Chapter 4

I checked the magnets one by one.

"In honor of my third wedding anniversary with Jasper."

"In honor of Jasper's birthday."

"In honor of my fifth wedding anniversary with Jasper."

"In honor of my first kiss with Jasper."

I stared at the magnets that were scattered all over the refrigerator door. All of a sudden, I let out a bitter laugh.

Rachel and I had been together for seven years, but she could never remember my birthday.

On several occasions, I waited until the very end of the day to post a subtle reminder on social media. Then, she'd send me a small gift card as a token gesture.

Somehow, that tiny gesture was enough to convince me I was the luckiest man in the world.

Our anniversaries were even worse. Every year, I'd prepare a gift weeks in advance before mailing it overseas to her.

Looking back now, I finally realized our relationship had always been one-sided.

I was always the one making an effort, while she never even bothered to even meet me halfway.

But why would she? After all, she was already cheating on me with another man.

After changing into a fresh set of clothes, Rachel emerged from the bedroom and overheard me laughing. Frowning, she walked over to me and spat, "What's so funny? How do you still have the nerve to laugh when you've gotten yourself drunk out of your mind?"

When I didn't answer, she followed my gaze.

Once she caught sight of the refrigerator magnets, she instinctively started to defend herself.

"Don't read too much into it, Sam. These magnets are just part of a game of Truth or Dare. I lost, so they made me put them up. They're all fake. It's nothing serious."

I didn't respond. Instead, I grabbed a bottle of ice-cold water from the refrigerator and finished it in one go. Then, I turned away from her and walked toward the study.

Rachel followed me into the study. Casting me a suspicious glance, she said hesitantly, "Ever since you came back, you've been acting a little—"

Before she could finish, her phone rang in the living room.

She hurried over and answered the call.

"Hello? What's wrong?"

"She's running a high fever? She was perfectly fine when I left. What happened?"

"You're at the hospital? Okay, I'm on my way. Don't panic."

After she hung up, she rushed back to me and said, "Um… the child actress is sick. She got sick while she was helping us put on that act today, so we feel obligated to take care of her. Just stay home and wait for me, okay? I'll go and check on her."

Without waiting for my response, she hastily changed into a new set of clothes before rushing out the front door.

After Rachel left, I sat alone in the dark without uttering a single word.

I was devastated and heartbroken. Pretending like I wasn't upset would've been a complete lie.

For the past seven years, I did everything in my power to give my wife a better life. That goal had been the driving force behind everything I had ever worked for. Now that it was gone, I wasn't sure if I could keep going.

Once I had finally decided to call my lawyer, I picked up my phone.

"Miles, I want a divorce."

I gave my lawyer, Miles Decker, a summary of everything that had happened between Rachel and me. Then, I asked him to draft the divorce papers as soon as possible.

After hanging up, I got to my feet and turned on the lights in the study.

It wasn't until then that I noticed our wedding portrait was gone. In its place hung a wedding photo of Rachel and another man.