I'm Her Husband, but He's Her Man

After getting married, my wife, Eva Burnham, and I have been sleeping in separate rooms. I ask her if she wants to move into the master bedroom. She declines without hesitation. "It's okay. Charlie would mind. Also, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't have come to this point in the first place. Let's just keep things like this." Charlie Springer is her first love. I stand where I am, stunned. It takes me a long time to just nod in response. Then, I realize that the marriage is only meant to help my family survive a cash flow crisis and to take care of that tricky lawsuit her company is facing. It's just a deal. When everything is settled, it will naturally be time for us to go our separate ways. So, I stop bringing it up. For the next three years, Eva attends every single event with Charlie. He's there for the family banquets and the annual meetings. Even on my dad's birthday, Charlie is the one standing next to her. Everyone is wondering if Charlie is her actual husband instead. Well, it's over now. Everything is settled. It's time for me to go. Chapter 1 I sat in the study and read through the divorce agreement again. The terms were listed clearly on paper. Under the property division section, I didn't ask for anything. The premarital house and the car would go to the woman I was married to, Eva Burnham. The shares in the company had nothing to do with me, either. I only had to take my own savings with me. I signed my name, Jeremy Holden, on the agreement. Three years ago, I had hoped that even though our marriage was just a transactional agreement, something good might come out of it if I put in enough effort. I was so stupid back then. I slid the document into an envelope and placed it on the coffee table. Then, I grabbed my phone and pulled up my conversation with Eva. I sent a message. "Please come home early today. There's something I want to discuss with you." A few minutes later, a reply popped up. "Okay." I turned off my phone and tossed it onto the couch. Turning around, I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. The kitchen was huge. It had a side-by-side fridge, a built-in oven, and imported top-grade utensils all neatly arranged. But I rarely used them. Back when we had just gotten married, there were several occasions when I tried making dinner so Eva could have hot food waiting for her when she came home. The first time, I made pork chops and gravy. She had one bite and said it was fine. Then, a call came in. After taking the call, she went back out the door, saying something came up on Charlie Springer's end. The second time, I made clam chowder, but she didn't even come home. The third time, I prepared a whole feast, and I toiled from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Eva came back this time, but with Charlie in tow. The two were chatting as they entered the house. When Eva saw the feast on the table, she was stunned for a moment. Then, she said, "We already have plans to eat out." Standing behind her, Charlie looked at me and smiled. "That must've been a lot of work." Even now, I felt my stomach churning when I recalled that smile. After that, I never made any meals. The clock struck seven, but Eva didn't come home. At 8:00 pm, she still wasn't home. It was already 9:00 pm when I received a notification. I glanced at my phone. It was a message from Eva. "Something came up with Charlie, so I'll be home late. Go get some sleep. Don't wait up." I stared at the message for a long time. There it was again. "Go get some sleep. Don't wait up." I had gotten quite familiar with those words over the past three years. Every time it happened, it always had something to do with Charlie. There was always something going on with Charlie, and Eva always had to do something about it. She had to be there for him when he got sick, got upset, moved houses, and even when he got a cat. Once, Charlie was craving cakes from a bakery on the other side of the city. Eva drove 40 minutes just to get those cakes. Then, she brought them to his apartment and only went home when he had finished eating. It was already 1:00 am by then. I had asked her, "Did you have dinner?" She had replied, "Yes, at Charlie's place." After that, she took a shower and went straight to the study. I should have figured it out that day, but I didn't. I thought that since we were married, we should give each other some time. Maybe one day, Eva would realize that I wasn't too bad after all. Maybe if I did well enough, she could find it in herself to turn around and focus on our marriage for once. Now that I thought about it, if she never cared about me, everything I did, no matter how well I did it, would be in vain. She wouldn't like me just because I was outstanding in any way. She would only think that my success had nothing to do with her. I didn't reply to her message. In the past, I would always respond to indicate that I got the message. Sometimes, I would even tell her to take care. I believed I would look gracious and understanding if I did that. But today, I wanted to do none of that. Either way, in a few days, I wouldn't have to receive any messages from her anymore. Chapter 2 I placed my phone on the coffee table, then grabbed the remote and changed the channels on TV. There was a variety show playing. Several celebrities were laughing onscreen, and their laughter was especially loud and grating. I leaned back on the couch, suddenly realizing how absurd I must've looked. I was sitting in a 2,000-square-foot house, watching over a marriage only in name as I waited for a woman who never cared about me to come home. Meanwhile, she was spending time with her first love as if she had every right to be, and she wasn't even sorry about it. After all, back when we were getting married, Eva told me very clearly that if it weren't for me, they wouldn't have come to this point. She was saying that I was the one who forced her to break up with Charlie, that I just abruptly entered the picture and came between them. She claimed that I used my family's status and that lawsuit to force her into a marriage. I wondered if she actually knew about the truth. In reality, my father's company ran out of funding, so they were in urgent need of working capital. At the same time, Eva's company got involved in a tricky lawsuit, and they needed my family's connections to resolve it. Our families' elders got together for a discussion over a meal, and just like that, the marriage was set in stone. No one asked if I wanted to get married. No one asked her if she wanted to marry me, either. But in everyone's eyes, this was a fair deal. Her family provided the funds while my family provided the connections. Everyone was getting what they wanted. Only Charlie got the short end of the stick in this deal. Eva probably thought that I had taken Charlie's position from him. Because of me, he went from being her official boyfriend to her secret first love. That was why she felt so guilty about Charlie and why she was so cold to me. On our wedding night, Eva had a little too much to drink, and she had to be helped into the bedroom. I helped her take off her shoes, but she suddenly grabbed my wrist with surprising strength. "Jeremy Holden." Her voice was hoarse as she said my full name. "You know full well what the problem is with this marriage. I don't love you, and I never will. If you know what's good for you, just go to work and do your job. We have nothing to do with each other." Then, she let go of me and stumbled over to the guest room. Ever since then, we had been sleeping in separate rooms. She would take the guest room while I slept in the master bedroom. I suddenly realized that in the past three years, she only entered the master bedroom twice. The first time was on our wedding night when she came over and gave me that speech. The second time was when I had a 103°F fever last year. I was completely dazed. The maid, Mrs. Brown, called Eva, who only came home two hours later. Eva stood at the entrance of the bedroom, glanced at me, and then told Mrs. Brown to take me to the hospital. After that, she simply left. She said she had an important gathering with Charlie, so she had to be there. … Eva never came home. When I woke up at 7:00 am, I glanced at my phone, but there were no new messages from her. After washing up, I went downstairs to find that Mrs. Brown was already making breakfast. When she saw me coming downstairs all alone, she seemed hesitant to say something, but in the end, she just asked, "What would you like to eat today, Mr. Holden?" I replied, "Just cereal. Thanks." I took a seat at the dining table. Just then, my phone lit up. Eva had sent me a message. "Charlie had a little too much to drink yesterday, and I took care of him all night. I have a meeting later this morning, so I won't be coming home." Setting down my phone, I picked up a spoon and ate some cereal. "Mrs. Brown, can you help me buy some cardboard boxes over the next few days?" Mrs. Brown froze for a moment. "Mr. Holden, are you moving out?" I replied, "Yes, in a few days." She parted her lips as if she were going to ask a question, but when she noticed my expression, she seemed to decide against it. She had been here for three years, after all. She saw everything, and she knew exactly what was going on. So, she just said, "Got it, Mr. Holden." With that, Mrs. Brown turned around and went back to the kitchen. Chapter 3 After finishing my cereal, I went upstairs and changed. I had an appointment with a housing agent today to view a property. After all, I had to find another place to stay before moving out. I didn't ask for anything on the divorce agreement, but that didn't mean I was penniless. I already had some savings before I got married. I might not have had a job in the past three years, but the Burnham family would give me five thousand dollars every month for living expenses. I didn't spend much of the money, so I had saved up quite a lot. It should be enough for me to rent a decent apartment and get by for a year or two without any issues. As for the future, I would just have to play it by ear. The agent was a young man with glasses who talked very fast. He showed me a two-bedroom apartment on the east side of town. It wasn't far from the city center, and the neighborhood was quite nice, too. He said, "Mr. Holden, the place has perfect natural lighting. The owner just had it renovated, so the furniture and appliances are all brand new. The rent is 2,500 dollars a month. What do you think?" I stood on the balcony and looked around. The view was wide and open, and I could see a park in the distance. It wasn't a huge apartment, but it was enough for one person. And most importantly, there were no memories of Eva here. I said, "Sure. I'll take this one." The agent obviously didn't expect me to make a decision so soon. He was stunned for a moment, and then he smiled happily. "Wonderful. I'll contact the owner and prepare the contract right away!" I signed a one-year lease and paid the security deposit and rent for the first month. When I left with the keys, the sunlight was just right, and it felt warm and cozy on my skin. I stood at the roadside as I gazed at the keys in my hand. I suddenly felt relieved. When I got home in the afternoon, Mrs. Brown had already placed several cardboard boxes in the living room. I was about to go upstairs and start tackling the clothes in my closet when I heard movement coming from the main entrance. I didn't turn to look, but I had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough, in the next second, a familiar voice rang out behind me, "Oh, you're home." I turned around. Charlie was standing at the entrance. Noticing the boxes I was holding, he silently looked at me for a moment. "What are you doing with those?" I didn't answer his question. Instead, I calmly asked, "What brings you here?" He answered, "Eva brought me here. My current lease is ending, and I haven't found a new place yet. She said I can stay here for the time being, and I can stay for as long as I like." I just nodded in response. Charlie obviously hadn't expected that response. His smile froze for a second. "You don't mind, do you?" He looked at me, his head slightly tilted. "To be honest, I thought it would be a bit awkward too, but Eva insisted that I stay here. She said—" "Since she asked you to, just stay here," I interrupted him. "After all, we have plenty of rooms here." Pursing his lips, he went over to the couch and sat down. "How nice of you. Back then, you graciously married her, and now, you generously allowed me to move in." I looked at him. For a second, I suddenly found it funny. Instead of answering him, I turned around to go upstairs. Charlie probably felt upset that I was ignoring him, so he raised his voice. "Jeremy, I'm talking to you." I paused in my footsteps and looked back at him. "I know, but you didn't come here to chat with me, did you? Why waste our time? I have stuff to pack, you know." Charlie stood up, the smile completely gone from his face. "You're leaving?" he blurted out, his voice filled with disbelief. "What did you think I was going to do?" I retorted. "Stay here and be the third-wheeler?" Chapter 4 Charlie was completely stunned. I turned and went up the stairs, leaving him alone in the living room. I opened my closet and began removing my clothes from the hangers. After three years, I didn't even have that many clothes to pack. Eva had never gone on vacation with me before, nor had she given me any gifts at all, be it on our wedding anniversary, my birthday, or Valentine's Day. Now that I thought about it, it really was an absurd relationship. After folding my last coat and stuffing it into the cardboard box, I was about to seal the box when my phone beeped. I took it out to find that it was a message from Eva. "I have a dinner appointment at night, so I won't be coming home for dinner. Charlie just moved in, so help him get settled in the guest room." I put down my phone and continued packing. By evening, I was done packing most of my closet and the study. When I went downstairs, Charlie was sitting on the couch in the living room, drinking coffee. Noticing the movement, he looked up and glanced at me. Then, his gaze fell upon the envelope I was holding, which contained the divorce agreement. He asked, "What's that?" I didn't reply. I simply tossed the envelope on the coffee table and sat in the armchair opposite him. Charlie stared at the envelope for a few seconds. Then, he suddenly chuckled. "Is that a divorce agreement?" I didn't answer, and he took it as a yes. His eyes lit up, but not in the shocked sense. He was excited. "You're divorcing her for real?" "Yes," I responded. "When?" he prodded. I answered, "I'll tell her when she gets back. Our marriage has only ever been a trade, so now that everything's settled, it's better for everyone if we just end this sooner." He stared at me for a long time with a complicated look in his eyes. "Jeremy." He suddenly lowered his voice. "Do you really not like her, or was it all an act?" I was baffled by the question. I thought about it. Three years ago, when we had just gotten married, I was actually looking forward to it. Eva was a beautiful and successful woman, and she was outstanding in every way. I thought that if I were nice, considerate, and understanding enough, she might look my way one day. But soon, I no longer held any expectations. "That's not important anymore," I said to Charlie. "It doesn't matter if I liked her or not. It's all in the past now." At 9:00 pm, Eva finally came back. She glanced at Charlie, who was sitting on the couch. The gaze in her eyes softened. "Charlie, how's it going for you so far?" Charlie smiled at her as he answered in a soft tone, "It's been pretty nice." It was only then that Eva turned her attention to me. Her gaze swept across me, landing on the envelope on the coffee table and then finally resting on the cardboard boxes behind me. She frowned a little. "What's up with those boxes?" Standing up, I picked up the envelope on the coffee table and handed it to her. "Eva, let's talk." Instead of taking the envelope, she just looked at me with a hint of confusion in her eyes. "What's this?" "A divorce agreement," I said.