During a company video conference, a young guy’s face popped up on my wife, Veronica’s screen.
He was messing with her computer, completely oblivious to the active camera, his expression innocently playful.
It wasn’t until Veronica returned from the bathroom that he grumbled, Veronica, I didn’t know you were in a meeting. You promised to game with me for three days straight, but you’re always in meetings. So boring.
The colleague who had been speaking immediately fell silent.
Everyone was waiting to see my reaction.
After all, our arguments at the office weren’t exactly a rare sight for them.
But this time, I didn’t yell or make a scene.
I just coldly told the colleague, “Please continue. Let’s not concern ourselves with irrelevant matters.”
I looked at my silent colleagues, their eyes brimming with curiosity, but said nothing.
The young guy on Veronica’s screen was still chatting innocently with her.
I ignored it, simply gesturing for my colleague to resume the presentation.
Any other time, I probably would have confronted Veronica on the spot.
But now, I felt strangely calm.
After all, Veronica’s computer was something even I, her husband, had never touched.
The way that guy had been using it just now, it looked incredibly familiar.
And their interaction felt intimate.
From the day I met Veronica until now, I’d never seen her act like that with anyone.
Every time I tried to get closer to her, she’d push me away, cool and distant.
She’d say, “Alex, don’t you have your own things to do? We’re adults, there’s no need for this.”
Even when I needed to use her computer, she’d simply snatch it away.
Leaving me with a curt remark about how she disliked anyone touching her belongings.
My thoughts drifted until the meeting ended, and Veronica called.
“Did you just see that?” Her voice sounded hesitant.
I replied calmly, “See what? I don’t have time to pay attention to things unrelated to work.”
On the other end, she clearly let out a sigh of relief.
I pressed on, “Did you do something that required my special attention?”
She quickly mumbled a few explanations. I just hummed in response, then hung up.
It was the first time I hadn’t argued with her over something like this.
She probably hadn’t expected me to hang up so abruptly, so she sent a stream of messages, trying to explain herself.
I pretended not to see them, replying only with a brief, indifferent “Hm.”
But my cold attitude clearly didn’t sit well with her.
Alex, what’s your problem?
Veronica, I don’t want to argue with you.
After that, I set her chat to ‘do not disturb’.
Almost immediately, a friend request popped up.
The profile picture was a Doberman. I accepted it.
He said nothing, just sat quietly in my friends list.
It wasn’t until I clicked on his SnapChat stories that everything clicked into place.
The latest post was just uploaded: a photo of the same guy who’d appeared on Veronica’s screen earlier, flashing a peace sign at the camera, with Veronica’s computer desktop as the background.
The caption read: Oops, almost interrupted Veronica’s meeting. Good thing she didn’t get mad at me
The intention of that post was crystal clear, and so was his reason for adding me.
I found these games utterly childish.
But I didn’t delete him. I just left him there in my list.
Among them, one post stood out like a sore thumb. It was posted on my birthday. That day, Veronica, who was supposed to be on a business trip, appeared in his SnapChat stories.
In the photo, they sat in the center of a restaurant, the guy wearing a birthday hat, grinning brightly.
One of Veronica’s friends commented below: You two are something else! Veronica, did you forget about your old buddy now that you have him?
Veronica replied: Stop joking around.
Even through the screen, I could sense the relaxed, even joyful tone in her reply.
I suddenly remembered that day. I’d been waiting for her to come home for my birthday, only to nearly pass out from a high fever.
It took several calls for her to finally pick up, her voice impatient. She’d just said, “If you don’t feel well, take some medicine and get some rest.”
My call probably did ruin her good mood that day.
A bitter, self-deprecating laugh escaped me at the thought.
I finished scrolling through that guy’s SnapChat stories, feeling utterly bored.
After washing up, I lay down, ready for sleep.
Unexpectedly, Veronica came home just then, right on time.
I listened to her footsteps ascending the stairs, closing my eyes and feigning sleep.
Behind me, I heard the rustle of her changing clothes.
A moment later, I felt the mattress dip beside me.
She reached out an arm and pulled me closer.
She smelled of her familiar perfume, the one she always used.
But it was mixed with a faint, unfamiliar scent of men’s cologne.
It wasn’t mine.
I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d just been lying in another man’s bed, just like this.
Was that unfamiliar scent a lingering trace of it?
The thought made my stomach churn.
I subtly pulled away from her embrace, resisting her closeness for the first time.
In the past, I would have instinctively nestled against her when she lay down.
Burying my face in her neck, longing for her scent.
Never had I felt such repulsion, not until now.
The person behind me stiffened, seeming confused, and reached out to pull me closer again.
“Don’t touch me. I’m tired.”
With that, I turned my back completely and closed my eyes.
But Veronica didn’t give up. She sat up and abruptly pulled me up with her.
My sleep interrupted, annoyance was clear on my face.
“What are you doing?”
Seeing my expression, her own assertive demeanor suddenly faltered.
“Did you see something?”
“Or did I do something to upset you?”
Faced with her questions, I had nothing to say.
What if I did see something?
Was I supposed to ask her who that guy was? Ask her what she truly thought of me?
None of that mattered to me anymore.
“Veronica, I’ve been working all day, and I stayed late tonight to revise a proposal. I’m exhausted.”
“Can you just stop this? I just want to get some sleep.”
Her temper flared upon hearing my words.
“Alex, are you insane? Is it wrong for me to want to hug my own husband?”
With that, she slammed the door and stormed out.
In the past, I probably would have chased after her, pulled her back, and meekly begged her not to be angry.
But now, I just quietly pulled the covers higher, tucking myself in.
Then I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.
Now, nothing was more important to me than rest.
An invisible wall seemed to have risen between Veronica and me.
Neither of us contacted the other, and a cold war began, inexplicable and chilling.
For the next week, she didn’t come home for dinner, nor did she send a single message.
When we met at the office, she’d just give me a fleeting glance.
Our colleagues whispered, wondering if we’d had another fight, or if it was about what happened during the video conference.
Meanwhile, that guy’s SnapChat stories were updated frequently.
I thought we would remain in this stalemate forever.
Until a message came from my parents, saying there was a family dinner that night.
That’s when I tried to contact Veronica, but my messages went unanswered.
With no other choice, I went to the apartment she lived in before we got married.
She always went back there whenever we fought or had a cold war.
Standing by the door, I could already hear laughter and playful chatter from inside.
The young, vibrant male voice was identical to the one I’d heard during the video conference.
I frowned and pushed the door open directly.
A blur of gray and white lunged at me.
The sheer impact sent me sprawling backward onto the floor, my elbow hitting the door frame with a dull ache.
I focused my eyes: it was a massive Husky.
Faced with such a large dog, my scalp tingled with fear, and I didn’t know where to put my hands or feet.
“Get away! Get the dog away! Hurry up, get it away!”
I had been chased and bitten by a neighbor’s large dog as a child, leaving me with a deep phobia. Now, with such a huge dog on top of me, I couldn’t stop myself from trembling all over.
The next second, the dog was pulled away from behind me.
Veronica extended a hand to help me up, a hint of confusion on her face, as if she found my reaction overly dramatic.
I didn’t touch her hand. I pushed myself up and quickly retreated several steps away from the dog.
The dog was well-fed, its fur shiny, a cool collar around its neck.
It seemed to want to come towards me again, and I took two more steps back.
“What are you doing here?” Veronica asked coolly, squatting down to stroke the dog’s head.
“You didn’t see my messages”
“Veronica, what’s wrong? Why did Snowball run to the door?” A young male voice sounded, and then the guy emerged from the inner room.
Seeing the face I’d seen countless times in SnapChat stories now appear in person, my heart still seized up.
Especially the look in Veronica’s eyes, a trace of indulgence not yet completely hidden, as it rested on him.
Immediately after, my nominal wife instinctively moved a step, blocking the guy, the softness on her face instantly replaced by wariness.
“Veronica, why are you blocking me? Did Snowball cause trouble again?” The guy peeked out from behind her. When he saw me, his radiant smile immediately froze.
When he fully appeared before me, the youthful, arrogant aura about him was indeed jarring.
“Is he?” The guy’s voice was laced with confusion, as he looked at Veronica.
But when he looked at me, a flash of provocation clearly crossed his eyes.
He knew who I was. From the day he added me, perhaps even earlier, he knew.
“He’s”
“I’m her husband, legally speaking.” I cut Veronica off directly, smiling faintly at the guy before me.
Sure enough, his expression twisted for a moment, but quickly returned to that innocent look.
I found such childish games pathetic.
He feigned vulnerability, stepping back half a pace, bending down to pull the excited large dog. “Since your husband is here, you two can talk. I’ll take Snowball for some water.”
That display of aggrieved yet understanding innocence, even I thought his acting was pretty good.
All the more so for Veronica, who clearly fell for it.
Indeed, as soon as the guy led the dog away, annoyance immediately flared on her face: “What exactly are you doing here?”
“My family sent a message about dinner tonight. I couldn’t reach you, so I came over.” I stated calmly, facing her anger.
My business-like tone left her speechless for a moment.
I ignored her and walked directly into the living room, sitting down.
“You have twenty minutes to get ready. We’d better be on time.”
No sooner had I spoken than Snowball, the Husky, suddenly rushed from the balcony again, biting my pants leg and furiously shaking its head, tearing at the fabric.
“Get off me!” I yelled, furious and shocked, grabbing my briefcase and swinging it at the dog’s head.
The dog yelped in pain, a small cut appearing on its head from a metal clasp.
I shouted for Veronica, but the moment the dog charged, she had already rushed to shield the guy, who had come out at the commotion, behind her.
Watching that scene, my heart went completely cold.
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