It turns out I was wrong. He had already started seeing another woman just days after we separated. Given the suggestive nature of the gift, the relationship between the two was obvious.
He didn't want to come back, and I was struggling to care for our daughter on my own. With my mother-in-law's attitude, she certainly wouldn't come to help. I had no choice but to turn to my own mother.
I thought my mother would understand, but as soon as she walked in, she slapped me hard.
I stood there, stunned, unable to believe my eyes.
"You shameless woman! How did I raise you? You've had an education, and yet you commit adultery and betray your family? How could you do something so disgraceful?"
"I didn't." I wanted to cry but had no tears, unable to explain the strange situation I was in.
Facing my strict mother, I felt like a criminal.
At night, after my daughter had fallen asleep, I poured out my grievances to my mother, telling her that my husband already had another woman.
"It's all your fault. No matter how upset you are, you brought this on yourself. If you had been faithful to your husband from the beginning and acted like a proper wife, none of this would have happened."
"I know Kane well. Over the years, he's been very good to you, doting on you and being filial to his parents. But no matter how good-hearted he is, you shouldn't take advantage of that and fool around outside. Any man would find this unacceptable."
Her words made sense, of course, but was Kane really that great?
Over the years, he often claimed to be working overtime, coming home late at night.
I was just as busy all day, yet I still had to take care of our child, making dinner and putting her to bed, leaving me with no time for myself.
Everyone said he was gentle and family-oriented, but over the years, I was the one doing most of the household chores.
I remember one time he said he wanted to take me out for fun. We ended up at an internet café, but we were seated several spots apart from each other. As we were leaving, I asked him, "Are we going home?"
He replied, "I'm working overtime."
I stared at those words on the screen for a long time, stunned.
That was his most instinctive response, but it also exposed just how dismissive he was of me.
He seemed sincere and honest, but when it came to his actions, he showed no mercy.