The Fifth Anniversary

I spent two hours setting the dining table. I adjusted the silver cutlery, arranged the crimson roses in a crystal vase, and lit the tall scented candles. Tonight was our fifth wedding anniversary. Five years since I married Richard Vance. Five years of giving him every ounce of my love, my patience, and my loyalty.

I straightened the collar of my soft cream dress and checked my reflection in the mirror. I looked tired. The dark circles under my eyes told the story of endless nights spent worrying, praying, and hoping. But tonight, I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted us to remember why we fell in love in the first place.

The grand mansion was quiet. It was a massive, modern estate with marble floors and towering glass windows. Richard loved this house. He loved showing it off to his business associates as a symbol of his hard-earned success. What he never knew—what I kept hidden from him to protect his pride—was that this house, his company, and his entire wealthy lifestyle were built on my family's money.

To Richard, I was just Elena: a quiet, simple orphan girl with no background, no powerful family, and no college degree. He never knew that my parents were global tech tycoons living in the capital city. When I fell in love with Richard five years ago, he was a struggling businessman with big dreams and empty pockets. My parents disapproved of him, but I was head over heels in love. So, I made a quiet deal with my parents. I asked them to secretly invest in Richard’s business, approve his loans, and give him lucrative contracts, all while keeping my real identity a secret. I wanted Richard to feel like a king. I wanted to be the supportive wife behind a successful man.

How foolish I was.

The heavy front door clicked open. My heart skipped a beat. I quickly grabbed the bottle of vintage wine and forced a warm smile onto my face.

"Richard, happy anniversary—"

The words froze in my throat.

Richard walked into the foyer, but he wasn't alone. Clinging tightly to his arm was a young woman in a tight red dress. It was Chloe, his twenty-two-year-old personal secretary. She smiled at me, a sharp, triumphant smirk that made my stomach turn.

Richard didn't look at the candlelit table. He didn't look at the fresh roses or the expensive wine. His cold brown eyes locked onto mine with absolute disgust.

"What is all this trash, Elena?" Richard snapped, tossing his designer coat onto a leather chair.

"Richard... it's our fifth wedding anniversary," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I made dinner for us."

Chloe giggled, wrapping her arms tighter around Richard's waist. "Oh, Richard, she actually thought you cared about an anniversary with her. Isn't that cute?"

"Shut up, Elena," Richard said coldly. He stepped forward and pulled a thick white envelope from his inner jacket pocket. Without a word of warning, he slapped the papers hard against my chest.

I stumbled back, barely catching the document as it fell. The bold black letters at the top swept over my eyes like a bucket of ice water: DIVORCE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.

"Sign it," Richard commanded.

My hands shook violently. Tears instantly blurred my vision. "Richard... what is this? Why are you doing this? We've been married for five years. I gave you everything! I stayed by your side when you had nothing!"

"And what did you give me in return?" Richard roared, stepping into my personal space. His face was twisted in rage. "Five years, Elena! Five long, miserable years, and you couldn't even give me a child! You are broken. You are a barren, useless woman!"

The word *barren* felt like a physical blow to my heart. For five years, we had tried to conceive. Every month brought another negative pregnancy test, another breakdown in the bathroom, and another wave of silent guilt. I blamed myself completely. I visited doctors, swallowed endless pills, and cried myself to sleep, thinking my body had failed the man I loved.

"Richard, please," I sobbed, reaching out to grasp his sleeve. "We can try again. We can see new specialists. Please don't throw our marriage away."

Chloe stepped forward and slapped a plastic item onto the marble island counter. It was a digital pregnancy test. Two clear, bold line strips displayed the word: POSITIVE.

"He doesn't need to try with you anymore, Elena," Chloe sneered, gently placing a hand over her flat stomach. "Richard is going to be a father. I am giving him the heir you were too much of a failure to provide."

Richard looked at Chloe's stomach with pride, then turned back to me with eyes filled with pure venom. "Do you see this? My manhood is fine. My genetics are perfect. The problem was always you. You are a defective leech who lived off my hard-earned money for five years while giving me nothing back."

"Your money?" I let out a heartbroken, breathless laugh through my tears. "Richard, you don't understand..."

"I understand enough!" he yelled, cutting me off. "I built an empire! I am the CEO of Vance Enterprises! And I will not have a barren, uneducated woman dragging down my reputation. Sign the papers and get out of my house."

"Tonight?" I gasped, looking out the massive window. Outside, a terrible thunderstorm was raging. Rain slammed against the glass, and lightning cracked across the dark sky. "Richard, it's pouring. Please, let me at least stay in the guest room until morning."

Chloe pouted, rubbing Richard's chest. "Babe, I don't want her staying in our home. It makes me feel stressed, and the doctor said stress is bad for the baby."

Richard didn't hesitate for a single second. He walked over to the front closet, grabbed a tiny, old suitcase I had brought with me five years ago, and threw it open. He marched to our bedroom, swept my basic clothes out of the closet, shoved them inside, and zipped it up.

He dragged the suitcase back to the foyer and tossed it out the open front door into the pouring rain.

"Get out," Richard barked.

"Richard, please! Have mercy!" I fell to my knees, weeping openly. I grabbed the hem of his trousers. "Five years! I was a faithful wife! I loved you!"

He kicked his leg back, pulling himself from my grip, and grabbed my arm roughly. He dragged me across the cold floor and shoved me out into the freezing rain.

The cold water hit me instantly, soaking my hair and my cream dress within seconds. The door slammed shut in my face. A second later, the heavy deadbolt clicked into place.

I stood alone in the dark, shivering violently as lightning illuminated the grand house. Through the window, I saw Richard wrap his arms around Chloe and kiss her passionately before turning off the living room lights.

I dropped to my knees in the wet grass, clutching my chest as sob after sob tore through my throat. My love was gone. My marriage was a lie. Five years of devotion had been rewarded with brutal humiliation.

I picked up the small, soaked suitcase, wiped the rain and tears from my eyes, and began walking blindly into the dark night.