Chapter 2

After parting with Bella, I went home.

The spacious house was filled with cluttered junk.

All of it was cheap stuff I'd bought over three years of marriage to ease my misery.

Secondhand shop bargains for ten or twenty bucks each, filling up our hundred-square-meter apartment.

Fortunately, though Ethan ignored me, he still had one good point—he gave me household money.

Out of his eight-thousand-dollar monthly salary, he'd give me three thousand as spending money.

It was because of this that I kept enduring, even though I felt terrible.

After talking with Bella, I realized this wasn't right.

My precious youth shouldn't be wasted on a loveless marriage.

Looking at my bloated reflection in the mirror—greasy hair, oversized t-shirt—I took a long, deep breath.

I pulled my long hair up into a bun, grabbed an enormous garbage bag, and started throwing things away.

I threw things out from noon until evening. Eight bags total. The house was half-empty.

The high-calorie foods in the cabinets—I threw them all out.

The cheap clothes in the closet, the bargain cosmetics on my dresser, and even my wedding photo with Ethan—everything went into the trash.

After finishing all that, I boiled two sweet potatoes for myself.

I'd barely eaten a few bites when I heard the front door.

Ethan pushed the door open and walked in, followed by the polished and glamorous Sarah Smith.

When she saw me, her expression didn't change. She smiled and said, "Oh, you're home, Jenna."

I made a sound of acknowledgment. "Yeah. Why are you here?"

"Ethan said his new fishing rod is really good. I came to borrow it and try it out."

Ethan didn't even look at me. He walked straight into the room.

Sarah sat down next to me, staring at the sweet potatoes in front of me.

"Why are you eating this cheap stuff, Jenna? Are you trying to lose weight?"

Me: "Yeah, I'm too fat. Thought I'd slim down a bit."

She giggled. "Oh, I don't mean to be rude, but body type is really about genetics, you know?"

"Some people are just born to be heavy. Starving yourself won't work—you won't be able to lose it."

"You should just give up, Jenna. Do you have any instant noodles in the house? Let me go cook you a bowl."

She stood up to head toward the kitchen but I stopped her.

"Don't bother. I threw everything away."

"Why?"

"I'm not eating it anymore. Would've been a waste to keep it."

Sarah's eyes flickered. Finally she just smiled.

"Okay then. If you're dead set on losing weight, we'll just wait and see how it goes."

She looked up and saw Ethan walking out. Without asking, she went over and took the fishing rod from his hands.

"Wow, Ethan, this rod really is nice—thin and light."

"Come on, tonight I'll rent out that fishing pond on the south side of town. Let's catch a few fish and try it out."

As she talked, she glanced back at me with false guilt. "Oh, I forgot you were here. Is it okay if I go with Ethan?"

The current version of Ethan didn't consider me at all anymore. He smirked mockingly. "Why are you asking her? What she says doesn't matter anyway."

Over three years, Ethan hadn't changed at all. In fact, as he'd gotten older, he'd become more mature and masculine.

Combined with his well-maintained physique and respectable job, it wasn't just Sarah—plenty of other women threw themselves at him.

He was no longer as innocent as when we first got married. Now when he looked at Sarah, there was a predatory edge to his gaze.

I stared, hating myself even more for living like a ghost for three years because of someone like him. I'd been such a fool.

Ethan looked up at me with a perfunctory expression.

"I'm leaving. I won't be back for dinner. Eat by yourself."

Me: "Okay."

He was about to leave, then turned back.

"Oh, by the way, I'm transferring you four thousand dollars this month. The company gave out quarterly bonuses."

"Okay."