Chapter 1

By the time Roxanne Clark finally came home, a week had passed. She walked in with a large suitcase in tow.

In the past, I would have been at her side in an instant, taking her luggage and fussing over her. But this time, I didn't move.

Leaning against the doorway, Roxanne frowned at me. "Louis, where are my slippers?"

Whenever she came home, I always had her slippers laid out neatly by the door. This time, however, she found me sitting on the couch, eyes fixed on the TV.

"They're in the shoe rack," I replied. "You can get them yourself."

Roxanne's frown deepened at my response. Yet, a moment later, her expression softened as she retrieved her slippers from the shoe rack, slipped them on, and walked over to me.

Then, she glanced at the empty dining table and pouted. "I'm a little hungry. Can you make me something to eat?"

Normally, if she said she was hungry, I'd get up and cook for her, even at 3:00 am. But now, I merely said, "I'm busy. Just order something."

Roxanne sighed, a flash of irritation crossing her face. Still, she slid closer to my side and softened her tone. "Darling, I know that last-minute business trip upset you. I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again. I even brought you a gift. Will you forgive me this once?"

I kept my eyes on the TV, my voice calm as I answered, "You're overthinking it. I'm not upset."

Roxanne froze for a moment, then frowned despite herself. A beat later, she opened her suitcase and pulled out a plainly wrapped gift. Inside was a necktie.

"Well? Do you like it? I picked it out especially for you!" she said, looking at me expectantly.

Seeing the necktie reminded me of a social media post Conrad Jensen had made three days ago. "Grand Opening Promotion—Receive a complimentary tie with qualifying purchases."

The blue-and-green tie Roxanne was now presenting to me as a carefully chosen gift was the exact same one from that post.

Even then, I didn't let my frustration show. I simply accepted the gift and said evenly, "Thanks. That was thoughtful."

When I said nothing more, surprise flickered across Roxanne's face. "That's it?" she asked.

I grunted in acknowledgment. "What else did you want me to say?"

Roxanne furrowed her brow and slipped her arm through mine. "You're still upset, aren't you? I already explained what happened. Conrad and I just happened to run into each other at the airport, so we grabbed a meal together."

I only nodded. "I know. I'm not upset."

My reaction seemed to catch her completely off guard, and she stared at me in disbelief. "Why aren't you jealous this time?"

"No reason. I guess I finally saw things differently."

Having said that, I rose to my feet, grabbed my jacket, and headed for the door.

Roxanne moved in front of me again, demanding, "Where are you going? And where's my anniversary gift?"

A month earlier, I had purchased a sapphire bracelet at an auction. She had seen the news coverage about it.

To her surprise, I pulled out my phone and transferred her 30 thousand dollars. "I forgot. Just buy whatever you want."

Roxanne fell silent at once. In our five years of marriage, I'd never missed a single holiday or special occasion. Every time, I had carefully picked out her gift.

After a few stunned seconds, she grabbed my arm. "What about the bracelet?"

I sneered and pointed at her wrist. "What bracelet? Aren't you already wearing a matching bracelet with Conrad?"

Almost immediately, embarrassment flashed across her face.

"This…" she began. "He just gave it to me as a friendly gesture. Don't get the wrong idea. I'll take it off right now."

We'd lived together for five years. I knew every one of Roxanne's tells. The way she clutched the hem of her shirt told me exactly how flustered she was.

Since I'd already given up on us, I had no desire to argue with her. I pinched the bridge of my nose and walked away, exhaustion etched across my face.