Chapter 1

On New Year's Day, my wife, Roxanne, forced me to taste her latest experimental dish despite my agonizing stomach cramps.

To make her happy, I gritted my teeth and swallowed the culinary failures she threw at me.

The result was a severe case of acute gastroenteritis.

I begged her to take me to the hospital, but she only gave me a cold stare and called me dramatic.

I collapsed in the hallway, losing consciousness from the pain.

A neighbor eventually found me and rushed me to the ER, where I was wheeled straight into surgery.

When the neighbor called Roxanne to sign the consent forms, she scoffed.

She told him we were both actors putting on a show to trick her.

After the surgery, I planned to confront her.

But then I saw a post from her childhood best friend, Jasper, on my feed.

"Chef Roxanne spent all day perfecting her new menu~"

"Secret tip: Chef Roxanne said all the failed attempts were fed to the dogs~"

In the photo, Roxanne was beaming at the camera, her smile brighter than I had seen in years.

At that moment, I finally decided to leave her.

1.

Fireworks exploded outside the window.

I leaned back against the hospital bed and looked up.

The brilliant colors flickered for a second before plunging back into the darkness.

It was just like my marriage to Roxanne.

A notification pinged on my phone, pulling me back to reality.

It was another post from Jasper.

"New Year's Eve dinner is served~"

The photo showed two wine glasses clinking together.

I stared at the sparkling pink diamond watch on the slender, pale wrist in the shot.

I knew that watch better than anyone. It was the only one of its kind in the world.

I remembered Roxanne saying, "I want a pink diamond watch that is bold and unique."

I called every favor I had to get an invitation to a private auction.

I paid way above the market price to secure a collector-grade pink diamond.

To show her my sincerity, I didn't just buy it.

I designed the watch myself and flew to Switzerland.

I traded two of my own discontinued, limited-edition timepieces to convince a retired master watchmaker to take the job.

It took two months to create that masterpiece.

When Roxanne received it, she barely looked at it.

But all my friends were green with envy.

A ringing phone interrupted my thoughts.

I answered, only to hear Roxanne's impatient voice.

"Hayes Sterling, where the hell are you? Dinner is starting."

Before I could speak, I heard Jasper's voice in the background, intentionally low.

"Roxy, when you act all fierce like that, it really gets me going."

My breath hitched, and hot anger surged through me.

"Roxanne, what the hell are you doing!"

"Hayes, stop barking at me!"

She didn't miss a beat, her voice sharp and icy.

"Since you have enough energy to yell, I guess you don't need dinner. Forget it!"