Chapter 1

On our fifth wedding anniversary, Emily went hiking and didn't return all night. It was pouring rain, and I was frantic with worry. After alerting the police, I organized a search party. We discovered her sharing a sleeping bag with her childhood friend, Alex, both enveloped in a close embrace and a kiss. When she saw me, she had an explanation ready.

"He has a congenital heart condition, and I was afraid he'd get hypothermia, so I stayed with him!"

Alex clutched his chest, feigning distress.

"Don't be angry with her; she was just concerned for me..."

I noticed her clothes, including intimate wear, scattered beside the sleeping bag. With a sardonic smile, I taunted them.

"You two have been friends since childhood, so is sharing a sleeping bag a big deal? Mind if I join?"

When I said this, my friends who had come to search with me couldn't help but snicker. Despite being soaked by the rain and anxious over Fiona's disappearance, witnessing their kiss left me feeling hollow. Fiona glared at me, her face flushed with anger, a silver thread at the corner of her mouth from their hasty separation.

"Jude, what do you mean by that? Are you doubting me?"

I applauded her performance with a cold smile.

"How could I doubt you? Why not consider my suggestion?"

Beyond witnessing their kiss, I saw Fiona's underwear among the clothes. Before Fiona could respond, someone came to her defense.

"Jude, you can't talk like that. Fiona is a doctor. She must be worried about Gideon."

It was Fiona's best friend, speaking as if I were the one being unreasonable. I glanced at her, then stepped forward to pick up Fiona's bra from the pile, waving it around. Her expression froze, wanting to speak but remaining silent.

"I never knew that not wearing clothes is the best way to stay warm."

"Having just me isn't enough for a woman like you, apparently."

I said coldly, mocking her. Fiona was furious and shouted back.

"Shut up! I'm your wife; how dare you speak to me like that?!"

She trembled, trying to snatch the underwear from me but failing. Fiona looked at me in disbelief, as if seeing me for the first time. I used to be completely under her control, doing everything she asked because I loved her. But this incident shattered everything, leaving nothing to ignore.

"Fiona, don't be mad." At this point, Gideon coughed a few times, holding his chest. He emerged from the sleeping bag in his underwear, handing her a jacket. Fiona was all about Gideon, heartbroken by his cough.

"Gideon, I'm fine. It's your health we should be worried about..."

Then she rebuked me, "See, I was really worried about Gideon's health, and you still doubt me!"

I felt exhausted, not even wanting to argue anymore. Gideon coughed, and she was heartbroken, but I searched for her for hours in soaked clothes, ignored by her. I used to overlook this double standard, but now I'm curious how I endured it.

"Never mind. After we divorce, you'll have all the time to care for Gideon. How you care for him then is none of my business."

The word "divorce" made Fiona pause and frown at me.

"It's just a small thing; why talk about divorce?"

I chuckled, mocking her.

"Of course, to make it easier for you to care for Gideon. If he's a doctor's family member, it’s more convenient, right?"

"By the way, after that kiss, check for STDs."

"Don’t involve me in that mess."

Gideon turned pale and fainted at my words. Fiona ignored everything else, got up, and grabbed the clothes from me to put on. She glared at me, full of hatred, and slapped me.

"Jude, if something happens to Gideon, I won't let you off!"

"You'll be a murderer!"

Fiona called 911 and took Gideon to the hospital. I stood there, the sting from her slap making me painfully aware. I laughed bitterly. When we first got together, I had checked on Gideon. He doesn’t have a heart condition; it was all an act. Yet even an act could fool Fiona completely.

When I returned home, dawn was breaking. The rain left me dizzy, so I took medicine and slept. Half-asleep, I heard the door open.