The One Thing I Never Expected

Six Years Too Late

I felt dazed upon hearing his sincere words.

The pain I felt was unbearable. Yet, my mind had never been clearer.

I stared straight into his eyes and asked, "When did it start?"

His gaze flickered. "Six years ago."

Something solid deep inside me collapsed.

We had been married for 10 years, but he had spent six of them cheating on me. Yet, I hadn't noticed a thing.

Grief swallowed me whole. Details I had once brushed aside now came crashing back all at once.

Lawrence often worked late into the night, coming home exhausted. Even so, he never forgot to bring me my favorite late-night snacks.

I would sit beside him, listening to him talk about his day. I would listen to him chatter about the tiniest details and chuckle when he told me about the funny moments he'd run into.

Sometimes, I would find him texting absentmindedly when we were at a gathering with friends. I always assumed it was urgent work and even helped block drinks for him.

Now that the truth was out, I finally saw how foolish I had been.

All those nights I fell asleep alone. All those times I worried he might drink too much at business dinners. Where had he really been? And who had he been with?

Every memory I had spent married to him had to be reexamined. Every moment from the past looked completely different now that I had the full picture.

My tears poured out uncontrollably, soaking my collar. Yet, I didn't even have the strength to sob out loud.

"Why?" My voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard it clearly.

Lawrence sat beside me, head lowered.

After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Willow isn't like you. She's young and full of energy. She loves having fun, but she's willing to cook for me. When I'm tired, she finds ways to take me out and help me relax. She supports every decision I make."

As he spoke, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. He looked utterly content just then.

However, the light in his eyes dimmed when he turned his attention back on me. "Sylvia, I love you. But sometimes, I want to be loved too."

I could tell that he meant every word, and each of them were like knives to my heart.

He was the one who didn't want me to suffer, who urged me to quit my job at a major company so I could become a carefree housewife.

He was the one who felt sorry for me, who warned me again and again never to cook after I did it just once.

I had plans to travel with him, too. However, he was the one who said he didn't want to waste precious time on things that weren't his career. He claimed that he was doing it all for our future.

I obediently did everything he wanted just so he would worry less about me and get a little more rest.

So how did it all suddenly become my fault?

"Our child is very well-behaved. He could already call me 'Daddy' at eight months old. When we go on picnics, and I see them smiling…I feel like it was all worth it. Miles takes after his mom. He clings to me all day and keeps asking for kisses. Willow would lean in too, looking at me with those bright eyes…"

My heart ached with every word falling from his lips. My tears fell anew, and my chest tightened with suffocating pain.

"I don't want to hear this."

"Sylvia…"

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even form a complete sentence.

As I saw Lawrence open his mouth again, I broke down and begged him, "Please. Stop talking."