My husband received a text message late one night. [They say you’re married. If you’re happy, don’t reply to this message.] My husband didn’t move. He only smiled after I’d finished reading it. “Learning to check up on me now, are we?” His open demeanor showed no hint of guilt. I calmly put the phone back down. Not a word was said. It wasn’t until past midnight that I saw him meticulously composing a reply to that number. [How have you been all these years?] 1 When Leo met my clear, wakeful gaze, there was a momentary flicker of guilt. “Why are you awake? Did I wake you?” My eyes fell on his screen, lit up once more. Suddenly, I felt weary. “No, go back to sleep.” Leo visibly relaxed, exhaling softly. He carefully lifted the covers, his breathing hushed. My face was turned the other way, but I could clearly see the light from his phone flickering on his side of the bed. We didn’t need to say it out loud. We both knew the owner of that number: Kitty Kingsley. She was finally… back. Everyone knew. Kitty Kingsley had pursued Leo for three years. Leo, usually so reserved, was gradually moved by her persistence. On her birthday, he promised to grant her one wish. Everyone silently knew what Kitty’s wish would be. But as fireworks erupted, Kitty was nowhere to be found. Until someone pushed open the private room door. She was entangled with Leo’s best friend. Seeing Leo, her eyes widened in terror. “How are you here?! Then who is he?! You shouldn’t have…” She pointed at the man on the sofa, belatedly trying to shield her body. Fate had played a cruel trick on them. Kitty’s spiked drink had gone to the wrong person. The wind was strong that day. She dressed, tears streaming down her face. “Leo… Can we still be together…?” Leo stared at her, his voice hoarse as he looked away. “It’s already past midnight. The wish… it doesn’t count anymore…” She left the country in tears. Even today. I glanced at the calendar. In three days, it would be her birthday again. Her birthday. Another chance for wishes. Before the storm, everything was calm, like any other day. Leo was adjusting his tie again, glancing at me as if by accident. “I’ll be going on a business trip in a few days.” My hand, brushing my hair, paused. I only asked, “A few days?” He didn’t look at me, just turned his face away. “Three days from now, to Seattle. Is there anything you like? I’ll bring it back for you.” What else could I want? I put down my comb, gently straightening his tie. “When you come back, I’ll tell you what gift I want.” Leo chuckled. “Another riddle? What if you don’t like what I bring back?” I never answered his question. I thought. No matter what he brought back, I wouldn’t be satisfied. I didn’t need to deliberately inquire to know Kitty Kingsley’s activities. Among our mutual friends, everyone was posting photos on social media of the souvenirs she’d brought back. Only Leo and I hadn’t received any. A friend said, “But she clearly said she had big gifts for everyone, especially Leo—” The friend stopped talking. The entire room fell silent. We all imagined what that ‘big gift’ might be. The friend awkwardly added, “Maybe it’s a private gift she gave him, not for public display, haha…” Someone coughed as a reminder. The friend immediately tried to backtrack, “I mean, a tangible gift, not something… intimate…” The friend clapped a hand over their mouth. I smiled, finished the remaining half-glass of wine. “Next time, I have other plans.” I didn’t walk far, still able to hear my friend’s frustrated voice. “Oh, my big mouth!” Leo and I should never have ended up together. His and Kitty’s convoluted fate was too dramatic. No one would willingly be a mere backdrop to such a story. Yet, unexpectedly, I met Leo during a blind date. I treated the meal like a casual gathering with an old friend. As I was leaving, he stopped me. “Should I go home and wait for your call?” I froze. He shrugged. “This isn’t just a formality for me. I’m serious. I’m very pleased with you, Lena.” I had only one month left until my thirtieth birthday. Leo appeared. Limited relationship history. Emotionally stable, no bad habits. Our social circles overlapped, and his assets easily surpassed mine by a digit. I had to admit. He was the pinnacle of the dating market. And so, Leo and I had our second meeting—at my home. He brought expensive gifts, even a sincere proposal. He skipped all the usual dating steps. Yet, no wedding custom was missed. And so we ended up together… I wasn’t without attempts to change this life. During one of Leo’s drunken nights, I asked him, “Are you content with a life like this, unchanging, forever?” Leo looked at me then, his eyes veiled with a smile. “Being rebellious, having unforgettable experiences—those are things for youth.” Leo fell asleep. In the soft hum of his slumber, I couldn’t help but wonder. Whose unforgettable experience… was he thinking of? Just like in many novels. At this stage, Kitty Kingsley was bound to come and provoke me, his legal partner. But she was smart. She added me on a dummy account. And in every single picture, Leo himself wasn’t visible. But I knew him too well. The silhouette reflected on the snow. The hands intertwined with Kitty’s. He had meticulously removed his wedding ring, leaving only the faint mark on his ring finger. I stared at the snowy landscape and laughed out loud. So it wasn’t Seattle. It was Aspen. When he returned, a familiar smile played on his lips. “Didn’t tell you beforehand, wanted to surprise you!” I didn’t reach for the beautifully wrapped gift box. Leo keenly sensed something was wrong, his brow furrowing slightly. “What’s wrong? Not happy?” I glanced at his gift box, speaking calmly. “That brand has a boutique here. No need to trouble yourself with a trip to Aspen.” Leo’s expression froze. He silently put down the gift bag. “I was careless. I forgot to tell you I rerouted from Seattle to Aspen. If you don’t like this gift, what do you like? Or should I have someone buy something from Seattle?” His eyes were downcast as he untied his tie. His wedding ring was still securely on his finger, as if he truly had just returned from a business trip. If only I hadn’t seen that small red mark on his neck. He came over and gently hugged me, his voice soft. “Wife, don’t be upset.” As if desperate to prove something, Leo was exceptionally attentive. I avoided his lips and, with a heavy heart, stated, “You have something on your neck.” Leo looked at me strangely. When he emerged from the bathroom, he stiffly explained, “Maybe I ate something bad while I was away. I’m allergic.” Meticulous as he was, when he consciously made a mistake, his lies were impeccable. I didn’t press further. Catching a thief red-handed. Ding— Both our phones chimed simultaneously. Kitty Kingsley’s group message. [I’m going abroad next week. Before I leave, let’s all have a farewell get-together!] At the end, it was the hotel location she had booked. Leo frowned slightly, looking at me. “We shouldn’t go…” He didn’t finish his sentence. Our gazes met. “Go.” He stared at me silently, finally defeated, a blend of helplessness and indulgence in his voice: “Alright, anything to make my wife happy.” After so many years, I finally saw her in person, after her encounter with my husband. At the door of the private room, she wore a qipao with a daring slit, her eyes curved into a smile as she linked her arm through mine. “Lena, so slow. I waited especially for you.” Our eyes met. We both understood the meaning of ‘waited especially.’ Leo suddenly grabbed my arm from behind. Kitty turned around. From my angle, I could almost see her eyes redden slightly. “Leo is so protective of his wife. Can’t even be apart for a moment.” Leo’s expression was natural. He simply put his arm around my shoulders. “Of course, my wife is more important than anything.” The other friends chuckled. Only Kitty, with downcast eyes, then looked up, released me, and gracefully spun around in front of me with a dazzling smile. “Lena, tell me if what I’m wearing today suits the local aesthetic.” I didn’t have time to speak. She then added, “Someone once told me that I would look especially good in a qipao.” I looked up, glanced at Leo. “Qipaos are beautiful. And Leo, for example, really likes women in them.” In the private room, all laughter ceased. Everyone’s gaze turned to us. Leo didn’t speak, taking a sip of his drink, then took my hand and placed it on the table. “Yes, I like my wife in them the most.” Someone tried to smooth things over, arranging the food and drinks. Kitty had clearly drunk a little too much; her smile was distinctly bitter. “Lena, if only I hadn’t made that mistake back then…” I didn’t drink the wine. Instead, I chuckled softly. “Old wine is sweet, and it’s a good thing you two made up for the love you missed out on back then.” Those closest to us widened their eyes. “Enough!” a sharp voice roared. My words were abruptly cut off. Leo’s hand, clasping his glass, trembled slightly, betraying his emotions. He let out a breath, his gaze shifting to Kitty. “Are you drunk, or what? What nonsense are you telling my wife?!” She gasped, her eyes immediately welling up, tears pattering onto the table. Others awkwardly offered tissues, urging Leo to show her some compassion. Across the crowd, I looked at Leo. “You’re scolding me, but you’re insulting your mistress to maintain peace. Doesn’t that hurt?” Their movements all stopped. I stood up, giving my most sincere smile. “After all, you just slept together in Aspen. To turn on her so quickly, Leo, how heartbroken must Kitty be? Stop the act. Go comfort her.” In the chaotic private room, Leo remained frozen. Kitty even forgot to cry, covering her mouth in a panic. “Leo, I didn’t say anything…” I smiled, not missing the fleeting triumph in Kitty’s eyes. “I never thought one man, Leo, could make you obsess for so many years. I didn’t send you anything for your birthday a few days ago. Today, consider this my belated gift.” Before everyone’s eyes, I pulled out the divorce papers I had long prepared. In the hushed room, I could clearly hear Kitty’s breathing quicken. As I opened the cover, my wrist was suddenly grabbed fiercely. Leo’s eyes were dark. “Lena, it’s not what you think.” Our friends discreetly cleared out, leaving just Leo and me. His Adam’s apple bobbed violently. After a long moment, he finally managed to say, “I… I did have contact with Kitty.” I looked at him, not replying. A few minutes later, his voice was strained: “But I never had any intention of abandoning our family.” I waited a long time but heard nothing further. Impatient, I grabbed my bag to leave. But he instantly blocked my way. “Lena! Let me explain! If it weren’t for me back then, Kitty’s first time… wouldn’t have been with someone else…” He spoke rapidly. I scoffed. “So you regret it, and now you finally have a chance to make amends?” He frowned. “You’re too extreme. I only took her to Aspen once… Even if you didn’t expose us, after she leaves, we wouldn’t contact each other anymore.” “So you think what you did was right? The only mistake was that I shouldn’t have exposed it?” Faced with my questions, Leo remained silent. Before I could pull away and leave, he suddenly said, “Before we got married, you weren’t unaware of what was going on between her and me…” The main door was pulled open. I stood still. Everyone hadn’t left. Kitty Kingsley was surrounded by friends, looking pitiful. “These years, I’ve had it so hard abroad. But if there were any other way, who would want to leave their home and country…” I walked closer to her. Kitty couldn’t keep up the act, her expression defensive as she backed away. “Lena, you…” My hand raised high. Before it could fall, she yelped and cowered. Behind me, I heard the rapid sound of leather shoes. I smiled, leaning close to Kitty. “Don’t worry, I won’t hit you.” Behind me, Leo approached. The slap that never reached Kitty landed squarely on his face. CRACK! Everyone gasped. Kitty’s eyes immediately reddened. “Leo—” My palm tingled slightly. I shook my arm. My gaze fell on Leo’s astonished eyes. “Hitting her is illegal. Hitting you isn’t.” The pent-up frustration in my chest finally dissipated a little with that slap. I left alone. The mess, I left for Leo to clean up.
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