Third Anniversary, Letting Him Go Forever

On our third wedding anniversary, Landon Sterling made a public declaration of love to his childhood sweetheart on social media.

My heart belongs to only one person, and it's you, the caption read.

I used my main account to like and repost it. Seconds later, the post was scrubbed from the internet.

Then came Landon's inevitable call, dripping with irritation. "She's having a hard time and I was just comforting her. Do you have to be so petty? Can't you do anything besides being a jealous brat?"

A moment later, I received a photo from his sweetheart showing the two of them in a deep, passionate embrace.

If this had been the old me, I would have tracked them down immediately. I would have screamed, cried, and made a massive scene.

But this time, I chose to step back. I decided to let him go.

It was the day of our third anniversary, which also happened to be Landon's twenty-sixth birthday.

He woke up early to groom himself, putting on a brand-new tailored suit. He refused to let me even drive him to the door.

Looking at his polished shoes and perfectly pressed clothes, I noticed he was trying much harder than usual. "Is Quinn Vaughn going to be there?" I asked tentatively.

Landon's hand paused as he buffed his shoes. His tone turned sharp. "Can you stop obsessing over Quinn? We're just friends!"

I didn't say a word. Realizing his tone was too harsh, Landon softened his voice. "Don't overthink it. It's just business and a circle you wouldn't fit into. I'll be back by dark, and then we can have our private celebration."

He leaned in, giving me a light peck on the ear before turning to leave.

By evening, I had prepared a steak dinner and a handmade cake. I waited for hours, but he never showed. I called him repeatedly, but there was no answer.

Finally, his assistant let it slip where they were. I drove through a torrential downpour to reach the private lounge at a high-end club.

When I pushed the door open, the first thing I saw was Landon. He was leaning heavily against Quinn, their bodies pressed together and arms intertwined.

As his employees teased them about their relationship, Landon had a flush on his face that he couldn't hide.

I looked away and intentionally shook the rainwater off my coat, making enough noise to draw everyone's attention.

The room went silent. Landon's assistant looked at me in a panic. "Mrs. Sterling I didn't know you were"

Before he could finish, Landon spared me a lazy, annoyed glance. "What a buzzkill. Ignore her. Let's keep going."

He clinked his glass against Quinn's, completely disregarding my presence.

I walked up to him. The crowd braced themselves for a dramatic confrontation, but I only spoke softly. "It's our anniversary. Are you coming home with me?"

The tension in the room snapped. Everyone looked at me with a mix of relief and pure contempt. They had never seen a wife so pathetic and spineless.

I asked him one more time. Landon looked up with a mocking smirk. "Is it? I don't remember that."

"It is. Let's go home," I said, looking him in the eye. After a few seconds, Landon's expression darkened, a hint of rage simmering in his gaze.

Before he could explode, Quinn placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jade, it's just one anniversary. Do you really have to ruin Landon's night? Look at how unhappy you're making him."

She looked me up and down with a condescending smile. Quinn was Landon's favorite person, the one that got away.

Everyone knew Landon had been forced by his family to break up with her and enter a strategic marriage with me.

Someone in the back shouted, "Man, Landon, your wife is such a control freak! Quinn is so much more chill."

"Don't say that, they're actually married," Quinn said with a giggle. Yet, she didn't move an inch. She kept her arm hooked firmly around Landon's.

Feeling like he'd lost face in front of his friends, Landon glared at me. "Everyone is having a good time. Don't be a killjoy."

"You used to be so sensible. Why are you still standing there? Just get out." He was right. I had always been the compliant, obedient wife who knew her place.

Even now, as Quinn pretended to pour a drink while practically sitting in Landon's lap, I didn't blink.

I even stepped forward to help them aerate the wine. "Don't drink too much. I'll have some hangover soup ready at home."

I even made sure the door was closed properly as I left. Behind me, the group looked at me like I was a freak of nature.

"Landon, your wife is a saint. How does she put up with that? It's creepy," one of them muttered.

Landon, sounding a bit tipsy, scoffed. "She's just annoying. She clings to me like a parasite."

"If it weren't for my parents, I would have dumped her a long time ago." His words were like a jagged blade twisting in my chest. I laughed until tears pricked my eyes.

But it didn't matter. It didn't matter that he liked someone else or that he didn't love me.

I just wanted him to stay by my side.

Back at home, I spent the night making soup, reheating it every time it got cold.

Landon never came home. I found out what he was doing through a viral post on social media.

Breaking! Tech Mogul Landon Sterling Spotted at Luxury Hotel with Mystery Woman!

I clicked the link. It was a long post with a blurry photo of a man and woman hugging.

In the photo, Landon held the slender woman possessively. They weren't even hiding from the cameras; they were laughing and looking into each other's eyes.

The comments were filled with people praising how beautiful they looked together. I expected to feel nothing, but my vision blurred anyway.

Then, I saw Landon's own post from ten minutes ago. It was a picture of their backs as they stood side by side.

The caption said, "My heart belongs to only one person, and it's you." He tagged Quinn and shared their location at a famous boutique hotel.

So, after kicking me out, he went straight to a hotel with her. In the last photo of the set, I could even see rose petals scattered on a bed.

It was so romantic. I knew if I dared to ask, he would claim it was just "friendship" or tell me I was being crazy.

We had been married for five years, and he had never once acknowledged me in public.

And now, on our anniversary, he was flaunting another woman for the whole world to see.

I gripped my phone, let out a dry laugh, and then another.

Eventually, I made a decision. I liked the post, left a comment, and reposted it, wishing them a great time.

Strangely, less than five minutes after I reposted it, his post was deleted.

My phone rang immediately. It was Landon. I answered, a tiny, foolish spark of hope still flickering in my heart.

I wanted to ask him what that post meant. But before I could even say "Hey," Quinn's voice came through the line.

"Jade, don't believe the gossip. I got too drunk last night, and Landon just looked after me at the hotel. We didn't sleep in the same bed. You're so big-hearted, I know you won't mind"

Landon cut her off, shouting into the phone. "She's depressed! I was just trying to cheer her up. Did you have to embarrass me like that?"

"How am I supposed to look our friends in the eye now? Can't you do anything besides being a jealous shrew?"

The lump in my throat wouldn't go down. I just gave a cold laugh. "Then stay with her. Enjoy yourselves."

Landon seemed stunned by my reaction. There was a long silence on the other end.

I was about to hang up when Quinn took the phone back. "Jade, I think there's a misunderstanding. If you're mad because of me, I apologize. I'll keep my distance from Landon. I'd hate for your long marriage to suffer because of me."

It was her classic move. She wasn't sorry; she was just playing the victim to make me look like the villain.

"Why are you apologizing to her?" Landon barked in the background. "I already explained. If she doesn't believe it, that's her problem. Talking to a petty person like her is a waste of breath."

He slammed the phone down before I could respond.

He didn't come home for several days. He didn't text me either. Usually, I would have been frantic, searching the city for him.

But this time, I was just tired. I didn't want to wait anymore.

I focused on my work at my own company, deciding to take a short vacation and then find a time to settle everything with Landon.

My assistant knocked on my office door. "Mrs. Hudson, FK Media has invited you to their gala. Do you want to attend?"

FK Media was a powerhouse in the entertainment industry. Landon loved networking, so he was guaranteed to be there.

"Yes," I said. "I'll go."

As expected, I ran into Landon and Quinn at the entrance.

He looked dashing in a white tuxedo. I couldn't help but stare for a moment.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the sneer on his face stopped me.

He looked me up and down with disdain. "What are you doing here? You should be at home."

Landon and I both ran our own businesses, but since the wedding, I had focused so much on him that I neglected my company. He had convinced himself I was just a useless housewife.

I kept my voice steady. "I actually came to see you. We need to resolve things."

"Resolve what? There's nothing to resolve. How long are you going to keep this act up? I was planning on coming home to surprise you today, and here you are making a scene."

"Our marriage is a business deal, at best. Stop acting like a brat before you make us both a laughingstock."

"Marrying someone like you was the biggest mistake of my life," he spat.

He kept glancing around, terrified that someone would realize we were together. It was pathetic.

"If it was such a mistake, why don't you just end it? Is it more fun to cheat while keeping me in reserve?"

My anger was finally starting to show. Quinn noticed my expression and tightened her grip on Landon's arm. "Landon, let's just go inside. We can talk after the show."

Suddenly, a man with a crazed look in his eyes charged toward us with a knife. He was aiming for Quinn.

"You bitch! You dumped me and moved on to this guy immediately? Die!"

My heart stopped. I reached out to pull Landon away. To my horror, Landon grabbed my arm and shoved me directly in front of Quinn.

The knife that was meant for her caught me instead, slicing deep into my forearm.

My strength vanished. I slumped to the ground, looking up at him. "Why?"

He looked frozen, his eyes wide. "I I didn't mean to. I just it was a reflex."

"I know I messed up, but it's not a major wound. Don't look at me like that. You saved Quinn's life. I'll make it up to you." Without another word, he led Quinn into the venue.

The attacker was tackled by security, screaming profanities. I sat on the pavement as blood soaked through my sleeve. Landon didn't even look back to see if I was okay.

The waves of hurt finally settled into a cold, hard calm. It was time to end this.