Chapter 1
For six years of marriage, Madeline Lane never remembered my birthday.
Every year, I'd buy myself a birthday cake.
When she saw it, she'd casually ask, "What's today?"
At first, I'd smile and remind her.
But after a while, I stopped.
This year was the only time I told her a month in advance, "My birthday is on the eighth of next month. Can you have dinner with me?"
She didn't look up from her phone and replied, "Sure."
On my birthday, she left early, and I waited at home alone until nightfall.
When the door opened, she was holding a huge bouquet of roses.
The moment I saw the roses, my heart skipped a beat.
I thought that after six years she finally remembered.
But then she handed me the flowers and said, "I took Ethan to a concert. He said you liked them, so I grabbed them for you on the way back."
I looked down at the bouquet.
The wrapping paper was crumpled, and the petals were a little wilted. Obviously, something someone else didn't want.
I took them and said, "They're pretty."
She had always been like this.
She was away on business on my birthday.
When I broke my leg and was in the hospital for a week, she didn't visit me once.
But when Ethan casually mentioned craving something from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, she'd take a day off and drive forty miles just to pick it up for him.
It wasn't that she didn't have time. She gave all her free time to someone else.
This was the first time I didn't want to wait for her to put me first anymore.
*****
Madeline spoke up, "Hey, what's up? You look out of it."
Right now, all I could think about was the video my friend sent me.
Thousands of fans held their glow sticks aloft, the crowd roaring beneath the stage.
Madeline was lost in the crowd, but her eyes were on Ethan James alone.
Meanwhile, I was at home, waiting for her like a fool.
I kept hoping she'd come back once she was done.
But midnight had already passed, and she finally handed me the flowers that were leftovers from someone else.
"It's nothing. I'm a bit tired," I replied, forcing a smile.
Madeline sat down at the table, picked up her fork, then put it down again.
"Tomorrow's the weekend. Maybe we could—" she started.
I cut her off, "Madeline, let's go on our honeymoon trip tomorrow.
"The honeymoon trip we promised each other. It's been six years, and we still haven't gone."
Madeline hesitated for a couple of seconds before finally nodding.
She walked straight into the study.
The door was left slightly open, and I could hear her voice inside, light and cheerful, as if she was laughing.
It was like she was a totally different person from the Madeline who was always so quiet around me.
Back then, I couldn't help but eavesdrop.
I kept hoping to catch some hint of affection for me in the softness of her voice.
Eventually, I gave up.
When people didn't care about someone, it was hard to make conversation.
I turned and walked into the bedroom. There was a brown paper bag in the closet. Inside were the divorce papers she signed before our wedding.
"Charles Sterling, marrying me means giving up your freedom. I've already signed the agreement. The date's still blank. Whenever you decide to walk away, fill it in," she said.
At the time, I thought she was heartless. But now I saw things differently.
I started packing my things.
Everything from six years of marriage barely filled a single suitcase.
Early the next morning, Madeline loaded the suitcase into the trunk.
Like always, I opened the rear door.
She glanced at me.
"I thought you'd sit up front today," she said.
I didn't say anything.
The last time I insisted on sitting in the passenger seat, she actually got upset, which was rare for her.
"Charles, I've given you everything I can, but whatever belongs to Ethan is off-limits. Don't think about it, understand?" she said.
As we drove off, she didn't bother with the GPS.
The road signs outside pointed toward the west side of the city, and at first, I thought she was taking a different highway.
But when that old locust tree came into view, I couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Right then, Ethan was standing by the side of the road, waving.
Madeline got out to help him with his luggage.
He pulled her into a hug.
Through the car window, Ethan smiled at her and said, "I knew you'd never leave me, Madeline. No one could ever keep us apart."
Madeline smiled indulgently.
The car door opened, and he turned to me.
He said, "Hey, Charles. I was bored out of my mind at home, so when I heard you two were going on a trip, I shamelessly invited myself along. That's okay with you, right?"
Madeline got back behind the wheel and glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Ethan's almost like a brother to me, so could you cut him some slack?"
Back then, I would've stood my ground, saying, "I'm your husband, aren't I?"
And I'd ask, "Didn't you promise I'd always come first?"
But today, I gave a quiet nod. "Hop in."
As the car started up again, I closed my eyes.
Just this once more. After that, she could do whatever she wanted.