After My Husband Gave His Mistress Our Dream Wedding

I'd been married to Ezra for eight years, but we never had a wedding ceremony. Initially, he said weddings were too much hassle and unnecessary. Later, he claimed we were an old married couple and didn't need all the pretense. Yet on our eighth anniversary, he threw a grand coastal wedding for his childhood sweetheart.

I watched the video of my husband in a sharp black suit, gently holding his first love. The guests were laughing and celebrating, full of joy and carefree. I glanced at the dinner table in front of me, with food that had been reheated ten times. With a self-deprecating smile, I left a comment under the video: "Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and lots of kids." Then, I called my lawyer.

When Ezra returned, I had just finished the call. He looked exhausted, still wearing the suit from the wedding. The dining table from yesterday remained untouched, filling the warm summer air with a sour odor, much like the lingering smell on Ezra himself.

He frowned and pinched his nose in disdain. "The table's a mess. Have you gotten sloppy?" he snapped. "Do you still have the demeanor of the Morris Corp's general manager? You're so careless; it's embarrassing."

"Why don't you clean this up instead of leaving the house in chaos?" he continued, casting a disapproving glance at the table. "Why did you make so much food? Don't think you can be wasteful just because you're the general manager now. Have you forgotten how tough life was before we got married?"

I looked up and stared at him blankly. He must have felt guilty because he brought up yesterday’s wedding. "The wedding was just to fulfill Elena’s dream. You know how fragile her health is, and the doctors said she shouldn’t be upset. We should try to fulfill her wishes."

I laughed bitterly. "Fulfill her wishes? Should I step aside whenever she wants my place as your wife?"

Ezra was taken aback, hesitating. "Why are you being so petty? Elena wouldn't think that way. She's just a patient. Why are you fighting with her?"

"She wouldn't be interested in your position now. Otherwise, would it have been your turn back then?" he retorted.

So it wasn’t that he wouldn’t, but that she wouldn’t accept. I couldn't believe these words were coming from my husband.

"Ezra, have you forgotten that in the eight years we've been married, we never had a wedding? And now you're holding another woman's hand, having a grand wedding. Where does that leave me?"

"That was just a sham ceremony. Why are you so hung up on it?" he argued. "And look at yourself, getting worked up over it. We should just focus on living our lives well."

With that, he stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I was certain he hadn’t remembered that yesterday was our eighth wedding anniversary.

He was always like this, never taking matters related to me seriously, never wanting to be seen with me in public. Officially, I was the general manager hired by Morris Corp, and not a single person at the company knew I was Ezra’s wife. It was laughable.

Before, I thought keeping our marriage private was strategic, avoiding the perception that I got my position because of him. I even thought he was considerate. Now, it's clear Ezra believed I wasn’t worthy of being displayed publicly.

In those eight years, the times we went out for dinner or on a date could be counted on one hand.

I snapped back to reality, tidying up as I prepared to leave for work. Just as I stepped out, my phone rang. It was Elena again.

"Eight years doesn’t matter. As long as I want, he'll do anything for me. Including the wedding you’ve been begging for these past eight years."

The video showed Ezra kneeling to put a ring on her finger, followed by the two of them sharing a passionate kiss. I saved the video and blocked yet another one of her numbers.

I frequently received these videos—Ezra and Elena watching sunrises by the sea, kissing under splendid fireworks, even in hotel rooms. Elena said that even if I showed these to Ezra, it wouldn’t matter because he would accuse me of being petty and unreasonable. Ezra’s loyalty never tilted in my favor.

In the past, watching these videos would leave me breathless with pain. But this time, I felt a sort of relief, glad to have more evidence for the divorce settlement. There wasn’t a shred of anger or sadness left in me.