The Wilted Blossoms of Love

After having been married for five years, Benjamin Lane had always maintained the image of a devoted husband. Nicknamed the "Prince of the Lanes", he followed a strict curfew and always returned home on time.

Every day, he personally drove me to work, and on numerous festive holidays, he went to great lengths to prepare gifts for me. All his social media accounts were also filled with his daily acts of spoiling me—his wife.

The netizens jokingly called him a hopeless romantic, and the fans who shipped us were utterly obsessed.

But one day, when he was still logged in on his WhatsApp account on the tablet, a woman sent him a message with a video.

In the video, the woman was cosplaying as a bunny police officer, and her gaze was suggestive. She was sitting in a kneeling position with her legs spread apart, and both her hands were unfastening the buttons of her shirt, revealing supple skin that seemed eager to break free.

"Bunny really misses Benny. I want Benny to do things to me!"

The woman's voice sounded sweet and tempting, laced with a hint of coquettishness.

I didn't think much of it at first. It was normal for someone to like Benjamin—after all, who didn't have a few admirers? Plus, Benjamin had given me enough sense of security over the years.

But just when I assumed this was another one-sided attempt at seduction, Benjamin had replied, "Tomorrow, you won't be able to get out of bed for the whole day."

I felt my heart skip a beat when I read that.

Just then, I heard the sound of the bedroom door opening, and I silently exited his WhatsApp and casually scrolled through short videos as if nothing had happened.

Benjamin climbed onto the bed and pressed up against me from behind. He had just finished showering, and the faint scent of body wash still lingered on him.

He intimately nuzzled his chin against my shoulder, and as he turned his head, his warm lips lightly brushed against the skin of my neck.

"Selena, what are you so focused on?"

Benjamin looked down at the tablet, and he paused in his previously affectionate movements for a moment.

"Why are you using my tablet? Um, I mean… It feels nicer to watch short videos on a phone," he said hesitantly.

As he spoke, his pupils flickered shiftily for just a second—but I caught it.

I had to admit that Benjamin's side profile was undeniably handsome. It was no wonder the netizens kept begging him to be an actor.

I curled my lips into a faint smile and said casually, "My phone's out of battery, so I just used the tablet for a bit. What, is that a problem?"

Benjamin loved playing games, and he used the tablet most of the time. I had picked it up purely on a whim, never expecting to stumble upon something I shouldn't have seen.

"Of course not. It's just that the storage is full, and it's lagging. If you want to use it, I'll uninstall my games and free up space for you," he replied.

As he spoke, he naturally took the tablet from my hands, pretending to clear some storage. His slender fingers tapped on WhatsApp, and when he saw that it was now logged into my account, he visibly relaxed.

"Never mind. I don't want to use it anymore," I said.

Benjamin laughed, and he casually tossed the tablet onto the bedside table. His eyes sparkled, and his tone was playful as he said, "Okay. Then, I'll play something else with my little Lena later on, hmm?"

The ever-proud and composed Benjamin was now looking at me with nothing but tenderness and joy.

I looked at him too, but inside, all I felt was a sharp bitterness.

We had been high school sweethearts, and for so many years, he had always been the perfect partner—always giving me a sense of security and always putting me first, no matter the occasion.

Whenever another woman tried to get close, his response had always been the same—he would raise up his hand with the wedding ring on and say, "Sorry, I have to be with my wife."

Everyone who knew us was aware of his "devoted husband" behavior, and they all envied me for being deeply loved by a dedicated and outstanding man like Benjamin.

And so the back-and-forth flirty messages on his WhatsApp account felt like a dagger that stabbed into me over and over again.

It was absolutely disgusting.

I pushed away the unruly head he had affectionately nudged against me.

"I'm going to get a glass of water," I said impassively.

Benjamin grinned. "I'll get it for you, Lena."

I slipped on my slippers and followed behind him. I sat down on the living room couch and watched as he adjusted the water temperature, carefully touching the glass with his hand to make sure it wasn't too hot before handing it to me.

His gaze was filled with such warmth, so tender and affectionate, that anyone who looked at it couldn't help but feel suffocated.

I felt dazed for a moment, and my grip faltered. The glass slipped from my fingers, shattering on the floor and splashing water everywhere.

"It's fine, it's fine! Don't be scared. Did you get hurt?" he asked anxiously.

Benjamin immediately grabbed my hand, trying to soothe me as he anxiously checked if any glass shards landed on me.

"There, there, Lena. Sit here and don't move. I'll clean it up."

As I looked at the man before me—acting so caring and so gentle, as if he loved me more than anything—I just couldn't understand how things turned out the way they did.

I felt my eyes heat up with a burning sensation, and I forced myself to hold it in by holding my breath.

He probably thought I was upset, because he smiled and lightly rubbed the tip of my nose.

"What's the big deal? I'll help you get another glass cup, okay?" he said softly.