Chapter 1

I'd been married to Robin Frazier for five years.

He was the kind of man everyone admired, young, talented, with a bright future.

Yet no one knew that he saved all his tenderness, patience, and affection for Jenna Becker, the girl who never left his side and shared something with him that went beyond friendship.

The moment I saw them hugging and kissing at the mall, any last shred of illusion I had about him shattered.

I quietly asked him for an explanation, but he brushed me off impatiently.

He said, "She's just like a sister to me. You're overthinking it."

Five years of marriage, and I was finally done.

*****

The day I caught them together was the fifth anniversary of our wedding.

Every year before this, no matter how packed Robin's schedule was, he would clear his calendar, plan some kind of surprise ahead of time, remember all the little things I liked, and spend the whole day with me.

Yet this year, every bit of his time, attention, and tenderness had been given to Jenna instead.

In a luxury store downtown, warm golden lights bathed the two of them, the whole scene almost painfully sweet to look at.

Jenna had on a brand-new limited-edition necklace and kept spinning around in front of Robin. Her voice was cloyingly sweet, loud enough that every word reached me from across the store.

"Robin, does it look good on me? Since you got it for me, I'm going to wear it every day," she said.

Robin looked down at her, his eyes unbelievably soft.

That was the kind of tenderness and care I'd never gotten from him, not once in all five years.

The next second, he slid an arm around Jenna's waist and pulled her close. Then he leaned down and kissed her forehead, her hair, and her cheek.

Their fingers locked together, their arms tangled tight, the kind of closeness only lovers shared.

I stood not far away, feeling my blood freeze in an instant. My hands and feet went numb, and even breathing hurt a lot.

The sales staff whispered among themselves nearby, their eyes drifting toward me with a mixture of sympathy and curiosity.

I tightened my grip on the pair of cufflinks I had meant to give Robin. The metal bit into my palm, and that was the only thing keeping my emotions from spilling out.

After all these years, it finally hit me. He did know how to be romantic, and he wasn't too busy to remember anniversaries. The truth was, all that romance and care had never been meant for me.

I didn't rush over to confront them. I didn't break down in tears or go hysterical.

I pulled out my phone, pointed it at them while they were standing there wrapped around each other, and kept taking pictures, making sure every moment was clear.

Near the corner, the mall manager recognized me and walked over cautiously. "Mrs. Frazier, do you need any help?"

I shook my head, keeping my voice steady. "No, thanks. I'm just passing by."

It didn't hurt anymore. When I finally gave up, the pain simply turned numb.

*****

At two in the morning, Robin stumbled in, smelling like alcohol

When he saw me sitting in the dark living room, he reached out, trying to pull me into an embrace. I quietly shifted aside and avoided him without a word.

"Why are you still up? Something came up at work. That's why I'm late." He said it like it was nothing, placing a nicely wrapped box on the coffee table. "Happy anniversary."

My gaze settled coldly on him. A bright lipstick stain marked the collar of his shirt, painfully obvious. A strand of curled hair, not mine, clung to his sleeve.

There was a light, sweet perfume on him, the exact scent Jenna always used.

He hadn't even tried to clean himself up. He couldn't even bother keeping up the act for me anymore.

There was a photo of us from right after we got married sitting on the cabinet. In the picture, he had his arms around me, smiling like I was the only thing he saw.

Yet in only five years, everything had changed.

Back then, no matter how busy things got, he always made me a priority, always cared about how I felt, and always remembered he was a married man.

Now that he had success and recognition, I had somehow become nothing more than an unnecessary burden in his eyes.

I slowly reached out and opened the gift box. Inside lay a necklace, identical in style, brand, pendant, and every tiny detail to the one I had seen around Jenna's neck earlier today.

Even the unique serial number engraved on the back of the pendant was exactly the same.

The irony couldn't have been more obvious. The anniversary gift meant for his wife was the exact same necklace he had given another woman.

Robin, did you really think choosing a different gift was too much trouble?

Was I not even worth the effort of pretending anymore?

I picked up the necklace. My fingers felt cold, and instead of excitement, all I felt was disgust.

"Robin," I said, my voice completely flat.

He was bending down to take off his shoes. At my voice, he looked up, frowning with a trace of impatience flickering across his face. "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"Nothing. It's late. We should get some sleep," I said.

I turned to leave, but he grabbed me from behind and pulled me into his arms, resting his chin against my neck. His tone softened as if trying to smooth things over. "Still mad? I was working. I didn't mean to get home so late."

I pried his hands off me and stepped back, putting clear distance between us. The movement was sharp and decisive. I said, "I'm tired. I'll sleep in the guest room tonight."