I could hardly fathom what was going through his mind as he looked at the ring, knowing he’d been fooling around with someone else. Was it excitement? Or guilt?
A bitter smile tugged at my lips and helplessness washed over me. My eyes blurred and the sting of tears threatened to spill.
Just then, the door swung open.
Cooper rushed in, his shoes still on, his hurried steps betraying his anxiety. “Sorry, baby, I lost track of time at the meeting. I came back late and almost missed your birthday. It’s all my fault…”
I wondered if it was work that had made him lose track of time or if it was her.
Before he could finish, he noticed the tears at the corners of my eyes, his face instantly clouding with concern. He hurried to wipe them away, his touch gentle.
“What happened? Did someone hurt you?”
Seeing the genuine worry in his eyes, I could barely choke out a word, trembling as I whispered, “You.”
Cooper froze, his expression momentarily faltering before he gave a helpless, wry smile. “Alright, alright, it’s all my fault. From now on, I promise I’ll put you first. I won’t be this late again. Please, don’t be angry.”
His voice softened as he coaxed, kissing the damp corner of my eye with a tenderness that would have melted me in any other moment.
But not now.
Now, all I felt was a wave of disgust that churned in my chest, the memory of what had just unfolded making my stomach turn.
I silently pushed him away, stepping back, the distance between us growing with each passing second.
Cooper’s eyes sharpened at my withdrawal, unease creeping into his expression. He hesitated before speaking, his voice tinged with caution. “Wife… I really know I was wrong. How about you take a look at your birthday gift?”
He paused, then with a slight quiver in his voice, added, “This time, it’s something special. A necklace I designed myself. I named it Lunaria, using one of the characters from your name.”
He eagerly opened the gift box, his eyes locked on me, brimming with anticipation.
My emotions surged and when I caught sight of the necklace, it nearly shattered me.
Cooper, which version of you was the real one?
Before we married, countless suitors had come and gone, but with my family's misfortune, I had never believed in love.
Most gave up after a few rejections, but not him. He chased me relentlessly for three years.