On our third anniversary, my wife moved into her best male friend's place.
She returned, hand-in-hand with him, flaunting some fancy new pills.
I confronted Lily, calmly requesting a divorce.
Her best male friend interjected, "Hold up, don't get it twisted. Lily mentioned your, uh, struggles, so I suggested she bring these."
My wife soothed, "David, you're not to blame here. If he's not up to snuff, I can't settle forever."
Little did she remember, my condition came from saving her life.
*****
That night at ten, when I arrived at David's, Lily was in his embrace, lost in a passionate kiss.
She didn't even bat an eye when she saw me.
David glanced down, giving Lily a gentle pat, "Lily, look who's here, your hubby."
Lily looked up, tipsy and dismissive, "So he's here? Big deal. Let's keep going!"
She pulled David back into a deep kiss.
They were at it again, wrapped up in each other.
The silence was broken by someone snapping photos, sparking cheers from the crowd.
Watching this, I felt an eerie calm. I left without a scene.
Once home, I tossed our wedding photo into the trash bin,
burying the last shred of my feelings for Lily with it.
Then I left our loveless home and crashed at a friend's.
Two days later, Lily rang me up, fuming from the get-go.
"Andrew, where are you? What's this about our wedding photo in the trash?"
I could hear David in the background, "Lily, he's so jealous, I doubt I dare call you later."
Lily's fury grew, "Andrew, get back here within half an hour and explain yourself!"
Back in the day, a hint of anger from Lily would have me scrambling to appease her with gifts and apologies.
But now? I was unmoved, completely tranquil.
I took a breath and spoke slowly, "I'll come, but only after the extra baggage leaves."
Lily lost it, "Extra baggage? David is my closest friend. He kindly brought me home. And you can't even thank him but call him 'extra baggage'? Where's your decency?"
What a laugh.
She had been at David's for two full days and nights. Clearly, something was up.
And David's intentions? As if I couldn't see right through him.
They'd been tight since way back, just not this openly.
When Lily and I first got together, David was abroad.
His return changed everything.
Lily started pulling away from me, with David always around.
Nights out, and hospital stays, David was her constant shadow.
And their trips? Always ended with staying away from home.
Each time she returned, I'd grill her for details.
Initially, Lily would assure me they were just friends, staying calm till I backed off.
She even shared her phone passcode to reassure me she'd be home nightly.
For a while, she stopped staying out.
I believed maybe she did care, at least a bit. I was wrong.
Post-marriage, her ties with David only grew stronger.
Her patience thinned, and answers were reduced to a single excuse. David was just a friend, and I was being paranoid.
Then one late night, she was too tired and fell asleep fast.
A message chimed on her phone.
Not thinking much of it, I ignored it until I saw it was from David.
Opening it, I was jolted awake.
[Lily, had fun at my place today?]
[Thinking of getting some sexy stockings; you'd look killer in them.]
[Andrew can't cut it, but hey, you have me.]
Followed by a pouty kiss selfie.
That night, my mind was blown.
Insomnia captured me.
Before, they'd avoid me during their meet-ups.
But now, Lily had him over at our place, right under my nose.
After hanging up, I went home.
But I didn't do it for reconciliation.
I had something serious to discuss.
2When I confronted Lily, she slammed our dirty, crumpled wedding photo to the floor.
I took a glance at it.
It only showed Lily, edited to highlight her alone, for the reason that she wanted to flaunt her prettiest statue.
Now it had turned into a symbolic of our fractured marriage.
"Andrew, really? It was just David's birthday. Are you that insecure to trash our photo over it? You know it's my favorite."
David looked on, clearly amused, waiting to see me grovel.
This time, he was bound to be disappointed.
I responded, "No sense in keeping what's already broken."
Lily bristled, poised to lash out again.
David stepped in, his hands on her shoulders, "Come on, Lily, no need for drama over a photo. We'll make new memories, take new pictures."
His words eased her mood, and she smiled at him, "You're always so thoughtful, unlike someone who only stirs up trouble over every little thing, making our home a battleground."
She shot me a glare and then turned to David, "David, didn't you bring something for him?"
David nodded, pulling out some pills, "Got these abroad. They work miracles for certain, um, issues. Might help with your stubborn situation too."
He emphasized "stubborn" with a knowing smirk.
I stared at Lily, waiting for some sort of explanation.
But she only had eyes for David.
Reflecting on the past, I felt utterly foolish.
A year back, Lily suggested a trip—if I couldn't go, she'd go with David.
Madly in love, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to grow closer.
Then the accident happened, and a shard of metal tore through me as I shielded her.
She escaped unscathed; I was lucky to survive but left impotent.
Moved by my sacrifice, she cared for me for months.
She had been avoiding David during that time.
But old habits die hard—they were soon inseparable, flaunting it before me.
Worse yet, she told David about my condition, a subject I deemed off-limits.
I fixed my gaze on Lily.
"You know this matters to me the most."
After a moment of pause, she scoffed, "Andrew, your issue isn't a secret. David's been great, bringing back special meds from abroad. You ought to be thankful."
I replied icily, "Remember, I suffered that injury saving you."
"But the fact remains—you're not up to par."
David feigned sympathy, "Sorry to butt in, but you can't go on like this, right? For Lily's sake, maybe it's time to get better."
His tone dripped with condescension. I fought the urge to punch him.
Lily looked on, evidently expecting my gratitude.
She didn't grasp the depth of my hurt.
They cavorted behind my back, then casually sprinkled salt on my wounds.
Ridiculous.
"Lily, we need to divorce."
3Spilling my guts felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
Lily scrunched her brows, irritation seeping into her tone.
"Andrew, aren't you being a bit oversensitive? It's just that I told David about your fertility issues. He's practically family. Why all the fuss?"
I replied coolly, "If you're that tight with him, maybe you two should just be together."
Before Lily could respond, David's expression turned sour.
"Andrew, I get that you're the jealous type, but internationally, a kiss is just how you say hello. If that bugs you, maybe you're not cut out for this."
"And listen, Lily means the world to me. If you do her wrong, I won't let you get away with it. Even being her husband won't save you!"
"Oh really? And what are you going to do about it?"
"You owe Lily an apology, right now!"
I smirked, "What if I don't?"
"Then you'll have me to answer to!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
The air crackled with tension, and Lily, picking up on my abnormal mood, signaled to David.
"David, why don't you head out? I need a moment alone with Andrew."
As David headed to the door, he threw one last jab, "And hey, don't forget your meds. A guy who can't perform isn't much of a man."
"What was that?"
I was about to explode, but Lily cut in.
"Andrew, let's just talk."
I stared her down coldly, "What's on your mind?"
Her voice softened, a stark contrast to earlier.
I knew she was about to put on a show.
"Andrew, I know David's words stung, but if those pills he brought back could actually fix things, think about all the time we've wasted..."
She paused, her cheeks flushed with a rosy tint.
Despite everything, she looked stunning.
That beauty was what had captivated me once.
But now, it all just seemed so contrived.
"So, you couldn't hold back any longer and turned to David for... comfort?"