I had an unexpected miscarriage. This was the third week after my surgery, and my husband Godfrey accompanied me for a follow-up check-up. While we were still waiting for our turn, he hurriedly left. I didn't ask him why, nor did I try to stop him or hold onto him like I used to.

Watching his hurried departure, I felt that this marriage seemed meaningless.

After receiving the check-up results and medication, I got a message from Godfrey. "Elsie, I have something to do. You go home first." I replied with just one word, "Okay." In the past, I would ask him to come pick me up. But now, it seemed unnecessary.

As soon as I got into a taxi, I saw Godfrey's car parked at the hospital entrance. He came back to the hospital? But he said he was busy and couldn't pick me up. The next moment, I saw a woman in a white dress getting out of his car.

When I got home, I saw his first love had posted an update on Instagram. "I just coughed a few times, and he insisted on taking me to the hospital and stayed with me all this time. After all these years, he's still nice to me." The picture attached was of Godfrey's back. He was wearing the shirt I gave him for his birthday last year.

Sirena and Godfrey had been childhood sweethearts. She was his first love. She had married a wealthy man abroad but returned home with her three-year-old child after her husband's bankruptcy and their subsequent divorce. In Godfrey's heart, I was just her replacement. I always knew this but loved Godfrey so much that I insisted on marrying him. I even wanted to have children with him. The miscarriage might have been a warning from fate not to covet someone who didn't belong to me.

I took my medication and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, a warm hand gently touched my forehead. I woke up startled and saw Godfrey looking at me with concern. "Was there anything unusual in today's check-up?" I turned my head away from his hand. "No, everything is fine." He nodded in relief. "There were urgent matters at work, so I've been busy until now." I smelled a perfume that wasn't his on him.

"Okay, you should take a shower and go to bed." I didn't expose him and turned over to continue sleeping. He seemed to linger by my bedside for a while but said nothing.

The next day was an early shift for me, so I went to work early. Just after finishing a meeting, I received a call from Godfrey. "Elsie, why didn't you wake me up this morning? Now I'm going to be late," he said in an accusatory tone.

In the past, I took care of everything for him meticulously, even ironing his clothes for work the next day in advance. Every day, I'd prepare his favorite breakfast and wake him up for work. But from his tone, it seemed he had long taken my efforts for granted.

I was his wife, not his maid, right?

I said, "Since you're going to be late, hurry up." He seemed to be rummaging through things on the other end and asked again, "Where are the clothes I'm supposed to wear today?"

"They're all in the wardrobe. Just pick whatever you want."

"But I can't find them..."

A colleague called me over for help, so I quickly said before I hung up, "I'm busy now. You find it yourself."

Not long after, Godfrey sent me another message. "The shirt hasn't yet ironed. How am I supposed to wear it? Did you not prepare breakfast either?"