Chapter 3

"I only want to know—" My voice trembled. "Who is Emily?"

"I told you, she is my friend," Jeremy said, sounding impatient. "I've got stuff to do. Hanging up."

"Wait—" With a beep, the call ended. I sat on the couch, blankly staring at my phone.

My mind was all over the place. I wondered what kind of friend would get introduced to Jeremy's parents on the fourth day of our pre-divorce separation period.

I couldn't figure out which friend would call him so intimately and leave a flirty thanks on Instagram.

I opened Sweet Emily's profile again. This time, I carefully checked her profile picture.

It was a selfie of a gorgeous young woman who looked in her early twenties. She had a delicate face, big eyes, and a sweet smile.

Suddenly, I remembered that Jeremy said earlier, "Have you been looking older lately? Your skin is getting all saggy.

"Can't you try to look nice? You always look like some middle-aged woman without makeup.

"Look at that girl. She is so full of life."

I was twenty-nine, while Emily looked like twenty-four or twenty-five at most.

I stood up and walked over to the mirror. I saw fine lines around my eyes. My skin looked dull from all those long hours working overtime.

I'd thrown my hair into a messy ponytail because I couldn't be bothered to fix it up.

Indeed, I wasn't young anymore.

I picked up my phone and sent Laura a message on WhatsApp. [You there?]

Laura replied instantly: [Yeah. What's up?]

[Can you give me your cousin's number?]

[Wait, are you getting a divorce?]

[Not sure yet.] I took a deep breath. [But I need some advice.]

Laura quickly sent me a mobile phone number. [My cousin is Frank Warren. He specializes in divorce cases and wins most of them. Say I sent you, and he'll hook you up with a discount.]

[Thank you.] I saved the number, but didn't call right away.

I needed more evidence. A few pics and comments on Instagram wouldn't cut it.

I opened up the WhatsApp chat history with Jeremy. For the past month, we hardly talked.

Jeremy: [Not coming home for dinner tonight.]

I: [Alright.]

[Working overtime this weekend.]

[Okay.]

[Send my mom her living expenses.]

[Done.]

It was all business. I wondered when we had stopped talking like a normal couple.

I scrolled up, back to three months ago. In September, Jeremy suddenly started working late frequently. At least four nights a week, he wouldn't get home until after 11 PM.

I asked him why he was so busy, and he said there was a big project at work. I believed him.

Thinking about it now, I wondered whether Jeremy had already been cheating on me back then. I couldn't bring myself to dwell on it anymore.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a WhatsApp message from Jeremy. [I'll come by the apartment tomorrow to pick up some things.]

I stared at the text, my fingers hovering over the screen for a long time. Finally, I replied: [What time?]

[Noon.]

[Okay.] I put my phone down and stepped out onto the balcony.

Riverdale's night view was wonderful. Thousands of lights were flickering, and the city was alive with energy.

But suddenly, it felt like every light in the city was brilliant for someone else.

Over the past three years, I'd been sending Jeremy's parents $1,000 a month for living expenses. That amounted to $12,000 a year, and a little over $40,000 in total.

My own parents were back home, and I sent them $700 a month. They always said it was too much and told me to keep it.

I got up at six every morning to make breakfast, but Jeremy never ate it. He told me the milk and bread from outside tasted better.

When I was sick, he worked overtime at the office, saying the project was urgent and he couldn't leave.

On my birthday, Jeremy transferred me $143 and told me to buy myself a cake.

But for his birthday, I'd start planning a month earlier: buying a gift, booking a restaurant, and inviting friends. I was busy with everything.

Thinking about it now, I wondered what I was chasing these past three years. My love for Jeremy was gone a long time ago. Maybe it was my habit.

I got used to making breakfast, eating dinner, and sleeping all by myself. But I still hadn't gotten used to living alone. That was all.