I glanced at it indifferently and ignored it. Passing by the bathroom, I vaguely heard Celine laughing joyfully inside. In all these years, I had never heard her laugh so freely.
Soon after, she emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, as I sat on the couch watching TV. She walked directly toward me, sat on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. Although her body exuded the fresh scent of shower gel, I still felt nauseated.
"Honey, I have to go on a business trip for a few days. You know, it's a crucial period for the company. Even during the New Year, I have to visit clients personally to secure their business." Her pleading gaze was full of earnestness, almost making it hard to refuse.
Thinking about the divorce planned for a week later, my eyes dimmed, "When are you leaving?"
She said, "The day after tomorrow, early morning."
"Can you not go?" I tried to plea. She shook her head.
In my memory, she had always been obedient to me. But this time, she was surprisingly firm, "You have to give me some freedom. Besides, I'm not going on a vacation, it's just work. If you're worried, I can video-call you to check in every day."
I nodded resignedly, concealing the coldness in my eyes. In a week, you won't see me anymore.
On New Year's Day, we had no groceries at home and decided to eat out. As Celine held my arm and we walked out of the neighborhood, a familiar neighbor approached us, "You two couple are such a loving couple. I recall you've been married for seven years now, right? While others hit the 'seven-year itch,' you two are still as affectionate as ever."
"Isn't that right? All the couples in our neighborhood are so envious of you two, unlike my son who got divorced at such a young age. His wife cheated on him and ran off with someone else." The old man said.
Hearing these compliments felt like blatant sarcasm to me.
Celine pretended to be affectionate, tightly holding my hand and resting her head on my shoulder and said, "I love my husband so much, I would never cheat on him like your son's wife did."
While we were having dinner, she went to the restroom and her phone was left on the table. As soon as she left, the phone buzzed. I picked it up casually and it was a message from Jericho.
I had never looked through Celine's phone before, but over time, she had let her guard down and never set a password.