My husband, whom I've known since childhood, loves going fishing with his female coworker. For the first three years of our marriage, we fought about it every single day. By the fourth year, I was too exhausted to fight anymore. I picked up a fishing rod and a tackle box, and started mimicking his routine of leaving early and coming home late. At first, Evan didn't care. Until one night, he came home late and realized I still wasn't back. He panicked. He begged me, promising he would never go fishing again and swearing he would stay home and be a good husband. But I didn't want him anymore. Because the catch I reeled in... was the new widower in town. The billionaire tech mogul, Arthur Vance. I’ve always been a bit lazy. Because I was too lazy to date around, I just married my childhood friend, Evan. Things were fine at the beginning. Our families knew each other well, and we grew up together. He was decent-looking, had never really had a serious girlfriend before me, and I knew everything there was to know about him. After we got married, we got along pretty well. That was until his parents thought he had too much free time and pulled some strings to get him a job at a local firm. There was a girl in his department, loud and overly familiar, who constantly invited him out. At first, it was just grabbing dinner or going to a bar. Later on, somehow, they got obsessed with night fishing. He would stay out all night, not coming home until dawn. I was in the prime of my twenties, spending every night alone in an empty house. Who could tolerate that? When I argued with Evan about it, he called me needy and dramatic. His coworker, Chloe, would stand right next to him and add fuel to the fire. "Oh my gosh, Evan, you should just go home. It looks like your wife will literally die if she isn't attached to a man 24/7." A few of their other single male coworkers would stand around and snicker. I didn't want to deal with them, so I just grabbed Evan's arm to leave. He violently yanked his arm out of my grip, almost sending me stumbling to the ground. "Are you done throwing a tantrum?! Can't I have my own hobbies?!" "I work my ass off all day for you, and I do chores around the house too!" "I give you whatever you want, and my only request is a little time to unwind. Why do you always have to chase me down and make a scene?!" I felt a surge of inexplicable grievance. "Is this just 'unwinding'? You haven't been home for a week." His face was ice-cold. "What do you mean I haven't been home? I come home to sleep every single night." "Yeah, at 3:00 AM! And then you go to work the next morning, and spend the whole weekend hanging out with them! We haven't even had a real conversation!" "That's because you don't have any friends of your own. That has nothing to do with me." He kept a stony face, looking completely annoyed. "Listen to me, Mia. We are married, yes. But that doesn't mean I have to take orders from you." Evan had always been mild-mannered and polite since we were kids. He never had any bad habits, and he had certainly never lost his temper with me. That was exactly why I felt safe marrying him. We hadn't even been married that long, and he had already learned how to scream at me. Seeing how utterly unreasonable he was being, I was furious. I turned around and walked away. From then on, the atmosphere between us became incredibly tense. He thought I was too controlling, and I hated that he was never home. Eventually, we just started sleeping in separate rooms and stopped talking to each other altogether. Our spacious house felt like a freezing icebox. My chest always felt tight, and I completely lost the motivation to take care of myself. Over those three years, I gained a significant amount of weight, and my face was perpetually etched with resentment. It wasn't until my best friend, Sarah, who I hadn't seen in ages, came to town for a business trip and asked me out to dinner. When she saw me, she physically jumped. "Holy shit, Mia, what happened to you? How did you end up looking like this?" "Like what?" I asked. "Look for yourself!" She pulled a compact mirror out of her purse. Looking into it, I saw a sallow-faced, dead-eyed, bitter housewife. I slammed the mirror down on the table in horror. "Fuck! Back up, what is that monstrosity?!" "Sarah, tell me... am I possessed by a demon?" My heart still pounding, I quickly poured out everything about Evan to Sarah. She pursed her lips, staring at me for a long time, seemingly at a loss for words. I was getting anxious and poked her arm. "Say something! Why are you just sitting there?" Sarah sighed. "I just think... getting married apparently kicked your brain cells right out of your head." Me: ???? She started breaking it down. "Look, that Chloe girl is obviously up to no good. She knows you two are newlyweds, yet she drags your husband out every single day." "And Evan? He's playing dumb. Does he not know he should be spending his evenings with his wife? Of course he knows. He's just absolutely certain that even if he leaves you rotting at home, you won't do a damn thing about it." I was confused. "How is that possible? I'm pretty. If he leaves me home alone, isn't he worried I'll go find some other guy?" Sarah: "Did you?" I immediately shook my head. "No. My grandma always told me, you have to live honestly. Once you're married, you can't mess around." "Exactly," she said. "You guys grew up together. You know him, and he knows you just as well. He is banking on your moral compass keeping you completely loyal." I was suddenly enlightened. "Ohhh! So that's why he's so bold about abandoning me at home." Sarah looked like a wise sage. "Exactly. And the fact proves he's right. You can probably count the number of times you guys have been intimate lately on one hand, right? And even with all that, you still haven't thought about finding another man. If that's not being a predictable pushover, what is?" My fists clenched in anger. "Fuck! This is too much!" She sighed again. "Look, I'm not telling you this to make you do something crazy." "But Mia, never, ever let a man think he can just brush you off whenever he feels like it. You need to start loving yourself." After parting ways with Sarah, I went home. The massive house was cluttered with a mountain of random junk. It was all the cheap crap I had bought off Amazon and discount sites over the last three years to cope with my depression. It filled the entire two-thousand-square-foot house. The whole place looked like a landfill. Fortunately, even though Evan ignored me and left me hanging, he still had one redeeming quality: he contributed to the household expenses. Out of his $8,000 monthly salary, he gave me $3,000 as "pocket money." His parents would also occasionally slip me cash during the holidays so I could treat myself. That was the only reason I had continued to endure the misery. But after talking to Sarah today, I realized this was completely wrong. I shouldn't be wasting the best years of my life rotting away in this toxic environment. Looking at my bloated, greasy-haired reflection in the mirror, I took a long, deep breath. I tied my long hair back, grabbed a massive heavy-duty trash bag, and started throwing things away. From noon until night, I filled exactly eight contractor bags. The house was finally half-empty. I also threw away every single high-calorie snack hidden in the cabinets. The cheap, ill-fitting clothes in my closet, the drugstore makeup on my vanity, and the framed wedding photos of me and Evan—all of it went straight into the dumpster. After I was done, I boiled two sweet potatoes for myself. I had barely taken two bites when I heard the front door unlock. Evan walked in, and trailing right behind him was the polished, glamorous Chloe. Seeing me, her expression didn't change. She smiled and said, "Oh, hey Mia. You're home." I gave a noncommittal "Yeah." "What are you doing here?" "Evan said his new fishing rod was really smooth, so I came to borrow it and test it out." Evan didn't even look at me. He walked straight past me into the house. Chloe sat down next to me, staring at the sweet potato on my plate. "Why are you eating cheap food like that, Mia? Are you trying to lose weight?" Me: "Yeah, I've gained too much. Trying to trim down." She let out a breathy giggle. "Oh, no offense, but body type is really just genetics." "Some people are just born to be heavy. Starving yourself won't help you slim down." "You really shouldn't torture yourself. Do you have any instant ramen? I'll go make you a bowl." She stood up, heading toward the kitchen, but I stopped her. "Don't bother. I threw it all away." "Why?" "I'm not eating it anymore. Leaving it there is just a waste of space." Chloe's eyes flickered, but she ultimately just smiled. "Alright. Since you're so determined to lose weight, we'll just have to wait and see the results." She looked up and saw Evan walking back out. She immediately went over and took the fishing rod from his hands. "Wow, Evan, this rod is amazing! So thin and lightweight." "Come on, I rented out a private pond on the south side of town tonight. Let's go catch a few and see how it handles." As she spoke, she turned back with a look of manufactured guilt. "Oops, I forgot you were still sitting here! Is it okay if I go with Evan, Mia?" Evan, who had completely stopped treating me like a human being, smirked mockingly. "Why are you asking her? Her opinion doesn't matter anyway." In three years, Evan hadn't changed at all. If anything, as he got older, he had developed a more mature, polished charm. Combined with his well-maintained physique and respectable corporate job, there were plenty of women besides Chloe throwing themselves at him. He was no longer the innocent guy I had married. The way he looked at Chloe now held an undeniable, predatory edge. I stared at him, hating myself even more for turning into a depressed, pathetic ghost over a man like this. I looked like an absolute fool. Evan looked at me dismissively. "I'm leaving. I won't be back for dinner, just eat by yourself." Me: "Okay." He started to walk away, then turned back. "Oh, right. I transferred $4,000 to your account. I got my quarterly bonus." "Got it." Clutching the balance in my bank account, I headed to the gym down the street. Thank god my in-laws had bought this house in a great location; everything I needed was within walking distance. After paying for a three-month membership, I still had $2,900 left. I bought a bunch of whole grains, eggs, and fruit, hauling the heavy bags home. Looking at my messy hair in the mirror, I made a ruthless decision and chopped it all off into a sleek bob. For the next three months, my entire life revolved around working out. Evan didn't come home half the time, and I didn't care. Once I had dropped over twenty pounds, none of my old clothes fit anymore. I wanted to ask Evan for some money to buy a few new outfits, but he wasn't nearly as generous as he used to be. He sent me several 60-second voice memos, berating me for wasting money and buying useless things. After lecturing me for five minutes, he transferred me exactly $50. Me: ... ????? If my original reason for marrying him was because I thought he'd provide for me and I wouldn't have to struggle... Then this pathetic fifty bucks made me feel like an absolute clown. Gritting my teeth, I hit "Accept Payment," completely losing my rhythm on the treadmill. Right then, a man walked over. He looked refined and intellectual, and asked if I wanted to grab lunch. When I spotted the Rolex on his wrist, a spark of inspiration suddenly hit me. Right. You marry a man for stability and provision. If I'm not getting anything out of this guy, what's the point of staying with him? I might as well start scouting for a new target. So, that very night, I let this guy—Liam—take me to a private, secluded fishing lodge. It was remote, but the clientele clearly had money. I didn't like Liam. He wasn't particularly good-looking, and his gaze felt sleazy. After a few minutes of superficial banter, he started steering the conversation toward sex. This guy was way too eager. He was garbage. I didn't want to waste my time. Losing my patience, I stood up to leave. But Liam got aggressive. He grabbed my arm. "Where do you think you're going? You got in my car, you think it's that easy to just walk away?" I actually found his tough-guy act hilarious. "We live in a society with laws. What exactly are you going to do? If you've got the guts, stab me to death right here." Liam held onto me tightly. "I won't stab you, but I've got plenty of ways to make you scream." Psycho. Absolute freak! I kicked at him, but he dodged it. I grabbed a handful of his hair, causing a massive commotion. The owner of the lodge heard the noise and rushed over, quickly separating us and pulling Liam aside. "Bro, dial it back tonight, please. I have VIPs here." Liam stubbornly adjusted his shirt. "What VIPs? You're policing my game now?" "The CEO of Vanguard Corp. He just arrived. You know his background. He hates noise." Liam's expression shifted slightly. "Vanguard? Arthur Vance?" "Yeah, that's him!" "I heard his wife died a few years ago, and he relocated his entire company to this city just to avoid the memories. Why the hell is a billionaire widower hanging out in the middle of nowhere?" "Come on, man. He's just trying to clear his head and get back to nature. You think everyone is a sleazeball like you?" Their voices dropped to a whisper as they walked away, sounding like buzzing mosquitoes. Too annoyed to care, I quietly slipped away. But I hadn't walked far before I realized I was lost. After taking a dozen random turns, I ended up behind a massive artificial rock formation. A man in casual clothes was standing there, staring off into the distance. Hearing my footsteps, he turned his head. The moment our eyes met, we both froze. I don't know why he froze. I froze because... I had never seen a man this handsome in my entire life. In all fairness, Evan was a good-looking guy. But compared to the man standing in front of me, Evan wasn't even a third of what this man was. It was mostly the aura. The difference was staggering. Just standing there, his silhouette alone was enough to make my heart race. I unconsciously licked my lips. "Um..." Arthur looked at me. "Yes?" "I... I'm lost. Could you help me find the exit?" I don't know if it was because I hadn't been around a genuinely attractive man in so long, but the sudden stimulation turned my brain into mush. Arthur's detached gaze swept over me. Finally, he pointed to the right. "That way. You can get out." "Oh. Th-thank you." I had walked quite a distance before I realized I shouldn't have just left like that. The lodge Liam had brought me to was incredibly remote. I could walk until my legs snapped and I still wouldn't find my way back to the city. But if I turned around, I wouldn't know how to find the main road, and if I ran into Liam again, it would be a disaster. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, I heard a car horn behind me. A sleek Bentley pulled up slowly beside me. The window rolled down, revealing the man from earlier. Arthur didn't know why he was feeling so charitable, but looking at the woman nervously clutching her jacket, he unlocked the door. "Get in. I'll take you back." I smoothly slid into the passenger seat and said earnestly, "Thank you so much, sir." Arthur's eyes darkened slightly, but he didn't say anything. On the drive back, he drove in total silence. I looked down at my phone. It was 10:00 PM, and Evan hadn't sent me a single message. On Instagram, Chloe had posted another picture of their "fishing group." Evan was sitting so close to her that anyone who didn't know better would assume they were a couple. I let out a deep sigh, genuinely unsure if there was any point in continuing this marriage. Unable to figure it out myself, I looked at the calm, composed man next to me. In a moment of sheer impulsiveness, I asked him the question out loud. Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You're asking a complete stranger for marital advice?" Me: "Maybe sometimes a stranger can see things more clearly." He gave a noncommittal smile. After a long pause, he finally said, "If you're asking me, I think the real issue is that you haven't figured out what you actually want out of your own life." I froze. This guy was ruthless. He saw right through me. I really didn't know what I wanted. My parents were always busy running their business, and I had a younger brother. Because I was a girl, they dumped me at my grandparents' house from a young age. No one supervised me, no one cared about me; they all just wished I wouldn't bother them. When my grandparents died, my parents didn't bring me home. Instead, they bought me a condo in this city and told me to just stay here. I picked my college major completely at random. I picked my husband completely at random. Because no one ever told me how I was supposed to live my life. And now, someone had ripped away the facade. With just a few sentences, he saw right through my hollow, empty existence. My nose stung inexplicably, and I asked him, my voice thick with unshed tears, "Then... what do you think I should do?" Perhaps because I sounded so genuinely distressed, Arthur cast a few extra glances my way. He said, "If you're not afraid that I'm a serial killer, go buy some fishing gear and come back to that lodge tomorrow." By the time he finished speaking, the car had arrived at my building. Before we parted ways, he gave me his phone number. After adding him as a contact, I saw his name was simply listed as "Arthur." His social media feed was almost empty. Just a single photo of the ocean. The caption read: Ten years separated by life and death. The mind tries not to dwell, but the heart cannot forget.
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