4

For an entire week, Henry showed up at home after work promptly every day.

If I didn't know him so well, I might have thought he had genuinely changed his heart, wanting to lead a normal married life with me.

Our seemingly harmonious marriage was just a smokescreen.

The Luther and Lincoln families needed this façade to feel at ease, and without their approval, Henry couldn't let Cynthia stay in the city.

Another day arrived, and as a married couple, Henry and I attended the wedding of the mayor's daughter in the city's most luxurious hotel, held on the rooftop.

As the evening approached, the city lights lit up the night sky, creating a dazzling display of romance reminiscent of the stars.

I particularly enjoyed the starry view on the top floor.

It was on this floor, in the restaurant, that Henry and I first met.

The sky was just beginning to darken, and the stars hadn't appeared yet.

The city's neon lights formed a mesmerizing mosaic.

I halted at the observation deck in the corridor.

Our initial encounter occurred when Henry was twenty, freshly returned from two years of military service.

I was fifteen, dealing with my father's extramarital affair scandal.

I had confronted the mistress in the restaurant, and she had brought some backup.

Henry came to my rescue.

Afterward, we crossed paths many times, and my feelings for him grew, reciprocated by his affection for me.

Later, he visited my home and met Cynthia.

Snapped back to the present by Henry's impatient growl, I saw his irate expression, ready to flare up at any moment.

Henry asked, "Yvonne, what are you up to now? Do you think I won't do anything to you outside?"

I shook my head and replied, "No, I was just reminiscing about the first time we met."

Henry smirked and said, "Giving up the act, huh? I knew you weren't that kind-hearted."

He misunderstood me again, but I had grown accustomed to it.

We continued our way to the wedding venue.

However, on the way, a beautiful woman in a white dress with long black hair suddenly appeared.

Cynthia rushed toward Henry and me, tears in her eyes.

"Yvonne, did you go to such lengths to deceive me into coming back from abroad just to show me how loving you and your husband are?"

Henry pushed me aside and rushed to Cynthia’s side, his heart aching.

I could swear on my life that I had no ill intentions, but Cynthia wouldn't believe me, and neither would Henry.

So be it.