In the fifth year of our marriage, Carter McGregor, my husband, and his 'adoptive sister' made their relationship public at a party:
[True lovers finally unite...]
Our mutual friends snapped a picture of them toasting with a cup of wine and posted it online.
Without thinking, I liked it and added a comment:
[Respect, blessings, and tie the knot.]
Almost immediately, my phone rang. Carter’s name flashed on the screen, and his voice was sharp with anger.
“You’re jealous,” he spat. “You’re embarrassing me.”
In the background, I could hear Kierra’s sweet voice asking me, “Sis, you’re not upset, are you?”
A few years ago, I would’ve flooded Carter with calls and texts, demanding an explanation, insisting he come home immediately. But now? Now, I was just… tired.
I didn’t want to fight anymore. I simply didn’t care.
...
When Carter finally stumbled in, reeking of alcohol, I was in the middle of cleaning up the romantic dinner I’d spent all day preparing.
The table I’d painstakingly arranged was still covered in red wine stains, melted candles, and all the dishes I’d lovingly cooked.
Tonight was supposed to be our fifth wedding anniversary.
In the past, no matter how busy Carter was, he’d always make sure to spend this day with me.
But this year?
This year, for the first time, he hadn’t come home, called, or even sent me a text to explain himself.
And I knew exactly why.
Kierra, his "adoptive sister," had come back from studying abroad.
She’d been back for three months, and everything between Carter and me had shifted ever since then.
She’d joined his company right after she returned, and suddenly, I was competing for his attention with her.
Our arguments became more frequent. Carter was always away on business trips or staying late at work with Kierra—sometimes not coming home at all.
Every time, the excuse was the same: "Work."
I had a feeling this year’s anniversary would pass unnoticed, but just two days ago, Carter surprised me.
He told me we had to celebrate it properly. Unlike the other years when we’d go out, he wanted it to be just the two of us at home this time.
I was over the moon. It felt like the first real, meaningful conversation we’d had in months.
So, I spent the entire day preparing a special dinner. I made all of Carter’s favorite dishes, bought his favorite wine, and set up candles. I even filled the house with fresh flowers.
I wore a sexy dress, hoping this would be a night to remember.
But by 8 PM, Carter still hadn’t come home. I started to worry, and then I saw a post from Ronald, one of Carter’s close friends. He shared a picture of Carter and Kierra, glasses raised in a toast, celebrating together.
The caption read: [True lovers finally unite...]
I stared at the post, my heart sinking as our mutual friends liked and commented. Some even congratulated them. The excitement I had felt earlier drained away, leaving a cold, heavy feeling in my chest.
I clicked the like button, then left a comment: [Respect, blessings, and seal the deal.]
But when I refreshed the page, the post was gone.
And just like that, Carter’s phone rang.
“Nadine, what the hell is your problem now? Why are you acting so jealous? How many times do I have to tell you that Kierra is just like a sister to me!”
I could hear Kierra’s voice in the background, sweet as ever. “Sis, you’re not upset, are you?”
I didn’t say another word. I just hung up. I didn’t want to argue anymore. Instead, I turned back to the dinner I had carefully prepared, now feeling completely pathetic as I started cleaning up.
By the time I finished clearing most of the food away, all that was left were the cold, uneaten dishes.
That’s when Carter finally walked in.
He stumbled through the door, smelling of booze. I didn’t even look up. I kept throwing the leftover food into the trash and loading the dirty plates into the dishwasher.
"Why didn’t you wait for me?" Carter asked casually, walking over.
He tossed the dessert I’d made into the trash without even a second thought, then shrugged. “Today’s the first time in three months that Kierra finished a big medical project since coming back to San Francisco. Everyone’s celebrating, and since I’m the CEO and her older brother, I couldn’t just not show up.”
