Chapter 1
I'd been married to Sophie Sinclair for three years.
I always believed there was real love between us, so when she became the CEO of a big corporation, I was more than happy to be the guy supporting her from behind the scenes.
She told me she'd been through some stuff, so she might not know how to love someone.
I told her I understood. As long as I loved her, that was all that mattered to me.
After all, when I was at my lowest, Sophie was the one who pulled me out of the darkness.
But when her old flame came back home, it suddenly hit me that maybe it wasn't that she didn't know how to love.
She just didn't love me.
*****
On my phone was a photo of a man and a woman, with the airport in the background.
The woman was all smiles, and the guy's cheeks were a little red, his eyes looking a bit watery.
I had to hand it to those gossip reporters. They really knew how to capture the joy and excitement of a couple reuniting after so long.
If only the couple in the photo wasn't Sophie and her old flame.
Sophie was gorgeous, and when she smiled, it was like she had a hundred ways to charm the world.
I'd been her husband for three years, but I'd never seen her smile like that before.
With me, she was always so reserved, like I was just another colleague at work.
I sat at the dining table and let out a heavy sigh.
In front of me was a feast I'd cooked myself, along with a bunch of fresh, bright red roses.
Today marked our third wedding anniversary.
The seat across from me was completely empty.
It was already eight o'clock at night, and it was clear the leading lady of this anniversary dinner didn't care about it one bit.
After thinking it over for a bit, I decided to call Sophie.
The only sound in the empty living room was the phone ringing.
On the third try, she finally picked up.
I started, "Sophie, I..."
But before I could finish, Sophie cut me off. She sounded annoyed, even though her voice was usually so pleasant.
"Sorry, William, I've got something to deal with right now. I'll call you back later," she said.
"Sophie..."
But right after she finished, a guy's voice came from the other end, all whiny and needy as he called her name.
"Sophie," I said.
This time, my voice was cold and hard.
There was a pause on the other end, like she could sense something was off.
"Are you with Benjamin Clarke right now?" I asked.
Sophie caught on, and her voice grew tense.
"William, you've got it all wrong. There's nothing between me and him. I'm actually dealing with something important right now," she said.
"So, what, you're sneaking off to meet your first love on our anniversary?" I shot back.
Looking back on every memory from these last three years, then seeing that radiant smile Sophie wore in the photo, a bitter smile crept onto my face.
It'd been ages since I'd seen her smile like that, not since high school.
I'd been in love with Sophie for ten years, ever since those teenage days.
"William, just listen to me!" Sophie snapped, her voice rising with frustration.
I said, "Sophie, save it. We're over. The moment you chose to spend our anniversary with your first love instead of coming home, that was when it ended for us.
"The divorce papers are in the study. There's nothing more to say."
After I hung up, I took my time lighting a cigarette, the flame flickering in my shaky hand.
She told me three years ago she hated the smell of smoke, so I gave it up for her without a second thought.
Now, sitting here in a cloud of smoke, I realized it didn't bother me at all.
*****
Back in high school, Sophie was the campus queen. She was bright, full of energy, and her smile could light up the whole place.
I was the oddball. Thanks to my social anxiety, I was always the loner, the guy who kept to himself and barely spoke. That was pretty much my whole identity back then.
Even when I got accused of something I didn't do, I'd just clam up in front of everyone, my throat closing up from all the eyes on me.
But then Sophie stepped forward, facing the crowd without a hint of fear, and said, "I don't believe William is that kind of person. You shouldn't just accuse someone without proof!"
I barely remember what happened after that. All I can recall is that radiant girl with her hair in a high ponytail, her fair neck shining in the sunlight.
That was when I realized I'd fallen for her.
Back in high school, I was shy, sensitive, and totally awkward around people.
Whenever I saw Sophie, I'd just hang back and watch from a distance. Her smile was like sunshine, but I never had the guts to go near her.
At least my grades were decent during those insecure years, so I could keep crushing on her without feeling completely hopeless.
My essays were pretty good back then, and the teacher would often read them out loud in class.
Whenever that happened, Sophie would sit up straight, her eyes bright and sparkling.
I loved how bright her eyes were.
"William, you're so awesome!" she'd say.