My husband, who spoiled me to the core, dressed up as Santa Claus to amuse his female secretary and win her smile.

He tricked my grandma into drinking a sedative and locked her in a car with the heater running. Tragically, she died of poisoning.

I called him again and again, but no one answered.

At the same time, the female secretary's live stream drew thousands of viewers who watched as "Santa Claus" extravagantly gifted her 1,001 presents in a high-profile show of affection.

The next day, he finally messaged me: [Baby, sorry, an urgent project came up and I had to go on a business trip. I can't spend Christmas with you! I've planned tonight's city-wide fireworks show, wishing you and grandma a Merry Christmas!]

I sat with my grandma's ashes all night, staring at the dazzling fireworks outside.

At dawn, I saw the secretary post a nine-photo grid on social media of the two of them watching the northern lights. The caption was: [Every little wish of mine, you always remember. Love you for a thousand years!]

My heart went completely cold. After grandma's burial, I dialed that mysterious number.

"Ms. Natalie, are you sure you've made up your mind to join the national secret experiment? If you join, your identity will be erased and you cannot contact the outside world for five years," someone said.

I calmly and resolutely replied, "I confirm my decision to join!"

——

As night fell, I didn't turn on the lights, curling up on the sofa with grandma's photo.

Josh pushed the door open, humming a cheerful tune. The lights flooded the room and he immediately noticed me on the sofa.

He rushed to my side without even changing his shoes, his face full of concern, "Natalie, why are you sleeping on the sofa without the lights on? What if you catch a cold?"

He spoke while carrying me to the bedroom, wrapping me in blankets and warming my icy hands and feet against his belly, "Why are your hands and feet so cold? Are you feeling unwell? Should we go to the hospital now?"

I stared fixedly at this man before me. The worry and tenderness in his eyes didn't seem fake.

But as he came closer, the strong jasmine scent on him was unmistakable and the hickeys on his neck blatantly mocked me.

Seeing my red-rimmed eyes, he gently stroked my hair and apologized softly, "Natalie, are you upset because I didn't spend Christmas with you and grandma? I'm sorry, it's my fault for not planning better! I promise, I'll spend every holiday with you both from now on!"

He stood up and took two charm bracelets from his bag, presenting them to me like treasures, "I got these charm bracelets during my business trip, despite how busy I was. This longevity charm is for grandma, wishing her a long life. This peace charm is for you, my Natalie, wishing you everlasting health and happiness!"

But my grandma was gone and she'd never have the chance to live a long life again.

"Grandma didn't come over today? Last time, she woke up in the car and went back on her own without telling me. I was worried for a long time! Tomorrow, I'll go with you to visit her and tell her not to do that again!" Hearing him mention grandma, my heart ached again.

That day, I was on a business trip and had asked him to take grandma for a check-up.

One moment, grandma had been as cheerful as a child, calling to tell me she was healthy and that Josh was taking her shopping.

But the next call came from a stranger, informing me that grandma had died of carbon monoxide poisoning while sleeping in the car.

I trembled as I dialed Josh's number dozens of times, but no one answered.

The doctor said that grandma not only had excessive carbon monoxide in her system but also traces of sedatives.

I checked the car's dashcam footage and saw Josh buying grandma a drink, coaxing her to take a nap before going to the movies.

The old lady obediently drank the beverage and soon fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Josh eagerly donned the Santa Claus costume, locked the car and rushed off to please his secretary, Tatiana.

He caused grandma's death but still blamed her for leaving without telling anyone.

I scolded him, "Shut up, Josh! How dare you mention grandma? She was so old, how could you leave her alone in the car?"

A hint of impatience flashed across Josh's face, but he suppressed his temper and pleaded, "I'm sorry, I was wrong! Baby, don't be mad, it's all my fault! Tomorrow, I'll kneel in front of grandma and apologize to her, okay?"

Before I could respond, his phone rang. He grabbed it and quickly walked out of the bedroom, as if escaping. His lips curved into a smile, his face brimming with affection.

After hanging up, he hurried into the bathroom to shower. His phone, left on the coffee table, kept buzzing incessantly.

Since we got together, Josh's passwords had always been my birthday, he said it was to give me a sense of security, letting me check his phone anytime.

Over the years, I had trusted him fully and never looked at his phone without permission.

I entered my birthday, unlocking the screen. The top chat was with someone named "My Tatiana."

[Boss, your little vixen is lovesick and needs your warm touch as an antidote. Come quickly ...] The attached photo showed a woman in revealing clothes, with a fluffy tail behind her, exuding an air of seduction.

[Wait for me! You insatiable vixen, I'll make sure you can't get out of bed tomorrow morning!]

I scrolled through the messages for a long time before finally seeing my own name, buried among countless other chats. My messages had been muted, which explained why my texts about grandma's accident went unanswered.

I turned off the phone and placed it back on the table. Pain surged through my chest, a mixture of grief from losing my dearest family member and despair from his betrayal.

Josh emerged from the bathroom, instinctively picked up his phone, glanced at the screen and spoke with slight unease, "Natalie, what are you doing here?"

Calmly, I picked up a glass from the table, "I was thirsty and came to get water."

He chuckled, as if relieved and carried me to the sofa, gently chiding me for not taking care of myself and walking barefoot on the floor.

He handed me a cup of warm water, then swiftly dressed in a suit I had already prepared, "Natalie, the company just called, I need to work overtime tonight. Don't wait up for me! I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning."

As he was leaving, I stopped him and handed him a document.

"What's this?" he asked.

I said, "Grandma's house lease is expiring and the house we rented in your name requires your signature to cancel."

He glanced at the first page of the document and was about to flip through it when his phone rang again. In his hurry, he signed his name without reading further.

Had he looked more closely, he would have noticed that the document below was a divorce agreement.

He turned to leave and I quickly grabbed a coat and followed him, "If you're working late, I'll keep you company."

He hesitated, trying to find an excuse to leave me behind, but when I insisted, he reluctantly made a hurried call to warn the other party.

When we arrived at the top-floor office, it was empty.

He arranged a makeshift bed on the sofa for me. "I know my wife misses me. Lie here and keep your husband company while I work."

Sitting at his computer, he appeared completely absorbed in work, as if his earlier flirtations with Tatiana had been nothing but a dream.

Unintentionally, I fell asleep. In the middle of the night, I woke up from the cold. The room was dark and Josh was nowhere to be found.

I picked up my phone and walked out of the office. The sound-activated lights in the fire escape flickered and faint noises reached my ears.

Quietly approaching, I saw the entwined figures of Josh and Tatiana.

"You promised me flowers and a hot spring suite, but now we're stuck in this creepy place …" she whined.

Josh kissed her indulgently, "Those places are so boring, this is exciting! The whole building's sound-activated lights are here to set the mood. Scream as much as you like …"

Tatiana asked, "Aren't you afraid that your old hag might hear?"

Josh bit Tatiana hard. "Don't talk about her like that. I told you I'd give you anything, but don't ever appear in front of her!"

"Hmph, I've had enough. I'm leaving … ah …" Her words were swallowed up by amorous sounds.

The noises inside grew louder. Standing in the dark corridor, I swayed unsteadily. I should've felt heartbroken, but I didn't even have the strength to be sad.

I didn't remember how I got home. My phone kept ringing, the name "Josh" flashing on the screen, filling me with an inexplicable sense of disgust.

Josh burst through the door and pulled me into his arms, his voice trembling with panic, "You scared me to death, Natalie! I couldn't find you anywhere and you wouldn't answer your phone. I thought something had happened to you! I even thought, if anything happened to you, I wouldn't want to live either!"

Yet this man, who claimed he couldn't live without me, had been passionately entangled with another woman just moments ago.

"Get away from me, you smell!" I snapped at him. The strong jasmine scent on him was mixed with a faint, sickly sweetness.

His face turned pale and he looked at me guiltily, "Natalie, why did you come home by yourself?"

Exhausted, I turned over, unwilling to look at him any longer.

The next morning, when I got up, the dining table was already set. Toasted bread, lukewarm milk, heart-shaped fried eggs and fruit arranged into flowers, after ten years, he had mastered all my preferences.

Josh pulled out a chair for me. "It's been a while since we've visited grandma. After breakfast, I'll go with you to see her."

My hand paused midair. Grandma had loved her grandson-in-law so much when she was alive. Now that she'd been gone for days, it was fitting for him to pay his respects.

It was also time for me to say goodbye to grandma, three more days and I'd be leaving this place.

As the car drove past Central Avenue, we passed a couple celebrating their wedding.

Seeing their blissful embrace reminded me of my wedding with Josh ten years ago.

Josh had lifted my veil and kissed me gently, treating me with such care and love. He once said, "Natalie, I will love you forever and never change my heart for a lifetime."

Having lost my parents early, I'd always lacked a sense of security. On our wedding night, I leaned against Josh's chest.

I said, "If one day you stop loving me, please tell me. Though I hope our love lasts forever, if that day comes, I'd still wish for us to part peacefully. But if you secretly betray me, Josh, I will never forgive you!"

Back then, Josh had sworn to me, "If I ever betray my wife, Natalie Ambrossia, let me spend the rest of my life seeking but never finding, dying alone!"

Those grand promises had withered into nothing after just ten years. Recalling those beautiful memories, I couldn't stop my eyes from reddening.

"Natalie, what's wrong? Why are you tearing up all of a sudden?" Josh was always observant, noticing even the smallest changes in me.

"Nothing, it's just the wind," I replied.

Josh pressed the switch and the car window slowly rose. In the slanting sunlight, two faint handprints became visible on the glass.