Chapter 4

But reality dealt me the heaviest blow.

Throughout the entire New Year holiday, Norris kept updating her Instagram.

[Bringing him to see my mom and dad.]

[Gifts for grandpa and grandma.]

The photos showed health supplements, fruits, cigarettes, alcohol, and cash—I roughly estimated about three hundred thousand dollars.

The comment section was full of colleagues asking if she was engaged.

Norris replied with a playful emoji.

[The diamond ring he bought.] The photo showed two hands tightly clasped together.

I read through eight full days of Instagram posts, not missing a single word.

Those eight days felt as long as eight years, and my sadness spread everywhere.

Murphy had vanished without a trace, playing the perfect boyfriend in someone else's world.

Even after work resumed, Murphy didn't come to see me but went to the company to hand out bonuses to everyone.

[Super, super huge bonuses!]

Norris's bonus was a full one hundred and eighty-eight thousand dollars.

I froze, then called Murphy.

"Are you sick, giving Norris such a huge work bonus?"

"What are the other employees supposed to think? Murphy, if you don't want to continue this marriage, just say so. I, Clark, don't need you that badly."

Murphy said nothing.

After a long while, Norris's timid voice came through.

"Clark..."

"This is my bonus for landing that Southern District project..."

I didn't believe that.

"Let Murphy take the call. I need to talk to him."

I sharply cut off her words, demanding she give the phone to Murphy.

"Mr. Murphy, he's... not available right now..."

Before she could finish, the call abruptly ended.

Soon after, I received a message and learned they were hosting a reception that evening.

I asked someone for the address and took a cab over.

By the time I arrived, the reception had already started.

Murphy was on stage talking about the company's achievements from last year, then drinking and celebrating with colleagues.

When he got to Norris's table, someone started making trouble.

"Mr. Murphy, this year Norris helped the company land such a huge deal. Aren't you going to show some appreciation?"

"Oh my! Why bring that up!"

Norris coquettishly pushed the person beside her, then smiled and lowered her head. "Mr. Murphy already gave me a bonus!"

"Then how about a toast, to liven things up."

Quite a few people had drunk too much and were getting rowdy. More and more joined in the teasing.

Murphy held his wine glass and laughed heartily. He pulled Norris over, and they crossed arms to exchange glasses.

Amid the commotion, they swapped glasses and drank them in one gulp.

The atmosphere was like newlyweds toasting their guests.

I sat among the crowd, feeling like a voyeur.

Tears fell into the glass in front of me. I secretly wiped them away, forcing myself to accept reality.

When I looked up, my gaze met that of a man in the far corner.

I smiled bitterly and shook my head, the pain in my heart spreading bit by bit.

My nose stung until it felt blocked. I stumbled to the restroom.

Looking at my haggard self in the mirror, my emotions completely collapsed in that moment.

Ten years had become a huge joke.

I don't know how much time passed before I finally collected my emotions and started to leave.

But hearing the commotion outside, I stopped in my tracks.

"Didn't you say you'd ask for a divorce once she had the baby? Why are you still dragging it out?"

"Are you having second thoughts about divorcing her because she gave birth to a son?"