Cephalosporin and Alcohol on New Year's Eve

"You're back?"

Jennifer was sitting on the sofa. The moment she saw me return, her smile disappeared, and her demeanor turned lukewarm. She didn’t even ask how I was doing physically.

Clearly, she hadn’t expected me to come back suddenly. She had probably been in a good mood, but the moment I opened the door, her face darkened.

For a married couple to reach this point, where we were just keeping up appearances, it really felt meaningless.

"Yeah," I replied casually, my tone equally indifferent. It was then that I noticed her posture on the sofa seemed a bit subconsciously tense.

I frowned slightly, and in the next moment, I heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom shower.

There was someone else in the house.

"Who's in the shower?"

Even though I already had a guess in mind, there was still a sliver of hope when I asked the question.

However, Jennifer's expression immediately turned unpleasant as she forced an explanation.

"It's Henry. His water's been shut off for a week, so after work, I brought him here to take a shower. Don't overthink it—it really is because of the water issue."

"Got it. I'm not overthinking."

My calm response seemed to confuse Jennifer. She scrutinized my face repeatedly, trying to detect any trace of anger, but when she found nothing, she finally relaxed.

"You actually managed to think it through. For once, you're not being dramatic. How rare."

‘Dramatic? So that's what she thought all my past behavior was?’

I didn’t respond and instead went straight to the bedroom. I pulled out a suitcase from the closet and began packing silently. During this time, Jennifer didn’t even glance in my direction.

As I packed, I realized how little I had accumulated in these years of marriage. I wasn’t someone who craved material things, but still, the realization was sobering.

I left behind everything Jennifer had given me, as well as anything we had shared over the years. I didn’t want any of it. I didn’t want the memories, either.

When I finished packing and stepped out of the room, Jennifer was drying Henry’s hair with a blow dryer. She was kneeling on the sofa, chatting and laughing with him. At that moment, they looked so much like a loving couple.

It felt like I was the unnecessary one in this household.

Jennifer’s back was to me, and the noise from the blow dryer drowned out my footsteps. She didn’t notice I was there, but Henry did.

The moment he saw me, he slowly lifted his gaze, a smug expression flickering across his face. He curled his lips slightly.

His look seemed to say, "See? You’re never going to win against me."

I kept a blank expression. I didn’t want to win, nor did I feel like I had lost. I simply stood there, quietly watching Jennifer patiently dry Henry’s hair with the utmost tenderness.

That tenderness... I couldn’t even remember the last time it had been directed at me.

So, it wasn’t work stress that made her snap at me when she came home. She had just been saving her gentleness for someone else.

The blow dryer shut off, and when Jennifer turned around and saw me, her expression froze. She quickly offered an explanation.

"I was just drying his hair. I didn’t want him to catch a cold and miss work tomorrow."

"Got it. You don’t have to explain everything to me," I replied casually, my tone indifferent.

Just that one sentence gave Henry the opportunity to chime in. His face carried a hint of timidness as he spoke.

"Lee, I don’t think I’m welcome here… Maybe I should leave."

As he said that, he made a show of getting up to leave. Jennifer quickly stopped him.

"You just took a shower. If you go out now, you’ll catch a cold."

"I’m not saying that you’re unwelcome here," I said. "The one who doesn’t belong here is me. You stay. I’ll leave."

I walked back to the room, grabbed my suitcase, and headed straight for the door.

Jennifer noticed and her expression darkened. She stepped in front of me to block my way.

"Lee, what are you doing? I was wondering why you were so calm when you came home. What kind of scheme is this now?"

I let out a small, almost imperceptible laugh. I was too tired to guess what kind of person I had become in Jennifer’s eyes after someone else’s meddling.

I looked at Jennifer with a calm gaze, my tone completely devoid of emotion.

"There is no scheme, Jennifer. Keep an eye on your email. I’ll be sending you the divorce papers."