As I was planning my return to work after having our baby, I stumbled upon two VIP passes to the Emberglow Music Festival in California in my husband Cole's study.

My heart leaped with joy, certain it was a surprise he had prepared for our wedding anniversary.

However, on the day of our anniversary, he told me his company was holding an emergency tech summit in Austin and that he had to leave on a business trip immediately.

A knot of pure dread tightened in my stomach. That night, while scrolling through my phone, I saw an Instagram Story a friend had forwarded me.

In the video, his college love, Sienna Vance, was passionately kissing Cole inside a VIP tent at the music festival, the music thundering in the background. The video was captioned:

"Under the Emberglow stars. Some things are just meant to be. #reunited #truelove"

I didn't tearfully call and scream at him. Instead, I calmly walked into the nursery, gazed down at my sleeping daughter, and then picked up my phone.

"Dad, I'm ready. I'm taking over the West Coast project."

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1

Cole Prescott walked in the door, beaming, only to find my suitcase already packed.

He froze, his smile faltering. "Claire, what are you doing?"

Without looking up, I replied, "I'm going to my father's place in New York for a few days."

Surprise flickered in his eyes. He pulled a small box containing a designer silk scarf from his pocket, opened it, and draped it over my shoulders before wrapping his arms around me.

"I've been slammed with work lately, and I even missed our anniversary. I'm so sorry, honey."

"Mm."

My reply was flat. Cole stared at me. When I didn't press him for details, his expression grew uneasy.

In the past, I would have pestered him endlessly, demanding an explanation until I was satisfied.

I had always thought that if I ever caught Cole cheating, I would fall apart—I’d cry, I’d scream. I never imagined I would be this calm.

When I saw those two passes in his study a few days ago, I was ecstatic.

I thought that maybe Cole wasn't so clueless after all—that he still knew how to make me feel cherished, especially after everything my body had been through to have our baby.

Wasn't he supposed to care about me?

I had been quietly anticipating his surprise, even planning our California trip a day ahead.

But as night fell, he never came home.

The next day, just as the music festival should have been hitting its crescendo, I finally received a text from him.

"Emergency summit here in Austin. We'll talk when I get back."

And just like that, it all clicked. The trip was never for me.

He had completely forgotten our wedding anniversary.

I glanced at the California road trip itinerary I’d saved on my phone.

Now, it felt like a cruel joke.

Just then, my phone pinged. A friend had sent me Sienna's post.

Her location tag? A VIP tent at the Emberglow Music Festival in California.

In the video, the two of them were holding each other tightly, kissing. The caption read: "Under the Emberglow stars. Some things are just meant to be. #reunited #truelove"

A humorless laugh escaped my lips.

So the cliché was true. A man never really gets over his first love, does he?

As I was stewing, Cole sauntered into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and his face tightened. "Did you order takeout again? Claire, we've talked about this. I don't like greasy food."

Ever since I learned Cole didn't like it, I had all but given up takeout—along with my beloved spicy food and street snacks.

For so many years, I was always the one to compromise. But after seeing that video, something inside me finally snapped.

Why was I bending over backward for a man who didn't even love me?

Just then, our baby started to cry. I scooped her up, intending to go to the bedroom and prepare her bottle.

Before I could leave, Cole stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

"Claire, I haven't eaten yet…"

I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Then go eat. Why are you telling me?"

Did he really expect me to be the same as before? To have a home-cooked meal waiting for him, no matter what?

Holding my daughter, I glanced back at him. "Oh, right. If you're hungry, there's a frozen pizza in the fridge. You can heat it up yourself."

The baby fell asleep quickly. After settling her in her crib, I received an email from my father.

"Claire, you've turned me down many times, but I'm not getting any younger. I need you to take over the company for me. Please, do this for your old man."

"I know you don't want Cole to feel like he's been deceived—that the career he's so proud of was actually built on our family's resources. But at the end of the day, you're my only child. If you don't take over, who will?"

A hollow ache echoed in my chest. My parents had sacrificed so much for me, and I had nearly thrown it all away for a man like Cole.

I took a deep breath and typed my reply. "Dad, I've made up my mind. I'm taking over the West Coast project."

Hawthorne Holdings had investments in major corporations across the country. My parents had mentioned many times that they hoped I would take over when they grew older.

But I had always refused—all for the sake of Cole's pathetic pride.

I met Cole in college. He came from a modest family in the Midwest and put himself through university on scholarships and student loans.

He was a hard worker. And his hard work had brought him what most people would call success.

But he never knew that my family had secretly paved every step of his career. Someone with no connections could never have navigated the treacherous waters of the financial world alone.

I thought I had done everything a wife should. I gave up my burgeoning career as an architect in New York City and moved to this boring suburb just so he could feel like the provider, the man of the house.

My father must have sensed something was wrong, because he sent me a text.

"Are you and Cole okay?"

I didn't reply. A moment later, another message came through.

"Claire, whatever you decide, your family is here to back you up."

After dinner, Cole came into the bedroom. I turned my back to him.

"Lily is still so small. It’s easier for me to care for her at night without you in here. You should sleep in the guest room."

In the past, whenever Cole returned from a business trip, I would cling to him, unwilling to be apart for a second.

Now, the sight of him made my stomach turn.

To my shock, he flew into a rage, his voice rising without any regard for our sleeping daughter.

"That's enough! How long are you going to keep this up? I already explained! A week ago, Sienna and I were together for work. This business trip was for work, too—what the hell else am I supposed to do?"

"If I don't work, who supports you? Who supports Lily? Nothing in this life is free! How long are you going to act like a childish, paranoid brat?"

"You're no help with my career! You do nothing but get in my way!"

Oh, yes.

If Cole hadn't brought it up, I might have forgotten just how foolish I'd been.

A week ago, Cole had disappeared for an entire night.

I was burning up with a high fever from a postpartum infection. The doctor advised me to go to the ER immediately, preferably with a family member.

But no matter how many times I called, Cole didn't answer.

Helpless, I called my best friend. She found him in a booth at a high-end bar—with his arm draped around Sienna.

The next day, we had a massive fight in my hospital room.

Cole trotted out the same old excuses, acting as if I were the one overreacting.

"I was drunk. Besides, there were tons of people there—what could have possibly happened between us? You've been so hormonal ever since the pregnancy. Are you sure this isn't postpartum depression?"

"If there was really something going on between Sienna and me, don't you think we would've gotten together years ago? You wouldn't have even been in the picture."

"Sienna even came to the hospital to see you after you gave birth. And this is how you think of her? Maybe you're the one with a twisted mind—always assuming the worst. Stop being so unreasonable."

Right.

It was all my fault for being unreasonable. I guess I should have just thrown them a wedding the moment I caught them.

Even when I found those two passes, I had foolishly held on to hope.

That was the last straw.

The exhaustion from all these years—emotional and physical—suddenly washed over me.

Cole looked at me, his face a mask of impatience.

I met his gaze and said calmly, "No, you're overthinking it."

Cole clearly hadn't expected me to remain so calm. For a split second, an unmistakable look of panic flashed across his face.

"Claire... you're really not angry?"

I chuckled softly. "What's there to be angry about? Go to the guest room. I need to sleep. Lily will be up soon, and I need to be ready for her."

Before he could answer, I switched off the light and climbed into bed.

Cole stood there for a moment, a scowl twisting his features, then stormed out of the bedroom.

I didn't understand.

Didn't he always hate it when I made a scene?

Now that I wasn't, even though I had every right to—why was he still angry?

The next morning, Cole had breakfast ready. The table was filled with my favorites.

"Claire, you're up. I heard those postpartum nutritional meals are pretty bland, so I got you your favorite bagels."

So he had known all along that I wasn't eating well.

He knew I hated those bland meals.

I remembered scrolling through Sienna's old social media posts and finding out that Cole knew all of her preferences by heart.

Sienna didn't like eating out, so Cole learned to cook for her—just to win a word of praise.

I had given him a daughter, and this was the treatment I got.

It hit me then: I'd never really been loved at all. Maybe I didn't even know what love was supposed to feel like.

I remembered a time when he'd looked at me like I was the only person in the world. That man was long gone.

Cole took out his phone and showed me a booking confirmation.

"Didn't you say you wanted to go for a drive along the coast? I've finally got some free time, and I know you've been down lately. I planned the whole thing for us."

I almost laughed out loud.

I swallowed my anger and forced a smile. "No, I don't have time. Lily is still too little."

"We can hire a nanny to look after her."

I looked out the window, watching the autumn leaves drift to the ground.

"Cole, the most beautiful season in Connecticut has already passed."

He had already taken the person he loved to see it.

I didn't say the second half of that thought out loud.

Cole hesitated, then stammered, "Oh... right... I'm sorry, I forgot..."

No.

He hadn't forgotten.

He remembered perfectly.