When A Couple Had Drifted apart, It Could Never Be Whole Again

Dennis held me close as he vowed, "I promise you, I'll never cheat on you, Jackie."

After he coaxed me, he turned around and headed into the kitchen. As I watching him working diligently in the kitchen, I revised the divorced paper and scheduled it to be sent from my email ten days later.

When Dennis brought the dishes to the table, he pushed all the best ones toward me. He sat down, his eyes full of warmth as he watched me with a smile.

Then he said, "I love you, Jackie."

Though the love in his eyes seemed real, the lipstick on his shirt cut into me like a knife.

After Dennis came home, he was too in such a hurry to cook for me that he started without even changing his clothes.

I blinked, hoping I would not burst into tears.

"Jackie," he said. "We'll celebrate our wedding anniversary in ten days. I've prepared a huge surprise for you.”

I tilted my head back in an effort to hide the sourness in my voice. “I have a big gift for you, too. You’ll definitely like it.”

His eyes lit up instantly and he leaned in and nuzzled against my neck playfully. The scent of his cologne made me want to puke.

I quietly pulled away and his eyes immediately reddened, "Why are you pushing me away? Don't you want me anymore?"

I did not say anything, but he became panicked and clutched my hand tightly. “Wife, I love you. Please don’t leave me. I’ll change anything you want.”

He looked so sincere, yet his love wasn’t reserved just for me.

I knew this because just a moment ago, his little assistant had posted a picture on social media of them kissing and Dennis was wearing the same clothes he had on now.

“I’m tired,” I said and pushed him away. He looked apologetic and tried to cling to me again.

“Jackie, I’m so sorry. Work’s been hectic lately and I haven’t had time for you. How about a trip to the islands tomorrow?” he asked.

“I don’t want to go,” I declared.

Before I could say more, he pulled two concert tickets from his pocket.

"Just look! I got tickets for your favorite singer’s concert. They were nearly impossible to get," he coaxed.

I knew just how hard it was to get those tickets. After thinking it over, I agreed.

I figured it might as well be our breakup trip, a way to bid farewell to my old self.

“This time, let’s book two separate rooms. I want some time alone to rest," I said.

His expression immediately changed. There was fear and alarm in his eyes. He then said, "I feel something is off. Did I do something wrong that made you angry?"

I forced a smile. “No, I’m just exhausted in the past few days and need a few days alone.”

He kept questioning me until he finally felt convinced.

When we arrived on the island, Dennis opened the suitcase. Inside, he had carefully packed outfits, cosmetics and everything I might need for the concert. He had even thoughtfully included blister-prevention stickers for my shoes.

"Jackie, I've learned how to drive an electric car, so I can take you for a ride around the island," he told me as he hid his mangled hand behind his back.

Dennis pulled me to sit by the seaside, planting a kiss on my cheek as he gazed at the shoreline.

"Jackie, they say that couples who kiss on the beach will never be separated for the rest of their lives.”

I wiped away the trace of his kiss.

"Really?" I asked him.

However, in a few days, I would be gone and we would never see each other again.

By noon, I felt sleepy and went back to the room to rest. In the afternoon, I wanted to go for a walk and texted him, but he didn’t respond.

Worried he might make a scene if he noticed I wasn’t there, I decided to knock on his door and let him know. However, as I approached, I heard unmistakable sounds of passion coming from inside.

My fingers went numb as I opened the assistant’s Twitter. Her location was tagged on the island and her latest post was a picture of her lying on the beach, with Dennis applying sunscreen to her back.