Chapter 4

It was the first time I had ever made breakfast for Harris. Our housekeeper taught me step by step how to make mushroom soup.

Harris had been looking really tired lately, with dark circles under his eyes. I was worried about his health, so I made the soup for him.

I never expected that the mushroom soup I made for him would end up in Janet's stomach.

I presented the soup to Harris like it was a prized gift, but instead of eating it, he just took it with him to school.

During the break, when I came back from the restroom, I saw Janet holding my soup, eating it happily, while Harris sat beside her, smiling as he watched her.

And the most outrageous part? Because she liked it so much, Harris actually turned to me and said, "Faye, the soup you made is really good. Janet's never had anything like it before. Can you make another one for her tomorrow?"

"No way!" I snapped back at Harris, feeling like I'd just swallowed a fly.

I thought that was enough humiliation for one day, but the next thing happened right after.

That night, after evening classes, it started pouring rain. The walk from the classroom to the school gate was ridiculously long.

I hadn't brought an umbrella, but I remembered Harris kept one in his desk, so I planned to share it with him.

But when I got there, I saw Harris already shielding Janet from the rain with the umbrella, walking her out ahead of me. Seeing me standing there dumbfounded, Harris shot me a quick look and said gently, "Janet lives far away and she's not in great shape. I'll get her home first, then I'll come back for you."

I watched Harris hold the umbrella up for Janet and walk away with her, leaving me standing there.

My heart felt like it had been ripped open. I didn't wait for him to come back. I ran straight through the storm.

By the time I reached the car, I was soaked from head to toe. I caught a fever and was on an IV drip for a week.

Harris showed up at my place every single day, his expression a mix of worry and regret. He kept insisting that he was only helping out Janet because he felt sorry for her.

He said her family was poor, her father broke his leg at a construction site, her mother picked up trash and did odd jobs just to survive.

He said Janet was weak, anemic from malnutrition, and if she'd been caught in the rain, she would've gotten seriously sick.

He kept begging me to understand his side.

With everything we'd been through over the years, I told myself Harris was just soft-hearted and decent, so I let it slide and forgave him.

But when I finally got discharged, I found out Harris had already set Janet's mom up as a housekeeper at the Ruiz family's place.

Harris explained he just felt sorry for Janet and wanted to do something to help her out.

And before I knew it, Janet was living with Harris under the same roof, too.

And then, one day, I walked into Harris's room… and saw Janet wearing his shirt, bare long legs showing.

She claimed her own shower was broken, so she just had to use Harris's bathroom instead.

I didn't believe a single word.

The Ruiz family's home had so many rooms. If her shower was broken, she could've used a guest room. Why his?

I could see right through her scheme, so I snapped at Janet, my anger spilling out.

At first, she snapped back. She said I was meddling in things that weren't my business, that I wasn't even Harris's wife, so who was I to control him?

But the moment Harris walked in, she dropped to her knees, crying and apologizing like some tragic heroine.

She was such a good actress that Harris actually thought I was bullying her. He told me I was overthinking, that Janet was innocent, not like what I imagined.

I was hurting so much that I actually considered cutting ties with Harris once and for all. But I just couldn't do it.

After more than ten years together, he was already a part of me I couldn't simply rip out. Just thinking about losing him felt like it would tear me apart inside.

Then things just kept getting messier. Janet "accidentally" shattered the crystal photo frame of me and Harris, and conveniently broke the collectible figurine I'd given him too.

She even teamed up with her mom, the housekeeper, to straight-up ignore me when I came looking for Harris. They didn't open the door, basically leaving me locked out on purpose.

I swallowed every grievance. Every time I wanted to end things, he would apologize, coax me back. I was soft-hearted, remembering how good he once was to me, and chose to forgive again and again.

But now, after seeing Harris kissing Janet right in front of everyone, and then hearing him label me as a simp like it meant nothing to him, I finally made up my mind.

A guy who had been tainted belonged in the trash. I was dead sure I didn't want Harris ever again.

With my mind made up, I hopped in a cab and headed home. When my mom saw me back so early, she looked at me with concern and asked what was wrong.

I told her, "Mom, I broke up with Harris."