Expired Love, Farewell Forever1
On our wedding anniversary, my husband didn't come home.
At midnight, he posted on social media.
"Your body is like the waves, musical notes capturing the bay in a spring night."
The picture showed a pair of large hands gripping a slender waist. The hands were his, but the woman wasn't me.
The next day, that woman dropped him off at home. Because I couldn't hear, they flirted openly in front of me.
He didn't know that I could actually hear again. It was supposed to be a surprise for our anniversary.
I asked for a divorce, but he was certain I would beg him to take me back.
But I forgot about him completely, while he regretted everything.
He went crazy, rushing to kneel before me, pleading for a fresh start.
I pointed at my ear and said, "Who are you? I can't hear."
***
I couldn't sleep all night. I searched every corner of our house, trying to find any trace of Alan Jones' affair.
Unfortunately, nothing was found.
The man who once promised to love me forever was gone. He seemed to have rotted overnight.
I heard the garage door open. Wiping away tears, I ran to the window and looked down.
It was Alan's car, but a pretty young woman was driving.
After about fifteen minutes, they came out, walking side by side, laughing at the doorstep without a care in the world.
I couldn't hold back and rushed downstairs. Alan's eyes showed a flicker of annoyance when he saw my distressed state.
The girl paused for a moment, then realized who I was. She turned to Alan and smiled, "I've made sure you got home safe. Should I head off now?"
"Who is she?" My voice trembled.
Alan smoothed his cuff, showing no intention of introducing us. The girl answered on her own. "I'm Alan's schoolmate, Lucy Smith. You can call me Lucy, sister-in-law."
"She's deaf." Alan shook his head.
Back when Alan started his business, it wasn't going well. I quit my job at a Fortune 500 company to help him.
Once, in order to land a big deal, I drank a whole bottle of wine, collapsed in the bathroom, and ended up deaf. He was devastated, taking me to countless hospitals, but no treatment worked.
That deal, however, made him wealthy. A year ago, his company went public, and he told me I no longer needed to be involved in the business and should just rest at home.