Chapter 3

I stumbled out of the bar, completely drunk.

Night was falling, heavy and dark.

Suddenly, bright fireworks burst across the sky, dazzling and mesmerizing.

As I passed by the riverbank, I saw Chloe and Liam again.

This time, no friends, just the two of them, passionately embracing and kissing under the brilliant fireworks.

They looked like a pair of star-crossed lovers.

In that instant, I couldn't hold it in anymore. A colossal rage erupted inside me.

I swung my fist, charging hysterically towards Liam.

"You bastard!"

Liam was caught off guard by my punch, stumbling back a few steps before losing his balance and falling to the ground. The back of his head hit a rock, splitting open and bleeding.

Chloe gasped in horror and immediately rushed to his side.

"Liam, are you okay?!"

Her eyes blazed with fury as she turned and snapped at me. "Adam, what are you doing?! Are you insane?!"

Me? Insane?

"Chloe, that's what *I* should be asking *you*!"

I pointed at Liam on the ground, my voice rising in a furious demand. "Tell me, what were you doing with him just now?!"

Chloe showed no remorse, instead wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Are you drunk again? How many times have I told you to drink less! You always go crazy when you drink, acting like some barbaric brute!"

I'm the brute?

I let out a bitter laugh.

Chloe ignored my rage, her face filled with tenderness as she wiped the blood from Liam's head. Her eyes turned red, and her voice choked. "Liam, get up quickly. I'll help you to the hospital."

This scene stabbed at my eyes once again.

My wife, her eyes red with concern for another man.

I furiously raised my fist, charging at Liam again.

But Chloe stepped in front of Liam, and slapped me hard.

"Adam, have you caused enough trouble?! Can you stop being such a drunken maniac?!"

Her gaze was cold, like ice.

Five years of marriage, and this was the first time she had looked at me with such eyes.

I stared blankly at the woman before me, suddenly feeling like she was a complete stranger.

A piercing, bone-deep pain flared in my chest again.

Chloe tenderly helped Liam away, and as she did, she gave me a harsh shove.

My foot slipped, and I stumbled precariously, falling into the frigid river beside us.

*Splash!* A bone-chilling cold engulfed my entire body, making me shiver violently.

Chloe didn't bat an eye.

Liam called out to her. "Chloe, your husband…"

"Forget him!"

Chloe was as indifferent as a stranger, not even glancing at me in the water. Her voice was utterly devoid of warmth. "He can swim. A little dip might help him sober up!"

With that, she helped Liam and walked away without looking back.

I tried to swim to shore, but my leg suddenly cramped, leaving me powerless.

In the end, I could only despair as I sank into the river, letting the icy water flood my lungs. A fierce sense of suffocation, like a beast, brutally consumed me.

My heart was dead.

…

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed.

A kind passerby had rescued me.

Chloe made no effort to check on me.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that she finally called.

Her voice on the phone was tired, laced with a hint of complaint. "Adam, Liam's out of danger, but you went way too far this time! You hit the back of his head, and he almost got a concussion! Luckily, Liam is generous and isn't holding it against you. But from now on, you absolutely cannot be so reckless!"

My heart felt utterly dead.

Her only concern was Liam's injury, completely unaware that her own husband had almost drowned in the river yesterday.

After a brief silence, Chloe lowered her voice, trying to explain. "Adam, you misunderstood yesterday. Liam and I are just good friends; it's not as complicated as you think."

"Friends?" I scoffed. "Do friends kiss?"

Chloe's voice instantly turned cold. "You were drunk last night; you must have imagined it! Liam and I didn't kiss at all! It was Liam's birthday yesterday, and I was just with him setting off fireworks by the river. Can you stop overthinking everything? I've given you so much over the years; am I not allowed to have other friends?"

I hung up immediately.

I was physically and mentally exhausted. I had no strength left to argue with her.