10(Harry’s Side Story)My name is Harry, and I am thirty years old. People say that men are the strongest when they reach 30. Yet, my life seemed to have reached its end. In my life, I encountered two women I loved the most. One was my first love, Emily, from my university days. The other was my wife, who accompanied me for many years. My feelings for my first love blossomed during the most innocent and hazy times. At the height of my love for her, she broke up with me, stating she would study abroad and didn’t want to hold me back. But later, I learned she hadn’t gone to study abroad. She had found a better option and left with a new boyfriend. After she broke up with her new boyfriend overseas, she returned, hoping to come back to me. When she appeared before me again, my heart sank. I always found it hard to forget my beloved first love. I had two choices, either to be friends or to be lovers. Being friends would have been the better choice for both of us,
1“The crocodiles will tear me apart. Please can you let me out of here?” No matter how humbly I pleaded, Harry Somerfield showed me no mercy. Today was supposed to be our wedding anniversary. I had intentionally left work early to prepare a candlelight dinner. But halfway through, he called to say he wanted to surprise me. When I arrived at the location Harry mentioned, he cruelly tossed me into the crocodile pit. It turned out that he was giving me a scare while giving his first love, Emily Milnes, a real surprise. Seeing me struggling by the edge, Harry stretched out his arm to stop me from getting out. He frowned at me, then pulled out a bundle of cash. “The crocodiles are bred and they aren’t as fierce as wild ones. After you finish the live stream, I’ll give you the money, okay?” I looked at Harry with bitterness. At that moment, he felt incredibly foreign to me. I pointed to the crocodiles nearby. “If I really wanted money, I wouldn’t have stayed w
2After I was rescued from the crocodile pit, I dragged my exhausted body back home. The shock I experienced today had already surpassed human limits. But when I returned home, I saw my beloved husband having a candlelight dinner with another woman. This candlelight dinner was something I had specially prepared after getting off work early that day. Emily took out her phone and snapped a photo of herself kissing Harry, then posted a celebratory message about reaching one million followers. Watching their affectionate display at that moment made me feel like I was the punchline of a joke. After finishing the candlelight dinner, Harry lovingly embraced Emily and headed to the bedroom on the second-floor. As for what they were about to do next, it was well-known to everyone. He looked at me with disdain as he passed by. "Next time you cook, use less salt. Emily can't stand it. And don’t waste the leftover food. Remember to wash the dishes after you eat." Tea
3The next morning, when I woke up, Harry had specially prepared breakfast. He brought the breakfast to my side, his gaze falling on the corners of my eyes, and gently wiped my tears away. "Don't cry so early in the morning. You won’t be pretty if you cry." There was a hint of tenderness in his eyes, but it lacked the love he had for Emily. I had once loved those features of his, because back then, his eyes were filled with love for me. But now, everything had changed. Halfway through breakfast, Emily arrived with a tote bag. Watching her familiar figure enter the Somerfield family's residence felt as if she were the true mistress of this home. Emily naturally placed the bag on the table and then pulled out a chair to sit next to Harry. The moment Harry saw her, the calmness in his eyes was instantly replaced by affection. The fleeting emotion in his eyes pierced my heart. He claimed to have feelings for me, yet maintained an intimate relationship with
4I didn’t expect Harry to come to the hospital to see me.He took food out of a lunch box and then thoughtfully opened a bottle of milk for me.“This meal is specially made for you, so don’t be angry, okay? If you hadn’t been so temperamental, Emily wouldn’t have gotten hurt. What’s wrong with giving her some money as compensation?”I looked up at the “home-cooked meal” Harry mentioned.In the seven years we were married, he had never stepped into the kitchen. He didn’t know how to cook.The breakfast he made for me yesterday was also just so that he could speak on Emily’s behalf.The food he brought out was clearly takeaway, and even his way of comforting me felt so perfunctory.In our seven years of marriage, I had always felt like I was being emotionally manipulated by him.Clearly, it was my desire to travel with my beloved first love, but he insisted on placing all the blame on me.“What did I do to make you hate me so much? Are you trying to squeeze out my last bit of
5Harry’s hand trembled slightly as he took the report.But in the next moment, his eyes returned to their previous viciousness and cruelty.“I didn’t expect your deceitful methods to become so sophisticated. Now you can even bribe the hospital for a report!”After saying this, Harry forced me to kneel in front of Emily and apologize.With each bow, humiliation washed over me.Seeing Harry so biased towards her, Emily felt an unspoken sense of triumph, but she still maintained a gentle facade.“It’s okay, Harry. I think Hailey has already learned her lesson.”When Harry heard Emily plead for me, he kicked me aside with disgust.“If you had half the sense Emily has, I wouldn’t treat you this way. You’re in your late 20s and you’re not even as sensible as Emily’s dog!”At that moment, I felt like I had lost all my energy, collapsing on the floor with empty, lifeless eyes.“Harry, your sin will come back to haunt you. You will never be able to repay me and our child.”When Har
6After three days of recovering in the hospital, I returned home to pack my things.As soon as I looked at my phone, I saw two messages from Harry.“The weather is cold today, remember to dress warmly.”“You’re weak, so take care of yourself. I’ve ordered takeaway for you.”Since he left with Emily, he sent me similar messages every day.But I never replied because it seemed unnecessary.His attempts to reach out now felt as light and worthless to me.As I looked around at the familiar surroundings upon returning home, a wave of bitterness washed over me.I had fallen in love with Harry during our third year of university. We spent a lot of time together in clubs and various activities, and love grew over time.He and Emily were each other’s first love when they entered university.When he confessed to me, he clearly stated he would forget her.Perhaps we had some moments of love, but love and promises only counted when we were in love.After packing my things, I sent Har
7The next morning, I set out to find a new job.Before marrying Harry, I had a job.But back then, he expressed a strong desire for a warm home, so I gave up my job to take care of him as a full-time housewife.Back then, I changed my lifestyle for him.Later, I realized that true love wasn’t about changing oneself. It was about loving oneself.After a day of job hunting, I managed to find a clerical position based on my qualifications.Although the job search had its challenges, the outcome was good.During my time there, I found out my boss was an alumnus from my university.So, during breaks, we often had coffee and chatted together.However, I didn’t expect to run into Harry at the company entrance that day after work.As I walked out with Ronan, I spotted a familiar figure standing not far away.I thought about pretending not to see him, but he called out my name.“Hailey, when I got home, I noticed all your things were gone, so I asked friends for your new address.