Chapter 1

In our fifth year of marriage, Fred asked me if I wanted to try an open marriage.

He said it was hard for someone to love only one person their whole life. He told me I should go out and see other people, too.

He was so sure I couldn't live without him, so sure I wouldn't be able to be with anyone else.

Later, I took his advice. I started seeing a handsome young man, and we hit it off.

Then one night, Fred's hand trembled as he wrapped it around my neck. His eyes were full of dark panic and despair.

"Break up with him," he said, "or we'll die together."

*****

Fred hadn't been home for almost half a month.

The first thing he did when he got back was take a shower.

I watched him quietly, but he stayed calm, completely at ease, as if nothing was wrong.

He sat down beside me and asked in a steady voice, "Why are you looking at me like that? You already knew, didn't you?"

Knew what? That he had someone else? Or that he'd gone out of his mind for her?

When I didn't answer, Fred placed a hand on my shoulder and sighed, "Alice, should we try an open marriage?"

I moved his hand off me, trying not to make it obvious. "What do you mean?"

His tone stayed gentle. "It's hard for someone to love only one person for a lifetime. I couldn't resist temptation. But that's not fair to you. You should go out and look for someone you like. I promise I won't say a word."

I looked at him. His expression was so serious—just like that night on the beach when he asked me to marry him.

I could still remember it clearly.

Bright fireworks had lit up half the sky, and the buildings across the water reflected his words of love. Every line he spoke back then was tender and carefully chosen.

Candles glowed, and flowers surrounded us.

He'd gone down on one knee on the cruise ship, holding a ring box, his face serious but his excitement impossible to hide.

What had he said back then?

He said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, that there was no room in his heart for anyone else, and that he wanted me to love him back.

And now, just a few years later, he was saying it was too hard to love only one person.

My heart, which had been numb for so long, suddenly started to ache.

I forced a smile, my face giving nothing away. "Okay."

Fred looked startled that I'd agreed so easily. He was about to say something when his phone rang.

The ringtone was a sweet, playful girl's voice. I knew it was the special ringtone he'd set for her.

Sure enough, after he hung up, he started changing clothes.

Before leaving, he even smiled and explained, "The poor little girl watched a horror movie and doesn't want to be alone. Isn't that funny?"

I had no idea what he expected—was I supposed to laugh with him?

That girl was only nineteen, young and delicate. Fred and I were pushing thirty, so of course, he called her a little girl.

Once he walked out the door, the whole apartment fell silent.

Outside the window, the night was deep and still. My mood, which had been holding steady, sank into the same darkness. A quiet emptiness settled over me.

Fred had only suggested an open marriage because he was sure I had strong morals—and because he thought I loved him too much to ever be with another man.

Or maybe it was just his way to ease his guilt, so he could date his girlfriend in peace.

He always believed marriage couldn't hold him down—but that it could hold me down.

But this time, he was wrong.

My phone buzzed with a message. [Alice, can you come to my basketball game tomorrow? I really miss you.]

The moment I saw it, all the sadness faded.

I smiled and started a video call with Leo.

People change. Fred's heart had changed completely. He couldn't expect me to stay faithful to him. I wasn't that naive.

Come to think of it, Leo and Fred's girlfriend were in the same college class.

And now that Fred had suggested an open marriage, I didn't have to hide anything anymore.

*****

I was sitting in the stands, holding a bottle of water.

The game was intense. The scores were neck and neck, and most of the players looked dead serious.

But when Leo's eyes met mine, he couldn't help blowing me a secret kiss.

I tried not to laugh. His energy was infectious, and I made a heart shape with my hands back at him.

Just then, a girl's sharp, playful voice came from behind me. "See? You took forever at home, and now the game's almost over. If you're like this next time, I'm not waiting for you."

I didn't think much of it—until I heard a voice that made me freeze.

It was Fred. His tone was full of affection. "Okay, okay. I'll be faster next time."

They sat down a few rows behind me, whispering and laughing together.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I could feel someone's eyes on my back.

I had a date with Leo today, so I dressed more youthful and lively than usual. My hair was in a high ponytail, and I wore casual clothes that made me look energetic. From behind, Fred probably wouldn't recognize me.

The game ended soon after. Leo hit a three-pointer right before the buzzer, and his team won by a hair.

I walked over and handed him the water I'd been holding.

He downed it in a few big gulps, eyes shining. "Alice, how was I? Was I amazing?" he asked, grinning like a kid waiting for praise.

I pulled out a tissue and wiped the sweat from his face. "You were amazing. I didn't even blink—I was afraid I'd miss you doing something incredible."

Leo's smile widened. "Wait here. I'll go change and come find you."

After he left, I sat back down and scrolled through my phone.

Suddenly, two shadows fell over me.

"You must be Leo's girlfriend, right?" a bright, teasing voice said. "He's been keeping you a secret, but I finally caught him today!"

I didn't even have to look up. I knew that voice—it was Belle, Fred's girlfriend. And the man beside her was Fred.

I put my phone away and looked up.

The second our eyes met, Fred's face darkened. "It really is you."