Leaving the Golden Cage

My husband showed up at Christmas Eve dinner with his first love.

I finished the meal with smiles and composure.

Once we got home, I immediately threw the divorce papers in his face.

Without a moment's hesitation, he signed them and said harshly in anger, "I'll be better off without you."

The corner of my mouth raised to reveal a mocking smile.

What a joke. As a man who lived off me, how could he be better off on his own?

1

At the Christmas Eve dinner of the Holden family, I stood up to serve Kayla Holden, the mother of my husband, food. "Kayla, try this roast turkey."

Kayla glanced at it and tossed it back onto the table.

She deliberately embarrassed me under the watchful eyes of a dozen family members

I pretended not to mind it, smiling, "Kayla, it's Christmas Eve. Please don't be upset."

Kayla slammed her fork down. "Easy for you to say. My son doesn't even come home for Christmas Eve dinner. How can I not be upset?"

She then blamed it on me, "If you had children, my son wouldn't make himself so busy with work and even refuse to come home for Christmas Eve."

Her harsh words were like a dagger piercing through my facade of having a perfect family in front of everyone.

Cecil and I had been married for three years.

During the last three years, I juggled work and managing the household.

I considered myself a good wife.

The only fly in the ointment was that after three years, despite not using any precautions, we still didn't have a child.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

I quickly got up, escaping the tense atmosphere at the dining table.

When I opened the door, I saw Cecil standing outside.

I was a bit surprised, "Shouldn't you be working overtime now?"

Before Cecil could answer, someone slipped out from behind him, smiling, "I called Cecil back. It's so lonely for him to work overtime alone at the office."

She added, almost accusingly, "As Cecil's wife, you should care more about him."

I frowned at Zoe, wondering why she was here.

2

The first time I saw Zoe was through a picture of hers in Cecil's wallet.

She was in a school uniform, smiling heartily.

Cecil carefully tucked this photo into his wallet interlayer.

Once, while I was doing Cecil's laundry, the photo fell out.

That day, I confronted him with the photo, and we had a huge fight.

We didn't speak for half a month before he finally told me she was his first love.

They grew up together, and he had liked her since they were kids.

Unfortunately, young love didn't last long.

Zoe went abroad for further studies after high school, and they lost contact with each other.

It was at that time that I learned her name was Zoe Burgess.

Since then, I never saw her photo again.

When I asked about it later, he said he threw it away.

Since he claimed so, I didn't press further.

Before I snapped back to reality, Zoe pushed past me and entered the house.

I asked Cecil in a low voice, "Why is she here?"

Cecil's tone carried a hint of concern, "Zoe came back to the country recently. It's lonely for a girl to spend Christmas Eve alone, so I invited her to join us."

Suppressing my displeasure, I returned to the dining table with Cecil.

By then, Zoe had already taken my seat.

She chatted with Kayla, making her laugh, even bringing a rare smile to Erick's usually stern face.

The atmosphere at the table was a stark contrast to when I was there.

I stood aside, watching them.

It dawned on me that Zoe seemed more like part of the family, while I was an outsider.

I always knew Kayla didn't like me.

I wasn't her ideal daughter-in-law.

I was neither obedient nor endearing. I couldn't cook or do housework.

In Kayla's words, I was the type who could never make a dutiful wife.

Perhaps, in her eyes, my only advantage was my good family background, which could provide her son with resources and connections.

Zoe turned around, looking at me with unease and surprise, "Oh dear, did I take your seat?"

With that, she tried to stand up and return my seat.

Cecil stopped her, "It's Christmas Eve. And you're our guest. Just take this seat. It doesn't matter she has no seat."

Upon hearing these words, Zoe smiled sweetly at Cecil.

She then turned to me, looking at me earnestly and waiting for me to express my agreement.

Her demeanor clearly put me under moral blackmail in front of everyone.

I felt a pang of sadness. It was Christmas Eve. Why should I stand while she could take a seat?

I had prepared all the dishes on the table on my own.

I had been tirelessly standing all day, my back aching and legs sore, yet I couldn't even get a seat.

I learned to cook after marrying Cecil.

Kayla complained about my lack of cooking skills and said takeout was unhealthy, so I enrolled in a cooking class and studied earnestly for six months.

While I was not a master chef, my cooking was good.

Despite my discomfort, I agreed, "It's fine. Just take the seat."

Zoe smiled sweetly, thanking me, "Thank you so much. You're so kind."

I saw a triumphant smile flashing across her face.

And so, I smiled through the Christmas Eve dinner.

3

After dinner, I cleaned the table and did the dishes. As I stepped out of the kitchen, I saw the Holden family's relatives gathered around Zoe, showering her with attention.

Kayla produced a gift box from somewhere and handed it to Zoe.

Zoe went through the motions before happily accepting it.

Meanwhile, my husband stood by, blissfully watching this harmonious scene.

My heart ached at the sight of this.

I didn't want to stay a moment longer, so I found an excuse to pull Cecil away.

Zoe clutched Cecil's hand, gently shaking it, her eyes filled with pleading looks. "Cecil, we live in the same neighborhood. Why don't you give me a ride? Won't you worry about me if letting me go home alone? You used to make sure I walked into my home before you could feel relieved."

But I had no idea Zoe lived in our neighborhood.

As I watched them hand in hand, a surge of anger rose within me.

My rationality was being swallowed by the overwhelming sense of betrayal in my mind.

I stared directly at Cecil, my eyes blazing with anger that anyone could see.

Cecil noticed my gaze, glanced at me, and then guiltily turned his head away. "Let's go," he said.

Zoe cheered, linking arms with Cecil as they walked ahead.

Watching their retreating figures, I repeatedly forced myself to hold back my emotions until we were home. It wouldn't do to make a scene at the place of Cecil's parents.

So, I swallowed my anger.

As I reached the elevator, I realized I had forgotten my phone.

I had to turn back to retrieve it.

Once I descended the elevator after taking my phone, I hadn't walked far before reaching the parking lot.

From a distance, I saw a man and a woman embracing.

Upon closer inspection, I realized they were none but Cecil and Zoe.

Zoe's voice choked with emotion reached my ears. "Cecil, you're always meant to be mine. If I hadn't gone abroad, we would have been married by now. You wouldn't marry another woman."

Another woman?

She was referring to me.

At that moment, I was utterly convinced that Cecil had betrayed me.

Zoe continued, her voice pitiful. "Did you see? Your mom still likes me as much as she used to. If we got married, we'd all be so happy, and she wouldn't be upset about having no grandchildren anymore."

The distance made it hard to see Cecil's expression, but I saw him raise his hand to pat Zoe's back.

Then, I watched as Zoe tilted her head up to kiss Cecil, and Cecil didn't push her away.

A wave of fury surged through me. I wanted to rush over and scold them harshly, ruining their reputation without mercy.

But I forced myself to stay calm. Confronting them now would only make me look foolish.

Since Cecil cheated on me with her in public, it showed they had no shame. In that case, my outburst would only make them more devoted to each other, and I'd gain nothing.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. A cold smile played on my lips as a plan formed in my mind.

I was curious to see how this despicable couple would deal with my plan.

I deliberately called out Cecil's name loudly.

At my voice, they were startled and hurriedly kept a distance from each other.

I approached them with a smile, pretending not to have seen what had just happened.

I said to Cecil teasingly, "Why didn't you answer? It was so dark. I almost suspect you're having an affair."

Though they maintained a calm facade, my words clearly struck a nerve.

Seeing no one respond, I directly addressed Zoe, "Don't you think so, Zoe?"

Caught off guard by my sudden change of target, or perhaps out of fear, Zoe stammered, "I... I..."

Cecil, seeing her distress, stepped in to defend her. "You're just being paranoid. Why are you talking to Zoe like this? How could someone have an affair in a parking lot?"

Wouldn't his conscience prick him when he made such a blatant lie?

Afraid I might press further, he hurriedly urged, "Let's go home."

4

I claimed I was a bit drunk and wanted to sleep, so I took the back seat.

As soon as I settled in, I pretended to fall asleep.

This was to give them the opportunity to get intimate.

As I expected, it didn't take long before they started holding hands in the front seat.

They were truly fearless, even daring to hold hands under my very nose.

I discreetly took out my phone and hit the record button.

Just then, we hit a red light, and the car stopped.

They graciously gave me a show, kissing during the pause.

I felt a wave of nausea.

It was disgusting.

I turned off my phone and continued to feign sleep.

Once we reached the neighborhood, Zoe joined us in the elevator.

She wore an expression of surprise mixed with guilt. "Cecil hasn't told you, has he? I live on the floor just above yours. Cecil arranged it. I hope you don't mind it."

No wonder Cecil had been claiming to work late and avoiding coming home recently.

It turned out he had another home upstairs.

It seemed working overtime during Christmas Eve was another excuse of his. The truth was that he wanted to spend time with Zoe.

The thought made me sick to my stomach.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. "You've already done so without asking me. So what's the point of asking for my opinion now? If I said I minded, would you move out?"

At my words, Zoe feigned helplessness, then tears welling up in her eyes. "If you mind, I'll move out tomorrow. No, tonight."

Cecil, hearing my harsh tone, immediately pulled the crying Zoe into his arms, comforting her gently.

When he looked at me, his eyes were filled with disdain instead of the tenderness he showed her.

In a reprimanding tone, he said, "Can you drop your arrogance? Zoe isn't your servant. You can't talk to her like that!"

I had already made up my mind to leave him, but seeing how much he cared for Zoe still hurt.

Just then, the elevator doors opened, and I quickly stepped out.

To be honest, every second in that elevator with them felt like torture.

Zoe gently pushed Cecil away, watching my retreating figure. She said caringly, "She's upset. Go comfort her, Cecil. I'm just a little hurt. It's nothing."

Cecil only felt more worried about her. "You're too considerate. Why bother with her? Comforting her will only indulge her arrogance."