Anniversary Betrayal

On our seventh wedding anniversary, I left work early to take my wife out for a surprise candlelit dinner. Instead, she was standing at her first love's parents' funeral, giving a speech as if she were their daughter-in-law, promising to bear his children and carry on his family line. When she saw me storming in, she simply waved it off, acting like she was just doing a small favor. "Julian has no one left. I'm just helping him out." "Don't be so immature. This is a solemn funeral, and you're really making this about your jealousy?" I didn't even get mad. I just smiled. "Congratulations. I hope you two stay together forever and get married as soon as possible." Today was our seventh wedding anniversary. I had been planning this day for weeks. I took a half-day off from work, booked a candlelit dinner, and waited at home to surprise her. But when I got home, Chloe wasn't there. Chloe claimed to be a modern, independent woman, but she quit her job right after we got married. We didn't have kids. A housekeeper came once a week, and I cooked all our meals. On the rare occasions she got hungry and couldn't wait, she would order takeout. So usually, she was always home by this time. The empty house already gave me my answer. I opened Instagram, and sure enough, a mutual friend had just posted. Today was the funeral of Julian Fletcher's father. Since it was a solemn, tragic event, I didn't want to make a scene. But today was our seventh anniversary. For seven years, I had spoiled Chloe. But ever since Julian, her first love, came back into her life, everything changed. I had spent weeks planning today—from the restaurant to the flowers, the venue, and even what I was going to say. I wanted to use today to finally break the ice between us. I was so anxious and torn that my hands were shaking when I arrived at the funeral home. I told myself that no matter how thoughtless Chloe could be, she wouldn't forget our anniversary. Maybe she really was just helping out, just paying her respects. But the moment I heard her speech, any hope I had left for this marriage completely died. At the funeral, Chloe stood at the podium acting like his grieving wife, crying absolute rivers. "I never expected him to pass so suddenly. I didn't even get the chance to be a proper daughter-in-law to him." "Julian lost his mother early, and now his father is gone too. As the person closest to him, I promise to cherish and take care of him forever!" Chloe sounded incredibly sincere. Anyone who didn't know the truth would have been deeply moved by her devotion. We had been married for seven years and didn't have any children. I was an orphan, so my biggest dream was having a warm, lively family of my own. But Chloe always read online articles about how "independent women shouldn't be tied down by kids." She was terrified of pain, hated the idea of her body changing, and valued her freedom too much. She swore she would never have kids. Yet here she was, at Julian's father's funeral, promising the whole world that she would carry on Julian's family legacy. It was utterly pathetic. Lost in her emotional speech, Chloe didn't even notice me walking in. She was staring at Julian with eyes full of deep, tender love. "Julian has always been so alone. But it's okay now. I am the closest person he has left in this world, and I will protect him!" Julian held her hand, and the two of them locked eyes as if they were the ones celebrating an anniversary. I stood there like a clown, the unwanted third wheel. When did things get this bad? I couldn't understand how my devotion to her had turned into this. If there was no answer, then so be it. I was done. I let go of all my hope. I walked straight up to Chloe and Julian. The two of them jumped, instantly looking guilty. They exchanged glances, clearly terrified that I was about to blow up. I didn't shout. I didn't make a scene. Instead, I felt incredibly calm. I just smiled at them. "I've been listening for a while, and honestly, I'm touched. You two really are perfect for each other." "You have my blessing. I hope you stay together forever... Oh, and don't forget to have those babies soon!"The crowd reacted in two different ways. Those who didn't know us thought I was genuinely offering my blessing to a deeply in-love couple. The ones who knew us, however, immediately got ready for the drama. Chloe's face flushed with deep embarrassment, her eyes glaring at me with pure fury. She dragged me to a quiet corner and hissed, "Ethan! Have you lost your mind? What kind of place is this to throw a jealous tantrum?" "This is so disrespectful! You're making us a laughingstock in front of everyone! How am I supposed to face these people again?" "Julian has had it so hard. His parents are both gone, and he has no wife or kids. Who else is going to support him if I don't?" Before I could even process her words, she bombarded me with accusations. It was almost funny. "Oh? You're worried about how to face people? I thought when you stood up there playing the daughter-in-law at another man's funeral, you were proudly announcing your affair to the world." Chloe looked stunned. Usually, I would have apologized and tried to appease her by now, but I didn't. "Why are you being so nasty? Do you really have zero trust in me? I'm your wife, Ethan!" In the past, those words would have made me back down and apologize. But now, I felt nothing but cold disappointment. "You remember you're my wife? What was it you just said up there? You're going to carry on the Fletcher family line?" "Did you forget we're still married? Is it even legal for you to bear his children right now? Because you distinctly told me you'd never have kids!" "Today is our seventh anniversary, Chloe. But clearly, you forgot a long time ago." A flash of guilt and awkwardness crossed her face. Seeing that I was genuinely angry, her demeanor softened. She put on a gentle act and tried to coax me. Chloe put her hands on my shoulders and smiled. "Oh, Ethan, don't be like that. Of course I didn't forget. Julian is all alone now. If he doesn't have a family around, the relatives start spreading nasty rumors. I was just helping him save face." "You know Julian and I are ancient history. I only see him as a friend now. It's just a favor." "Ethan, surely you can understand that, right? Don't you trust me? You wouldn't want a cold-hearted wife who abandons her friends in need, would you?" I stared at her, amazed by how easily she could twist black into white. It was ridiculous. I had known her for years, yet I never knew she was this manipulative. Chloe's patience was wearing thin. When I didn't respond, her smile faltered. "Alright, that's enough. Don't be so immature! Do you really have to pick a fight today? I'm exhausted." "Forget about whatever surprise you had. An anniversary is just another day. Honestly, if you could just grow up a little, that would be the best gift you could ever give me!" She felt like a complete stranger. I couldn't recognize the woman I had spent years of my life with. Right now, she didn't look like my wife. She looked like a cold-blooded enemy.How did Chloe and I end up like this? I felt a wave of grief and confusion. My mind drifted back to the beginning. Our story was like a dramatic romance movie. From the moment we met, our path was bound to be rocky. It was a sunny afternoon during our college club fair. As a member of the photography club, I was busy snapping photos of the crowd. That was when Chloe stepped into my camera lens. She was wearing a white sundress, her long hair blowing in the wind. She stood in the crowd with an effortless, radiant confidence that set her apart from everyone else. Her smile was like warm spring sunshine, bright and beautiful. In that exact second, my heart skipped a beat. Chloe wasn't just beautiful; she had a captivating personality. She had a sweet voice and knew exactly how to charm people. She was always the life of the party, bringing energy wherever she went. Meanwhile, I was a quiet, introverted guy. But around her, I slowly began to open up. I started making excuses to talk to her, trying to find a way into her world. But winning her over wasn't easy. She had a line of guys waiting to date her, and I was just an ordinary guy in the crowd. But I didn't give up. I showed my love through quiet, steady care. Whenever she needed help, I was always the first to show up. Whenever she was down, I did everything to comfort her. Eventually, my sincerity touched her. Six months later, she agreed to be my girlfriend. In that moment, I felt like the luckiest man alive. What I didn't know back then was that she didn't say yes because she actually loved me. She only accepted me because her first love, Julian, had moved abroad. Finding that out later felt like a knife to the heart. I began to doubt if our relationship was even real, or if I was just a rebound to fill her loneliness. Despite the lingering insecurity, I chose to trust her. I believed our love could overcome anything. We got married shortly after graduation, and at first, our life together was wonderful. We planned our future and worked hard to build a life together. Everything felt full of hope. But the honeymoon phase didn't last. Early last year, Julian suddenly came back to the country. His return shattered Chloe's peace. She became restless, constantly making excuses to go out, sometimes not coming home until dawn. I knew she was seeing Julian. At first, she would try to reassure me. "Ethan, you know you're the only one I love now. What Julian and I had is in the past." "I've been feeling down lately. You can't expect me to stay cooped up at home all day. I get lonely when you're at work." "You understand me, right, Ethan?" I forced myself to believe her. I told myself they were just hanging out as friends, and that I was overthinking. But as time passed, she grew cold. She started lashing out, accusing me of smothering her and not giving her freedom. "Stop interrogating me! Every time I go out, you nag. I need my space! I don't need to report my every move to you!" "Who I hang out with is my business. If you can't respect that, you don't really love me. Grow up, Ethan. I'm exhausted!" Exhausted? I had no idea what she was so exhausted from. Those months were pure agony. Watching Chloe drift further and further away broke my heart. I started doubting myself. Was I not doing enough? Was I not good enough? Is that why she was so easily pulled away? But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change her. Maybe that was the point of no return. Chloe's heart had checked out a long time ago, flying straight back to Julian.The moment I left the funeral, I immediately started drafting the divorce papers. Clutching the divorce agreement in my hand, I hurried home. I wanted to end this dead marriage as quickly as possible and finally free myself. But when I pushed the front door open, I wasn't greeted by the usual excited, furry little shadow—my dog, Cookie. Cookie always looked at me with his bright, intelligent eyes, warming my soul with his pure loyalty. Today, there was no sound of tiny paws rushing to jump into my arms. My stomach dropped. A terrible feeling washed over me. I searched the entire house, checking every room and corner. He was nowhere to be found. Finally, I ran out to the balcony, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. Cookie was lying there, his eyes glazed over, his breathing incredibly shallow. He was on the verge of death. In that moment, I felt like my chest was being ripped open. Cookie wasn't just a pet; he was my savior. Three years ago, we had a gas leak in our apartment. If Cookie hadn't desperately dragged me awake, I would have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Cookie had saved both my life and my wife's life. Without a second thought, I scooped Cookie up and ran to the nearest emergency vet. The entire drive, I prayed frantically, begging God to let Cookie make it through. But when the vet pulled me aside and told me Cookie had suffered a massive overdose of sleeping pills, my mind went entirely blank. Sleeping pills? How was that even possible? A thousand horrific scenarios ran through my head. Right then, Chloe and Julian rushed into the clinic. Chloe looked incredibly guilty. She was muttering under her breath, "I do this all the time and he's always fine. How did he get poisoned today?" "It must be an accident... yeah, just an accident..." Hearing her mutter those words, I lost control. I lunged forward and grabbed her collar. "What did you say?! Tell me what you did to him!" Chloe flinched, but then she shrieked back at me, trying to mask her guilt, "Stop yelling at me! How was I supposed to know? I just gave him a few sleeping pills. It's not the first time! Who knew he was so fragile?" "He kept barking and barking, and it was giving Julian a headache. So I gave him some pills to quiet him down. I didn't think it would kill him!" All of this because Julian didn't like dogs barking. Just to please Julian, Chloe had drugged my dog with sleeping pills. Cookie was already old and frail. His body couldn't handle that dosage, and it had killed him. I was so consumed by rage that I nearly blacked out. I glared at Chloe and Julian, wishing my eyes could burn them alive. They stood there—one looking down guiltily, the other acting completely indifferent. The contrast made my blood boil. "How could you do this?!" I screamed. "Cookie saved our lives! You poisoned him just because Julian doesn't like barking?!" Chloe looked away, unable to meet my eyes. Julian, however, scoffed coldly. "It's just a dog. Is it really worth making such a dramatic scene? You're terrifying Chloe." His words pushed me over the edge. "Shut your damn mouth! This has nothing to do with you!" I roared. Chloe frowned, defending him. "Ethan, you're being ridiculous! It's just a dog. I'll buy you a new one! Is this really worth screaming over? Cookie was old anyway. Honestly, I did him a favor by putting him out of his misery." She brushed off her horrific cruelty so easily. That was the moment I completely gave up on her. I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to stop shaking. I looked Chloe dead in the eyes and said, "Chloe, we're divorcing."