Chapter 3

This woman, whom I had called "Aunt Elena" for five years, was the perfect excuse, carefully prepared from the beginning.

The fireworks show carried on. No one was paying attention to me anymore.

Then the weather turned. Out of nowhere, rain came pouring down. Tiffany quickly pushed through the crowd. "Cedric's not well. He can't be in the rain. Please, make way."

She carefully shielded him as she helped him into the car.

And once again, I was left standing alone.

The rain was ice cold, but I didn't feel a thing. Maybe five years of marriage had already numbed me.

…

I got home and took a hot shower. By the time I came out, Tiffany was in the living room.

She hesitated, then actually thanked me. "Thank you for stepping in out there. I mean... we're still secretly married. If things had come out, it wouldn't have looked good for Cedric. One day, I'll find a way to make our relationship public."

I didn't remind her that there would be no more chances to go public. This marriage was already ending, and it might as well be erased from existence.

It was better for both of us.

Then, as if remembering, she asked, "But why were you even there?"

I smiled and looked at her for a long time without saying a word. Only when her gaze started to shift did I finally speak. "Jillian asked me to go."

Only then did she remember that the fireworks show had originally been something she promised me. But she had been too busy enjoying her time with Cedric to even think about it.

"Sorry. Next week... Wait, no, I have to travel for work. Next month, for sure. I'll take you then."

I shook my head. "Let's see when the time comes."'

Tiffany seemed pleased by how easy I was being. She gave me a light hug. Never before had her arms felt so cold.

She did end up going on that business trip, just as she said. Only this time, she brought Cedric with her.

Outside of work, they went for candlelit dinners, visited museums, and ate seafood at a street stall she had never been willing to visit with me.

She had once said to me, "I'm a CEO. I can't eat at places like that. It's beneath me."

But in front of Cedric, Tiffany had no status to maintain. She was just a woman in love.

…

Three days until the deadline, Tiffany finally came home. She had been away for over two weeks, and during that time, I never once contacted her.

Looking at the spotless mansion, she realized, perhaps for the first time, what I had contributed to our five years of marriage.

"Babe, you've worked so hard," she said.

It had been so long since I last heard her call me that. I couldn't even remember when it was.

"I was thinking of taking you to see the fireworks the day after tomorrow, but they've recently banned all firework displays…"

I could hear it in her tone. She simply didn't want to go with me anymore. Cedric had probably said something.

"Then don't worry about it," I replied.

Tiffany paused, clearly caught off guard that I was letting it go so easily. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

If this were before, I would have lost it and demanded to know why she never kept her promises. But now, her empty words no longer mattered to me. "It's just fireworks. It doesn't matter."

Just like Tiffany. She didn't matter anymore either.

After a long silence, she spoke again. "Then, how about I take you to that mansion in the western suburbs the day after tomorrow? I heard you can see hot air balloons from there."

I glanced at my phone. The calendar showed that the day after tomorrow was Valentine's Day.

Would she really come see me on such an important day?

She was probably just brushing me off.