Chapter 1

It was the fifth year of our secret marriage.

At a get-together with old college friends, someone tried to set my wife, Sarah, up with another guy from our class, Jason.

Sarah and I were secretly married, so everyone thought she was single.

Sarah glanced at me, then said, "No."

I let out a sigh of relief.

But the next moment, Jason abruptly leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"But I really like you, Sarah. I'm serious about pursuing you."

Amidst a chorus of laughter, Jason, grinning, pulled her into his arms.

I counted to three in my head.

Sarah didn't agree.

Nor did she push him away.

For the rest of the dinner, Jason practically waited on Sarah hand and foot.

He kept putting food from his plate onto hers. He even put shrimp on her plate, the one thing she was allergic to.

Sarah didn't even blink, just ate the shrimp.

"Tastes good, right?" Jason asked.

"Mmm, it's really good."

Everyone burst into laughter.

"See, Sarah might have rejected Jason, but she's clearly into him!"

"When William spoke to her earlier, she completely ignored him."

"Everyone knows what's up, right? Time to start thinking about wedding gifts!"

Amidst the noisy room, I sat quietly in the corner, not saying a word.

Sarah and I had been secretly married for five years.

She was still in grad school and didn't want her professors or classmates to know she was married.

"If the professor knew I was married, they might think less of me, believe I wasn't as academically diligent as other girls."

I'd agreed to her request to keep our relationship a secret.

Even at this dinner, I deliberately sat at the furthest table from her.

And now I was stuck watching her get cozy with someone else.

"Everyone bring a plus-one to the wedding!" Jason laughed, then turned to me. "William, you should bring your wife too! In all these years, I've only seen you post one photo of her on Ins, and it was just her back."

His tone suddenly shifted, becoming oddly subtle.

"Is she... not allowed to be seen?"

"Or is your relationship... a secret?"

The air froze for a second. A dozen pairs of eyes shot to me, but Sarah didn't even lift her head.

My heart suddenly ached.

Thinking of the agreement in my bag, a spark of resentment flared.

I asked Sarah, "Sarah, what do you say?"