When we got home, Celine took off her coat and sat on the couch. I wanted to watch TV and reached for the remote under her. Celine jumped away as if she was facing a formidable enemy.
Seeing my surprised expression, she immediately switched to a dejected look, "Sorry, honey. I've started my period. I'm afraid I won't be able to give it to you this week. Also, I've had some discomfort in my lower abdomen lately, so you'll need to bear with it for a while."
She thought my gesture was an attempt to be intimate with her.
Hearing her lie so casually, without a hint of guilt, a sharp pain pierced my heart. Ah, Celine, you really put a lot of effort into covering up one lie with multiple lies. Are you afraid I'll discover traces of another man on you?
Seeing me remain silent, Celine immediately took a gift box from her bag and said, "I brought this back for you on a business trip." I opened it, a Patek Philippe watch.
But instead of feeling surprised or delighted, I was overcome by a sense of anger, as if I were being toyed with. Two months ago, I had seen this same watch in Jericho's social media post, something he had dismissed as an unwanted freebie.
It wasn't until now that I realized the watch he flaunted on social media was a gift from Celine. If not for this cast-off watch, I might never have known how long their relationship had been going on.
I chuckled bitterly. My wife's love for me is truly profound, giving me a gift that someone else had discarded.
"Let me put it on for you," she offered. Thinking I was smiling out of happiness, she didn't wait for me to refuse and fastened it to my wrist.
Looking at this watch, which felt more like a shackle, I said nothing.
Fireworks exploded outside and Celine suddenly spoke, "Honey, I have a surprise for you tomorrow night."
I played along, asking, "What surprise?"
She acted shy, like a bashful little wife and smiled sweetly, "If I tell you, it won't be a surprise anymore."
I said, "How coincidental, I also have a surprise for you. But you'll have to wait a few days."
Hearing that, Celine beamed with excitement, "I'll take a quick shower, wait for me, okay?" She ran into the bathroom with her phone, locking the door behind her, acting all secretive.
At that moment, my phone vibrated again. It was another message from Jericho: [Ruben, take a guess, will Celine spend this New Year with you or me?]