The Day My Husband Promised Another Woman Forever

That night, Kyson didn't come home. I sat on the couch, unable to sleep.

On a sudden whim, I opened Jolie Montgomery's Instagram and began piecing together the fragments of Kyson's life over the past year.

There was a time I was watching a reality TV show in bed. Kyson, while straightening his tie, leaned in and chuckled, "This show is a hoot." I was surprised at the time; he was never into reality TV. Now I understand why. Jolie had posted several screenshots from that show. Kyson had commented: "I'll have to check it out sometime."

For a decade, I had hoped Kyson would watch reality TV with me. Every time, he said he was too busy. Later, he outright told me he couldn't stand reality shows, asking me to drop it. Turns out it wasn't that he didn't enjoy watching them—it was that he didn't enjoy watching them with me.

I kept scrolling. Jolie was wearing a Victorian-style dress, posing beside her desk. Her caption read: "So thrilled!" I had the same Victorian-style dress. It was during the month Jolie posted that picture that Kyson went abroad and brought it back for me. When I wore it, he said it reminded him of our college days. I thought he was reminiscing about our beautiful past. But now I see he was just mourning the passage of my youth.

Further down, Jolie shared a photo of a cup of gelato with the caption: "A bit tart, a bit sweet—just like my mood!" Kyson liked it. I instantly recognized the packaging. It was from a little artisanal shop below my former office, not well-known but absolutely delicious. They didn't offer delivery; you had to buy it in person. After I quit, I often bought it to take home.

I suddenly remembered a time when Kyson asked me what treats women liked. I casually mentioned gelato, and Kyson asked where my favorite spot was. I sent him the address of that little shop, expecting him to surprise me in a few days. I thought Kyson was going to do something special for me. Later, I assumed he got too busy and forgot. Turns out, I wasn't even on his radar.

Jolie’s Instagram was set to show posts from the last three months. Every post had traces of Kyson. Every post was a hazy romantic bubble. Until the one before her attempted suicide, accompanied by a photo of her wrist: "I'm greedy. If I can't have it all to myself, I'd rather not have it at all."

I have to admit, she was daring. The scar looked terrifying. I saw Kyson's comment below: "Jolie, I'm on my way, hang in there!" They seemed like a couple torn apart by fate, and I was the one who drove them apart.

My heart felt like it was being pierced with needles. As I closed Instagram, I saw Jolie's status: "April Fools' Day isn't for roses; Valentine's Day is."

I sat on the bed, overwhelmed by despair, when another memory struck me. This past April Fools' Day, Kyson ordered a bouquet of roses. He placed the order while I was in the shower. I had forgotten my towel and came back to the bedroom, accidentally glimpsing his phone. I was puzzled at the time, "Why are you sending me flowers on April Fools' Day?"

Kyson paused and then smiled, "It's for a prank. Some of us at work want to play a joke on the new girl, pretend someone is confessing to her just to see her flustered."

I didn't suspect a thing. I just told him not to hurt her feelings. But in the end, the only one hurt was me.

I curled up on the couch. Kyson had sworn he'd never betray me. He had promised so sincerely, yet it was forgotten so easily.

Huddled there, my hands and feet grew cold. I don't know how much time passed before my phone rang. I picked it up to see it was Kyson's assistant.