Chapter 1

On Valentine's Day, a day known as the Valentine's Day, I made a special effort to rush home from another city to surprise my wife.

When I arrived with 999 roses and her favorite stuffed bear, I opened the door to a shocking scene: my wife was asking her male "best friend" for a kiss while hugging him.

She didn't even flinch at my presence; instead, she calmly threatened to call the police if I dared to hit anyone.

Her so-called friend had the audacity to say I was interrupting their private time.

I snapped a photo as evidence.

Love, it turns out, is fleeting; only interests last forever.

When I walked in and saw Adeline kissing and embracing another man, I was paralyzed with shock.

I couldn't process what I was seeing, and the gifts I had brought slipped from my hands to the floor.

The commotion snapped them out of their moment, and they turned to face me.

Adeline looked displeased. "Why are you back? You didn’t mention you'd be coming. What if you scared us?"

The man beside her mocked me with a dismissive gesture.

"Checking in on us, are you? A grown man who can't handle such things—how small-minded."

Rage clenched my fists, and I felt an urge to retaliate. "What are you doing?"

Adeline stepped in front of him, frowning.

"Assault is illegal! If you try anything, I’ll call the police!"

"I was just playing a game with Lachlan, can't you stop being so petty?"

What sort of game involves kissing?

Does she take me for a fool?

Seeing my expression, she suddenly changed her tone.

"Believe it or not, if you can’t deal with this, let's just divorce!"

Almost every argument ended with her bringing up divorce.

Fine, this time I’ll give her what she wants. "Fine, divorce!"

She seemed taken aback, not expecting me to agree so easily.

Our daughter emerged from her room, saw the three of us there, and immediately stood by Lachlan's side.

In her innocent voice, she asked, "Uncle Lachlan, are you okay? Did Dad do something to you?"

Lachlan glanced at me, feigning fear, and quickly shook his head.

"No, no, I just stumbled. Your dad didn't hit me."

When my daughter thought I had hurt her beloved Uncle Lachlan, she went wild, trying to push me away.

"You're mean! I don’t want you as my dad; I want Uncle Lachlan!"

She couldn’t physically move me, but her words struck me deeply.

Since she was born, I’ve been there for her, doting on her like a little princess.

I cherished her so much, yet now she wants someone else to be her dad.

I suddenly felt a strange calm. Adeline and Lachlan had asked for a divorce countless times. My daughter favored Lachlan because I set limits on her snacks. Each time, I begged them to come back, being nothing more than a humble admirer in their eyes.

Adeline spoke in a casual tone, as if confident I would never leave. "Alright, daughter, your dad didn’t mean it. Tell him to make dinner."

The three of them snuggled together like a family. My daughter glanced at me with disdain. "Hurry up and cook. I'm hungry."

For the first time, I ignored her and threw the carefully selected gifts and roses into the trash. I took a photo of their cozy scene with my phone.