"If you want something to drink, order takeout yourself. I'm not here to serve you, you old hag."
Axel froze for a moment, clearly taken aback.
"What do you mean by that? What have I done to deserve this?"
"Fine, I'll order it. It's not like I’m desperate. If you don’t do it, there are plenty of others who will!"
With a muttered curse, Axel stormed off to the living room. I held my breath, the tension in the air thickening as I listened to the muffled sounds outside.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.
"Hello, your delivery is here. Please sign for it."
I cautiously cracked open the bedroom door and peeked out. Sure enough, standing there was none other than Axel’s assistant, his mistress.
Although her clothes were dry, her bangs and face remained wet from the rain, giving her an even more pitiful appearance.
I pressed my lips together, the recognition of her little tricks stinging like a slap.
Axel, however, seemed moved. He took the egg soup from her, his hands lingering a moment too long before he wrapped her in an embrace right there at the door.
She, ever so deliberate, leaned her chest against his arm, brushing against him in a way that felt almost choreographed.
A wave of disgust washed over me and before I could stop it, I coughed, the sound sharp in the stillness.
It took them a moment to snap out of it, hastily pulling away from each other.
"Darling, the takeout I ordered is here. Want to share it with me?"
Axel entered the bedroom, holding the lunchbox. However, when his eyes landed on me still lying in bed, his guilty expression melted away like morning fog.
I barely glanced at him.
"How thoughtful these restaurants are these days. Even the packaging is heart-shaped."
Before Axel could say a word, I grabbed the takeout box, the note on top cutting through my heart like a knife. The words "My Love" were written in delicate handwriting, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Come on, it's just takeout. Don't overthink it. You're the one who refused to make anything for me in the first place. How is this my fault?"
Axel brushed it off, his voice flat as he eagerly opened the lunchbox and dug in. But just a few bites in, his phone rang, interrupting the moment once again.
He stole a quick glance at the note, his face flushing in embarrassment.
"Darling, I just remembered something I left at the office. I need to grab it."
"Finish the soup, alright? Don’t let it go to waste."
Outside, the night was engulfed in darkness, the sky alive with lightning and thunder.
I knew exactly why he was leaving and for whom. I could already feel the emptiness that would follow his absence.
"Can’t you stay? What could be so important? Didn’t you once promise that no matter what, you’d stay by my side on nights like this?"
I could still recall that stormy night years ago, the night of the car accident. Axel clearly remembered it, too. He paused, torn for just a moment.
But in the end, his mistress won, as always.
"Darling, I checked the weather. The rain will stop soon. You stay home and rest; I promise nothing will happen."
"This is really urgent. I can’t explain right now. I’ll be back as soon as I can."
And with that, he left, leaving me alone with the storm.
With a hurried motion, he grabbed his things and rushed out the door, not even sparing me a single glance.
He didn’t see the tears that were silently streaming down my face.
When the door finally clicked shut, I walked slowly to the window, my heart sinking with every step.
Below, I watched as she waited for him, her arms flinging around him as they embraced.
In the pouring rain, their kiss was a public declaration, a scene ripped from the pages of a romance novel.
My hands shook as I lifted my phone, capturing the moment, unable to tear my eyes away.
But soon, the floodgates opened and I couldn’t hold it together anymore. I sank to the wall, letting the tears fall freely.
I didn’t sleep a single moment that night.
Axel had broken his promise; he never came back.
All through the night, I sat alone in the empty house, surrounded by reminders of the man who had once been everything to me.
The memories washed over me and I was transported back to the early days of our marriage.
Back then, I had been broken, my body still scarred from the ordeal. Axel had cried in front of everyone, promising me he would never leave. I had believed him.
