Penelope Rivera's little boy toy, Theodore Schneider, is throwing another tantrum. She slides the divorce papers across the table toward me. "Just sign them for show. It's to keep Teddy happy."

I clench the cuff of my suit and nod in silence. I sign my name in one swift stroke.

As I'm walking out, I hear one of her girlfriends teasing, "Samuel's way too easygoing. Does he actually do everything you say?"

Penelope takes a graceful sip of red wine and smirks. "Wanna bet?"

They bet that I will quietly go through with the divorce at the courthouse, even if my eyes are red with tears.

Listening their laughter, I rub my thumb over my phone screen and reply to the message I've just received.

"Will you marry me?" it says.

"I will."

After I sent the message, the conversation in the room kept going.

"I'm betting the newest Chanel items that Samuel will agree to the divorce."

"I don't think he will. He loves Penny way too much. There's no way he'd go through with it."

"Oh, please. He's just a simp for her. He always listens to her."

"For anyone who loses, it'll be a pair of Chanel items each." Penelope Rivera's voice came through, cool and crisp.

The room erupted into laughter. I hurried out of there as fast as I could.

Just then, a message showed up on my phone.

"Seriously?" it said.

"Yeah."

…

Six months ago, Penelope set her sights on Theodore Schneider, some Z-list actor.

She went all in by pouring resources into him and buying him cars and mansions in Acetropolis. His downtown villa was packed with sports cars he had always dreamed of.

Yet he still kept her at arm's length. She stayed patient as she pursued him day after day. Still, he firmly insisted that he wouldn't be her secret lover.

Donning that season's hottest limited release, Theodore flushed red with anger as he shouted, "Penny, I know you've been treating me like a king. I'm into you too, but I'm not gonna be 'the other man'!"

Having been in the business world for years, Penelope had seen countless men. Most of them practically threw themselves at her, knowing how rich she was.

Theodore, on the other hand, was different. He had his principles. No matter how much money she threw his way, he still stood his ground, which amused her.

She was so intrigued that she tossed me aside, again and again. I could still remember the first time she did it.

It was my birthday, and Penelope had actually come home for once. Dressed to the nines, she was holding my favorite kind of cake. Right when I was making a wish, her phone rang all of a sudden. She got up to take the call and promised she'd be right back to celebrate with me.

Yet, after she got off the call, she turned to leave, claiming it was urgent. I believed her.

After ten minutes, a friend request popped up on my phone. The person didn't send a message, even after I accepted the request.

Curious, I tapped into the person's profile. His entire feed was filled with photos of him and Penelope. That was when I realized she was cheating on me.

I went to her, phone in hand, demanding an answer. Yet, she claimed that they were just friends and nothing more.

I didn't believe her, but she said that I was being a nuisance. "Does it matter? You'll always be my husband. Isn't that enough?"

I was stunned. Was it that nothing else mattered as long as I was her husband in name? Hadn't she said she loved me the most?

My heart ached as if something was stuck in there. Yet, I barely had the strength to even argue.

…

This persisted until she handed me the divorce papers in a room full of people. "Just sign them for show. It's to keep Teddy happy."

I signed them without saying a word and walked out.

...

She came home later, reeking of alcohol as always. "Why aren't you sleeping yet?"

I looked up at her. That was the first time I spoke to her that day. "I'm not tired."

"Even so, you still need to sleep. The doctor said you need more rest."

I didn't spare her a glance. I just turned and headed for the bedroom.

"Wait." She stopped me. "I need to talk to you… tomorrow."

The next day, Penelope gently shook me awake. "Samuel, let's go file our divorce today."

I froze for a second before nodding. "Okay."

On the way there, she kept rambling about her plans for our fourth-year anniversary. "I'll take you for a follow-up first. The doctor said your condition has improved a lot, and you'll be back to normal soon.

"After that, we'll travel for a bit. You haven't been anywhere these years, since you've been sick. I still remember how much you loved running around when you were a kid. You said you wanted to travel the world when you grew up. Once you're better, let's do it, okay?"

She glanced at me, but I didn't respond.

She sighed. "He's just an actor. How could I actually fall for someone like him? He's just a little different, that's all. I just want to see how long it'll take for him to give in. Don't worry, though. I promised to take care of you, and I definitely will."

I gave a small nod. Feeling that the conversation was going nowhere, she quietly focused on the road.

When we arrived, she opened the car door and unbuckled my seatbelt for me.

I followed her into the courthouse, and everything went smoothly. The staff asked us some questions. I couldn't express my emotions properly due to my autism. I simply nodded along with Penelope.

"If you're both sure, sign here. Come back after one-month mandatory waiting period."

Penelope took the forms with a bright grin. After that, she lowered her head and started texting. With that smile, it didn't take much guessing to know who she was talking to.

At the same time, my own phone buzzed with a message. "I've already booked my flight back. See you tomorrow."

I answered with "Okay", and there were no further replies.

That night, I dreamed of when Penelope and I were kids. Back then, she was always glued to my side.

"Sam, your eyes are amazing!

"Come play house with me, okay? I'll be the princess and you'll be the prince.

"The princess always marries the prince. When I grow up, I'm going to marry you."

I used to like her a lot. We went to school together, headed home together, and even skipped class to watch concerts together.

But one day, I saw my parents and little sister lying in a pool of blood. I stood there, frozen and numb. In that instant, I lost all of my senses.

The last thing I remembered was Penelope hugging me as she cried, begging me to come home with her.

"My home is your home now, Sam. Don't be afraid. I'll stay with you."

From then on, I shut myself away completely. I stopped speaking to everyone.

Penelope's parents took me to hospitals all over the country, even abroad. Every doctor said that the trauma had triggered my autism.

Heartbroken, her parents had looked at me with reddened eyes. "Samuel, you're all your parents have left. Please hang in there, okay?"

Our families had been close for generations. After my family died, I was taken in by hers. Everyone in the Rivera family treated me well. Thanks to them, my childhood wasn't completely ruined.

Back then, Penelope wasn't like how she was now. She protected me fiercely. She would lunge at anyone who dared say a word about me.

She would stay by my side in silence, watching as I tended to my silly plants. She never once called it a waste of time.

So, when she asked me if I wanted to marry her, I nodded.

Thrilled, her parents started preparing for our wedding. On the other hand, I continued tending to my boring plants.

By then, my condition had improved a lot. I could somewhat express how I felt. Yet, marriage was something I didn't understand. The doctor said it was when two people stayed together forever, and I thought it wouldn't be so bad if I were getting married to Penelope.

We held a grand wedding, and every big shot in Acetropolis showed up. With her hand in mine, we accepted blessings from our guests.

That night, she curled up in my arms and asked if she could kiss me. I didn't understand why she wanted to do that right then. I was exhausted.

Yet, she insisted on kissing. I had never refused anything she asked for.

That night, she sat on my lap and kissed me gently. She said we would be blissful together for the rest of our lives.

But it only took four years for everything to change.

Penelope's parents passed away one after the other. Once again, I lost the people who loved me like a son.

During that time, I shut myself inside the greenhouse, and I would only open the door if she came back. She would cry while hugging me, begging me not to act that way.

Later on, her family business grew bigger. At the same time, she returned home a little later every night.

Everyone in Acetropolis knew that I, her husband, was a useless autistic man. Countless people tried to become her new potential match.

She ignored all of them, except for Theodore. He didn't care about her money. He wasn't the least intimidated by her status. All he wanted was to be her legitimate partner. That was the most natural thing in the world when one was in love.

There was just one problem—Penelope was married.

In the dark, my phone lit up with a message. It was from Theodore. I opened it.

It was a photo of Penelope heading into the shower. Her hair was messy, just like the bed behind her.

"Almost forgot that you're autistic. You probably can't understand what's going on, so I'll spell it out for you—I slept with your wife. Just so you know, she was the one asking for it. She really enjoys being in bed with me!"

I turned my phone off. My stomach churned, but I couldn't throw up. I was autistic, not a fool. Back when Penelope and I were together, our bed got messy too.

I ignored him. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

…

The next morning, I didn't get up until it was noon.

As usual, Penelope still wasn't home. Martha said she was busy with work at the company.

Yet, Theodore's Instagram said otherwise—he had just posted a photo of the two of them gazing at the sea. They were lying. All of them thought I was a fool.

During lunch, my phone rang. It was Wendy Hamilton.

I answered. Her bright, cheerful voice came through. "Sam, I'm back."

I was stunned for a moment, only to remember that I had promised to marry her.

"I don't want to marry you," I said.

There was a short pause, followed by a chuckle. "Fine. Even if we're not getting married, let's go see the doctor first. Sounds good?"

"No, I'm not going to the hospital," I stubbornly replied.

The doctors only made me relive things I didn't want to remember. They called it exposure therapy, and I hated every second of it.

"Then we won't. You're divorced now, right? How about moving in with me instead?"

I stayed silent. I didn't want to entertain her. She was being annoying right now—even more annoying than the doctors.

"No. I don't want to live with you. I hate—"

"I've set up a greenhouse at home for you," she interrupted. "I brought in lots of imported flowers. You've probably never seen them before. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

After I moved in with Penelope, she used her pollen allergy as an excuse to get rid of the flowers I had taken great care of. She also claimed that plants attracted bugs.

She said the flowers would keep blooming somewhere else and that I shouldn't trap them in pots. So, one by one, my plants were taken away from me.

Wendy said she had flowers. If that were the case, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"Okay. I'll pack my things. Come pick me up," I said.

She chuckled on the other end. "Sure."

When the call ended, I went to pack my things. Martha was already gone.

All these years, the housekeepers here would leave once they completed their daily chores. The doctor had said it was best not to have strangers living in the house. That was why housekeepers like Martha were only part-timers.

I finished packing and sat on the couch, waiting for Wendy. Before long, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door, and she stood right there with a bright smile. "I'm here. Let's go home."