Under Ethan’s round-the-clock, devoted care, Sarah, whose injuries were never that serious to begin with, was discharged from the hospital in no time.

On the day she left, Ethan was a whirlwind of activity, bustling around to make sure every little detail was perfect.

He brought Sarah straight to our home.

My soul followed them back to the place I knew so well.

I watched them sit on the couch I picked out.

I watched them feed each other the strawberries I bought and left in the fridge.

Strawberries were Ethan’s favorite.

He always used to complain that they were messy to eat, so I would always cut them up for him and bring them to him in a bowl.

Today, he was cutting them up with his own two hands and feeding them to Sarah.

Ethan handed her a pair of my pajamas to change into.

“You’ll have to make do with this for now,” he said. “I’ll buy you new ones later.”

I floated in the air, indignant.

What did he mean, make do?

Sarah’s seemingly innocent face twisted into a smug little smirk.

“When is Chloe getting out of the hospital?” she asked, feigning concern. “She won’t be mad if she comes home and sees me here, will she? Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

Ethan, who was in the kitchen cooking, started chopping vegetables with more force.

His brow was furrowed, his eyes blazing with anger.

“After what she did to you, she should be grateful I’m even letting her come back at all,” he said with disgust. “What right does she have to be angry? When she gets back, I’m going to make her kneel and apologize to you!”

“It’s probably for the best if she stays at the hospital a while longer,” he added.

“Otherwise, she’s here all day, nagging me, buzzing in my ear. It’s so annoying.”

Hearing him say that was almost funny.

Me, nagging him?

He worked hunched over a desk day and night, and his back and neck were a mess.

I was just worried about him, that’s why I was always reminding him to take a break.

I worried he’d ruin his stomach by skipping meals, so I’d bring him lunch at his office.

And now he was calling that nagging.

He was unbelievable.

“Come and get it! Dinner’s ready!” Ethan’s voice called from the kitchen.

He had prepared a huge feast for her.

I was stunned.

Then I had to laugh at how stupid I’d been.

In all our years of marriage, Ethan never lifted a finger around the house.

Laundry, cooking, cleaning—I did practically all of it.

If I asked him to pick up some groceries, he’d make excuses about not knowing how to choose the right ones.

He had never once cooked for me.

I didn’t even know he could cook.

Sarah took a bite and exclaimed, “Ethan, your cooking is just as amazing as I remember!”

A satisfied smile spread across Ethan’s face.

As amazing as he remembered?

So, he’d cooked for her years ago.

Sarah then put on an envious tone.

“Chloe is so lucky to be married to you. Getting to eat delicious food like this every day. I’m a little jealous, to be honest.”

Ethan quickly corrected her.

“I’m usually too busy with work to cook. But if you like it, I’ll cook for you every day from now on.”

A wave of sadness washed over me.

I had been his maid for years.

I hadn’t even gotten a manicure in ages because my hands were always busy taking care of him.

And now, he was doing all of those same things for another woman.

After they ate and Sarah was asleep in our bed, Ethan came out to the living room.

He sat on the couch, restlessly scrolling through his phone.

He looked agitated, like something was weighing heavily on his mind.

A moment later, he dialed my number.

I had been dead for days.

My phone’s battery had died long ago.

Of course, the call didn’t go through.

He looked anxious now.

He dialed my best friend, Maya.

“Is Chloe with you?” he demanded, his voice full of impatience.

“Is she playing this disappearing act with me again? Tell her to call me back, now.”