This was the tenth time I had faked my death to scare my husband. But this time, it was his secretary who I ended up terrifying as she walked him home. For the first time, Caleb exploded at me. "Are you ever going to stop this pathetic acting? If you really want to die so badly, then just go do it!" He didn't know that I actually was dying. Every "prank" was just a desperate attempt to desensitize him, so he wouldn't be so devastated when the real day came. But as I watched him tenderly comfort his secretary, a cold curiosity gripped me. When the truth finally comes out... will he actually feel a single shred of regret? 1 When I heard the electronic lock click, I put down my makeup sponge and glanced in the mirror. Even the palest foundation could barely hide the gray, sallow tint of my skin. The blood on my T-shirt was real—I’d coughed it up earlier—and it looked more convincing than anything in a slasher movie. I slumped onto the floor. A second later, the door swung open. The sound that followed wasn't Caleb’s voice, but a woman’s sharp, terrified scream. It took a moment for me to "recover" and open my eyes. I saw a woman huddled in Caleb Sterling’s arms. She was sobbing pitifully. "Mr. Sterling, I’m so scared." It was his secretary, Heather Miller. Caleb stiffened, but he didn't push her away. When he turned to look at me, his eyes were overflowing with nothing but irritation. "How much ketchup did you use this time? Jade, are you actually addicted to this drama?" Heather clutched his arm, letting go only when she saw me sit up. "Mrs. Sterling, that was horrifying. I’m okay, but Mr. Sterling is exhausted and had a few drinks. What if something had actually happened to him because of the shock?" I stared at their proximity. Caleb didn't look even slightly guilty. "Aren't you getting up?" he snapped. I whispered, "I don't have the strength." He didn't believe me. He reached down and roughly hauled me to my feet. It was the first time I’d ever seen him this angry with me, and it was for the sake of another woman. "Jade, aren't you tired of this?" "I spend all day at the office grinding for this family. I don't expect you to be grateful, but stop making my life a living hell with these stunts!" Heather poured a glass of water and handed it to him. "Mr. Sterling, I’m sure she didn't mean it. She didn't know you were stressed today." Caleb’s knuckles turned white. He grabbed the glass and hurled it at the floor. Smash. The shards flew everywhere. A jagged piece sliced across my wrist. Bright red blood began to bead and drip. "There’s a lot she doesn't know," Caleb said, his gaze cold and disgusted. "Since you love playing dead so much, why don't you just go ahead and do it for real?" 2 Caleb was wrong. I knew a lot of things. I knew he was "busy" at the office, so I spent my days brewing nutritious soups to keep him healthy. I knew he worked late, so I stayed up every single night waiting for him to come home. I also knew his alcohol tolerance was high. So why did he need Heather to "walk him home" because he was supposedly drunk? To foster a more "intimate" connection between a boss and his subordinate? I sat in the hallway outside our apartment all night thinking about it, until I eventually started laughing at myself. A neighbor passed by, startled by the sight of me, and muttered, "Freak," under their breath. I hugged my knees. The hallway was freezing. Caleb really must have been "out of it." After Heather left, he’d shoved me out the door to "sober up" and told me to stop looking for trouble. I was locked out. I knocked, but there was no sound from inside. Caleb had fallen asleep. I checked my wrist. The bleeding had stopped. It stung, but compared to the gnawing agony of stage four stomach cancer, it was a paper cut. I didn't have my phone. I had nowhere to go. I suddenly remembered the first time I faked my death. Caleb had turned ghost-white. His hands shook as he held me. As if the world were ending, he whispered my name over and over. "Jade? Jade, please!" Then I’d popped my eyes open and grinned. "Gotcha!" Caleb had stared at me for a long time before frantically wiping away his tears. He couldn't even find the words; he just held me so tight I could barely breathe. His eyes told me everything: He was terrified of losing me. That was the method I’d chosen. I wanted to make him so used to the idea of me dying that when it finally happened, it would just feel like another one of my jokes. I thought I was being kind. 3 The next morning, Caleb opened the door and pulled me back inside. He had those beautiful, drooping eyes that made him look innocent when he was apologetic. "I’m sorry, Jade. I can’t believe I left you out there all night." He patted my stomach and coaxed me, "You must be starving. It’s all my fault." You see, even when he was "apologizing," he hadn't called me by my nickname in months. I acted angry, blaming him for letting me freeze. It was a Saturday. I told him he had to give me the whole day. First, I made him watch a movie with me. In the film, a husband comes home every day to find his wife "dead" in various creative ways. Caleb’s brow furrowed. "Is this where you got it from?" He paused the TV. "Are you really that bored? You’re basing your life on a movie to torture me?" I didn't look at him. I just stared at the frozen screen. "But her husband thought it was cute..." Caleb let out a cold laugh. "Movies are movies. In real life, it’s exhausting. It’s annoying as hell." "I admit I was a jerk yesterday because of the drinks, but you need to hear this." "Real life isn't cute. It’s irritating. Do you understand that?" His voice wasn't loud. His tone was calm. But it felt like a tiny, poisoned needle stabbing directly into my heart. I was glad the room was dark, lit only by the faint glow of the television. He couldn't see my smile cracking. I understood. Maybe the wife in the movie understood, too. "The movie is halfway done. Just finish it with me." Suddenly, his phone shrieked. The name Heather Miller flashed on the screen. Heather’s panicked voice came through clearly: "Mr. Sterling, I think I ruined the Harrison account." "The CEO tried to... touch me. I said no, and then he..." Caleb bolted upright, grabbing his coat. I reached for his hand, but I hit the wall of his heavy, darkened eyes. "Stop making a scene," he said. He brushed my hand away. The front door slammed shut. The movie kept playing: The truth is revealed. The wife had a terminal illness. She faked her death over and over so her husband wouldn't be so sad when she truly left. The husband in the movie thought his wife was cute. But when the credits rolled, my phone buzzed. It was a call from Heather. I heard Caleb’s voice in the background, soft and comforting. "Don't cry. If we lose the account, we lose it. It doesn't matter." "You must be hungry. Let’s go get dinner. There’s a new place near the office." Heather chirped happily, "Okay, I’m going to make you pay for the most expensive thing on the menu—" I suddenly spoke into the phone: "Which restaurant? Maybe I should join you?" 4 The silence lasted for a second before the line went dead. Heather clearly didn't expect me to be listening. But it didn't matter. I knew where they were going. Because I was the one who had suggested that restaurant to Caleb months ago. It was a famous romantic spot—The Glass House. I’d begged him to take me. What had he said? He’d said he was too busy. Busy making money. Busy building our future. On our last anniversary, he’d pushed me away and said, "Jade, can you just give me some space?" That night, he’d stayed at the office. Later, I saw Heather’s Instagram post. They were the only two left in the building. Caleb looked relaxed without his glasses, a cup of tea by his side. He looked nothing like the irritable man he was at home. Heather had captioned it: Late nights at the office. Boss is working so hard! That was when I first started noticing her. And now, he was taking her to the restaurant he refused to take me to. When I arrived, Caleb was alone by the car. He was leaning against the door, smoking. He didn't look surprised to see me. He just took a long drag and exhaled. "Finished already?" I asked. "I'm not eating," Caleb said, blowing a cloud of smoke toward me. "Jade, you're becoming really pathetic." Through the haze, his eyes held nothing but weary exhaustion. My heart twisted. I looked away, my voice trembling. "Where’s your jacket?" The car window slid down, revealing Heather’s flushed face. She was in the passenger seat, draped in Caleb’s blazer. She smiled at me. "Mrs. Sterling, I’m so sorry. I accidentally hit the call button on my phone earlier." Caleb crushed his cigarette. "Get in. She’s shaken up. I need to drop her home." Seeing me stare at Heather, he offered a brief explanation. "She gets car sick. The front seat is better for her." "So, I’m supposed to just move to the back for her?" It was absurd. She was just a secretary. Why was she so precious? She "accidentally" calls the wife after a crisis, and then "rightfully" takes the wife’s seat. Seeing my displeasure, Heather bit her lip. "Is Mrs. Sterling upset? Maybe I should just take an Uber." "Mr. Sterling, don't worry about tonight. It was my own fault for not being careful. I shouldn't have bothered you." She made a move to get out, but Caleb stopped her. He turned to me, scowling. "Jade, do you have any humanity left?" "She went through that because of me. You’re both women—can’t you show some empathy?!" I looked at his self-righteous anger. "She says she was harassed, and you just believe her?" "No woman would lie about her dignity like that." "She says she called me by accident, and you believe that too?" Caleb paused. "She’s not that kind of person." I wanted to laugh. What was I even doing here? He had unconditional trust in his secretary, but none for his wife. A searing, suffocating feeling rose in my throat. I doubled over. "I'm not getting in the car." Caleb’s voice dropped an octave. "What are you doing now?" He grabbed my arm, opened the back door, and tried to shove me inside. The pain was explosive. It felt like my entire body was breaking. "I'm not getting in!" I screamed. I used every ounce of my remaining strength to tear my arm away from him. Caleb froze. He had always had things his way. Even when we started dating, I was the one who pursued him. I was always the one who lowered my posture in this relationship. This was the first time I’d ever defied him. When he recovered, he let out a cold sneer. "Fine, Jade. You’re really something today." "You don't want to get in? Fine." He climbed into the driver's seat and slammed the door. "Then stay here!" The car sped away. Through the rear window, I saw Heather tilt her head toward me, adjusting Caleb’s jacket on her shoulders. I stood there for a long time, completely lost. I tried calling him, but he didn't pick up. I opened my messages and typed, deleted, and retyped. Finally, I sent one sentence: "Caleb, I want a divorce." 5 I ended up eating at that restaurant alone. A romantic spot where even the dish names were themed around love. The waiter looked at me, confused. "Table for one?" He muttered under his breath, "Who eats alone at a place like this?" I just smiled. The food didn't taste as good as I’d imagined. I couldn't even remember why I’d been so obsessed with coming here with him. It started raining outside. When Caleb said he was leaving me there, he meant it. The waiter suddenly ran over and handed me an umbrella. "You look really pale. You should get home." "Whatever is bothering you, don't neglect your health." My nose stung. It was strange. No matter how much it hurt before, I didn't want to cry. But this small act of kindness from a stranger almost broke me. When I got home, Caleb was waiting with a face like stone. He looked me up and down. "Do you regret it now?" Regret not getting in the car? Regret talking back? A stranger could see how sick I looked, but my own husband was only concerned with whether I had "yielded." I looked at the man who was my husband and slowly shook my head. Caleb’s face darkened. Before he could speak, I asked, "Did you see my text?" "What text?" He glanced at his phone, and as he realized what I meant, his voice turned sharp. "What are you trying to pull now?" "Jade, you’re crossing a line. I let your little games slide before, but now you’re bringing up divorce?" "You think you can threaten me with a divorce?" In his eyes, everything I did was just a performance. I wiped my eyes. I wasn't crying, but they were burning. I looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. "I don't want anything. I just want a divorce." Seeing that I wasn't joking, Caleb calmed down. "I know we’ve been fighting lately, but that doesn't give you the right to be impulsive." He rubbed his temples. "Jade, you can't live without me." "Don't call me Jade." I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. I didn't want to look like a hysterical woman. Now he was using my name softly. He always did that—he’d use a gentle tone only when he thought I was being difficult. What did he take me for? Even a child wouldn't fall for such cheap tactics. "The divorce papers are being drafted. Please sleep in the guest room tonight." Caleb was shaking with rage at my defiance. "I’m moving out. I’m giving you time to clear your head." He sneered. "Jade, I’ll be waiting for the moment you come crawling back, begging for me to come home." 6 But why would I beg him? I was practically dead already. With Caleb gone, I had the deepest sleep of my life. I slept so hard I thought I might never wake up. But I was jolted awake by someone pounding on the door. I opened it to find my mother. She grabbed my hands, her face etched with anxiety. "What happened? Why are you fighting with Caleb?" When I didn't answer, she grew frantic. "Caleb is a catch! Where are you going to find another man like him?!" I wanted to tell her I didn't have a "future" to worry about. But her next words turned my blood to ice. "Your brother is about to graduate from his Ivy League school. We were counting on Caleb to pull some strings for his career. You stupid girl, why are you causing trouble now?!" She looked at me with pure resentment. "Listen to me. Go to Caleb and apologize. Now." Then she grabbed my wrist and tried to drag me toward the door. My wrist was skeletal from my illness. She didn't notice. Her nails dug into my skin, all for the sake of her son’s "future." I thought she might at least ask why I wanted a divorce. She didn't. I was her child, too. Or so I thought. "I'm not going," I said. She glared at me. "You heartless brat. I raised you, and now you won't even help your own brother!" A violent surge of nausea hit me. I wrenched my hand away and used the last of my strength to push her out of the apartment. I collapsed onto the floor, the world spinning around me. Sometime later, my phone rang. It was Caleb. His voice was cold and detached. "Jade, your mother came to my office." "She’s begging me not to divorce you." 7 By the time I reached his office, a crowd had gathered outside the door. Caleb was standing there, while my mother was on her knees, sobbing hysterically. Heather handed me a glass of water. "Mrs. Sterling, you should really talk some sense into her." She glanced inside and smirked. "This isn't exactly a good look, is it?" I met Caleb’s eyes. They were filled with cold mockery. They said: See? I told you you’d be the one begging. Now your mother is doing it for you. The sight made my heart lurch. It felt like a physical blow to the face. I couldn't find a single second of peace. I walked slowly into the room and tried to pull my mother up. She refused to move, her nails digging into my arm. "You ungrateful bitch! I’m not leaving!" It hurt. It hurt so much. Was there anyone who would save me? I looked at the faces around me. They were all enjoying the show. No one was coming. The last thing I saw was Caleb’s expression suddenly shifting. I couldn't hold on anymore. I coughed, and a spray of blood hit the floor. 8 I woke up in a familiar hospital room. Caleb was sitting by my bed, his expression unreadable. I thought he finally knew. Seeing me awake, he tucked the blanket around me. "The doctor said it was an emotional collapse." Oh. He still didn't know. I had told the doctors here to hide my condition from him. Originally, it was so he wouldn't be sad. But now, I’d changed my mind. "Let’s stop fighting, okay?" he said. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so hard on you." "We won't get a divorce." He kept rambling. It was strange; I hadn't seen him this concerned about me in a long time. I stared at him for a while, then said: "Okay." Caleb choked on his next words. He looked up, a flash of genuine surprise and joy on his face. "You promised. No taking it back." I nodded. "I won't." He seemed truly happy. He personally handled my hospital paperwork. He stopped going to the office, moving a small desk into my room so he could work by my side. Heather came by occasionally to drop off files. Each time, she would stand there biting her lip, but Caleb wouldn't even look at her. "Just leave the files and go. There are too many people in here; the air is getting stale." Heather’s eyes turned red instantly. She turned on her heels and left. Once I was "asleep," Caleb whispered my name. "Jade?" When I didn't respond, he stepped out of the room. I stood by the door, watching through the crack as Heather threw herself into his arms. "Mr. Sterling, I love you." Caleb’s back was to me. I couldn't see his face. Was he happy? Was he hesitating? The sunlight through the window hit them both, making them look like a perfect couple. If only I wasn't his legal wife. I let out a soft cough. I don't know if it was my imagination, but Caleb’s entire body went rigid. He turned around and looked directly at me. "Jade—" He pushed Heather away and strode toward me. "It’s not what it looks like." He looked genuinely distressed. His perfectly styled hair was a mess. "She confessed to me. I was just about to turn her down." I watched his feigned regret for a moment, then reached out and slowly smoothed his hair. "I know. She’s the one who initiated it. I don't blame you." Caleb’s expression finally relaxed. I looked into his eyes. "But I don't like her. Can you find a new secretary?" Our gazes met. Caleb lowered his eyes. "Okay," he promised.
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