
No More Illusions, Only Authentic Love
Chapter 1
When I picked up my wife Hailey at the airport, I accidentally met her childhood sweetheart.
Brian knelt on one knee in front of Hailey in front of hundreds of people, holding a can ring in his hand.
My wife's expression changed from surprise and helplessness to joy and acceptance.
She let Brian put the can ring on her finger.
Then they hugged each other tightly. Some people even applauded.
I was as good as dead and became speechless.
I turned around and left the airport.
As soon as Hailey entered our house, she kicked off her high heels and slumped on the sofa.
"Phew, this business trip was exhausting."
"Honey, come here and rub my feet, they're sore."
I was sitting by the side and watching TV, not moving at all.
Hailey was a little surprised. In the past, as long as she acted like a spoiled child, I would put down everything and come to take care of her as soon as possible.
"Didn't you hear me, honey?"
"I heard you," I said casually, "If you feel sore, just sit in that massage chair. I bought it for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's not just a decoration."
"But I want you to offer the service, it's much more comfortable than the chair."
Hailey placed her delicate stocking-wrapped feet on my lap and smiled teasingly, "You were enjoying massaging me before. Don't pretend. Come on."
When I saw the faint dent on her finger, I stood straight up.
Hailey frowned. "Hubby, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep."
I was lying on the bed, preparing to turn off the light and rest when Hailey came in.
She handed me a gift box.
"Honey, it's a gift I bought for you abroad. Open it, have a look. You will definitely like it."
I removed the packaging and it turned out to be a designer perfume.
After taking a whiff, I threw the perfume straight into the bin.
My wife was stunned.
"Honey, what are you doing?!"
"Brian picked this perfume, didn't he?" I asked coldly.
"He did give the advice, he told me it was the most popular fragrance of the year, but what's wrong with that?"
"He's not wrong. I'm the one who's wrong. I should have noticed that there's something fishy going on between you two."
"Hailey Anderson, let's get a divorce."
Hailey raised her eyebrows and said with a gloomy face, "Honey, what is wrong with you?"
"You're divorcing me over a trivial matter?"
"I've told you that I grew up with Brian. I've always regarded him as my own younger brother. Before my grandpa died, he told me to take good care of him."
"Honey, when did you become so unreasonable?"
I stared at her coldly without saying a word.
"Alright, alright. I'm tired after getting off the plane. I don't want to argue with you. Let's sleep separately tonight."
"When you calm down, let's have a serious conversation."
After that, she picked up the perfume in the trash can, held it in her arms like a treasure, and went out of our bedroom.
My acquaintance with Hailey Anderson was purely an accident.
That summer, I was digging for mantis shrimps on the beach in my hometown to save up for tuition fees.
Three young, pretty girls came to visit in a group and, despite my warnings, ran out onto the reef to take pictures.
As expected, a girl was swept into the sea by the sudden waves.
The other two girls were scared out of their wits and shouted for help.
I was kind-hearted by nature, so I risked my life to save the girl who fell into the water.
When I came ashore, my left leg was so cut from the shells on the reef that even the sand was stained red.
Enduring the sharp pain, I gave the girl artificial CPR and finally she woke up slowly.
After thanking me profusely, I found out that her name was Hailey Anderson.