Chapter 1

My wife Audrey Carter was always tangled up with her childhood best friend, Bryce.

Once, I found two tickets to the Winter Wonderland Ice Festival inside her designer coat.

She panicked and made up an excuse, saying it was a surprise for our tenth wedding anniversary.

I was thrilled, thinking she finally wanted to share some romance with me.

When Sunday arrived, I planned our whole route and got there early.

But I waited at the festival entrance until the park closed for the night.

I stood shivering in the heavy snow, but Audrey never showed up.

I took out my phone and saw an Instagram story from Bryce.

"Didn't get to enjoy the snow, but since this little cutie braved the storm to accompany me to my workout, she gets a big kiss."

Right then and there, I made my decision.

It was time to end my marriage to Audrey!

I admit, I am guilty.

Loving her too much was my biggest sin.

……

1

A once-in-a-century blizzard hit suddenly, paralyzing the city's traffic.

Winter Wonderland was forced to close early and clear everyone out.

I didn't have a thick coat or my car, so I had to walk miserably toward the suburban highway in the heavy snow.

Right then, my phone rang. It was Audrey.

She asked coldly, "Why aren't you home? Are you out messing around with your frat bros again?"

My silence only fueled her annoyance.

"Are you deaf, Leo?"

"Audrey, I'm at the entrance of the Ice Festival."

Hearing this, Audrey finally remembered we had a date today.

After a few seconds of silence, realizing I didn't drive, she sounded impatient.

"Got it. Just wait there, I'll drive over and pick you up."

I hadn't planned on asking her for a ride.

But there were over two hundred people ahead of me on the Uber queue.

Plus, with the blizzard, barely any cars were out in the suburbs, so I had to wait for her.

An hour and a half passed.

I curled up in the snow, staring blankly ahead.

Before my phone died, I checked our chat one last time.

Audrey didn't show up, nor did she leave a single message.

Eventually, a kind-hearted truck driver drove by.

Seeing I was about to freeze to death, he dropped me off at a nearby motel before heading home.

I checked in and took a hot shower to warm my frozen body.

Curled up in bed, I charged my phone and checked Bryce's Instagram again.

He had posted a new update half an hour ago.

"My little cutie is the best bro ever. She knew my heater broke and instantly rushed over with a repair guy to save me."

The photo showed a mechanic fixing the heater.

Audrey and Bryce's mother were standing next to him, watching his back.

I blocked and deleted Bryce's account.

After thinking for a moment, I did the exact same thing to Audrey.

In ten years of marriage, no matter how badly we fought, I never deleted her.

But this time, I was truly disappointed in her.

The next day was Monday, and the snow had stopped.

I wore my dried clothes, took a cab home to change into a warmer outfit, and went to school.

As soon as I entered the office, Mr. Harrison, a fellow music teacher, looked at me in surprise.

"Leo, didn't Audrey tell me you took a sick day today?"

Audrey was the Head of the Department.

Since she personally excused me, the other teachers naturally didn't question it.

I just smiled and told him I wasn't sick.

During lunch break, Audrey unexpectedly showed up in the music room while I was lost in thought.

She constantly roamed the main teaching building but never lowered herself to visit the music wing.

Now, she was making a rare appearance with an arrogant, cold expression.

"Is it fun staying out all night, Leo? You know my temper. If you ever dare to do this again―"

I cut her off and brushed it aside. "Don't worry! There won't be a next time!"

We were getting a divorce soon anyway.

We would go our separate ways.

Of course there wouldn't be a next time.

Seeing my calm and resolute profile, Audrey was slightly stunned.

She hadn't expected me to skip questioning her about where she was last night.

"Wait for me in the staff parking lot after school. Let's get dinner together."

I knew this was her only way of making up for standing me up yesterday.

I had things to tell her too, so I nodded and agreed.

I focused on teaching my music classes until the end of the day.

Then, following her instructions, I waited for her in the parking lot.

Just as I waved at her, she revved her engine and drove right past me.

Audrey didn't even glance at me from inside her car.

She just called to say she had an urgent business dinner and told me to go to the restaurant first.

When I got to the restaurant, I sat down and did something completely out of character.

I immediately called the waiter and ordered my favorite pasta dish.

Audrey was always busy and constantly attended dinners with wealthy parents.

She was the face of the school for many external affairs.

Because of this, I always had to wait at least two hours for her on every date.

As a healthy guy, I never had stomach issues before meeting her.

But since we got together, my stomach constantly ached from delayed meals.

The pasta here was incredible, rich and flavorful.

I ate three huge plates all by myself.

I felt so deeply satisfied that even though Audrey stood me up again, I didn't feel a hint of anger.