Five Years of Marriage Wasted

How could he possibly betray me after all these years we’ve spent together? I can't let myself overthink this just because of a little bit of perfume.

Even as I kept trying to reassure myself, the smile on my face began to fade. I lifted my gaze, locking eyes with his tired face, searching for any sign of the man I once knew.

"I tried calling you several times tonight, but you didn’t answer. You never used to be like this," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"My phone died, so I left it at the front desk to charge. When I saw your missed calls, I came back right away. Sorry, this won’t happen again," Ethan replied, taking off his gold-rimmed glasses and speaking to me in a calm, almost indifferent tone.

Suddenly, it felt like the man standing in front of me wasn’t even Ethan anymore. The boy who used to always smile, who used to be full of warmth and affection, had somehow disappeared. I couldn’t find a trace of the love we once shared, not even a whisper of it.

I forced a smile and asked, "Didn’t I remind you what day it is today? Where’s my gift?"

Without missing a beat, Ethan pulled out his phone and transferred two thousand dollars to me. "I’ve been so busy lately, I didn’t have time to think about these little things. I sent you some money; go buy something you like. If it’s not enough, just let me know."

Before I could say a word, he turned and walked into the bathroom, taking his phone with him.

He didn’t notice the disbelief on my face. In that moment, it felt like an invisible hand had grabbed my heart and dragged me into a bottomless abyss.

Ethan had drunk a lot that evening. After taking a shower, he collapsed into bed, asleep within minutes. I could hear his steady breathing beside me, but after a long struggle, I couldn’t resist anymore. I reached for his phone.

It was the first time I’d ever actively snooped through his phone. The password was no longer our wedding anniversary, and it took several attempts before I finally guessed it right.

I scrolled through his messages, and everything seemed normal—mostly just work stuff and client communications.

There was nothing unusual in his contacts either; I was still pinned at the top.

Just as I began to calm down, telling myself it was nothing, a thought suddenly flashed in my mind.

I had once seen a post about how women could uncover their man’s secrets through his phone.

The first item on the list was bills.

I spent my salary on myself, while Ethan’s income covered our household expenses.

Lately, I’d been busy with work and hadn’t had the time to ask him about things, so I decided to check the bills. I clicked on the most recent transaction.

But the moment I saw it, my relief shattered.

An hour ago, Ethan had made a transfer of 52,000 dollars.

And the timing? It matched exactly the moment I couldn’t reach him—the same time he’d told me his phone was charging at the front desk.

My heart began pounding heavily in my chest, and my hands shook, barely able to hold the phone steady.

I knew I was about to uncover something ugly, but in that moment, I couldn’t stop myself.

On the billing page, there was an option for online fund transfers linked to his account. Without thinking, I clicked on it.

I didn’t expect Ethan to be so generous—52,000 dollars each time, and even more surprising, these transfers happened once a month. Once, he had even transferred money twice in a single month.

The recipient's name was a girl named Cherry, with a cute anime avatar.