On the tenth time, I found Eulalie Vargas in bed with another person; her response was not as strong as before.
She casually checked her watch and softly placed a jacket over her new lover in her arms.
“Wasn’t the prenatal checkup scheduled this afternoon? Why did you return so soon?”
When I gave no reply, she pressed a kiss to the other man’s face and calmly stepped between us.
“The child is still small. If there is any anger, put it on me.”
She thought I would act like before, out of control, causing a huge scene.
But what she did not realize was that the ten-year agreement from the past was about to end.
I would be free to leave her very soon.
——
On the marriage photo beside the bed, there were now two clear palm marks.
One on the left, one on the right, covering both my face and Eulalie’s.
It was simple to picture the position they had just shared.
I drew a slow breath and turned to face Eulalie.
“Didn’t we promise not to bring anyone home?”
“Do you even remember what date today is?”
Eulalie smiled without care.
She easily lit a cigarette and blew the smoke toward my face.
“I drank too much. How would I remember any of that?”
However, her new lover in her arms was surprised.
While quickly pulling on his clothes, he stared at me with shaking eyes and said, “Mr. Kennedy, I didn’t plan this.”
“It was last night when—”
Seeing him stumble in fear, I stepped closer and calmly pulled up the zipper on the back of his clothes for him.
“It’s alright. You may leave.”
“I understand very clearly what kind of person Eulalie is.”
This was not the first time this sort of thing had happened over the years.
Drinking too much, feeling upset.
Feeling bored, searching for fun.
Anything could turn into a reason for her cheating.
As for the person standing before me, forget being the third party; he did not even count as the eighteenth.
Why should I waste energy arguing with him?
The man rushed away in fear. I called Louise to clean up the room.
In a messy room, condoms were scattered across the floor.
Just more looks already made me feel sick.
I covered my nose and mouth and sprayed disinfectant.
Eulalie, however, used the moment to wrap my waist from behind.
Her soft head rubbed against me again and again.
“Sweet husband, how did you become so well-behaved now?”
“Are you scared I won’t come back, or did you finally learn how to be a proper live-in husband for a rich family?”
She squeezed my cheek with satisfaction and laughed lightly. “How pleasant this feels.”
“As long as you behave yourself, I will never let anyone take your place.”
While speaking, Eulalie smoothly searched through a stack of gift boxes and pulled out a watch to place on my wrist.
“This is your reward.”
“Alright, stop being upset now. I know today is our tenth wedding anniversary.”
“Wipe your tears. I’ll take you out to celebrate.”
She said it lightly.
But she did not know that across these ten years, my tears had already dried out.
I pulled away from Eulalie’s touch and gave her the divorce agreement I had already readied.
“Eulalie, let us get a divorce.”
Eulalie paused briefly, then laughed even harder. “Stop playing games, Valerian.”
“You know it. We cannot get divorced.”
She squeezed my face, her hand sliding across my body.
At last, it rested over my chest.
“Go pack your things and come with me for the prenatal checkup.”
“Do not cause trouble for yourself.”
Back then, to stay with Eulalie, I cut off contact with my family.
My father announced that I was never allowed to return to Vermont, never allowed to go back home.
