Chapter 2

Sophia noticed something was wrong. “Are you alright?”

I forced a smile. “I’m fine. It’s just that this is my first time seeing Andy care about someone this much. I’m a little surprised.”

They held their hands tightly. Their fingers intertwined perfectly.

Over my ten years relationship with Andy, he had never once taken an initiative to hold my hands.

There was a special glow in Sophia’s eyes, the kind that only newlyweds seemed to have.

“He’s usually pretty stern and intimidating. I’m about the only person he’s gentle with.”

Andy treated her with an almost overwhelming tenderness.

On the giant LED screen in the banquet hall, their wedding photos played one after another.

Over the ten years, I could count the number of pictures Andy and I had taken together on one hand. Whenever we did take one, he made me delete it.

But on the screen, I saw him laugh and make silly faces. His ears even turned red when Sophia secretly kissed him on the cheek.

Just then, Andy asked, “Do your feet hurt? Do you want to change shoes?”

“They don’t hurt,” Sophia said with a smile.

“Well, that’s another one of his good qualities. He’s very thoughtful and attentive. He remembers my period, and he remembers all my favorite things. “

Tragically, Andy’s thoughtfulness had never been meant for me.

Whenever my period cramps got so bad that I could barely get out of bed, I could never get through to Andy.

He was always “busy with work,” and he would only call me back the following day.

The next time it happened, he ignored me all over again.

I always thought that was just the kind of person he was. He was not good with words.

I always made excuses for him.

I thought he totally forgot our anniversaries only because he did not care about things like that.

I believed he ignored my needs only because he was too busy with his work.

I finally realized that all this tenderness and romance were meant for someone else.

I had no idea how I managed to make it through the rest of the reception.

By the time I returned to the budget hotel, I finally broke down and cried.

When Andy and I were together, we were very poor.

I grew up in the mountains. Whenever I had free time, I took on part-time jobs.

Andy was a local, but from what I had heard, his family was not well-off either. We often worked part-time at the same places.

After we started dating, he never let me spend any money. He always insisted on paying.

He used to tell me, “I may not be rich, but that’s all the more reason I can’t let you spend yours.”

While other couples spent their time wondering where they should go for fun, he and I spent our time figuring out how to save money.

As such, I never saw the slightest hint that he came from a wealthy family.

The year we graduated, he told me that his family had found him a job. I, on the other hand, moved to another city.

Over the years when we were in a long-distance relationship, he worked late every night to save enough money to marry me.

My heart ached for him, so I decided to help ease his burden.

Whenever he complained that his supervisor had docked his commission again, I sent him half of whatever I earned from my part-time jobs.

Those days had been exhausting and difficult, but I felt very happy.

I felt so happy that even after seeing all of this with my own eyes, I still could not bring myself to believe it.