Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Today is my wedding anniversary with my husband Arthur Jones. For some reason, he would always be away during this exact date. We had been married for more than forty years and yet, he refused to spend any romantic, special occasions with me. After finishing breakfast all alone, I went to mop the floor. I was just passing by the study when I caught the mess piled up at the bookshelf from the corner of my eye. With a dragged out sigh, I set aside the mop and went inside to sort out the mess. When I got to the topmost row, a heavy book with a thick and intricate cover dropped and smacked against my head. The abrupt pain made me hiss. It took a while before I finally realized that what I was looking at was not any ordinary book. Instead, it was a wedding album. All of the pictures inside featured the same pair of couple. They were dressed in different sets of wedding gowns and suits in each picture, the only thing that was consistent was the bright, heartwarming smile they wore on their faces. The man inside the pictures was someone I was beyond familiar with. It was Arthur. However, the woman in the pictures was not me. I pressed a hand against the throbbing pain on my temple and could feel my head spinning. For a moment, I could not register if it was my head or my heart that ached more. The most recent picture in the album was taken precisely one year ago from the present date. Even though the couple’s hair had turned white, they seemed as enamored with each other as young lovers were. There was also a handwritten message in Arthur’s writing behind the picture. He had written it with meticulous penmanship. It was clear how much value he attributed to it. “Eternal Love” Upon closer inspection, each picture was labeled with a date. From forty to sixty years old. Their hair had faded gradually from black to white and yet, they have never missed a single year. As it turned out, this was the reason my husband had been inventing all sorts of excuses to skip celebrating our wedding anniversary every year. It was all so he could take an annual wedding picture with the love of his life. This was completely absurd. I shut the album with trembling hands while my thoughts traced back to Arthur's demeanor before he left home yesterday. He mentioned that our son was going on a business trip abroad and needed his help for translation because the usual translator could not make it. I did not think much of it at the time. It was especially convincing since he used to be a foreign language professor before he retired. I did suggest that we could go together so I could get the chance to explore another country. The sheer suggestion made his expression darken. “Our son is there for official business, why are you trying to meddle with his work? Besides, you don’t even speak the language there. You're only going to cause more trouble!” I was so flustered that I was at a loss for words. However, I had to admit he had a point. Now that I thought about it, the one person my son respected the most was none other than his father. He would be more than glad to pick Arthur to accompany him on the business trip. With that, I reached for my phone and called my son to verify the story. “My dear, your father told me he’s going on a business trip with you. I’m worried about his health—how are you two holding up over there?” There was a prolonged silence on the phone. Then, he told me in an unusually candid voice, “He’s great. He might be sixty years old, but he’s very healthy for his age!” He was covering for Arthur. Upon realizing this, I could feel my heart turn to a block of ice. I hung up the phone after a couple half-hearted remarks, then beads of tears began to fall. I was not expecting my son of all people to be in cahoots with my husband to lie to me. … Arthur took the wedding pictures at the same photo studio every year. I took a taxi to the same studio. We have been married for decades. Perhaps the only way for me to truly end things was to witness the brutal betrayal in person. When I stepped out of the car, I observed it was getting cloudy. There was going to be a storm soon. I nervously paced to the entrance. It did not take long before I spotted Arthur through the window. He was seated on a couch and dressed in a handsome suit.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Suddenly, there was a glow in his eyes. A tender smile came over his usually solemn expression. I followed his line of sight and spotted an older lady dressed in a gown who had just stepped out of the fitting room. Her silver hair was bound up expertly in a bun and had an intricate flower pin poking through it. She was the woman in the pictures. They stood hand in hand and stared at each other with deep affection in their eyes. I felt the world crumbling around me. There was a storm. The clouds above were ominously black and beating thunder. I did not bring an umbrella with me and had to duck under the eaves to get away from the rain. Soon, one of the employees came to collect the signboards left outside. Upon noticing me, she tried to bring me inside for shelter. “Hey lady, it's raining out here! Come on in and take shelter from the rain so you don’t catch a cold!” She put her saleswoman instincts to work while bringing me inside. “Check out our collection of wedding dresses

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Arthur hailed a taxi and gently escorted Sylvia into the taxi before burrowing inside as well. I have never experienced such a level of thoughtfulness and attentiveness from him. … I was not going to wait around at the studio like a fool for Arthur to come back for me. I could get a taxi myself, there was no reason to wait for him. I called a taxi and had them drive to the front of the studio. I even troubled the driver to step out and escort me into the car with an umbrella so I would not get caught in the rain. At my age, I am especially vulnerable to sickness. Therefore, I have to take care of myself. Arthur returned two hours after I got home. As soon as he entered the house, he yelled at me with a dark look on his face, “Cecil, haven’t I told you to just wait for me back at the studio? Did you know that I got drenched in the rain because I headed back there to look for you?” I set aside a cup of hot water I had poured for myself and retorted with a question of my own, “H