Chapter 4

On our third wedding anniversary, I booked the restaurant a month in advance.

I had spent weeks preparing for that night. I wore the black dress Joy once told me he loved, paired with simple jewelry, and stood in front of the mirror reminding myself: tonight, don't talk about Mia, don't bring up the arguments, and don't ask questions that may never have answers.

I just wanted to have dinner with my husband.

I wanted to find our way back to the time that belonged only to us.

The French restaurant was the same place we used to visit when we were dating. Back then, Joy wasn't always busy. He would walk with me after dinner, listen to my ideas about architecture, and ask about the buildings I dreamed of creating.

I used to believe that no matter how much time passed, we would always remain the most important people in each other's lives.

But people rarely change overnight. Sometimes, the things that matter most simply disappear beneath the weight of everyday life.

Joy built his career.

I built our home.

We both believed that as long as we still loved each other, we would never lose one another.

But love that is never seen can slowly become lonely.

When Joy arrived, my heart still skipped a beat.

Some habits don't disappear just because you've been hurt.

He sat across from me, talking about work, our first date, and the plans we once made when we were newly married. For a moment, I wondered if everything before this had only been my misunderstanding.

Maybe Joy had simply become too comfortable knowing I would always be there.

Maybe he had forgotten that I needed to feel chosen too.

"Do you remember this place? "

I looked out the window.

"I do. "

Joy smiled.

"We used to come here all the time. "

"You always had so much to say back then. "

"About architecture? "

"Yeah. You used to tell me you wanted to design buildings that could truly change the way people lived. "

For the first time that night, he mentioned my dream on his own.

But then he added,

"Later, you focused more on our family. I thought maybe you didn't care about it anymore. "

My smile faded.

"I never stopped caring. "

I wanted to explain, but the words stayed inside.

Because I suddenly understood.

Joy didn't forget that I had dreams.

He simply assumed those dreams could wait.

In a marriage, someone always makes the first sacrifice.

And for years, that person had been me.

When the waiter brought out our anniversary dessert, she smiled.

"Happy third anniversary. "

Joy froze.

He looked down at the dessert as if he had only just remembered what day it was.

"Right. "

"I almost forgot. "

If this had happened before, I would have smiled and told him it was okay.

After all, I had spent three years remembering everything for both of us--his meetings, his schedule, his health, even our anniversary.

But that night, I realized I wasn't asking him to remember a date.

I wanted him to remember that our marriage mattered.

Then his phone rang.

The name on the screen was Mia.

Joy looked at it, and the warmth in his expression disappeared.

"Mia, what happened? "

I watched the concern return to his face.

A few minutes later, he ended the call and reached for his coat.

"What happened? "

Joy hesitated.

"Mia is dealing with something. "

"She needs me. "

I looked at the candlelight between us, then at the untouched dinner.

"Joy, do you know what today is? "

He was silent.

"Vivian, I know. "

I waited for him to say he would stay.

That this was our anniversary. That I mattered.

But instead, he lowered his voice.

"I'm just going to help her. "

"I'll be back soon. "

I looked at him.

"What if the person who needed help tonight was me? "

His expression tightened.

"Vivian, don't do this. "

"This isn't about choosing one person over another. "

But to me, it was.

I had never asked him to abandon anyone.

I never asked him to forget Mia or erase his past.

I only wanted one night where he chose to stand beside me.

But in the end, he still picked up his coat.

No argument. No explanation.

He didn't even look back.

I sat alone at the restaurant, staring at the empty chair across from me. When the waiter brought the final dish and noticed the untouched seat, she paused.

The pity in her eyes felt unbearable.

I didn't need anyone's sympathy.

Especially not inside my own marriage.

For three years, I told myself Joy was only busy. He didn't mean to hurt me. He was simply used to having someone take care of everything.

But watching him walk away that night, I finally understood.

The problem was never that he forgot one anniversary. The problem was that he believed I would always be there.

When I left the restaurant, the rain had stopped.

I didn't go home.

For the first time, I didn't want to return to the place where I was always waiting for him.

I walked alone through the streets of New York, watching the city lights reflect on the pavement.

And somehow, this city felt more like freedom than the place I once called home.

At the corner of the street, I opened my contacts.

One name had been untouched for years.

Hudson Morgan.

Hudson had once been my friend in the architecture world. We attended forums together, discussed designs, and talked about the cities we hoped to shape.

Back then, I had my own friends, my own career, and my own world.

But after marriage, I slowly made Joy and our relationship the center of my life.

I thought becoming his wife meant starting a new chapter.

That night, I remembered something I had forgotten.

The woman I used to be still existed.

My finger hovered over the screen before I finally sent a message.

"Are you still awake? "

Less than a minute later, my phone lit up.

Hudson replied:

"Whenever you need me. "

I stared at those words for a long time.

Because I finally understood what I had lost.

Not only my place in my marriage.

But the woman who once had dreams, friendships, and a future of her own.

And now, I wanted to find her again.