My husband, the man who claimed to love me more than life itself, is keeping an eighteen-year-old mistress on the side. His excuse? She looks exactly like I did when we were young. He claims he’s just "letting true love continue." Ridiculous. The day I found out I was pregnant, I went to his office to surprise him. instead, I walked in on the girl sitting on his lap, feeding him wine mouth-to-mouth. She asked him, "Am I just her replacement?" He pulled her tighter and sneered, "Is she even worthy of being compared to you?" I turned around, walked out, scheduled an abortion, and called my aunt overseas. "Aunt Sarah, I’ve decided. I’m moving to Australia." Aunt Sarah paused for a second before her voice burst with relief. "Claire! You’ve finally made up your mind! I’ll have your uncle start the paperwork immediately. It should take about ten days. Wait for my update." I hung up and drove straight home. When I walked through the door, Nathaniel was already sitting in the living room. There was a rare look of panic in his eyes. "You’re back late. Where were you?" I held up the pharmacy bag in my hand, my voice flat. "Nowhere special. My stomach’s been acting up. Went to the doctor, grabbed some prescriptions and herbal supplements." My health has always been fragile, and getting pregnant was a miracle. After the abortion procedure today, the doctor specifically prescribed these supplements to help my body recover. Seeing my expression remain calm, Nathaniel finally got to the point. "Did you stop by the office today? Why did you leave right after you got there?" I guessed the receptionists had told him they saw me. But he wasn't sure if I’d seen them. In reality, they were only intimate for those few seconds. The little assistant fed him a sip of wine and then hopped off his lap. "I was just passing by. I saw you were busy with your assistant, so I didn't want to interrupt." He visibly exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders. My heart gave a sharp, dull throb. We’ve been married seven years. To everyone around us, we were the power couple, the soulmates. I thought we’d grow old together, but I never expected his heart to wander so quickly. "She was just giving me a report! You know how it is," he laughed nervously. "She’s young, fresh out of school. She doesn’t know the rules yet, so she stood a little too close." Nathaniel walked over and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, his tone dripping with tenderness. "Babe, we haven't been back to our college campus in ages. I’m free tomorrow. Why don't we go take a walk? Relive the old memories." He looked relaxed, eager even. We were college sweethearts. From hoodies to wedding gowns. Every anniversary, we’d go back to campus. But this year, Nathaniel said work was too crazy, so we skipped it. Now I realized he wasn't busy with work. He was busy entertaining an eighteen-year-old. I sighed and shook my head. "Maybe later. The doctor put me on these meds for ten days. I have to brew the herbal tea every night. It’s a hassle." He hummed an acknowledgement, his fingers gently stroking my long hair. I turned my body slightly, subtly dodging his touch. His hand froze in mid-air. "Claire, you seem... unhappy. Is this about Mia standing too close today?" "Mia’s just a kid. She didn't mean anything by it. You wouldn't hold a grudge against an eighteen-year-old girl, would you?" My heart seized painfully. Once upon a time, I was an eighteen-year-old girl, too. I looked up, my eyes empty. "No. I’m not holding a grudge." His face brightened immediately. "That’s my girl. Hey, there's a luxury jewelry auction next week. Pick whatever you want; I’ll win it for you." Just an hour ago, I had seen Mia’s update on Instagram. My Silver Fox said he’s taking me to the auction next week to show me the world. He promised to win the grand finale piece just for me! I love my man so much. <3 Below the caption was a photo of two hands making a heart shape. In the photo, the wedding band on Nathaniel’s ring finger was blindingly obvious. I gave him a cool glance. "No thanks. Win it for someone else." Nathaniel’s eyes darkened. He was about to say something when his phone pinged. It was a message from Mia. Just a photo. A bed covered in various... toys. He glanced down, and I saw his Adam’s apple bob. "Claire, a new deal just popped up. I have to go out of town for a few days." He rushed out the door, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes. I remembered the countless nights before this. The "urgent meetings," the "sudden business trips." Just then, a message from Aunt Sarah popped up on my screen. Claire, your uncle finished the immigration application. Everything is approved. See you next week! Nathaniel came back a week later. I thought he’d go straight to the office, but he came home during the morning rush hour. Mia had been posting non-stop on social media all week. The latest photo showed her in a sheer, white negligee. It was the perfect mix of innocent and provocative. The caption read: My Silver Fox loves the new battle armor. He said he wants to rip it off with his own hands! I laughed dryly and typed a comment: It’s definitely his style. Moments later, the post was deleted. As soon as Nathaniel walked in, he was on the offensive. "Claire, I already explained everything! Mia is just a kid. Why are you targeting her?" I paused, realizing he must have seen the comment on the deleted post. Sure enough, seeing my silence fueled his anger. "She just posted about being lucky to have a good boss, and you leave such a nasty comment? Insulting a little girl?" "Claire, you’re thirty years old. Are you not embarrassed to be bullying a teenager?" I pressed my lips together and didn't defend myself. I let Mia paint me as the villain. I was leaving in three days. I didn't have the energy to care about what he thought anymore. Seeing that I wasn't fighting back like I usually would, Nathaniel’s guilt started to creep in. His tone softened. "Claire, you used to be so understanding. Why are you being so difficult lately? Is it because you’re not feeling well?" He placed a thermos on the dining table and ladled out a bowl of hot porridge. "I had the chef at the family estate make this stomach-soothing porridge just for you. I told them to make it fresh every day. I’ll pick it up for you every morning." He blew on a spoonful and held it to my lips. "Every time you’re sick, I wish I could take the pain for you." I frowned and kept my mouth shut. Nathaniel’s patience snapped. "Claire, enough is enough. You aren't eighteen anymore. Do you really expect me to baby you like we’re teenagers?" "Mia is the granddaughter of an old business partner. He asked me to look after her on his deathbed. Isn’t it normal for me to take care of her? Can’t you be a little more mature?" My lips curled in a sneer. Look after her? "Look after" her right into bed. Nice. Nathaniel always said he loved how sensible and obedient I was. I always put his feelings first. Even when I was hurt, if he offered a tiny olive branch, I’d take it. No drama, no scenes. Just like now. He thought that by lowering himself to feed me porridge, I should be grateful and move on. Fine. I was leaving for Australia anyway. No point in making him suspicious. "It's too hot. Put it down, I'll eat it later." Perhaps sensing my coldness, Nathaniel switched to his charming mode.
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