Grandpa's Lost Days Ended Our Marriage

I had just finished giving my grandfather, Peter Coffey, a bath when I received a barrage of messages from Casey Watson.

"Book me the seat by the window in Larkspur Lake Area A. Lawrence, reply to my message."

I took a look and helped Grandpa lie down. Then, Casey called.

"Did you see my message? Hurry up and book the seat for me."

I gently closed the door and walked out.

"Casey, Grandpa got lost on the day of his follow-up examination," I replied in a hushed tone. "I just found him and brought him back."

Casey paused for a moment. "Sorry. Something urgent came up that day. There was a problem with the paintings in Tommy's exhibition, so I had no choice but to go."

"So, you're telling me you were in such a hurry that you didn't even close the door or say a single word to the housekeeper, Brenda Cooper?" I asked in a trembling voice.

Casey's breathing quickened. "That's enough. I'll explain everything when I get back. Tommy's exhibition investors are waiting for me here. What's the point of you obsessing over these trivial matters right now?"

My grip on the phone tightened, and a dense, prickling pain spread through my chest.

To Casey, the fact that Grandpa had been missing for three days didn't matter as much as one meal with Tommy Hurst and the investors.

"You're right. There's no point—just like our marriage."

I hung up and looked at the huge sunflower painting on the wall.

Casey had painted it on the day I proposed to her.

That day, she held my hand and said, "Lawrence, may our love be as unrestrained and passionate as this sunflower. Once we're married, we're family. That means your grandfather is mine too. I'll definitely take good care of him."

I let out a laugh, my eyes prickling.

My phone lit up with a notification from Tommy's Instagram post.

The photo was taken at Larkspur Lake Area A. The elegantly set table was laden with expensive, exquisite dishes, while an engraved tennis bracelet lay in one corner of the photo.

The caption read, "May you always be the one by my side."

I knew Tommy was talking about Casey. After all, I was the one who had that engraved tennis bracelet custom-made just for her.

Casey couldn't spare a minute to take my call, yet she had all the time in the world to dine and take pictures with Tommy.

She always said that since Tommy was the son of her mentor, Taylor Hurst, her indulgence and favoritism toward him was out of respect for Taylor and a way of repaying a debt.

I believed Casey and had never complained.

That was until last year when I saw the oil painting in Casey's studio.

The boy in the painting had a bright, cheerful smile. It was unmistakably a portrait of Tommy. Only then did I learn that they had once been lovers for many years.

Suddenly, I felt tired. Shaking off my thoughts, I sent Casey a message.

"Come home early. There's something I need to discuss with you."

At 1:00 am, Casey came back carrying a bag of medicine.

"Is Grandpa okay?" she asked. "I bought him some medicine."

"Sit," I said without taking the medicine.

Casey sat down and pressed her lips together. "What happened to Grandpa was my fault. I know you're upset. But Grandpa can have his checkup anytime, whereas Tommy couldn't wait."

"Grandpa has Alzheimer's." Just bringing it up made me tremble with fear of what could have happened. "I told you to make sure to lock the door when you leave! Did you know I found him in a garbage dump?

"Grandpa loves cleanliness the most, yet he stayed in that garbage dump for three whole days! He rummaged through the trash for food and slept in a woven plastic bag. His body was filthy and stinking, with bugs crawling on him. Yet not once in all those days did you think of him!"

Casey lowered her voice and said, "Someone just happened to want to invest in Tommy at the time, so I—"

"Tommy." I laughed, my eyes stinging. "It's always him. Every single time, it just so happens you have to go. You have plenty of excuses. If you love him that much, then why did you marry me in the first place?"

"That's enough!" Casey brushed back her hair irritably. "Don't drag him into our business!"

I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't.

Tommy was Casey's weak spot, and she would not tolerate a single word against him.

"Didn't you want to take Grandpa to Trinity Chapel before? I'll arrange it tomorrow and paint another portrait for him." Casey softened her tone and looked at me.

"Lawrence, I owe everything I've achieved today to Taylor's guidance. You and I are husband and wife, so we should be of one heart and mind."

I had spent half a year begging Casey to go to Trinity Chapel with me. But she always claimed she was too busy with her painting, so the trip kept getting postponed.

Now that she had agreed, I should have been happy. Instead, I just felt utterly exhausted.

I looked at her and slowly said, "Casey, let's get a divorce."