On the weekend, Ethan left early in the morning.

I drove behind him, not too far or too close, watching as he walked into a flower shop. He carefully selected a bouquet of roses, chatting and gesturing with the florist.

It was a beautiful bouquet of roses, fresh and glistening with water droplets.

I smiled. As I kept smiling, tears started to fall without me realizing it.

Honestly, I love flowers too.

I once said that love should begin with a bouquet of flowers, but Ethan scoffed and told me flowers were impractical and a waste of money.

How I longed for the day he'd walk up to me, holding a bouquet and smiling, saying, "Here, I knew you'd like these."

But now, he was holding a carefully wrapped bouquet, meant for another woman.

Turns out, he knew how to buy flowers and pick them out so meticulously, just not for me.

Even though I knew deep down what the final outcome would be.

I knew how humiliating it would be.

But I stubbornly wanted to see it with my own eyes.

I was still holding onto a tiny shred of hope.

Ethan walked into a Western restaurant. As soon as he stepped in, the girl bounced over to him, wrapping her arm around his and happily taking the flowers.

Ethan gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

The two walked into the restaurant, leaning close, looking like the perfect couple.

Watching their backs, my nose began to sting again.

I sat in the car silently, watching them through the window as they ate.

Thankfully, the mirror was clear, and I could see every bit of their affectionate moment.

Ethan, who had been so short-tempered with me lately. He had yelled at me so many times, and now he was speaking softly to someone else.

When I saw Ethan, like a magician, pull a necklace from his bag, the girl's smile grew even bigger as she walked over to him. She playfully asked him to put it on her.

I closed my eyes. I couldn't watch anymore.

He was putting in so much effort.

So much that I couldn't even feel jealous anymore.

I leaned back in my seat, and suddenly, my phone rang.

"I won't be coming home tonight. Take Nathan out for dinner," he said. In the background, I could hear a playful voice.

I didn't respond, but I couldn't stop the sting in my nose.

Suddenly, Ethan looked up, directly at me.

His voice turned cold immediately, the smile vanishing from his face.

"You're following me?

"Chloe, have you forgotten everything I've told you? Can't you stop being so paranoid?"

I gave a quiet "hmm" and rolled up the window.

Seeing that I didn't say anything, Ethan's tone softened a little.

"Just go home. Luna and I are here to discuss work. Don't overthink it."

"What kind of work requires bringing flowers?

You won't even bother making up a decent lie. You're just so dismissive of me."

"Ding."

I looked at the private message, and my expression slowly changed.

[Chloe, I know who you are. The one who's unloved is the real third wheel. Just go take care of Nathan and stop interrupting our date.]

[Oh, did you see it? He gave me a new gift. It's Bvlgari, you know.]

I could almost picture her smug expression.

How pleased with herself she must have been.

I quickly looked up, and Luna was deliberately showing off the gift box through the window, grinning boldly.

It was Bvlgari.

After searching all over the house for the Bvlgari necklace Ethan had given me, I finally opened the cabinet, clinging to a shred of hope. But it was completely empty. I let out a bitter laugh, gripping the empty shelf.

How could he?!

How could he give my anniversary gift to the woman he's seeing on the side?!

Back then, he had tossed the beautifully wrapped box on the table and carelessly said to me, "A client gave it to me. You lucked out."

I'd been so happy, jumping up from the couch, not even noticing his tone. I admired the necklace from every angle, thrilled beyond belief.

He didn't understand why I was so happy.

It was the first gift he had ever given me, and the only one.

I cherished it so much that I didn't even want to wear it.

But now, even that doesn't belong to me anymore.

My childhood friend called. Her voice was uneasy, trembling as she spoke, "Chloe, can you... handle this?"

I had asked her to look into this for me, and she did. She probed his friends for information, and now she had the answers.

"Tell me.

"I can handle it."

I listened in silence.

It turned out that his coworkers had known all along. They had all been making excuses for Ethan, trying to downplay the whole thing.

One of them had said on the phone, "Chloe, all men are like this. You just have to be more understanding..."

He didn't even finish before my friend snapped at him.

"Chloe, I'm on your side."

My friend said firmly.

I listened as she told me that Ethan often met Luna at the coffee shop downstairs during his lunch breaks.

He even took time off work to go on vacation with her to Manville.

Tears slid down my collar as I tilted my head back. I was unable to hold back the bitterness any longer.

Manville.

I had mentioned so many times that I wanted to go, and now Ethan had actually gone, but not with me.

They had kept me in the dark, all of them lying to me together.

What a united front they had.

They preserved their friendships, and the only one left hurt was me, someone they didn't even care about.

I took a deep breath and sincerely thanked her for helping me.

I opened Luna's social media page and saw that she had criticized the meals I made, pointing out flaws, even though she had eaten every bite.

Over three hundred videos, over three hundred meals.

No wonder Ethan's taste had suddenly changed, asking me to add more chili to lunch.

No wonder he'd started giving me detailed menus.

It was all because she liked it.

Waves of bitterness surged in my heart.

It's laughable how happy I was back then, thinking he actually cared about my preferences.

I love spicy food too.

But it turns out he had me cooking for his mistress all along...

I don't know how long I stood there before my mind started working again. I slumped against the counter, feeling drained.

"Ethan, how could you treat me like this? How could you?

You promised my dad, right in front of him, that you'd take care of me. That's the only reason he trusted you with me, back when you had nothing.

The house, the car, all of it came from my family.

I didn't even ask for a single penny as a dowry.

And this is how you repay me?"

I come from a single-parent home. Ever since Dad passed, I've put all my energy into maintaining my family.

He was my only emotional support.

And now, things have turned out like this.

Dad must be pacing in heaven, so worried.

After crying until I was dry, I slowly got up from the floor. Ethan came home with takeout barbecue in hand.

He stood in the doorway, seeing me, and let out a sigh of relief.

"I should have told you I was going out, that was my bad.

"Here, I brought you something."

He put the barbecue down on the table.

I opened the container and looked at the skewers of chives inside, saying nothing.

"I'm allergic to chives.

I even went to the hospital for it once.

So, he doesn't even remember that now?"

My heart grew colder, and I couldn't help but tremble. When you're unloved, nothing about you gets attention.

It feels like I don't even matter.

I gathered myself and looked up.

All I wanted was an answer.

And now, I've got it.

Now, I had to say what needed to be said.

I calmly said, "Ethan, let's get a divorce."

Ethan's phone slipped from his hand, and his body shook.

"What now? Why suddenly bring up divorce?

"I even brought you both dinner.

"Chloe, what's your deal this time?"

Suddenly, his tone shifted, becoming arrogant.

"Chloe, how old are you? And you're still playing these games? Isn't this a bit childish?

"I said I knew I was wrong, and I brought food. Can we stop this now?"

I clenched my fingers and stated, "I'm allergic to chives, and Nathan can't eat greasy food.

"So, who did you bring this for?

"Who do you want to eat it?"

After laying out the skewers, I finally felt calm.

"You can eat these leftovers yourself."

Ethan's lighter paused mid-air, and his expression faltered. He said awkwardly, "Leftovers? Fine, don't eat them then!"

He quickly shifted the conversation. I wasn't surprised anymore.

Smoke rings rose, and Ethan's face grew hazy.

I love cats. That night, when I saw him squatting by the roadside playing with the stray cats, I couldn't help but be captivated.

He turned his head, the light making his hair look so soft.

I thought, I might have fallen in love with him at first sight.

Ethan's family situation wasn't great. His parents were always fighting. He was stuck in the misery of his upbringing, and I foolishly thought I could be his savior, that I could warm his heart.

I didn't realize that one-sided love is the most painful.

I pitied his circumstances and felt for everything he went through.

It seemed like he finally noticed me, and we naturally got together.

I even got him that legendary 4090 gaming setup.

Ethan had a real talent for gaming, but his parents' constant pressure forced him to stop at the regional level. It was one of his biggest regrets.

I remember him holding his computer, crying, and promising he'd treat me well in the future.

I always believed him.

He really was a good person.

Everyone around him spoke highly of him.

I knew about his ex-girlfriend. She dumped him because he was poor, but Ethan never said a bad word about her.

He just said they weren't a good fit.

Later, we did have our sweet days together.

He was so anxious when I gave birth. He pacing in circles, crying even more than I did, and he bought me those designer bags I liked.

He took care of almost everything for Nathan. He would feed, bath, everything.

And now...

Looking at this still-handsome and mature face, I couldn't help but feel a deep, unshakable pain.

How did we end up like this?

I took a deep breath, ready to speak.

Ethan's phone rang sharply.

After answering the call, he stubbed out his cigarette. He hurriedly threw on his coat, and was ready to leave.

As he opened the door, he suddenly remembered something and hesitated.

"Cancel tomorrow's picnic. Make sure to explain it properly to Nathan."

Once again, he broke the promise.

I nodded at him with a faint smile.

"Alright."

It didn't matter anymore.

The picnic had been postponed for half a year.

It didn't matter if we didn't go.

Watching Ethan leave without looking back, my heart finally sank, settling into a calm.

I stared at the face in the video and suddenly rushed to the bedroom to find our graduation photo.

I closed my eyes. Just as I thought.

Luna and his ex-girlfriend looked almost exactly alike.

I was so stupid.

I should have asked long ago. I should have seen how unusually he acted when it came to his ex-girlfriend.

The person he cared about all along was her.

Even though she treated him horribly; even though I treated him so well.

I was lost in the fantasy I had woven for myself, played like a fool by them both.

I woke Nathan and told him to pack his clothes.

Then, I started packing my own things.

The phone rang, and my heart tightened.

After answering, my mother-in-law, Ella Rogers' sharp voice spewed out, one harsh comment after another.

"Why didn't you come over to cook today?!

"You don't work and just live off my son! I knew from the beginning I shouldn't have let Ethan marry such a jinx like you. Anyone would be better than you!

"Come over here right now, do you hear me?"

Ella always treated me badly, thinking I kept him from finding someone better.

When we first got married, she gave me a hard time in countless ways.

She said that as a new wife, I should cook breakfast for my in-laws the next morning. My dad was furious, but I begged him not to stand up for me. I didn't want to embarrass Ethan.

I loved Ethan too much and couldn't bear to make things difficult for him.

So, I chose to endure it.

But his silence left me deeply wounded.

When I was being bullied, Ethan never once spoke up for me.

It wasn't until I had an allergic reaction to the chive and ended up in the hospital that he finally spoke, telling me not to hold it against his mom.

See, he didn't love me at all.

"You're lazy and useless! I have no idea what my son saw in you!" she kept ranting.

Hearing this, Nathan ran over.

"Don't talk about my mom like that!"

Ella choked for a second, then spat in disgust.

How vulgar.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn't hold them back anymore.

"I'm going to divorce your son soon, whether you live or die is no concern of mine.

"Are your hands broken? Can't you cook for yourself?"

Ella gasped, quickly recovering and resuming her rant.

"Well, Chloe, look at you! You've grown some guts, huh? Talking about divorce!

"Fine! Divorce him! I'd like to see how you'll survive after leaving my son!

"I'm going to tell Ethan right now. You've really got some nerve..."

I cut her off with a sharp "bang" as I hung up.

After packing everything, I found Ethan's contact in my phone.

I was ready to inform him.

Just then, I received another message.

[A Happy Life at University.]

The picture was of Ethan watching the stars with her, covering her eyes with his hands.

At the top of the comments was a long message from Ethan.

I watched as he professed his love for her, promising to take her to see the Northern Lights.

I couldn't take it any longer.