No More Love, No More Hurt

Henry didn't return all night, and the only message from him was: [I have something to attend to at the company tonight. You don't have to wait for me.]

The repetition of "company" in his excuses didn't escape my notice. He wasn't putting much effort into being convincing.

I decided not to respond to him, put my phone away, and got ready to head to the hospital to visit my grandmother.

I was surprised to hear that my grandmother wasn't well. Nobody had told me before. My parents told me the news in the evening when she suddenly fainted. They were worried that something awful might happen to her.

The doctor said that my grandmother, who was elderly and had heart disease, needed to be treated gently and avoid any kind of stimulation to keep her healthy.

I sat beside my grandmother, delicately peeling an apple for her.

She glanced at me with a smile and asked, "Why didn't Henry come?"

My hand paused mid-air, the knife nearly grazing my skin. Setting down the knife, I gently fed her a slice of the apple.

"Grandma, he's been really busy with work lately."

"Being busy is a good thing. Henry is such a dedicated young man, and he treated you well. That makes me feel reassured.

I forced a strained smile. Grandmother had a deep affection for Henry. Despite my parents' reservations, she had advocated for him, comparing him to my late grandfather, Albert Collins. She defied all opposition to ensure Henry and I married. Even the initial funding for Henry's startup had been quietly provided by my grandmother.

"Grandma, what if I were to consider divorcing Henry..."

"What's wrong? What happened? Why would you suddenly bring up divorce? Don't be rash, Wendy. Henry has always treated you so well."

"No, no, Grandma, I was just joking."

Rising from my seat, I carefully adjusted the quilt around Grandma, then swiftly made an excuse. "Grandma, I'll head back and make you something to eat."

Turning away abruptly, I nearly broke down in tears. How pathetic.

Once home, I busied myself with preparing dishes. Grandma had always loved the ratatouille I made.

Henry finally returned, wrapping me in an embrace with an apologetic expression, explaining that his absence was due to the overwhelming demands of his company.

Was he busy at work or was he busy with the women?

As he spoke, a familiar, inferior scent of sunflowers filled the air, sending a chill down my spine. It was the favorite scent of his first lover. Whenever I brought home a bouquet of sunflowers, he would say, "Wendy, don't be jealous. She's gone."

Indeed, she had passed away. She was a remarkable young woman. I heard she stayed behind during the earthquake evacuation to ensure all the children were safe, tragically losing her life under the rubble.

I never once considered myself in competition with that girl. My fondness for sunflowers was purely my own, stemming from a place of genuine affection.

But as I watched Henry struggle to hold back his tears, I swallowed my own words and abandoned sunflowers as my favorite flower. I chose tulips instead.

But now he let Melissa use sunflower-scented perfume. I pushed him away..

He was supposed to feel guilty for me, but also for the girl.

"I understand. Excuse me, I need to take food to Grandma."

Henry stood there stunned. In the past, whenever he hugged me, I would hold him with a smile, enjoying our intimacy.

He withdrew his hand in shock, finally catching the key words. "What's wrong with Caroline?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. When my grandmother passed out, he was wrapped in the arms of another woman. Yet, the first thing on Grandma's mind when she regained consciousness was Henry's absence.

I picked up the food and turned to leave, "Grandma is sick."

He seemed very anxious too. He put on his coat and wanted to follow me.

But before he could take a step outside, his phone rang.

He looked a bit nervous when he saw who was calling, but he answered anyway. I couldn't discern the conversation, but he was even more anxious than before.

After hanging up the phone, he walked away quickly. As if he'd just realized I was there, he touched his nose and said, "Sorry, Wendy, something's come up. You go ahead. I'll join you later."

Before I could utter a word, he had vanished into thin air.

Silently, I packed the food and made my way to see Grandma.

I was by Grandma's side all day at the hospital, keeping her company and offering her comfort. Despite her urging me to go home and get some rest, I stayed until evening. Henry didn't show up at all.