I couldn’t bring myself to compromise, not like my mother had. I wouldn’t settle for a life of misery, enduring a man who had long since fallen apart.

When Dad was young, he’d often wander, pouring all his tenderness into other women, while coming home to beat and berate both my mother and me.

Everyone told her to leave him, but she would just cry and say, “If I leave him, how will I live? My husband is here; where else can I go?”

Then, my dad died in a car accident after a night of drinking and not long after, my mom remarried.

On the day of her wedding, she told me, “As long as he loves you, everything can be worked through. Life’s short, don’t be too greedy. There’s no cat that doesn’t stray, so don’t hold on too tightly to every little thing.”

Once she remarried, we lost touch. She had her new family and I was left as nothing more than a shadow in the background.

I drifted like a sail caught in the wind, always moving between the shorelines, never quite anchored.

It wasn’t until Cooper pulled me from that drifting life that I began to understand what a home could feel like. What seemed like the perfect place, the perfect life, was given to me.

But when I looked back, I still felt the pull of the open sea, unsure and adrift.

When Cooper wasn’t home, I stumbled upon the love letters he had written to me years ago.

Five hundred and twenty letters, each one a testament to his devotion, with not a single word repeated.

They held all the emotions he’d felt at the time, all the love he had poured into me.

I had treasured them, telling myself that someday, when I was old and gray, I would read them again and relive the memories of our youth.

But now, that time had passed.

I grabbed a fire pit and a lighter, tossing each letter into the flames.

The flames crackled and leaped higher, their warmth soothing the emptiness in my chest and gradually, my heart began to quiet.

When Cooper returned, he caught sight of the scene.

His heart skipped a beat and he rushed over in instinctive concern.

“Wife, what are you burning?”

At the sound of his voice, I rose slowly to my feet, my gaze steady.

“I was just cleaning up and found some things I no longer need. I thought I’d burn them.”

Worried that I might get too close to the fire, he gently pulled me back a step.

“These things can be handled by the servants. Be careful, don’t hurt yourself.”

His focus was entirely on me, so he didn’t notice the letters that hadn’t fully burned in the fire pit.

If he had glanced just a moment longer, he would’ve seen that one of the burnt letters still bore his name.

“Wife, I’ve wrapped up most of the work stuff. I have some free time today and I want to spend it with you. Where would you like to go?”

He smiled softly and pulled me into a warm embrace, his dark eyes sparkling with affection.

No matter where I wanted to go, he would always be by my side.

Just like before, he never hesitated to follow my spontaneous whims.

I paused for a moment, feeling restless in the house.

“Let’s go play baseball. I haven’t played in a while.”

Cooper nodded, quickly finding me some sportswear before leading me to the baseball field.

But, of course, fate had other plans. As soon as we arrived, I found Cooper's friends already there.

Beside him stood Kaia, dressed in sportswear, her presence completely unbothered by my arrival.

She flashed me a bright, knowing smile. “So, this is Miss Sanders. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Cooper’s expression darkened as he glared at her, his voice cold as he corrected her. “This is my wife. You should call her Mrs. Green.”

The smile on Kaia’s face instantly stiffened, her expression turning bitter, but she complied. “Mrs. Green.”

I offered a quiet “Hmm” in response and made my way to the changing room.

When I came out, Cooper was nowhere to be found.

I walked toward the exit, but then I heard faint sounds coming from the bathroom.

Driven by an impulse I couldn’t explain, I found myself walking toward it.

Inside, Cooper stood with a cold, hard expression, his hand gripping Kaia’s chin as he spoke in a low, stern voice. “Behave yourself. If Luna finds out about this, you’ll regret it.”

Kaia’s eyes welled with tears, her sobs barely a whisper in the tense air.

“I didn’t say anything… I just called her ‘madam,’ like you told me to.” She reached up, draping her arms around his neck, pressing a soft kiss to his face. “Please don’t be angry, okay?”

Cooper’s gaze darkened, his hand gripping her head as he deepened the kiss. Even his breath grew heavy, uneven.

I stood there, frozen, as his hand slipped beneath Kaia’s short skirt.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

In that moment, the words my mother once whispered to me came rushing back:

There was no cat that did not stray.

And, in that quiet moment, I realized neither did Cooper.

I played baseball for a while, the rhythm of the game distracting me from the growing tension in my chest.

“Sorry, wife, I got an urgent call and had to take it. That’s why I’m late.”

I scanned his collar, noting how it had been carefully adjusted to hide the faint mark of a kiss. Without missing a beat, I said, “It’s fine. I’m tired of playing. You guys go ahead; I’ll wait over there.”

Cooper’s friends were around and as there were four of us, we paired off into two groups.

In a quiet gesture, his friends had paired Kaia with Cooper’s side.

An unsettling thought crossed my mind.

Did his friends know about his affair with Kaia?

That question was answered over dinner.

One of his friends, who couldn’t hold his liquor, got drunk after only a few drinks.

He slurred, “Cooper, you’ve got the life everyone envies. Your wife’s a goddess and this secretary? She’s as sweet as honey…”

Before he could finish, Cooper’s face darkened and he cut him off sharply.

“Shut up and go rest if you’re drunk. Stop talking nonsense.”

His hand then found mine, rubbing it in what was meant to be a comforting gesture.

“Wife, don’t listen to him. He’s just drunk,” he said, his words hollow.

But inside, my heart sank like a stone.

They all knew about Cooper’s affair, everyone but me.

I had been kept in the dark, foolishly blind to the truth.

A wave of humiliation washed over me and I wondered if, behind my back, they mocked my ignorance while smiling to my face.

I couldn’t bring myself to smile.

“It’s fine; I’ll go to the restroom.”

As I turned to walk away, I noticed Kaia trailing behind.

Her eyes were filled with disdain, no longer masking the arrogance she had so clearly embraced.

“You saw the messages I sent you, didn’t you?” she asked, standing tall and proudly revealing her still-flat belly.

“I’m already pregnant with Cooper’s child. Once the baby’s born, he’ll marry me. I suggest you be smart and ask for the divorce soon so you won’t be thrown out unceremoniously in the end.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll congratulate you in advance.”

Her expression faltered, surprise flickering across her face, clearly not expecting my response.

“Luna, what do you mean by that?”

“I’m congratulating you, future Mrs. Green.”

I couldn’t bring myself to waste any more breath on someone so morally bankrupt. Without another word, I turned on my heel to leave.

But before I could make it far, she called after me.

“Of course, you should congratulate me. The baby’s position has been unstable recently and the doctor says I need a quiet place to rest. I think the house you two are living in would be perfect for that. What do you think? Do you think Cooper would agree if I asked to move in there?”

Her words were soaked in provocation, each syllable dripping with malice.

I couldn’t find the words to respond.

The house we shared had been built specifically for us, something Cooper had created with me in mind. Every detail had been carefully designed to suit my taste.

It was supposed to be our sanctuary; the place he had promised would be forever ours.

No matter how much he had fallen for her, there was no way he would allow her into our home.

I didn’t bother responding to her words, simply turning away and leaving without looking back.

When I got home, Cooper suddenly spoke up.

“Wife, it’s been a while since you’ve gone on a trip. How about I arrange one for you? You could take some time to clear your mind.”

I pressed my lips together, then asked, “Will you be going with me?”

He gave me a helpless smile as he pulled me into a hug.

“The company’s so busy. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. You’ll have to go alone. But don’t worry, when I find time, I’ll come to join you.”

Before, when I’d mentioned a trip, he’d always been concerned about me going alone and I had to convince him for hours before he’d agree.

But now? It was as if he was eager to push me away.

It really seemed like he wanted to create space for her.

“Alright, I’ll go,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Cooper wasted no time, quickly arranging for someone to prepare my plane ticket.

When it was time for me to leave, he smiled and said, “Go ahead and enjoy yourself. I’ll join you as soon as I’m done with work.”

I nodded and smiled back, but there was no warmth in it.

“Cooper, make sure you stay at the company at two o’clock this afternoon. Don’t go anywhere. I have a gift for you.”

Cooper remembered my words. After returning to the company from the airport, he didn’t leave his office.

Kaia walked in with a cup of coffee, effortlessly bypassing his desk to sit beside him.

“Cooper, now that your wife is away, can I move into Summer Garden today?”

She was like a vine, curling around him, her delicate face pressed against his chest as she toyed with the buttons on his shirt.

Every time I went on a solo trip, he’d be restless, always worrying, as though something might happen to me.

Now, even though I was miles away, he still couldn’t escape the thoughts of me.

“Can you be quiet?”

A flash of coldness crossed his face and he roughly pushed her off his lap.

He turned his attention to the flight details, determined to stay connected to everything that concerned me.

Seeing his evident concern for me, Kaia’s eyes darkened with bitterness, a mix of resentment and jealousy.

But she quickly composed herself, her voice laced with feigned understanding.

“Cooper, your wife is clearly a lucky woman. She’ll live a long, happy life. Don’t worry too much. Once she lands, she’ll message you to let you know she’s safe.”

Her hand brushed lightly over his throat, her intentions as clear as day.

Cooper shot her a glance, but in the end, he couldn’t resist the pull. He picked her up and carried her into the office’s resting room.

At that moment, I wasn’t following the travel plans Cooper had set for me.

I hadn’t boarded the flight to Canada. Instead, I had arrived in romantic Paris.

As soon as the plane touched down, I made my way to get a local SIM card.

From this moment on, I would leave everything from the past behind me.

Back home, at two in the afternoon, Cooper had just wrapped up a meeting and was waiting impatiently in the lobby.

The receptionist, puzzled by his behavior, asked, “Mr. Green, is there something you need?”

He thought of the “gift” I had mentioned and a proud, affectionate smile tugged at his lips.

“Nothing much,” he said, his voice thick with warmth. “My wife is sending me a gift.”

His words carried an unmistakable pride, the kind that only a man deeply in love could express.

The receptionist couldn’t help but sigh. “Mr. Green, you and your wife have such a beautiful relationship. It’s truly enviable.”

Hearing this, Cooper’s smile grew wider, almost smug, as if he had won some silent victory.

The courier soon arrived with the package and as soon as Cooper saw the envelope, his smile began to fade, replaced by a creeping unease.

He quickly took the envelope upstairs, his steps a little heavier than before.

When he tore open the bag, everything I had said began to sink in.

The “gift” I had promised wasn’t anything he could have anticipated; it was the divorce agreement.

The moment he saw it, his body went rigid and he sank onto the sofa, stunned, his mind scrambling to process the reality of it.