Tickets to Regret

After giving me the cold shoulder for a month, Jules Anderson voluntarily handed me two VIP wristbands for Coachella and invited me to attend it on our wedding anniversary. I was dressed to the nines that day, but he never appeared, even after admissions started. Then, once I was about to enter, I realized that the wristbands in my bag were gone. At that moment, Jules' childhood sweetheart, Maddie Washington, updated her social media. In the photo, Jules was solemnly holding a pink cotton candy, completely different from his usual cold and aloof demeanor. The caption read: [Finally seeing Domi Dora. Thank you to the person who always responds to my every request.] Looking at the empty compartment in my bag, I suddenly understood everything. In the past, I would have had a big argument with Jules and forced him to give me an explanation. Now, I just felt relieved. It had been five years. I accumulated so many disappointments that I was drained. Chapter 1 I called Jules 18 times, but he still did not answer. The crowd outside the VIP entrance was in an uproar, with screams echoing one after another. However, all I could hear was the cold, mechanical female voice. "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently unavailable." I had already vaguely figured it out. Jules had stood me up again. However, I stubbornly wanted an answer. I kept dialing the phone over and over. As the familiar prompt sounded again and again, my heart sank little by little. The music festival was probably at its climax, and deafening cheers could be heard inside the venue. The bass vibrations could be felt even from behind the fence, which made the ground tremble. The atmosphere inside the venue infected the spectators outside who had no tickets. Everyone waved their glow sticks and screamed along. I was the only one standing there, clutching my phone, feeling out of place. Glancing at the 27 missed calls I had made on my phone screen, I suddenly realized that whether or not he came did not seem so important anymore. The glimmer of hope that the month-long silent treatment was about to end had long been worn away by these 27 phone calls. Even if Jules came right now, I had already given up on making up. I took a few deep breaths, composed myself, and opened my bag, ready to go in alone. Although Jules had ruined my good mood, the headlining act for this Coachella concert was a band I had loved for over a decade. I had looked forward to seeing them since I was a child. After finally managing to snag VIP wristbands, I was determined to go in, even if I was alone. When I opened the hidden compartment in my bag, my mind went blank — it was empty. The two wristbands I had carefully put away a few days ago were gone. As I racked my brain trying to remember if I had kept them somewhere else, my phone chimed. I checked it and saw a social media post published by Jules' childhood sweetheart, Maddie Washington. In the photo, Jules was solemnly holding a pink marshmallow with a stiff expression — completely different from his usual composed persona of a Wall Street elite. Maddie captioned: [Finally seeing Domi Dora. Thank you to the person who always responds to my every request.] Thinking about all the unreachable phone calls and the missing wristbands, I instantly realized what had happened. In Jules' childhood friends' group chat named "Old School Gang", a mutual friend shared a screenshot. Trippe van der Meer commented: [Wait, Jules really went to Coachella?] Chase Whitmore replied: [Maddie’s got him completely wrapped around her little finger.] Another person added: [Didn’t he say he had plans with his wife this weekend? Oh...] These people were all talking about how special Jules was to Maddie and how close they had been since childhood. Not one of them mentioned me — Jules’ legal wife of five years. When I saw Trippe say that Jules had turned down the invitation to the party in the Hamptons, saying he was "too busy", I was momentarily stunned. I remembered a few days ago, Jules was on the phone on the balcony, and I vaguely heard words like "not going" and "something to do this weekend" from the living room. I smugly thought that Jules valued this date. He always said he disliked music festivals, but he specifically turned down his friends’ invitations to accompany me. As such, I booked a restaurant well in advance for that evening, planning to apologize to Jules after the show and finally put an end to our month-long silent treatment. Unexpectedly, Jules really valued this date. It was just that the date was not with me; it was with Maddie. To get Maddie into the concert, he even secretly took the wristbands that had already been given to me. I suddenly found the whole thing ridiculous. While I was anxiously pacing outside the VIP entrance waiting for him, he had already gone in with Maddie. All I was left with was an empty bag and phone calls that would not go through. I could not help but wonder if he had never intended to go with me in the first place and was just putting on a show to appease me. I had thought he was taking the initiative to make amends, which was unprecedented for him. With this in mind, I suddenly felt something on my face. I raised my hand to wipe it and found my palm wet. Just then, the two girls next to me, watching a livestream, suddenly screamed. "Gosh, so sweet! Other people’s boyfriends are always the sweetest!" "He's solemnly holding cotton candy while accompanying his girlfriend to see her idol — the contrast is so adorable!" I involuntarily turned my head to look. On the screen, Maddie was nestled shyly in Jules' arms, while Jules' hands were tightly around her waist. The two of them were like a couple deeply in love, inseparable. I heard something inside me shatter. The shards pierced my heart, leaving it riddled with holes. I think it was time to end this five-year mistake. Chapter 2 When Jules arrived home, it was already the wee hours of the morning. I had already washed up and gone to bed. In the past, to make Jules feel the warmth of home, I would leave a light on for him whenever he came back late. I would also curl up on the narrow couch, waiting for him to return. Even though he would always grumble and say that I was asking for trouble, I still enjoyed it. I thought he was just being tough on the outside, but kind-hearted on the inside. Now, I realized that he might have been serious. After I took a bath and lay comfortably on the spacious bed tonight, I actually agreed with Jules. Instead of sleeping on the two-meter-wide bed, I huddled on the couch. Was I not asking for trouble? I would never do such a foolish thing again. A warm body snuggled up behind me, and a sweet-smelling perfume wafted into my nose. I recognized the scent. It was the same scent that Maddie used, the Maison Margiela perfume. Before this, I loved Jules' embrace and felt extremely safe, like a ship finally reaching the harbor in a storm. Now, my mind was filled with the image of Maddie buried in his arms at night. I suddenly felt a bit nauseous, so I pushed his hand away, grabbed the pillow, and headed toward the guest room. Jules clearly had not expected me to do this. After all, I used to snuggle into his arms the moment he lay down. "Sophie Sanders, is something wrong with you? I come home exhausted after a long day, and yet I still have to put up with your attitude. Can't you be a little more considerate?" Exhausted after a long day? Hearing his pathetic lie, I found it laughable. He was probably tired from accompanying Maddie and having fun all night. I looked at him calmly. "Do you even remember what day it is today?" Jules frowned, his face full of impatience. "What day could it be? The number of days we've been together? What date anniversary? You women love to take random dates so seriously. I just don't understand." Although I had already decided to end this five-year relationship, hearing these words still caused pangs of pain in my heart. I remembered that on our first wedding anniversary, I prepared a candlelight dinner at home, ordered takeout from his favorite restaurant, and personally decorated the table and arranged the flowers. I thought Jules would be pleasantly surprised when he opened the door. Instead, I was met with a barrage of accusations. He said he was already exhausted from a day's work and did not have the energy to deal with these things. I was incredibly confused then, wondering, 'Shouldn't being together be about feeling happy and energized just seeing each other after coming home tired from work? Why is he acting like I’m a burden instead?' That day, I said nothing, silently cleaned up the kitchen, and went to the guest room. I only had myself to blame; A bouquet and an explanation from him were enough to appease me the next day. He said he was just too tired from work and spoke without thinking, and that he was the kind of person who avoided emotional matters, disliked these formalities, and felt that all that mattered was the two of us being together. I believed him then. Looking back now, I was incredibly stupid. He said he disliked music festivals, but he still went to Coachella with Maddie, holding that pink cotton candy! Look. What emotional avoidance? He was just avoiding me. "Today is our fifth wedding anniversary. Three days ago, you handed me two Coachella VIP wristbands, saying you'd go with me today. Today, I waited for you outside the VIP entrance for two hours and called you 27 times, but you still didn't come." Jules' expression froze. "I was too busy at work today and forgot. I'll go with you next time." As he spoke, he leaned in and tried to put his arm around my waist, which was his usual way of making things up to me. I used to always forgive him, but this time I took a step back, looking directly into his eyes. "I was going to watch the concert myself, but then I realized my wristbands were gone too." A hint of guilt flashed in Jules' eyes. He probably assumed I would not go alone, so he never imagined I would discover the wristbands were missing. However, his face remained defiant. "Did you lose it yourself, or did you misplace it? Anyway, I didn't go with you this time, and it's pointless for you to go alone. I'll buy tickets again and go with you next time." Listening to his endless lies, my heart sank. They said one lie would lead to 100 more. If I pressed him further, he would probably keep making excuses. However, I did not want to argue with him. I opened a trending topic on social media and held up the most popular video to him. "Really? Are you busy with work or busy with Maddie, busy man? Also, I probably didn't lose the wristbands; there must have been a 'thief' at home." Chapter 3 With the evidence right in front of him, Jules could no longer deny it. Perhaps due to the unease of having his lies exposed, his attitude softened a bit. "Alright, I originally wanted to go with you, but Maddie said she wanted to go to Coachella and couldn't get the wristband. You know Maddie and I grew up together; I couldn't refuse her. How about I attend with you next time?" Jules explained while gently pulling my hand and rubbing it. This was already a rare concession from him, but I only felt sick. I shook off his hand and turned to walk toward the guest room. Behind me, Jules' angry voice came. "Sophie! Have you had enough? No one can stand your foul temper!" With a click, he locked the main bedroom door. In the past, I was most afraid of him locking the door. No matter how angry I was, I would humbly knock on the door and beg him to let me in. Tonight, I simply lay calmly on the guest room bed, looking at the divorce agreement sent by my lawyer friend, Jessica Jaye, and slept until dawn. Early the next morning, I was woken up by a loud bang from the door. When I slowly walked out of the guest room, Jules had already left for work. Not having to prepare breakfast for him anymore, I made myself a plate of delicious avocado toast and made a large cup of oat milk latte. Jules only drank fruit and vegetable juice with egg whites for breakfast; he always thought avocado toast was "pretentious millennial stuff." To accommodate him, I had not had avocado toast in ages. After my satisfying meal, I went to the study to print out the divorce agreement, put it in my bag, and went to Jules' company. When I arrived, the receptionist said I could not enter without an appointment. Having been married for five years, Jules and I had never publicly appeared at the company together, and he never let me come here. Occasionally, when he left a document at home, his assistant, Emily Alton, would come down to get them. Hence, nobody at the company knew me. I had no choice but to call Jules. As soon as he answered, I heard him snort contemptuously. "What? You're here to apologize?" I was silent for a moment before replying, "I'm downstairs at the company. I need to see you." Jules hung up and sent me his location and private room number. Pushing open the door, I found Jules, Maddie, and their group of childhood friends inside. Trippe scoffed at me. "Why is she here? She's always checking up on you. What a bummer." Chase nudged him with his elbow, signaling for him to be careful. Jules and Maddie grew up in the same Upper East Side circle, and their friends naturally assumed they would end up together. In their opinion, I would never have been Jules' wife if Maddie had not gone to Europe after high school. Thus, their attitude toward me had always been lukewarm. When we first got married, I tried to please them and fit into their circle. However, the atmosphere would turn awkward every time I opened my mouth. Gradually, I stopped trying to embarrass myself and just silently drank at parties. Later, my situation became even more awkward when Maddie returned from Paris. That was when I realized that they had always considered me the other woman. I suffered for a long time because of this. I did not understand; Jules and I had a normal relationship and got married. Why did they see me as the other woman? I tried to confide in Jules, but all his attention was already on Maddie, who had returned home; he had no patience to comfort me. However, it did not matter anymore. Anyway, I was about to divorce Jules, so what these people thought of me was none of my business anymore. Chapter 4 A glimmer of pride flashed in Maddie's eyes as she walked toward me with a cocktail glass, smiling. "Sophie, I heard Jules say that the wristbands for Coachella were supposed to be for you. I'm so sorry. I never expected that my casual complaint about not being able to get a ticket would make him give me the wristbands that were supposed to be for you. You have my apologies." Maddie mentioned apologizing, but she just wanted to show how good Jules was to her. I was not in the mood to play these games with her; I just wanted Jules to sign the papers. "Sorry, I'm not interested in chatting with a woman who wants to break up other people's families." Maddie's eyes reddened instantly. "Sophie, how could you say that about me?" Jules, who had been stern since I entered, immediately stood up and shielded Maddie behind him. "Sophie, don't be so ungrateful! Maddie spoke to you so humbly. What else do you want?" Maddie stood behind Jules, one hand grasping his sleeve while looking aggrieved. "Jules, did she say that because she misunderstood us?" Jules had a knowing look as he stared at me. "So you're still jealous. Why are you always so sensitive? Alright, drink this glass of wine for me and I'll forgive you for what happened last night and today." Watching them back each other up, I just found it ridiculous. I only said one sentence, and they managed to conjure up an entire drama. It was a pity they were not screenwriters. I looked coldly at Jules. "I won't drink." Jules' face darkened as he grabbed the glass and walked toward me. "Sophie, you're really asking for trouble!" He was about to force-feed me. I dodged, snatched the glass, and smashed it on the floor. "Don't touch me!" The glass shattered, and shards of glass cut Jules' hand. Everyone fell silent. Jules looked at the cut on the back of his hand and laughed angrily. "Sophie, have I been too nice to you lately? I'm telling you. If you don't apologize to Maddie and me today, we're getting a divorce!" I took the manila envelope from my bag and slammed the divorce papers on the table. "I'd love that!" Chapter 5 Chase reacted first; he stepped forward to mediate. "Alright, Jules. We're here to have a drink. Don't make it too awkward." Maddie also came forward and tugged at Jules' sleeve, but there was a hint of smugness in her eyes. "Jules, stop arguing." Jules looked at the envelope and sneered. "I think it's Sophie who's making a fuss. She's really getting tough. She’s even using divorce to threaten me." He picked up the divorce agreement and flipped through it. Then, he threw it back on the table and stared coldly at me. "You even signed it. Must you force me to give in before you'll stop?" I looked at him calmly. "I'm serious." Jules gave a mocking smile. "Can you bear to divorce me? It was you who stubbornly pursued me back then." We met in university. He was popular at school and well known for being aloof. He graduated with a Master's degree in Business Administration from Wharton School, and his family ran an asset management company on Wall Street for over a century. I had always admired people who were capable since childhood. I was born in an ordinary middle-class family in Ohio. My father was a high school history teacher, while my mother was a primary school music teacher. I got into New York University with a scholarship. During an inter-school competition, I was unexpectedly assigned to the same team as him. Jules naturally became the group leader, while I was just a nobody, quietly working on the sidelines. Watching him analyze tasks and make plans again and again, I unknowingly fell for him. From then on, I started pursuing him. I created all sorts of "chance encounters" on campus, just to get him to notice me and remember me. Even though he always gave me the cold shoulder, I still enjoyed it. During my four years of university, many girls pursued him. However, they were all deterred by his aloof attitude. Only I persisted. My roommate, Lauren Hamilton, always joked that I could succeed at anything if I had this kind of perseverance, but why was I so fixated on one man? Back then, I naively thought that I could win Jules' heart if I could succeed at anything. Perhaps the odds were in my favor. Before graduation, I "coincidentally" bumped into him on campus as usual. I had actually given up hope, just wanting to show my face so that he would not forget me after graduation. Unexpectedly, Jules stopped me and asked if I would be his girlfriend as I was leaving. He said he knew I liked him. For a 22-year-old like me, this was an incredible surprise. When he took my hand, it still felt unreal. I could not believe Jules was my boyfriend. It was not until we walked through campus and had everyone staring at us in disbelief that I truly realized I had become Jules' girlfriend. After we got together, our relationship remained largely unchanged. Jules was still lukewarm, but we spent more time together and were more intimate. Tender concern and attentive attention were rare occurrences. I attributed it to his personality and believed I could change him someday, but after Maddie's return, I discovered Jules also had a tender and considerate side. When Maddie caught a cold, he personally drove her to the hospital for treatment. When Maddie said she was tired, he immediately appeared downstairs at her apartment with takeout. In the two years we were together and the five years of our marriage, he did these things for me only a handful of times. It was not until the Coachella incident that I finally woke up. Jules did not love me. It was time to end this marriage. Someone in the private room muttered quietly. "She's already signed it anyway. Whether she's throwing a tantrum, they're divorced once Jules signs it." This comment brought me back to reality. I gave Jules a forced smile, the smile not reaching my eyes. "That's right. We'll all get what we want once you sign." I paused, my gaze sweeping over the group behind him who had never given me a second glance — Maddie, Trippe, Chase, and those old-money friends who always treated me like I did not exist. "Remember to give it to my assistant after you sign. After all..." I deliberately paused, my gaze returning to Jules' face. "The prenuptial agreement your parents forced me to sign is valid. I won't take a single penny from you, so don't even think about using it to stall me on the property division." A crack finally appeared in Jules' expression. I stopped looking at him. I turned around and pushed open the private room's heavy wooden door, shutting out the cloying scent of perfume, the sarcastic whispers, and the man who had made me feel so inferior for five years. Carrying the chill of early autumn, the Manhattan night breeze brushed against my face. For the first time in five years, I felt like I could breathe easily.