2
That night, Leo and I went to bed angry. The next day, he met up with his friends for drinks. I put my work aside and secretly followed him.
Through a crack in the door of a dimly lit private room at a bar, I caught a glimpse of Leo, his arm intimately wrapped around a woman. She was leaning against him on the couch, her arms around his waist, her face flushed with shyness. Even in the low light, I recognized her instantly: Chloe Meng!
If there had been any doubt before, it was now crystal clear: that embryo, that lost life, was Leo and Chloe’s! A surge of white–hot fury rushed through me, and my fists clenched
tight.
Just as I was about to burst in, I heard one of Leo’s friends speak up. “Leo, Chloe chased
you for years, and you never gave her the time of day. What finally changed your mind?”
I froze.
Leo turned his head to glance at Chloe, a doting smile on his face. “I wasn’t going to accept her, honestly. But then, that time my wife had her jumped and beat her until she was bruised and bloody… Chloe still showed up at my office, crying, saying she’d never give up on me, even if it killed her. I don’t know why, but in that moment, my heart just… softened.”
After he spoke, they looked at each other, smiled, and then kissed right there, in front of
everyone. The room erupted in hoots and cheers.
I stood frozen outside the door, as if struck by lightning. So, my rage, my attempt to protect my marriage, had actually created the perfect opportunity for them to get together?
A sharp, needle–like pain pricked at my chest, tightening until I could barely breathe. As my heart twisted in agony, Leo and Chloe finally broke apart, lingering in their embrace.
Chloe cupped Leo’s face, her voice thick with emotion. “Leo, I’ll never love anyone but you. Only death can separate us.”
14:48 Sat, 28 Jun •
ས ࿐ 100%L
Tears welled in Leo’s eyes, his face full of profound emotion. “Chloe, if I’d known being
with you would be this incredible, I would have accepted you sooner. Don’t worry, for the rest of our lives, I’ll give you everything, except the title.”
I stared at the sickeningly sweet scene before me, my heart aching to its very core. Suddenly, all my strength to confront them, to demand answers, drained away. I turned around and walked away, numb and disoriented.
I floated like a ghost, aimlessly making my way to the bar. I ordered several strong drinks
and drank until I was completely wasted.
Five years of marriage. Eight years together. From college until now, Leo and I had been a couple for eight long years. Back then, to marry him, I’d given up an opportunity to study abroad. I didn’t ask for a dowry, just married him. After we wed, I’d always been a devoted wife, attentive, caring, always making sure he was comfortable. He didn’t want kids, so I’d used the excuse of being infertile to keep both our parents quiet.
But in the end, he’d had a child with another woman, behind my back.
Eight years of a relationship, shattered by one persistent woman. How utterly laughable.
