He Bought His Secretary a House, and Lost His Wife Chapter 1

My husband bought his secretary an apartment.

That apartment was built on the land where our first home, the one that got demolished, used to stand.

From its window, you could look out and see the little bungalow where we first started our business.

The day I had my car accident, he was with his secretary, celebrating her housewarming.

I called him sixty-five times.

All I got in return was:

“Luna, I’m busy. Don’t bother me.”

* * *

I found out Alex was cheating because his secretary “accidentally” messaged me.

Alex and I had matching profile pictures; she must have sent it to the wrong person.

“Boss, how come your old lady didn’t bring you lunch today?”

Alex had a sensitive stomach, so I went to his office every day at noon to bring him food.

I’d kept up this habit for fifteen years.

Our company had gone from that little bungalow to a towering high-rise.

Every time I came to the office, he’d hug me and whisper his thanks:

“Luna, marrying you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Two minutes passed.

The message wasn’t deleted.

Then she sent another:

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Luna. Sent that to the wrong person. My bad.”

It felt like a taunt.

I stood downstairs from his office building, holding a thermos of hot chicken soup, feeling a chill creep over me.

It was as if the past fifteen years were all a joke.

Just then, Alex called:

“Honey, I’m starving. Why haven’t you brought my lunch yet?”

His voice was still so gentle.

But my hands wouldn’t stop trembling.

I frantically clicked on his secretary’s social media profile, searching for any clue, any trace.

I didn’t have to look hard. Pinned at the top of her feed was a picture of a pair of hands holding a bouquet of roses.

On the inner side of the fingers of one hand, the letters ‘LU’ were tattooed.

The tattoo was faded, a bit blurry.

I recognized Alex’s hand instantly.

I tried to remember the last time he’d given me flowers.

It must have been over ten years ago.