All Chapters of Secondhand Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The next morning, I dug out the transaction records for our household emergency fund.After we got married, Caleb and I had each deposited 500 dollars into the fund every month. Medical expenses, home repairs, urgent financial needs from our parents—all of it came out of that account. The bank card had always been in his possession, and I rarely checked the transactions.The year before last, when my mother was hospitalized, I had withdrawn 500 dollars in a pinch. The day after she was discharged, Caleb had reminded me, "Remember to put it back next month when you get your paycheck. We need to keep the household fund topped up."I had not thought anything of it at the time, but now, as I continued scrolling through the records, my fingers gradually froze.On July 12 of last year, 2,000 dollars had been withdrawn from the emergency fund. The recipient was the official flagship store of the brand that made the washer-dryer set in Yasmine's home.At 9 a.m., I had sent Caleb a link to

At 9.20 a.m. on Saturday, the doorbell rang.Two workers in overalls stood outside with a work order. "We're here to collect the old appliances Mr. Sullivan scheduled for pickup. The refrigerator and television, right?"The phone number on the order belonged to Caleb. Under the notes, it read, 'Remove them in the morning. Leave space for the incoming delivery this afternoon.'Before I could make a call, the elevator doors opened. Caleb stepped out first, followed by Yasmine, who was carrying two food containers she had apparently forgotten to take with her. A mover from her place came out behind them, holding protective foam corners for a television.The moment Yasmine saw me, she hurried to explain. "Nikki, don't misunderstand. Caleb said your appliances were too old anyway, and since I was replacing mine, I thought you could use them. My double-door refrigerator and television are only three years old. It makes more sense to give them to you than sell them."I looked at Caleb.

The following afternoon, Caleb sent me a location pin for a shopping mall, along with a message. 'I'm on the first floor. Pick whatever you want. I won't decide for you this time.'I did not reply.…Ten minutes later, he called. The background was noisy, with a promotional announcement playing on repeat over the mall's speakers."Nikki, I'll wait right here. It's up to you whether you come or not, but you have to at least give me a chance to make things right."My old phone had conveniently stopped charging, and the repair shop was on the same floor. When I arrived, he was leaning against the railing beside an escalator, his arms folded. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up, but he did not dare reach for my hand the way he used to."Getting your phone fixed first?"I nodded.He really did stay with me for twenty minutes without rushing me or asking when we would be done.When the technician told me the charging port needed to be replaced, Caleb instinctively asked about the

On Friday evening, Caleb invited me out for tacos. By the time I arrived, he had already picked all the cilantro out of my plate. Beside it lay a record of the money transferred out of our joint reserve fund and a transfer receipt."I've replaced all the money I took out. From now on, I won't get involved in Yasmine's belongings, repairs, or moving arrangements."He slid a bank card toward me. "I won't pressure you to come back if you don't want to. Once the three months are up, we can talk again."I didn't touch the card. "Why does it have to be three months from now?"Caleb froze for a moment before quickly breaking into a smile. "You can't seriously intend to live in that one-bedroom apartment forever. Once you've cooled off, our home will still be there."The side kebab was still sizzling hot when his phone suddenly vibrated on the table.Yasmine was calling on video.He declined the first call, but the phone rang again almost immediately. When the third call came, it was re

At 8.40 a.m. on Monday, I arrived at the vital records office entrance.Caleb was already there. He had not brought flowers or gifts, only the identification documents we needed. When he saw me approaching, he did what he had always done whenever we entered a shopping mall, hospital, or restaurant together over the years: he opened the glass door for me.The staff at the counter checked our documents and reminded us once again about the mandatory cooling-off period.Caleb held his pen without putting it to paper for a long time. "Nikki, if there's even one moment during these thirty days when you want to come back, call me."He did not promise that he would definitely change this time, nor did he bring up Yasmine to explain himself.I nodded and signed my name.…During the month-long cooling-off period, he rarely contacted me. When the weather turned cold, he would remind me to close my windows. When I was running low on stomach medication, he would send me a link to a pharmacy