It took me a month of marriage to realize that every doorknob in our house was two inches lower than normal. I used to think it was just a minor renovation mistake. Until that rainy day, when I saw my husband, Ethan Vance, holding an umbrella, tilting it almost entirely over a young girl in his arms. She was the new intern at his company, so petite that her head barely reached his chest. In that single second, everything clicked. The doorknobs were two inches too low because the entire house was custom-designed for her height. I looked down at my phone. The screen was still on the text message I had sent him half an hour ago, my fingers trembling as I typed it. "My back injury is acting up again, and the rain is too heavy to catch a cab. Can you drive me home today?" His office was less than fifteen feet from my desk. Yet, he never let me ride in his car. He said we had to keep our professional and personal lives separate. He said he didn't want colleagues gossiping. He said adults need to be independent. It turned out that all his boundaries and rules were meant for me alone. I stared at the message. Still no reply. I let out a bitter, silent laugh. If that was the case, I was done holding onto this pathetic excuse for a marriage.
"So, Vivian, you're saying you're willing to join the exclusive design project in Paris? That's amazing! You're exactly the talent we need." The voice on the other end of the line was ecstatic. "Yes," I whispered, keeping my voice low. Once the registration was confirmed, I hung up. The bus stop overhang barely kept the heavy rain off me. The wind swept the rain sideways, quickly soaking my phone screen. Even though it was the middle of summer, I felt chilled to the bone. In the distance, Ethan's black Cayenne started up. As it passed the bus stop, the car slowed down for a brief second. I thought he saw me. I instinctively took a step forward. But the next second, the car roared past, speeding up. A wave of muddy water splashed all over me. I laughed at myself. For a split second, I actually had that ridiculous hope. The bus took almost two hours to arrive. By the time I limped inside my house, clutching my aching lower back, the sky was pitch black. Soaking wet and exhausted, I tossed my bag onto the entryway table, wanting nothing more than to collapse on the couch. But Ethan walked out of the bedroom. Seeing the mud splatters on my white dress, he immediately pinched his nose in disgust. "The rain is pouring. Couldn't you have come home earlier? Do you have to make yourself look so filthy?" His tone was full of irritation. He didn't even notice that I was clutching my back, barely able to stand up straight. A lump formed in my throat. But I didn't have the energy to argue. Ethan paused, looking at my pale face. He reached over to the kitchen island and slid a cup of hot cocoa toward me. "I picked it up on the way. It should still be warm." Feeling the warmth radiating from the cup, a tiny, foolish spark of hope flickered in my chest. Ethan had never bought me anything before. I carried the cup over to the couch, sat down, and opened Instagram. Hailey Ward's latest post instantly flashed at the top of my feed. "Rainy days and hot cocoa go hand in hand! The boss messed up the first cup, but the second one is absolutely perfect!️" The photo showed her sitting in the passenger seat of Ethan's car, holding a cup of hot cocoa with a bright smile. Our colleagues had already liked the post in silence, leaving no comments. My heart sank into a dark, cold abyss. Hailey was the new intern. The moment she joined the company, she added everyone on Snapchat and Ins. But when she added me, there was a knowing, mocking smirk on her face. Only today did I finally understand what that smirk meant. Refusing to give up entirely, I took a sip of the hot cocoa in my hand. It was burnt, bitter, and choked my throat. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't swallow it. The bitterness spread from my tongue to my heart. He couldn't even bring me a decent cup. The one he gave me was just a ruined reject. I stood up and tossed the cup straight into the trash can. Ethan's face instantly darkened. "It was perfectly fine. Why are you throwing a tantrum and wasting it?" I didn't say a word. I just unlocked my phone and held it up to his face. Looking at Hailey's post, Ethan's expression stiffened for a fraction of a second. But a moment later, he spoke with even more arrogance. "It's just an Ins post. Do you have to be so malicious and overthink everything?" "Have you ever let me ride in your car once since we got married?" His shout unleashed all the bottled-up pain inside me. My voice trembled. Ethan waved his hand, dismissing my tears. "She's not like you, Vivian. You're tough. She's fragile and can't handle the rain." "And I told you before she joined the firm. Her father is an old friend of my dad's. I have to look out for her. Do you really need to be this jealous?" I stared at the man in front of me. His sharp jawline, his cold, handsome face. He looked exactly the same as he did when I first fell in love with him at sixteen. In high school, some classmates tried to prank me, forcing me to publicly confess to Ethan, the quiet, brilliant boy everyone admired. Surrounded by mocking laughter, I stood there, so embarrassed I was about to cry. But Ethan had looked up at me from the crowd, nodded, and said, "Sure." For years, I treasured that memory, quietly loving him from afar. When we met again years later, Ethan said his family was pressuring him to settle down, and he asked me to marry him. Even after signing the papers, I felt like I was living in a beautiful dream. People said he was cold-blooded. I didn't believe them. I only believed in the boy who had saved me from humiliation all those years ago. But right now, I realized the rumors were true. I closed my eyes, refusing to fight anymore. "Fine. You're right." Ethan froze. His Adam's apple bobbed. He opened his mouth to say something, but I had already turned my back on him.
The next morning, I woke up feeling numb. Ethan was already gone. I laughed quietly. I opened Instagram, and sure enough, Hailey's story was updated. "Had a sudden blood sugar drop this morning. Luckily, someone was willing to take a detour to drive me to work." She didn't name him, but everyone knew. I couldn't help but remember. Once, after an intimate night, my body was so sore that I playfully begged him for a ride to the office. Ethan had coldly refused, got dressed, and left without looking back. I had comforted myself back then, thinking he was just a private person who treated everyone the same way. Now I realized he was capable of sweetness. I just wasn't the one who deserved it. I took an Uber to work. As I walked toward the breakroom, whispering voices drifted through the crack of the door. "Did you see the post? I've never seen Mr. Vance play favorites like this." "I know, right? He's never cared about his wife. I thought he was just cold to everyone." "How can that be the same? His childhood sweetheart is back. The wife he settled for is obviously nothing to him now." "I even heard Mr. Vance's entire house was custom-designed based on Hailey's height. Doesn't that mean his wife has been living in another woman's dream house this whole time?" A wave of quiet giggles followed. I didn't say anything. I just pushed the door open. The moment they saw me, the girls gasped and scrambled out of the room. I sat at my desk and booted up my computer. My colleague, Jennifer, leaned over from the next cubicle, looking incredibly nervous. "Vivian, Mr. Vance wants to see you in his office. Now." The office went quiet. I could feel several pairs of eyes burning into my back. I ignored them. When I pushed open the door to Ethan's office, a brand representative was already sitting on the couch. Hailey stood to the side with her head bowed. Ethan looked at me. "You're here. Perfect. The design blueprints your team submitted two days ago had a major scale error. The client has already started mass production. I need an explanation for this rookie mistake." I looked at Hailey. I already knew what had happened. "I've been in this industry for ten years, Ethan. I don't make mistakes like that. Maybe you should ask the person standing next to you." Ethan's face darkened. He didn't hesitate for a second. "Hailey already admitted her mistake to me. But she's a new hire. A black mark like this will ruin her career." He paused. "So, for the record, the responsibility for this error falls on you. Also, to cover the client's losses, your team's annual bonuses are canceled." I almost laughed out loud. He called me in just to make me a scapegoat for his little darling. "I refuse," I said clearly. Ethan brushed past me. "This is not up for discussion." Watching his retreating back, a suffocating weight pressed down on my chest. My peers who started at this company at the same time as me were already in senior management. Only I was stuck in the same position. The board had suggested promoting me several times, but Ethan had vetoed it every single time. I had tried to be understanding. I thought he was just trying to avoid accusations of nepotism. But my silence only made everyone else think I was incompetent. Hailey walked up to me, a smug grin plastered on her face. "Vivian, to be honest, I changed those blueprint specs on purpose." "Ethan and I grew up together. You've only been with him for a few months. Did you really think you mattered to him?" Anger flared in my chest. Alice Thompson, the senior designer in my team, had a son who was currently in the ICU. I had pulled countless all-nighters with her on this project just so she could get the project bonus to pay for his medical bills. If this project had gone smoothly, her bonus would have been guaranteed. Looking at Hailey's smug face, I grabbed a cup of water from the desk and threw it right in her face. Her makeup ruined instantly. She stood there, drenched and gasping in utter shock. Ethan turned around. Seeing Hailey, he rushed over, his face filled with genuine panic. He turned to me, his voice freezing cold: "Apologize!" The sight of him fiercely shielding her pierced my heart like a dagger. Hailey squeezed out a few tears and grabbed Ethan's sleeve. "Ethan, I don't want an apology. I want to throw it back!"
She looked at my light-colored chiffon blouse with a malicious smirk. I had left the house in a rush today and hadn't brought a jacket. The fabric of my shirt was thin. Once wet, it would cling to my skin, making it completely translucent. Ethan frowned. He hesitated for a second, opening his mouth to speak. But Hailey grabbed his arm, her eyes red. "I was so scared, Ethan. I just want things to be fair." Ethan looked at her wet hair, then turned his cold eyes back to me. "Fine." Even though I expected it, my heart still felt like it was being ripped apart. Outside the glass wall, a crowd of colleagues had gathered to watch the drama. Ethan knew exactly what kind of humiliation I would face. Yet, he chose to let her do it. Before I could react, Hailey grabbed a cup of water and splashed it all over me. The freezing water soaked through my thin blouse, making me shiver violently. The crowd outside gasped. "This is what happens to anyone who stirs up trouble in this office," Ethan announced, looking at my drenched body without a shred of pity. The onlookers quickly dispersed, whispering. "She's so embarrassing. She's been the CEO's wife for months, but she still acts like a street brawler." "She has no curves at all. So plain. No wonder Ethan prefers Hailey." "She brought this on herself. Wearing something so thin and still picking a fight? She probably wanted the attention." Their hushed mockery drifted into my ears. I clenched my fists. Ethan turned to Hailey, his voice softening. "Go home and rest. You'll catch a cold with wet hair. I'll handle the rest." The moment Hailey left, the warmth on Ethan's face vanished. Only cold indifference remained. "You will oversee the rest of this project. I want to see a recovery plan on my desk tonight." The wet fabric clung to my skin, freezing me. But it was nothing compared to the ice in my heart. When I dragged myself back to my cubicle, Alice immediately draped her cardigan over my shoulders. Looking at her tired face, which was trying so hard to offer me comfort, my nose stung with tears. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that her bonus was gone. But the next second, Ethan walked over to our department. "Because of Vivian's personal negligence, the design team's annual bonuses are officially canceled." The entire floor fell into a dead silence. Then, resentment flared. Angry, hateful glares pierced through me like needles. Before I could explain, a loud thud sounded beside me. "Alice!" Tears poured down my face as I scrambled to her side. "Call 911! Please, call an ambulance!" Inside the ambulance, I held Alice's trembling hand. My mother died when I was young. Having no one to protect me, I had learned to swallow my tears. Alice was the only one who had seen through my tough exterior all these years. Whenever I was excluded, she would pat my back and sigh, telling me I didn't have to carry the world on my shoulders. We spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas together. Over the years, she had become more than family to me. Sitting outside the ER, I clasped my hands, praying for her survival. My lower back throbbed with a sharp, agonizing pain. My old injury was flaring up again. Noticing my pale face, Ethan, who had followed us to the hospital, took off his jacket and put it over my shoulders. "Family of Alice Thompson?" a nurse called out from the desk. "The patient is unstable. We need someone to pay the emergency deposit immediately." Ethan stood up, but before he could move, his phone rang loudly. It was Hailey's ringtone. "Okay, don't panic. I'm coming right now," Ethan said into the phone. He hung up and rushed toward the exit. Halfway there, he suddenly remembered me. "Go pay the deposit first. I'll transfer the money to you." I froze, watching his retreating back. The very last spark of warmth in my heart died.
I dragged my painful body to the billing counter and collapsed against it. The pain in my back was so sharp it made my head spin. In a daze, I felt like I was back on that snowy night years ago. To win over a major client for Ethan's startup, we had driven over a thousand miles through a blizzard. When we arrived, the client was about to leave. I had run across the icy parking lot, slipped, and severely injured my spine. But because of that fall, the client saw our dedication. Ethan's company got the deal that put them on the map. But I was left with a permanent spinal injury. That was the first time I had ever seen the cold, aloof Ethan look so panicked and heartbroken. "Why are you so foolish?" he had cried, holding me gently in his arms, using his warm palms to soothe my lower back. "I promise you, Vivian, whenever your back hurts, I'll be right by your side. I won't go anywhere." But today, he didn't even look back. He didn't see that I was on the verge of collapsing. Before I could catch my breath, the nurse rushed over with a clipboard. "Are you the one paying? Alice's son, Leo, is experiencing a sudden drop in oxygen. He needs a specialized emergency medication immediately! Go pay now!" My head buzzed. I stumbled to the payment window and handed over my card. "Declined," the clerk said. My heart sank. I quickly checked my bank app. The money Ethan promised to transfer wasn't there. I tried to use my personal savings account, but the balance read: $0.00. Then, I remembered. A month ago, Ethan said the company was experiencing a temporary cash flow issue, and he had transferred all my savings to his corporate account. Down the hallway, the nurse shouted anxiously. "Hurry! We're running out of time!" Without hesitating, I dialed Ethan's number with shaking fingers. It rang for a long time before he finally picked up. Ethan's voice was filled with annoyance. "What is it now?" I bit my lip so hard it bled, trying to hold back my sobs. "Ethan, the money you transferred isn't enough. Can you send more? Right now! My savings are gone because of what I lent you last month... please..." The background of the call was quiet, except for Hailey's soft whimpering. After a few seconds, Ethan's irritated voice came through. "Vivian, when did you learn to lie like this? When did I ever take your savings?" He paused, sighing. "Things are really complicated here. I'll transfer some money to you later. Stop calling me." "No, Ethan, it's an emergency..." Before I could finish, the line went dead. I redialed immediately, but it went straight to voicemail. I tried again. Only a busy tone. He had blocked my number. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry. We did everything we could." The doors of the ER opened, and the doctor looked at me with a heavy sigh. "Alice Thompson suffered acute heart failure due to extreme stress. We couldn't save her." "As for her son, Leo... we could have stabilized him, but we missed the window for the emergency medication." The nurse looked at me with pity. "Are you alright? Your back looks hurt. Let me help you to a chair." The pain was so intense I couldn't even make a sound. My phone vibrated in my hand. It was an email from the Paris design project coordinator. "Ms. Moore, the emergency medical visa you requested for your dependents has been approved. You are authorized to bring one adult and one child with you to France. You can depart immediately." If we could have just made it through tonight... I could have taken Alice and Leo to France with me. Leo could have received better treatment there. Another message popped up. "Ms. Moore, when do you plan to depart? We need to finalize the arrangements." My tears had run completely dry. I typed back a single word. "Now."
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