After my mission failed, I linked myself to the Perfect Partner Program and became Gloria's perfect husband.

When rumors about her and Damian blew up, I stepped in and shut them down.

When Damian framed me and Gloria said nothing, I rushed to take the blame and apologize.

Even after she got pregnant with Damian's child, I didn't fight. Didn't make a scene.

I just signed the divorce papers and handed Damian the title of "husband."

But she wasn't happy.

She shoved me onto the bed, anger burning in her eyes.

"Mason, I told you to behave. I didn't tell you to push me away. Are you blaming me now?"

I went still, staring up at the woman above me.

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

When Gloria Lawton walked in, she smelled like some other guy's cologne.

She was smiling at her phone, recording a voice message.

"Be good, okay? Listen to me."

I was on the couch watching TV. The second she saw me, her face went cold. The warmth in her voice vanished.

"Why are you still awake?"

I nodded toward the TV.

"This."

On the screen, I was surrounded by a swarm of reporters, microphones practically shoved in my face.

"Mr. Moore, did you see what was blowing up online yesterday? Are the rumors true? Is your wife having an affair with rising actor Damian Keane?"

"Your wife was spotted meeting Damian Keane late at night. Any comment?"

...

Yesterday, footage of Gloria and Damian showing up together at a charity gala had blown up online.

In the video, Damian was wearing a red suit while Gloria held onto his arm, glowing beside him in the crowd.

But Gloria supposedly hated guys wearing red.

Back then, she'd cleaned every red thing out of my closet.

"What kind of guy wears red? Don't embarrass me in public."

She hated smoking too. Said the smell made her sick.

In our five years of marriage, I never touched a cigarette again.

But Damian took a drag, blew the smoke out slowly, then leaned in and brushed a kiss against the corner of her lips. The two of them looked way too close.

And the wedding ring I'd spent five years trying to get Gloria to wear—

In the video, their fingers were laced together. One big hand, one smaller hand. Matching rings caught the light on their fingers.

That's when it hit me.

It wasn't that she hated red.

It wasn't that she hated guys who smoked.

And it wasn't that she didn't want to wear a ring.

It was because the person standing in front of her, asking those things from her... was me.

She didn't love me.

I sat there all night in a daze before accepting the system's offer and linking myself to the Perfect Partner Program.

Back when we used to fight, Gloria always said I was jealous, clingy, immature—the kind of husband she never wanted.

After the binding, I'd put her first in everything. Give her exactly what she wanted.

So on TV, I smiled calmly and raised a hand, cutting the reporters off.

Then I grabbed one of the microphones and looked straight into the camera.

"Gloria and Mr. Keane are only working together. I have every media outlet's name right here. By noon, you'll all be hearing from Lawton Corp's legal team."

Behind me, Gloria shut off the TV.

Her brows pulled together, annoyance flashing across her face.

I shot to my feet and looked at her nervously.

"What's wrong? Didn't I handle it right this time?"

Three months ago, the same thing had happened.

Back then, I'd completely lost it. The second I heard reporters saying Gloria and Damian had spent the night together, my eyes went red.

Afterward, I went straight to Gloria for answers.

She just said I embarrassed her in front of the media.

As punishment, she didn't come home for half a month.

I went to the company and made a scene trying to find her.

Then I walked in and saw her sitting close in Damian's lap.

She had security drag me out and watched me sit on the curb in the rain.

She only had two words for me.

"You're insane."

I walked home in the rain for three hours, soaked and looking pathetic, feeling like the road would never end.

Long enough for five years to replay in my head.

Long enough for something warm to go completely cold.

Gloria froze for a second, like she'd remembered what happened last time too.

But she didn't say anything. She just pulled a delicate diamond brooch from her pocket.

"This is for you."

I glanced at it. It looked familiar.

Two months ago, on my birthday, Gloria had her assistant deliver this exact brooch.

Back then, her assistant had said—

"Ms. Lawton's been really busy lately, but she still went out and picked this out for you herself."

Picked it out herself.

And now, two months later, she was giving me the exact same thing.

The old me would've lost it.

But I can't do that anymore.

I'm Gloria's perfect partner. Everything revolves around making her happy.

So I took the brooch and looked it over like I'd just gotten something amazing.

"It's beautiful." I looked at her and smiled. "I love it. Thanks."

Gloria looked caught off guard, like that wasn't the reaction she expected.

She was about to say something when her phone rang.

The ringtone was familiar.

It was the one she'd set just for Damian.

Giving someone their own ringtone was basically a confession.

I got it.

I looked away and casually played with the brooch in front of the mirror.

Gloria let out a quiet scoff and answered the call.

Damian's voice came through the speaker.

"Gloria, the results are back. You're pregnant!"

"Pregnant?"

Gloria went still, then pressed a hand against her stomach. Her face lit up instantly.

"I'm coming over."

She rushed into the bedroom. When she came back out, she'd changed into flats, the smile still on her face.

At the front door, our eyes met.

"The baby—"

"Congratulations."

We spoke at the same time.

Gloria's face turned cold instantly. "I don't care what you're planning, but I'm keeping this baby. You'd better behave yourself."

Then she shoved the door open and walked out.

I stared after her, confused, trying to figure out what she meant.

Then I caught my reflection in the mirror.

A perfect partner should make his wife's life easier.

Now that she was pregnant with Damian's child, Damian should be the one beside her.

I pulled out my laptop and started drafting the divorce papers.

***

News about Gloria's pregnancy spread through the Lawton family fast.

They were thrilled and immediately set up a family dinner, reminding her over and over to bring Damian.

Gloria barely ever took me back to the Lawton estate, but this time, she asked me to come too.

The old me would've said no.

The Lawtons never liked me.

They thought I came from nowhere and wasn't good enough for someone like Gloria.

Especially her mom, Jennifer. To her, I was a mistake in Gloria's life.

Damian was a celebrity from a wealthy family. He ran in the same circles as the Lawtons.

After finding out Gloria was pregnant with Damian's baby, Jennifer was probably the happiest person there.

But now, I just smiled and changed into the new white suit I'd bought.

I stood in front of Gloria and spread my arms.

"This is your favorite color. But you're pregnant now, and everyone's celebrating. Would it be weird if I wore white?"

Gloria's brows pulled together even more, her eyes sweeping over me again and again.

She rubbed her temples, already annoyed.

"Whatever. I'm going to pick up Damian."

By the time we got to the Lawton estate, Gloria and Damian were already there.

They were being treated like royalty, surrounded by people.

Jennifer was fastening an antique bracelet around Gloria's wrist.

"This has been in our family for years. I didn't give it to you before because you weren't pregnant. But now, thanks to Damian..."

Her face was all smiles.

Then she saw me.

Her smile disappeared instantly.

"What are you doing here?"

The disgust on her face wasn't even subtle. She looked ready to kick me out on the spot.

Around us, the guests turned to stare, obviously waiting for drama.

Gloria leaned against Damian's chest, her eyes half-lowered, like she was waiting for me to react.

Damian had this smug look in his eyes as he pulled her closer.

I smiled. "Jennifer, what are you talking about? You've always wanted a grandchild. That's on me. Five years of marriage, and I never got Gloria pregnant. Now she and Mr. Keane are expecting, and your wish finally came true. That's a good thing."

The whole room went dead quiet.

The smile disappeared from Gloria's face. She straightened up, her expression turning cold.

Even Jennifer stared at me like I'd completely lost it.

"Did you take something?"

She'd been waiting for me to blow up and get tossed out like garbage.

I kept smiling and set the gift down. "Mr. Keane, this is for you. Hope you like it."

Gloria used to hate it when I got jealous.

Now all I had for her pregnancy were good wishes.

I was being the kind of husband she wanted. Calm. Generous. Easygoing.

The kind that made her happy.

She should've been happy.

But her face only got darker as she stared at me.

"Go sit down. Stop making everyone wait on you. It's rude."

I nodded, but I still couldn't figure out why she looked upset.

Not that it mattered.

I brushed my fingers over the divorce papers in my bag.

Once I gave up my place as her husband, she'd finally be happy.

Gloria stayed attached to Damian the whole night.

I sat at the end of the long table, watching the way she looked after him. Even with a small piece of fish, she carefully picked out every bone before dropping it into his bowl.

Gloria used to treat me like that too.

When my stomach hurt, she'd rub it gently while tears filled her eyes.

If I wanted dessert from some bakery across town, she'd drive two hours through snow just to get it for me.

Once, she lit up the whole city with fireworks and proposed under a sky bright as daylight.

"I'll only ever love Mason Moore in this lifetime."

I frowned.

The Perfect Partner mindset the system had planted in me told me not to think about how good Gloria used to be to me.

The more you held on to things like that, the more you'd want.

And wanting too much would make me the kind of husband Gloria didn't want.

Since Gloria had treated me so well, I just needed to work harder and become the husband who made her happy.

But by the time dinner was over, I still hadn't found a chance to give her the divorce papers.

I stood by the door, waiting to head home with her, only to hear that she and Damian were staying at the Lawton estate for the night.

"You can go."

Her bangs fell over her eyes, hiding whatever expression was there.

I nodded and started walking out.

I had barely stepped outside when she called my name.

"Mason?"

I turned around, confused.

Gloria looked like she wanted to say something.

But she didn't.

She rubbed her temples, looking irritated. "Forget it. Text me when you get home."

Strange.

Ever since Damian showed up, this was the first time she'd seemed concerned about me.