While I was enduring the unwelcome advances of a client, Linus Evans was off to the side, toasting with his assistant, a bright smile directed only at her.

Not wanting to offend the client, I drank glass after glass until I was on the edge of passing out, each sip making me feel as if I were drowning.

Linus didn’t spare me a single glance.

Instead, he was busy picking the cilantro out of his assistant’s bowl, gently coaxing her to eat as though she were the only person in the room.

When the dinner finally ended and his assistant remarked on how tiresome it had been, Linus tossed me out of the car without hesitation, eager to whisk her away somewhere more exciting.

"The girl’s been swamped with work lately. I’m taking her out to unwind," he said casually. "Besides, you wouldn’t understand the younger crowd’s scene, so don’t tag along."

Then he added, almost as an afterthought, "Tonight’s about making memories with her, so let’s push our wedding registration to another day."

Five years into our engagement, this was the 99th time Linus had called off our registration without warning.

I simply nodded; after all, with his endless excuses, maybe there was no point in marrying at all.

Part 1

From the half-lowered car window, Themis Turner poked her tongue out in a playful apology. “Sorry, Naia! Linus just spoils me too much. When he gets back, I’ll make sure he brings you something to eat!”

Before I could respond, Linus chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Silly girl, just because you’re a little glutton doesn’t mean everyone else is, too.”

Turning to me, he added dismissively, “Don’t mind her. And spare me your little acts, pretending to have some allergy or whatever. I don’t have time for that.”

So, he had noticed me struggling earlier.

He assumed I was simply putting on another jealous act.

In moments like these, I used to break down, pleading my case and arguing with Linus. But this time, I held back, offering only a quiet, “Alright, have fun.”

Linus paused, momentarily surprised, before slipping back into his usual teasing. “It’s good you’re not causing a scene.”

The car sped off and just before they disappeared, Linus lowered all the windows to make Themis more comfortable.

I’d always gotten car sick in his car, but he never allowed me to lower the windows. “With the wind blowing in, all the dust comes into the car. Can’t you just stop being so picky?” he’d say dismissively.

A sudden wave of clarity washed over me.

I slipped off my engagement ring and threw it into the dark waters of the river.

The next morning, I arrived early at the orchestra to hand over my work.

Since Linus debuted as a piano prodigy, I have served as his manager.

“You’re resigning? Does Linus know?” my boss asked, stunned.

“He’ll find out when the new manager arrives.”

With that, I left the office and stepped into the performance hall, where Linus, freshly showered and in a crisp new shirt, was adjusting his wrist.

He looked down at me and explained, “I drank a lot last night, so I rented a room to rest, that’s why I didn’t come home.”

For the first time in ten years, Linus took the initiative to explain himself. I merely nodded, offering no response.

“Was there something urgent this morning?” he asked.

Looking up at him, memories surfaced of all those mornings I had a wake at dawn, tirelessly preparing hangover soup and soothing dishes for him after every dinner event. I had done it since he debuted at eighteen.

No wonder he seemed puzzled when he found nothing laid out for him this morning.

I just nodded. “Something like that.”

As I turned to go, Linus’s brow tightened and he caught my hand, a dark look in his eyes. “Naia, cut this nonsense.”

“It’s just a rescheduled date for the marriage registration, not a cancellation. This fuss is getting old!”

I wasn’t making a fuss, I truly had no intention of getting the marriage certificate anymore.

Deciding it was best to set things straight, I opened my mouth to speak, but a sweet, slightly petulant voice cut through. “Linus! This is all your fault! What you got me this morning doesn’t even fit!”

“How’s a girl supposed to make do with something like that? Linus, you’re truly clueless!”

Part 2

Not far away, Themis stood with her hands on her hips, stomping her foot in frustration, her cheeks puffed in annoyance.

The moment Linus saw her, he brushed past me, hurrying over to sweep her into his arms.

With a stern urgency, he scolded, “Running around barefoot at this time of the month? Are you trying to make yourself ill?”

A memory surfaced.

Earlier this month, I’d been curled up with intense cramps, asking Linus to pick up some pads and painkillers.

He had only scowled, replying, “You expect a grown man like me to buy that kind of stuff?”

“All women deal with it. Just stop fussing; it’s annoying.”

When I finally came back to the moment, Linus had already carried Themis off.

I looked away, pushing down the ache in my heart and reached for my phone to contact a headhunter who’d been after me for an overseas position.

The instant I booked the ticket, a notification popped up on my feed: Themis had tagged me in a post.

In a live photo, a large hand rested on her lower abdomen, her voice in the background exclaiming, “Linus, your hand is so warm.”

Her caption read: [My dear brother is so sweet about my period pain! He says he’ll take all the pain away. It’s amazing to be cherished in someone’s hands.]

Her intentions couldn’t have been clearer.

I gave the post a like, then went to my profile and quietly removed my wedding photo with Linus from my cover image.

Today, several prominent orchestras converged at the theater for a collaborative performance.

Numerous handover tasks still required my oversight. I managed the reception of the musicians, leading them to the lounge for a brief respite.

As the group followed, they quickly spotted Linus at the dining table, feeding Themis.

“Wow, I heard that Mr. Evans, the renowned artist, married his manager, Naia Morris, a long time ago. Their relationship must be wonderful!”

“Exactly! And a pianist’s hands are so invaluable, he’s even using them to serve his wife!”

Indeed, a pianist’s hands had been their most cherished asset. For a decade, I had taken care of everything for him, always worried he might get hurt. Yet then, he had used those very hands to cater to another woman.

The admiration around me finally drew the attention of the two of them. Themis, spotting me at the forefront, quickly adopted a pitiful look and lamented, “Naia, look at Linus! He’s making me eat pork liver and it’s making me fat!”

Without a single glance in my direction, Linus gently wiped the corners of Themis’s mouth. “Be good, finish it and later have some brown coffee.”

The murmurs surrounding me came to an abrupt halt. I exchanged awkward glances with the others, maintaining a polite smile as I escorted them to their seats.

Once everyone was settled, I pulled out my phone to continue my online visa application.

Before long, Linus had appeared behind me.

He peered at my screen, his expression hardening and his voice was filled with disbelief. “A visa? Who are you applying for a visa for?”

I hadn’t decided how to respond when he suddenly took hold of my hand, his tone overflowing with surprise.

“Naia, where’s your ring?!”

“Please don’t say you left it at home!”

I understood exactly why his reaction was so intense.

In our eight years of marriage, my wedding ring had never once departed from my finger.

Yet his ring had never been worn outside.

With everything that had happened earlier, a trace of anxiety flickered in Linus’s eyes.

He gripped my hand tightly, staring deep into my soul. “Answer me!”

Just as I prepared to speak the truth, Themis let out a sudden scream, her tears flowing freely. “Ouch! It hurts so much, Linus!”

The crowd turned at the sound, spotting Themis collapsed on the floor by the grand piano, a gash bleeding from her palm.

Linus swiftly pushed me aside and dashed to her side, cradling her in his arms. “How could you be so careless?”

Tears streamed down Themis’s face as she buried herself in Linus’s embrace, sending me a few fearful and pitiful looks.

“I don’t know. Naia was supposed to check everything last night. I don’t understand why there’s such a big piece of broken glass on the piano cover,” she said. “Linus, it really hurts so much.”

Linus’s eyes locked onto the blood-stained glass shard on the piano lid, his expression shifting to one of visible anger.

In an instant, he turned to me, his voice booming. “Naia, have your schemes really gone this far as to harm others?! Hurry over and apologize!”

Ignoring the disdainful stares directed at me, I stepped toward them. “It wasn’t me.”

He countered, “If it wasn’t you, then who was it? Everyone in the orchestra knows how possessive you are. You always personally inspect my piano, don’t you?”

After scolding me, Linus grabbed a small ceramic figurine from beside the piano and smashed it onto the floor. In a swift move, he seized my hand and pressed it down onto the scattered shards.

Instantly, my hands were coated in blood, countless fragments slicing into my skin.

“This is the lesson I’m imparting! No one else is allowed to assist her in cleaning up!” he thundered. “I expect you to ponder this thoroughly. When you’ve reflected on it, come and apologize!”

With that, Linus lifted Themis into his arms and departed without a backward glance.

My eyes burned with unshed tears, my vision swimming. Tears fell, one by one, onto the broken ceramic pieces.

The wounds stung, but the heartache was far more suffocating. The two little figures on the shattered figurine lay in tatters, revealing a talisman pouch tucked inside.

That figurine had been a treasured commission from a church, a symbol of Linus’s love when he proposed to me.

Back then, his gaze had been solely fixed on me and he had declared, “Naia, I vow before God that we’ll be together for life.”

Now, however, he was the one who had broken that vow.

With a mix of sadness and resolve, I collected the shattered remnants, along with my memories and any lingering attachments and tossed them into the trash.

As I passed through the main hall, I noticed Linus had just concluded his performance.

The applause resonated through the auditorium like a thunderstorm and he radiated happiness as he descended the stage, Themis’s hand in his, both taking a graceful bow.

This triumphant moment was one Linus had experienced countless times throughout his artistic journey.

Not long ago, I overheard the boss suggest, “Naia has devoted so much to supporting you as your manager. You two are partners and married. Why not invite her to share this moment on stage just once?”