, so I picked out the prettiest one for you." Ethan nudged me with his elbow, signaling me to take the dress Jessica was offering. I glanced down at the dress in her hands. It looked very familiar. Jessica held the dress up against me. "I spent ages picking it out from my closet. This one will definitely look good on you." Her words, as if a deliberate reminder, made me remember instantly. Jessica had posted on her social media feed before, asking if anyone knew where to sell used clothes, as she wanted to get rid of some old things. And what a coincidence, this very dress was among the ones she was trying to sell. Giving me her cast-off clothes as a gift. She really went to a lot of trouble, didn't she? I pushed her away. "I don't want secondhand things." 5 "Sarah, you're being completely unreasonable." "Jessica specifically asked me about brands you like and picked this out for you." Ethan shoved me, and I stumbled, my lower back hitting the corner of a table. I sucked in a sharp breath from the pain. I fought back the stinging in my eyes. "She gives me her old, unwanted clothes as a gift, and I'm supposed to be grateful?" Ethan paused, then turned to look at Jessica. Jessica's mouth drooped, tears welling in her eyes. "I only wore this dress twice. I really like it, that's why I wanted to give it to you. I thought you'd like it too, Sarah. I didn't expect..." Jessica dabbed at her tears and walked towards me. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. I didn't know you'd mind so much..." Ethan quickly pulled her back, acting as if she had suffered a great injustice, and defended her, "Even if it's used, it's still a gift Jessica carefully chose for you. You’re just biting the hand that feeds you, completely ungrateful." I nodded despairingly, a bitter smile on my face. "In your eyes, she can do no wrong, and I'm just being unreasonable and petty." The long-suppressed grievances pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. I clutched my aching abdomen, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. "Let's get divorced. Let yourself off the hook, and let me off too." Ethan looked impatient. "Do you really have to be so..." He was halfway through his sentence when Jessica pulled at his arm. She ran over to me. "Sarah, it's all my fault, I apologize. Please don't let this hurt your relationship because of me. If you're angry, you can hit me, yell at me, it's okay." As she spoke, she grabbed my hand, pretending to hit herself with it. I didn't want to get entangled with her and was about to pull my hand back when Jessica suddenly fell backward, collapsing to the floor. "Ah! It hurts!" I hadn't even pushed her. Ethan rushed over, shoved me aside violently. I couldn't dodge in time, and my back slammed against the wall, a sharp pain shooting through my shoulder blade. "Sarah! You've gone too far!" Ethan glared at me, completely oblivious to the sweat beading on my face from the pain, and picked Jessica up, carrying her towards the bedroom. Jessica, with her arms around his neck, shot me a provocative smile. Facing Ethan, she feigned a Exhort, "Eth, don't blame Sarah. I'm willing to be her punching bag. As long as you two can make up, I'd even let her beat me to death." Hearing her slanderous words, I clenched my fists and walked in. When Ethan saw me, he looked at me as if I were his mortal enemy, blocking the doorway angrily. "What, you don't think Jessica's hurt enough?" Jessica, feigning pain, gently tugged at Ethan's clothes. "It's okay, just a few scratches. If Sarah is still angry, she can hit me. I absolutely won't complain." "I didn't even—" "Shut up!" I clutched my cheek, which he had just slapped, and looked at Ethan in disbelief. He seemed to realize what he'd done, looked at his hand, then hesitantly reached out as if to comfort me. "I didn't mean to hit you. I just wanted you to calm down, Sarah..." I slapped his hand away and went into the room to grab my suitcase. "I'll have the lawyer send you the divorce papers." I didn't have many things. It took less than twenty minutes to pack. As I carried my suitcase downstairs, Ethan stood at the door, blocking my way. "Are you serious?" "Sarah, if you walk out that door today, we're really over." I smiled, looking at the most familiar stranger in front of me. "Yeah, we should have been over a long time ago..."
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