Chapter 1

Married for five years, Mark was, according to everyone on my X feed, the perfect husband.

He never missed an anniversary, always with a surprise.

Others envied me, but only I knew the truth.

Those expensive gifts everyone raved about? All from some resale site.

I used to think he was just frugal.

Until one day, on a sudden impulse, I logged into his resale account.

The transaction history showed the seller was his ex-girlfriend.

It turned out the gifts I cherished were just discards Christina didn't care for.

In that moment, five years of deep affection became nothing but a cruel joke.

I finally woke up. All his tenderness, all his love, had never truly been for me.

He had never let go of his past.

And I? I was just a subscription, a way for him to renew their love.

My blood ran cold, phone clutched in my hand.

The seller in the transaction history was always his ex-girlfriend's name.

Christina.

My finger trembled as I scrolled and clicked on the link for the ring from five years ago.

The product description clearly stated:

"Engagement ring from ex-boyfriend, selling after breakup. Initials engraved on the inside. Please consider before purchasing."

My heart clenched.

Unwilling to give up, I took off the wedding ring I wore every day and rubbed its inner surface repeatedly.

Finally, in the most hidden corner, I felt the tiny engraving.

It was her initials.

This wedding ring had been with me for five years of marriage.

I treasured it so much I'd carefully take it off and put it away even when washing my hands.

Actually, the size wasn't quite right.

Once, it slipped off and got lost while skiing. I searched on my own in the snow all night.

My hands and feet got frostbitten, and I almost needed an amputation.

It turned out, all those promises of a lifetime, they were just scraps from someone else's table.

I flipped through the records.

Christina had specified the origin of each item in the product details:

"Selling unused items after breakup, gifts from an ex."

My pajamas from our wedding night? Her old clothes.

All those exquisite pieces of jewelry, those designer bags over the years...

Every seemingly thoughtful gift was just a witness to his story with another woman.

I stood there, phone in hand, fingers icy. I asked him in a choked voice, as he stepped out of the bathroom:

"Are all the gifts you've given me secondhand?"

He casually looked up, drying his hair, his tone candid and indifferent:

"Gifts are about the thought, and secondhand items are just as good. No need to waste money."

"Don't be so materialistic like other women."

He thought I cared about the price, but he didn't realize what sickened me was being a substitute, a cheap replacement, from start to finish.

I finally couldn't hold back the tears.

"Why would you re-gift things you gave to Christina, to me?"

He paused, his gaze flickered away.

"She sold them at a good price, and the channel was verified..."

"Christina and I are in the past. Can you stop being so dramatic?"

I looked at him, utterly disbelieving, tears streaming down my face.

"You bought back your ex-girlfriend's engagement ring and gave it to me as my wedding ring, and I'm being dramatic?"

He frowned.

"Is a ring she's worn not a ring anymore?"

"Alright, I'm tired from work. Do you have to cause a scene over something so trivial?"

Every word dripped with impatience and accusation.

I watched him turn his back to me and fall asleep.

My heart felt like it was being strangled by that ring, the pain so intense I couldn't breathe.