My Husband's "Assistant"

When Matthew woke up, he pinched my cheek like everything was fine and brushed away the leftover tears on my face.

"You stayed up late watching dramas again?" he said. "C'mon, don't cry. It's all fake—they always get a happy ending."

I didn't say a word. Just rolled out of bed like I didn't hear him.

Still tied his stupid tie, though. Like always.

He gave me this soft, pitying look, kissed my forehead—slow and gentle, like he still cared. "Go back to sleep, okay? Don't stay up so late. I worry about you."

And for a second, staring into those familiar eyes, I actually almost believed last night was just some twisted dream.

Like maybe he still loved me.

"It's your birthday today, so I'll let you off the hook," he said. "Might be busy tonight, but I'll try to come home early."

I froze.

Her messages flashed through my head again.

[Matt, remember to help me set up the desktop tomorrow.]

[We're playing that co-op game together!]

[Goodnight!]

Right. The new trending couple's game. They had plans.

I grabbed his wrist, my voice shaking. "You haven't really spent time with me in forever. Not even today?"

He hesitated. Then smiled like nothing was wrong and ruffled my hair. "Of course I'll come home early. But there's a lot going on at work. Be good. Wait for me."

Then he peeled my hand off like it meant nothing.

And just like that, my heart shattered.

I used to pull all-nighters gaming with him when we were building the company from scratch. I couldn't sleep, but I still stayed up with him.

Later, I started having trouble sleeping at night.

He used to worry about me. Gave up our dream of turning the spare room into a gaming setup because I couldn't handle the sleep schedule.

Now he's out here building that exact setup—for her. Playing couple's games like it's their thing.

The door clicked shut, and my brain just... shut down with it.

He still left.

Matthew still left.

I sat there for hours, empty and starving, until my stomach actually cramped. I ordered takeout—all our old favorites. Forced it down.

Then threw it all back up.

Everything I gave up for him during those early grind years? Yeah. It all came back to haunt me.

Four years dating. Two years married. Most of it spent helping him build the company from the ground up.

I schmoozed with investors, toasted with strangers, drank till I puked just to keep him moving forward.

Then the company went public. And surprise—turns out years of bad sleep and heavy drinking aren't great for your body.

Doctor said I needed to rest. Gain weight. Get healthy if I ever wanted a baby.

So I stepped back. Became the perfect little housewife.

I was trying. Trying to build a life with him. A family.

He was all I had left. My parents died in a car crash on their way to visit me. Just gone.

I had nowhere to put that grief, so I poured everything into this tiny family.

But now? The baby wasn't coming.

And Matthew was slipping away too.

I kept vomiting until there was nothing left in me—literally and emotionally. Then I collapsed on the couch and let the ache in my chest crawl into every inch of me.

I don't even know how long I sat there. Just... stuck.

Eventually, night swallowed the room.

Then my phone lit up.

I jumped—thought maybe, finally, it was him.

It wasn't.

Just a message from an unknown number.

A pregnancy report. And a photo.

Matthew was in it.

Smiling.

Posed. Happy.

My chest caved in. The tears hit hard, fast—huge and burning.

My phone slipped from my hand and cracked against the floor.

But not before I saw the full name on the report.

Vivian Blake.