The Anniversary Secret

Calvin's face was flushed red with fury as he grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip, his voice venomous.

"So just because I said I'd donate seed to Susie, you went and had an abortion behind my back? Are you insane? You didn't even tell me you were pregnant! Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this child?"

His words made my stomach churn with disgust.

Even at this point, he thought I would still be willing to bear his child?

I ignored him and moved to step past, but he yanked me back, refusing to let go.

"I already promised you–once we have the baby, I'll cut ties with Susie completely. Isn't that enough?"

He kept testing the limits of my patience, and for the first time, I realized just how shameless a person could be.

I could not hold back anymore, and I slapped his face–hard.

"I don't care what you promise. I want a divorce! You've been desperate to be with Susie anyway, haven't you? A lawyer will be in touch."

With that, I walked away from the house I had lived in for five years, never once looking back.

Behind me, Calvin's furious roar echoed down the hall.

"If you walk out that door, don't you ever think of coming back!"

How laughable. I would never regret this decision.

I hailed a cab and headed to the wealthiest neighborhood in Aucklandia City.

When I arrived, Ian was already waiting at the gate. His brows were knitted tight with worry.

I told him about Susie asking Calvin to father her child, and Ian was livid.

"I knew it–he's scum. Shameless and filthy. Don't worry about the rest, I'll handle it."

Back in the presence of someone who had truly cared for me, I felt a warmth I had not felt in years. My defenses crumbled, and I broke down, sobbing in his arms.

Five years ago, I married Calvin against everyone's advice. My parents, my brother, my relatives, my friends–no one supported me.

Even Ian, my childhood friend, had called repeatedly to beg me not to marry him.

Back then, I thought they all looked down on Calvin because the Leeroy family was nothing more than nouveau riche.

I was determined to prove my choice was right. I was wrong.

Five years of youth, wasted. At last, I woke up.

No matter what he did next, I was never going back.

However, Calvin refused to accept a divorce.

He messaged, [Fine, we can divorce. But I need to talk to you face-to-face.]

I messaged back, [At this point, there's nothing left to say. If you won't sign, I'll take you to court.]

His reply was infuriating. [All this fuss over nothing. Susie just wants a child, that's all. It's not like she's ruining our marriage.]

Every time her name came up, he painted Susie as some innocent victim.

No matter what she did, in his eyes, she was always to be forgiven, always to be understood.

When I was pregnant, he spent his days glued to the phone with her. Even on our anniversaries, the moment Susie called, he would drop everything and run to her side.

On our fifth wedding anniversary–the worst of all–he spent the entire day escorting her through medical exams for IVF.

On every holiday, he would prepare a gift for her too.

If I got upset, he would lecture me, "Come on, she's had it rough abroad. Her reputation's been ruined, and she can't even find a decent husband now. After everything we've been through, if I don't take care of her, who will?"

Looking back at this moment, I realized–those so-called happy days with Calvin only existed in the first two years of our marriage.

That was when Susie had gone abroad, chasing after someone more powerful, and had almost no contact with him.

Me? I had poured all my love, all my devotion into him, turning him from the one who once had to give… into the one who only knew how to take.