I spent three hours in the kitchen.
My fingers were burned.
My feet were sore.
But I kept smiling.
Tonight was my third wedding anniversary.
Leon would be happy.
I carefully placed the candle in the middle of the table and adjusted the red roses I bought with my last savings. I even wore the white dress he once said made me look "pure."
I checked the time again.
9:45 p.m.
He said he'd be home by eight.
I dialed his number.
No answer.
I sent a message:
"I made your favorite food. I'm waiting."
No reply.
The food went cold.
The candles melted.
Still, I waited.
At 10:30 p.m., the door finally opened.
"Leon!" I rushed to him happily.
But my smile froze.
He smelled of perfume.
Not mine.
And behind him… stood Serena.
My best friend.
She wore a tight red dress. Her lipstick was smeared. Her hair was messy.
My heart skipped violently.
"Why… are you together?" I asked softly.
Leon didn't look at me.
"Serena will stay here tonight," he said coldly.
I laughed weakly. "Stay? Why? Did something happen?"
Serena walked forward and held Leon's arm.
Intimately.
Like she belonged there.
"Ivy," she said gently, "we didn't mean for you to find out this way."
My ears rang.
"Find out what?" I whispered.
Leon finally looked at me.
No guilt.
No shame.
Only boredom.
"I'm tired of pretending," he said. "I love Serena now."
The words stabbed straight into my chest.
My knees almost gave out.
"But… I'm your wife…" I said.
"You were useful," he replied. "But Serena understands me better."
Serena leaned into his chest.
"I'm pregnant," she said softly.
My world shattered.
Pregnant?
With my husband's child?
I stared at her stomach like it was a knife.
"You… you slept with him?" I choked.
She nodded.
"For a year," she admitted.
A year.
While I cooked his meals.
While I washed his clothes.
While I prayed for his success.
I grabbed the table to support myself.
"So… tonight… our anniversary…" I said weakly.
Leon scoffed. "Don't be dramatic."
Dramatic?
My entire marriage was dying.
"I want a divorce," he said casually.
I felt something tear inside my chest.
"What did I do wrong?" I asked.
He looked annoyed. "You're boring. Poor. Ordinary. Serena can help my business. You're just… a housewife."
The words burned worse than fire.
Serena smiled. "Ivy, don't make things difficult. Just sign the papers."
I looked at her.
My best friend.
The woman who held my hand when my parents died.
The woman who stole my husband.
Tears blurred my vision.
"You betrayed me," I said.
She shrugged. "Love has no rules."
Leon threw a folder at me.
"Sign it and leave tonight."
The papers slid to my feet.
Divorce agreement.
No house.
No money.
No compensation.
Five years of marriage…
Worth nothing.
My hands trembled as I picked up the pen.
My heart screamed for me to fight.
But I was tired.
Tired of loving alone.
Tired of begging for affection.
I signed.
Each letter felt like blood.
Leon didn't even look at the paper.
"Pack your things and go."
I laughed softly.
Pack what?
This house had never been mine.
I walked to the bedroom and picked one small bag.
Before leaving, I turned back.
Leon and Serena were already kissing on my sofa.
The sofa I cleaned every day.
The room smelled like betrayal.
I walked out into the cold night.
No money.
No family.
No home.
I stood under the streetlight and hugged myself.
"Leon… Serena…" I whispered.
"Tonight, I lose everything."
My eyes hardened.
"But one day…"
"I will return."
"And when I do…"
"You will kneel."