52
Lily looked at me, her face terrified: “Honey…”
The others realized who I was. They looked at each other, no one daring to speak.
Ryan rubbed his jaw and struggled to stand up: “Sorry, we were just joking around. Things got a bit out of hand…”
I hated his pretentious act the most. Before he could finish, I punched him again.
This time he finally dropped the act, glaring as he tried to fight back.
Lily held him back and pulled me away: “Honey, let’s go home and talk. I can explain.”
We had caused quite a scene. Everyone in the restaurant was staring.
It was ugly.
it
I didn’t want to drag this out any longer. I shook off Lily’s hand: “No need to explain. After we divorce, you can do whatever you want with him.”
Time and time again, she had trampled on my bottom line and my dignity.
<
I was truly tired of it all.
But Lily didn’t want a divorce.
She kept trying to explain:
“I didn’t mean to lie to you. I was afraid you’d be angry if you knew I was meeting him.”
“We were just joking around. I didn’t think he’d actually kiss me.”
“He said there was a girl bothering him, so he asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend as a shield.””
“Honey, I promise, this is the last time!”
“Weren’t you having a meal alone with Emma too?”
Seeing that I remained unmoved, she started turning the tables on me.
I packed a few clothes, ready to leave. She grabbed my hand, refusing to let go.
I said coldly: “Let go!”
She was scared by my tone and trembled, but still clung to my love for her from before, unwilling to let go.
She thought it would be like before – that if she just acted cute and cried a little, I would soften and forgive her again.
But a person’s patience has its limits.
My love for her had long been squandered away.
Now, even looking at her for another second made me nauseous. She had no boundaries, no sense of propriety.
She wanted both the care and tolerance of a husband, and the flattery and devotion of a male friend.
Did she really not understand Ryan’s intentions as a man?
No.
She understood perfectly well, and even enjoyed it.
Perhaps in her eyes, having two men playing mind games and competing for her was proof of her charm.
“If today, I had kissed Emma and then told you it was just a joke, could you accept that?” I asked.
“Of course not!” she exclaimed.
“Then what gives you the right to ask me to forgive you?”
“But Ryan and I really don’t have anything going on. I admit I went too far today, but other than that, I haven’t done anything to betray you!” she insisted firmly, as if she had truly been wronged.
“Lily, cheating isn’t just about sleeping together! You’re married now, you need to handle your relationships with other men properly! You get upset when I have a meal alone with another woman, but you think it’s fine to party with a man until late at night, even staying over? Don’t give me that just friends‘ nonsense! Be honest with yourself, don’t you know what Ryan’s intentions are? You use friendship as an excuse to do all these shady things, and you still want to treat me like a fool?”
Lily’s face turned beet red, unable to refute a single word.
I shook off her hand: “I’m really done. Let’s get a divorce.”
