Chapter 1
The key turned silently in the lock, not a sound to be heard. I tried to move as quietly as possible, hoping for a sweet surprise for him after his long business trip. But the surprise didn't come from me, but from the scene before me.
The usually tidy living room was now littered with clothes that weren't mine. A strange, strong, and cheap perfume overpowered the gentle scent of lemongrass essential oil I usually used.
My heart pounded, not from romance, but from a terrible premonition. I walked slowly toward the bedroom, where the door was only slightly ajar. Giggling and whispering filled the air, dispelling any hope of a mistake.
I pushed the door open.
Time seemed to stand still. My husband, the man I had trusted completely, was sitting on the bed with a strange woman. The moment our eyes met, his face, which had been contented, turned pale, then hardened. The other woman showed no fear; she simply pulled the blanket up to cover herself, her gaze at me provocatively.
He offered no explanation, no apology. He simply stood up, adjusted his wrinkled shirt, and looked at me with a coldness I'd never seen in our five years together:
"Why did you come back so early? You should have stayed a few more days."
Those words were like a sharp knife cutting into my heart. It turned out my return wasn't a gift, but an "obstacle" to his plans.
I stood there, in the room that had once been our home, suddenly feeling like a stranger. All the pain and resentment welled up in my throat, but I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I looked at him, then at the other woman, then back at the wedding ring on my finger—which now seemed utterly ridiculous.
I turned, calmly walked out of the room, and picked up the suitcase still by the door. Before closing the door, I said softly, just enough to keep my voice from trembling:
"You're right. I should have stayed... so I would never have to see your true face."
May you like
The door slammed shut with a dry, echoing sound in the empty house. I walked away without looking back. The first rain of the season began to fall outside, washing away the sweet, fabricated memories. I knew that from this moment on, my life would turn a new page—a place where there was no room for lies, and more importantly, a place where I would learn to love myself more than blindly trusting an unworthy man.
The business trip was over, but my journey to reclaim my freedom had only just begun.
