After I Set My Husband Free, He Regretted It

The sight stabbed at my eyes, and my vision began to blur.

Hannah looked at me with concern, then said angrily, “Nathan is unbelievable.”

I forced a smile for her.

“Let’s go,” I said.

Just then, Nathan spotted me.

He let go of Chloe’s hand in a panic and hurried over to explain.

“Emily, listen to me. We were just shopping. There’s nothing between us.”

Chloe came over too. She grabbed my arm and said, “Emily, Nathan and I only ran into each other by chance.”

Her fingers landed right on the cut from earlier. A sharp sting shot through my arm, and I could not help frowning.

I took a deep breath and said nothing. I only gave a cold nod.

All at once, Chloe’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sorry, Emily,” she said in a wounded voice. “I know you don’t like me. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure I never appear in front of you again.”

Nathan looked at Chloe with pity, then turned on me with fury.

“That’s enough, Emily. Chloe barely touched you. What are you pretending for?

“And I already told you there’s nothing between us. Do you really have to stand there with that face? You’re so petty.

“Thank God Chloe is generous enough not to hold it against you.”

I was too tired to keep defending myself.

I took Hannah’s hand and tried to leave.

Nathan grabbed my arm, his expression dark.

“Emily, do you have to make a scene in public?”

The wound ached faintly, but I no longer had the energy to argue with him. I kept walking.

Behind me, Nathan shouted my name in exasperation.

I acted as if I had not heard him.

By the time Hannah and I finished shopping and I got home, it was already evening.

Then Chloe suddenly posted on social media.

I opened it.

It was a photo with a caption.

Birthday night. The person I love most is by my side.

In the picture, Chloe had her eyes closed, smiling as she made a wish. A man was turned slightly away from the camera as he placed a birthday hat on her head.

I knew that side profile too well.

After all, he had slept beside me for eight years.

Even though the photo was blurry, I could still see how gentle Nathan’s eyes were when he looked at Chloe. There was even a trace of indulgent affection in them.

Once upon a time, Nathan had celebrated my birthdays like that too.

No matter how busy he was, he would make time to come home for my birthday. He would place the birthday hat on my head himself, then secretly pull a gift from his pocket while I closed my eyes to make a wish, just to surprise me.

But now, Nathan was celebrating someone else’s birthday, leaving me alone at home.

At that thought, the room suddenly felt airless. Suffocating.

I could not bear to look anymore, so I exited Instagram.

The next second, Chloe sent me a message.

[Emily, I wonder if you’re lonely at home all by yourself. After all, Nathan is with me right now...]

It felt as if something had stabbed straight into my heart.

I breathed hard, struggling for air. It took me a long time to recover.

Once I did, I made a phone call.

“Hello, Mr. Turner. When are you available? I’d like to discuss the details of the divorce agreement.”

After getting his answer, I lay down on the bed, exhausted, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, after finalizing the divorce agreement with Mr. Turner, I got up to walk him out.

Just then, Nathan suddenly came home.

He glanced at Mr. Turner as he stepped out the door, and his gaze darkened.

“Emily, who is he? Are you cheating on me?”

Hearing Nathan accuse me without even asking what was going on made my heart go cold.

“Nathan, you’re being completely unreasonable.”

At that, Nathan flew into a rage.

“Emily, I’m unreasonable? Haven’t I been good enough to you? You spend every day suspecting me and making wild guesses, but what about you? You’re bringing some random man into our home!”