Love is Fading

She thought my gesture was an attempt to be intimate with her.

Hearing her lie so casually, without a hint of guilt, a sharp pain pierced my heart. Ah, Celine, you really put a lot of effort into covering up one lie with multiple lies. Are you afraid I'll discover traces of another man on you?

Seeing me remain silent, Celine immediately took a gift box from her bag and said, "I brought this back for you on a business trip." I opened it, a Patek Philippe watch.

But instead of feeling surprised or delighted, I was overcome by a sense of anger, as if I were being toyed with. Two months ago, I had seen this same watch in Jericho's social media post, something he had dismissed as an unwanted freebie.

It wasn't until now that I realized the watch he flaunted on social media was a gift from Celine. If not for this cast-off watch, I might never have known how long their relationship had been going on.

I chuckled bitterly. My wife's love for me is truly profound, giving me a gift that someone else had discarded.

"Let me put it on for you," she offered. Thinking I was smiling out of happiness, she didn't wait for me to refuse and fastened it to my wrist.

Looking at this watch, which felt more like a shackle, I said nothing.

Fireworks exploded outside and Celine suddenly spoke, "Honey, I have a surprise for you tomorrow night."

I played along, asking, "What surprise?"

She acted shy, like a bashful little wife and smiled sweetly, "If I tell you, it won't be a surprise anymore."

I said, "How coincidental, I also have a surprise for you. But you'll have to wait a few days."

Hearing that, Celine beamed with excitement, "I'll take a quick shower, wait for me, okay?" She ran into the bathroom with her phone, locking the door behind her, acting all secretive.

At that moment, my phone vibrated again. It was another message from Jericho: [Ruben, take a guess, will Celine spend this New Year with you or me?]

I glanced at it indifferently and ignored it. Passing by the bathroom, I vaguely heard Celine laughing joyfully inside. In all these years, I had never heard her laugh so freely.

Soon after, she emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, as I sat on the couch watching TV. She walked directly toward me, sat on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. Although her body exuded the fresh scent of shower gel, I still felt nauseated.

"Honey, I have to go on a business trip for a few days. You know, it's a crucial period for the company. Even during the New Year, I have to visit clients personally to secure their business." Her pleading gaze was full of earnestness, almost making it hard to refuse.

Thinking about the divorce planned for a week later, my eyes dimmed, "When are you leaving?"

She said, "The day after tomorrow, early morning."

"Can you not go?" I tried to plea. She shook her head.

In my memory, she had always been obedient to me. But this time, she was surprisingly firm, "You have to give me some freedom. Besides, I'm not going on a vacation, it's just work. If you're worried, I can video-call you to check in every day."

I nodded resignedly, concealing the coldness in my eyes. In a week, you won't see me anymore.

On New Year's Day, we had no groceries at home and decided to eat out. As Celine held my arm and we walked out of the neighborhood, a familiar neighbor approached us, "You two couple are such a loving couple. I recall you've been married for seven years now, right? While others hit the 'seven-year itch,' you two are still as affectionate as ever."