Loading promotion info...

My Husband Found His Love for Me After Betrayal

Novelix Completed

追妻火葬场、追悔莫及、打脸、背叛、出轨、果断的、成熟、大女主、女性力量/大女主、剧情/戏剧、现代/都市

Chapters (4)

第1章

In the sixth year of our marriage,I started planting women around my husband. Sexy bombshells, cute ingénues, aloof ice queens—I tried every type. None of them moved the needle. I exhaled in relief. "You can stop testing him," my best friend reassured me. "Adrian doesn't not love you—he's just incapable of falling in love with anyone." "At least he treats you well. That proves you're special to him." My heart, which had been gripped by panic over love that never came, finally settled. Until the day I went to the office to find Adrian. I pushed open the door to his office and nearly collided with a girl on her way out. She looked ordinary enough—short hair, a faint scent of strawberries clinging to her. But this office—I'd never been allowed past the threshold whenever I needed to see Adrian. She'd been permitted inside. Something clicked. On the other end of the phone, Jane was still talking: "You booked the candlelit dinner for the anniversary, right?" "Full glam tonight, okay? That dress we picked out—the red one—you're going to kill in it. And don't forget the perfume trick with the bra straps...Oh, what were you about to say?" I stared at the girl. She was nibbling on the snacks I'd packed for Adrian, looking perfectly at ease. "Nothing," I said. "It's just... I think I want a divorce." ... Silence on the other end. A few seconds. Jane's voice came back, shocked: "What happened?" "Nancy, don't give up! As long as you keep catering to Adrian's preferences, he'll come around eventually!" For six years, I'd kept the long black hair Adrian liked. I'd transformed my entire style into the sexy look Adrian preferred. I wore the perfume he liked, said the things he wanted to hear. Again and again I'd molded myself to his tastes, turned myself into his accessory. "There's a girl around Adrian," I said. The words came out and I realized my voice had gone hoarse. "He's never done this before. Every other time I planted someone near him, he'd report back within hours—name, photo, everything. But this girl... he never said a word." In the past, whenever I planted someone around Adrian, it took him less than half a day to report it to me—send me their information, hold nothing back. But this girl today—Adrian had never mentioned her. I had no idea when she'd appeared. Even less idea what she was to him. I followed the direction the girl had gone. My heart hammered the entire way. I could only console myself that she was a new hire, that Adrian simply hadn't found the time to tell me yet. Adrian would never fall for anyone. "Mr. Mercer, I think I did a pretty good job on this assignment." "Would you consider making me a permanent employee?" In the conference room, Adrian was organizing files. The girl sat in the chair beside him, hands folded on her knees, watching him with an obedient expression. Adrian's face was expressionless. He finished sorting the documents and placed them in front of her. "Go file these." She did as she was told. The cabinet was tall. She rose onto her tiptoes, struggling to slide the folder in, nearly tripping over the cabinet's base. Adrian watched her back and suddenly laughed. I stared at that smile, frozen. So he could laugh after all. The moment the girl turned around, he wiped the smile away, as if nothing had happened. "I can't walk you to the station tonight—my wife's waiting for me at dinner." Adrian stood. "I'll let HR know to process your full-time offer tomorrow." He paused, then continued. "The company can give you a housing stipend. You could chip in a little extra and rent a place nearby. Living out in the suburbs isn't safe." A flicker of embarrassment crossed the girl's face. She smiled brightly. "It's fine, I'm used to it." Adrian must have seen that her budget wasn't enough. He pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, and said, "I've applied for company housing for you." "Bayamon Residences. Not far from here—ten-minute walk." The girl's eyes went wide. She couldn't help gasping: "Bayamon Residences?!" "This company is amazing!" A second later, my phone screen lit up. Adrian: Sold the Bayamon Residences unit. I'll transfer the money to you shortly. I recognized every word. Strung together, they made no sense. All I knew was that this was the first time Adrian had ever lied to me. The apartment I had personally selected—nearly six million dollars—had just become "company housing, free of charge." "Go ahead and eat first. I'll bring you the key when I get a chance." Adrian glanced at his watch. "I'm heading out." I ducked into a corner. After the elevator doors closed, the girl burst into happy laughter inside the conference room, calling a friend to share the news. "My boss is so nice." "He takes care of food and housing, he's gorgeous, he has such a good temper—he even worked on this project with me personally..." The sounds around me blurred. My mind went blank. Faintly, I heard her friend say: "Do you think he might like you?" Like. What a foreign word. I'd chased it for six years and never even grazed its edges. "No way," the girl said. "He's married." "He said today is their fifth wedding anniversary." It was our sixth. Adrian couldn't even get that right. Which only proved he didn't love me at all. Whether I'd been by his side five years or six made no difference in his heart. I was tired. On this road of endlessly chasing Adrian, I didn't want to walk anymore.

第2章

Adrian and I had agreed on seven o'clock. I sat in my car until past nine, staring at nothing, before I finally walked in. I tied my hair up, scrubbed off the heavy makeup, and walked into the restaurant in a loose, casual outfit. When Adrian saw me like this, he froze for a moment. Then quickly recovered his usual composure. He didn't scold me for being late. Didn't ask why someone who usually obsessed over her appearance had shown up looking like this. He simply went through the motions of a date. Set out my cutlery, then produced the gift he'd prepared in advance. A small tiara encrusted with diamonds. "Want to try it on?" He placed the crown on my messy hair. He tilted his head, studying me. "Hmm... doesn't quite work. You'd really need to dress up for it." The meal passed in silence. Without me proactively making conversation, Adrian certainly wasn't going to speak. Midway through, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it and picked up his eating pace. The girl had probably arrived at Bayamon Residences. Adrian was in a hurry to deliver the key. "What did you get me?" Adrian finally asked. The gift exchange—that was the official end of dinner. I said nothing. Just shook my head. "Nothing?" "Fine." Adrian didn't dwell on it. He grabbed his car keys and headed for the door. "I've settled the bill. Just have your driver come get you." "Something came up at the office." All these years, all he ever left me was his back. I tipped my head back and willed the tears to stay where they were. People drifted away one by one until the vast restaurant held only me. A waiter finally emerged and asked softly, "Ma'am, shall we still bring out the cake?" Tonight, I'd planned to cut a cake with Adrian. Then I was going to take him to our home at Bayamon Residences, where I'd hidden a surprise for him. "No, that's alright." I shook my head and drifted toward the exit like a ghost. Jane had sent me a flood of messages. I opened them. One was a social media post raving about how incredible the company benefits were. @jessicac_: OMG！the whole place smells incredible?? flowers everywhere and there are literally rose petals in the bathtub. the vibes are UNREAL @jessicac_: i'm going to work for this man for the rest of my life！ Comment 1: What company puts their employees in Bayamon Residences?? Comment 2: Your boss is probably into you. He said it's employee housing to save your dignity, but come on—it's a luxury apartment. ... Within minutes, the comments swelled into the thousands. Everyone was convinced the boss treated her this way because he liked her. Poster: [Photo] Okay your comments are scaring me a little. You don't think it's actually true, do you? The photo was aimed at a closet. Inside hung a beautiful lace nightgown. The box beneath it had been opened—inside were several packs of ultra-thins. Jane's call came through immediately. "Nancy, what the hell is going on?" "How did this woman end up in your and Adrian's new place?" My mind was chaos. I wanted to speak, opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I went back to the post. Poster: Apparently, I heard from coworkers that she's become a doormat for him. Poster: She turned down a bunch of arranged marriages to be with him, nearly cut ties with her family, and after marrying him she basically lives like a bitter housewife (coworker's words, I'm just repeating them). Comment 3112: I work at the same company. Can confirm—the boss clearly doesn't seem into her. During the last company retreat, he secretly asked the coordinator to put them in separate rooms. More and more messages like this. Every single one hammered home the same truth: no matter how much I gave, Adrian would never love me. Sincerity doesn't always earn sincerity in return. Because some people have stones where their hearts should be. I don't remember how I got home. All I remember is the moonlight following me the whole way, and the tears that didn't stop. It was two in the morning before Adrian finally came back. I raised my swollen eyes to look at him. "Adrian. Let's get a divorce."

第3章

Adrian changed into his slippers, walked over, sat down beside me, and asked, "What's wrong?" I threw my phone at him. He scrolled through the post, then looked up. "Yeah, I let Jessie stay in the apartment. But I didn't know you'd set all that up inside." Jessie. That was awfully intimate. "Her full name?" Adrian paused for a few seconds, then answered honestly. "Jessica Carter." "When did she start at the company?" "Last month." "What position?" "Marketing." "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" Adrian looked confused. "Tell you what?" "About this girl," I said. "You always used to tell me—about the others." Adrian gave a short laugh. He got up, walked into the bedroom, and came back holding several cards. "The others—you mean the women you hired?" He fanned them out. Every card bore the work information of those girls. Adrian sat back on the sofa. The light was dim; I couldn't make out his expression. It wasn't happy, that much was clear. "Nancy, we've been married a long time. Life's been harmonious enough, hasn't it?" "Why do you need to know whether I love you?" "Does it matter?" These six years, Adrian had been good to me. He bought me a house, a car, gave me shares in his company. He'd come home from work with a bouquet of flowers, like any ordinary husband. We traveled together. Went on weekend picnics. He'd ride a bicycle and I'd sit behind him, my cheek resting lightly against his back. The breeze would blow past. Carrying not just the smell of the lake, but his own cedarwood scent. In moments like those, I'd think: Adrian must like me, right? His gaze seemed tender. He tolerated my little temper. He took meticulous care of me. So he loved me. Didn't he? My expectations would creep higher, lifting me to the clouds, until I finally dared to reach for the sun— Crash— I'd plummet, bloodied and broken. Over and over, the same cycle. After enough pain, you go numb. I thought I could spend the rest of my life in this limbo of hoping and doubting. Then I realized. No. I couldn't. When you're hurt enough, the wounds turn into ugly scar tissue. Visible, tangible, always with me—a constant reminder of how small I'd made myself in this relationship for six years. When the pain of love outweighs the joy— I think it's time to let go. If even I don't love myself, who ever will? "Adrian, love matters to me. Deeply." I looked him straight in the eye. "If there's no emotional foundation between us, then let's end it." "And never see each other again."

第4章

Adrian was silent for a long time. So long that I thought he would never speak—that his silence was consent to let this end. Then he suddenly took my hand and pressed it against his chest. The opposite of my own pounding heart. He was perfectly calm. "I don't know," he said. "You're beautiful. Your long hair looks nice. The dresses you wear look nice..." "And if I don't dress up?" I cut him off. Adrian opened his mouth, but nothing came out. "Would you like me bare-faced?" "Would you like me if I stopped catering to you?" He frowned, the confusion deepening in his eyes, as though he couldn't fathom why I would say such things. I swept everything off my vanity—foundations, palettes, brushes—and carried it all out in my arms, dumping it across the living room floor. No mirror—just six years of muscle memory—sat right there on the ground and started painting my face. The final step: lipstick. I looked up at Adrian, stretching my mouth into a grotesque smile. "Do you like me like this?" Without waiting for a response, I rushed into the bedroom and dug through the closet full of lace nightgowns for the prettiest one. I walked back to Adrian and spun around, unsteady on my feet. "Do you like this?" I saw Adrian hesitate, then nod. I grabbed a fistful of my waist-length hair—the hair I'd grown for him, maintained for him, never once cut for him—and hacked it off. Black strands fell around my feet like something dead. Then I snatched the nightgown off its hanger—the lace one, the expensive one, the one that dug into my skin every night—and cut it to ribbons. I dragged my hands across my face, smearing the lipstick, the foundation, the blush, until I couldn't tell what was makeup and what was tears. I grabbed Adrian by the collar, laughing as I asked: "And now? Do you still like me?" "Say something." "Say something!!" Adrian shoved me away. A rare flash of anger crossed his face. "Have you lost your mind?!" I staggered back several steps before finding my balance. Before the sadness came despair—seeping into every inch of skin and bone, a pain so complete I couldn't scream, couldn't cry. "What the hell has gotten into you？" I started laughing. Doubled over, gasping for air, laughing until my voice gave out. "Adrian, what about Jessie?" I asked. Adrian said nothing. He smoothed the wrinkles I'd grabbed into his shirt, bent down, and began picking up the mess. I swept everything he'd gathered right back onto the floor. Nearly hysterical. "I'm asking you!" Adrian spread his hands, exasperated. "What about her?" "A senior colleague looking out for a junior. Is that a crime?" I asked only one thing. "Do you like her?" His answer was matter-of-fact: "I'm fond of her." "She's not like you, Nancy. She doesn't overthink everything." "I'd appreciate it if you didn't bother her." This was the first time I'd ever heard Adrian openly admit to liking someone. In that instant, six years of love disintegrated into nothing. "Fine," I said.