Chapter 3

3 As expected, Lorelei never came home on my birthday.

I waited from dusk until past midnight, sitting before a table full of her favorite dishes that had gone stone-cold, just like my heart.

Right at midnight, Garrett posted a new update on his social feed.

"A little late to the party, but everything is falling right into place."

The photo showed two silhouettes passionately kissing under the dim, moody lights of a VIP lounge.

The diamond ring sparkling on the woman's left hand was unmistakable.

It was the exact custom anniversary band I had given Lorelei.

I took one last drag of my cigarette and crushed the glowing ember right into the center of the birthday cake.

Without a second thought, I scraped the entire dinner and the ruined cake into the trash can.

Lorelei finally stumbled through the door around four in the morning, reeking of alcohol and cheap cigars.

She swayed on her heels, nearly collapsing into the foyer.

After I carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the mattress, she curled up tightly under the duvet and passed out.

When I unzipped her dress to make her comfortable, I noticed she wasn't wearing any underwear.

The final trace of hope in my chest officially withered away.

She slept like a log while I sat silently in the armchair beside the bed, watching the sunrise.

When she woke up and saw my pale, hollow face, she gasped. "Babe, what happened to you? You look awful."

I snapped out of my daze and shook my head faintly. "Nothing."

I stood up and walked into the kitchen without uttering another word.

Assuming I was upset about her late night, she took a quick shower and padded over to smooth things over.

"I'm so sorry about yesterday. The client dinner dragged on forever." She massaged her temples with a tired sigh. "My team is useless. I have to personally close even the smallest deals."

Her voice sounded apologetic, but her eyes carried a lingering, satisfied glow.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I placed a warm cup of honey water beside her. "If the company is that busy, are we still going on our trip tomorrow?"

She paused, then shook her head firmly. "Of course we are. This anniversary trip is too important to skip."

She claimed she had settled all pressing matters at work so nothing would interrupt our vacation.

This trip was supposed to be our grand celebration for surviving seven years of marriage.

I had taken two weeks of PTO from the hospital and spent countless off-duty hours planning every single detail.

From scenic flight routes to luxury boutique hotels, I had curated the entire itinerary to make her feel cherished.

Looking back now, my efforts were nothing more than a pathetic joke.

I swirled the glass of milk in my hand and asked casually, "Don't you need to clear this with your staff?"

What I really wanted to ask was whether she could truly bear being away from Garrett for two whole weeks.

Since the final curtain hadn't dropped yet, I kept my mouth shut.

"Why would I need their permission?" she scoffed.

I didn't answer, and she didn't probe further, so we flew out the next morning to an iconic mountain film ranch known for its historic romance movie sets.

Standing beneath the grand arched gates of the vintage set, Lorelei dramatically recited the famous vow from our favorite romance movie.

"From this moment on, you can only love me. You must pamper me and never lie to me."

"Every promise you make, you must keep. Every word you say to me must come from your heart."

"You must protect me whenever anyone tries to hurt me, celebrate with me when I'm happy, and comfort me when I'm sad."

"In your eyes, I must always be the most gorgeous woman in the world. You must dream of me, and your heart must belong only to me…"

The first time she recited those lines to me was on the very first day we started dating.

Over the years, we had rewatched that classic film dozens of times together.

Whenever the heroine suffered on screen, Lorelei would playfully take it out on me and demand that I recite those exact vows from memory.

Looking at her now, my vision blurred with unshed tears.

I had honored every single promise I ever made to her.

Yet Lorelei was never the loyal woman she pretended to be.