He brought up Gabriella more and more often, praising her talent one day, updating me on her research the next.
The night I sat waiting for him again with a full dinner gone cold, I finally broke and confronted him. He barely glanced at me. ：“Claire, don't overthink it.”
I kept telling myself she was just his student. That he had principles. That he would never do that to me.
Then came our anniversary. I left work early to decorate the apartment. When I pushed open the bedroom door, Winston had his arms around Gabriella, her blouse half undone, their lips locked together.
He saw me. There was no panic in his eyes. He looked like a man who had already rehearsed this moment.
He draped his jacket over Gabriella's shoulders, pulled her into his chest, and spoke without a trace of guilt：“Claire, since you've seen it, I'm not going to hide it anymore.”
“I love her. But as long as you stay in line, I won't divorce you.”
Gabriella leaned into him, eyes rimmed red, voice trembling：“I truly love him. I don't need anything. Being near him is enough.”
“Please don't make a scene. I don't want to ruin his career because of me.”
Of course I couldn't accept that.
I couldn't accept Winston's betrayal, couldn't accept that his heart had moved on, couldn't accept that the person closest to him was now another woman.
My whole life revolved around him. I had poured every year of my youth into loving him, chasing him, and now that I stood at the edge of the cliff, I couldn't grab the hand he held out.
I filed a formal complaint with the university. Reality taught me a lesson fast.
No matter how many times I submitted it, the result was the same. Silence. Not a single response.
The university buried it. To keep things quiet, they suspended me instead.
I refused to give up. I swapped out Winston's award ceremony presentation slides for screenshots of his chat logs with Gabriella, hoping the exposure would force the issue.
But everyone already knew about them. Nobody dared leak those messages further. I was the only one who became office gossip.
For the first few days, I locked myself in the apartment and refused to leave.
Every corner was filled with our memories, and Winston barely came home anymore. He spent all his time with Gabriella.
I couldn't face reality. I sat with our old photos and cried through the night, night after night. The sympathy from people around me had long since curdled into mockery.
“That Claire used to think she married so well. Now nobody wants her.”
“This is why women can't depend on a man. She's a walking cautionary tale.”
“I always said those two wouldn't last. Average looks, average degree. Did she really think she was good enough for Professor Dudley?”
“Honestly? If I were him, I'd pick Gabriella too. Gorgeous and brilliant. Who'd choose Claire?”
I was exhausted. I didn't want to fight anymore, didn't want to cause scenes. I just wanted an answer.
Winston's voice was flat：“I need someone who understands me. We're the same kind of person. She's the only one who belongs at my side.”
“You've had your meltdown. You've cried, you've screamed. It's time to face facts. Everything you have came from me. The money, the position. Without me, you're nothing but a complete failure.”
“What can you change? You think the university is going to fire me and her, or you, the admin clerk whose only qualification was being married to me?”
“Leave things as they are. I won't divorce you. You'll have the title and the respect that come with it. Don't expect anything more. Don't bother me. That's better for both of us.”
