Chapter 1

On the day of our third wedding anniversary, Zoey Hayes, who had secretly admired my husband for three years, posted a photo on her social media.

The caption read: "The world shouldn't bring me such joy, but then you appeared."

In the Live Photo, she leaned against a man's chest, and his hand was placed on hers, resting over her heart. The man's face wasn't shown, but the voice unmistakably belonged to Logan Bennett, my husband.

"If only you could always stay with me," she said.

"I'll always be by your side," he replied.

I commented: "You two deserve each other."

Soon after, Zoey called to explain, "Victoria, Logan didn't miss your wedding anniversary on purpose. Please don't be angry. It's all my fault. You can direct your anger at me and spare Logan."

I didn't say a word.

Logan, on the other hand, snatched the phone and scolded me, "Victoria, how can you be so cold and unreasonable? Look how considerate Zoey is. Stop making a fuss for no reason."

In the past, I would have rushed over to assert my position to everyone.

But this time, I genuinely wished them well. They could be together as they wished because I was ready to leave.

...

When Logan got home, I was tidying up the balloons and streamers in the yard. For our third anniversary, his students had arrived early to celebrate with us.

However, the leading man himself didn't come home until 3:00 am.

I ignored the somewhat awkward and guilty look on Logan's face as he stood to the side and continued cleaning up. Somehow, my indifference provoked him.

"Don't give me that attitude. It's just a wedding anniversary. Compared to a life, which one is more important? You've never faced real hardships growing up. You're 30, yet you still act so petty."

"Logan, I..." I whispered, my voice trembling ever so slightly. I was tired—not just physically, but emotionally.

The balloon in my hand burst accidentally, making a sharp noise.

Logan frowned and reprimanded me in a tone I had never heard before. "It's already so late at night. Even if you're angry, find a different way to vent. Don't you think you're being loud and rude? Aren't you worried about disturbing the neighbors?"

Zoey was more important than our anniversary. And keeping up appearances was more important than me or my wellbeing.

Even though I knew it was the truth, a wave of indescribable disappointment washed over me.

Logan and I had grown up together. We were childhood sweethearts. One was quiet and scholarly, while the other was lively and athletic.

We had always been the only one for each other… But that was until Zoey appeared.

Logan used to say he loved my straightforward nature and sunny disposition. He had once said I lit up his life like the sun. Now, he described me as being "loud and rude".

I didn't have the strength to argue. Cleaning up the remnants of a once-joyful yard had already drained me.

Wordlessly, I continued tidying the grill. Logan seemed to realize he'd been harsh with his words and reached out to help me.

Just then, his phone rang. His mocking ringtone blared, and it sounded extremely grating against my ears. "Hey Hubby, your Wifey's calling you!"

"Don't get jealous again. It's just something to comfort Zoey. She set it up for fun," Logan hastily explained.

The charcoal from the grill tipped over, scattering embers onto my foot. I endured the burning pain and looked up at Logan.

A flicker of guilt flashed across his face. But as Zoey's tearful voice came through the phone, even that guilt vanished.

I shook my head and pushed away his hand as he tried to steady me.

"Logan, I think my depression is acting up again. I feel like I should just die. But before I do, I want to hear your voice one more time," Zoey sobbed through the phone.

Hearing this, Logan immediately turned and hurried toward the door. "Zoey, don't do anything foolish. I'm on my way."

He paused briefly at the door, his body trembling slightly.

I understood that he felt conflicted and was making a choice. He was pondering whether to stay and comfort me as I was injured or to go and console Zoey, who needed his voice.

In the end, he chose to leave.

Standing alone in the yard, I felt a wave of weakness wash over me and collapsed onto the grass on my knees. I listened to the sound of his car fading into the night.

The pain in my foot seemed to numb, but the ache in my heart only grew clearer.

I knew our relationship could never go back to what it once was.