1 How long have you known? (2/2)

”You lied to me.” He was angry. He wanted to smack the unfamiliar tone of utter boredom in her voice. She acted impatient, like she can't wait to get away from him, like he was unworthy of her time. She acted like she hated him. This woman, his wife, who knew him most in the entire world.

She laughed.

”You weren't expecting this, were you? You thought inside a box, anticipating my anger, my tears. What were you thinking? That I would beg you not to leave?” she mocked. ”I was always two steps ahead of you, dear husband. I even knew when it was that you first fucked Valerie.”

”You're guessing,” he gritted, pale with anger. ”Is that what your spy told you?”

”I have eyes, Richard. Unlike other women, I use them and don't flinch when face-to-face with the truth. I stayed with you all these months because it suited me. You're an amazing man. You're nice and kind. I've always hero-worshipped you since I was young.

I admit I'm disappointed. It took me a long time to understand what happened until I realized that things changed. You have and I have. Let us part without any bad blood between us. I am telling you, you can have Valerie. I'm letting you go. Isn't that the hope-for ending in this type of situation? I'm hanging my gloves in defeat. Love won. And you're angry?”

She looked at him with a detached curiosity that nettled him. He looked at her, really looked at her as if for the first time. His wife had always been a beautiful woman. Tall and exquisitely slender, skin like spun milk, long and trim legs, glossy long hair that fell like black waterfall behind her back.

She wasn't always that way during her teenage years though. Thin and gangly with eyes hidden behind thick, black lenses, the teen An Ning used to be shy and easily frightened. She used to be the timid shadow that followed him everywhere, the rabbit to his aggressive bear.

He married her because she was familiar and always there. There was a sense of inevitability to it, as if his path will always follow the same road as hers. Their life together was punctuated with the passive and familiar ebb and flow, not even a ripple to disturb the waves.

Their marriage, when he thought about it now, was founded on the same old fashioned ideal his parents had stuck to before him: that love is unchanging, that commitment is honor, that monogamy is supreme. He used to abide by the same rule, that is, until he fell off the beaten path and came face to face with Valerie, passionate, earthy, wholly enchanting Valerie.

”What do you mean a day into our marriage?” he asked, suddenly focusing on that important point. ”Valerie and I…we didn't…we recently just got together so how could you have known?”

She glanced at him then she smiled.

”It was at our wedding. You went out for a smoke and I came looking for you. You were outside, talking to this beautiful yet unfamiliar woman carrying a bouquet of flowers in her arms. I watched the two of you. You were looking at her as if you were still single. Very attentive, with a brilliant smile on your face, leaning slightly towards her.

Very flirtatious. Like a touching love scene in one of those Korean dramas. You didn't see me. I went back inside and realized you and I, we didn't have a chance. We'll probably be divorced in a year.”

She stopped and was silent. He thought he saw a flicker of something like pain on her calm face. He had a sudden urge to comfort her, to tell her…he didn't know what. He remembered that day. Their wedding. The drizzle of rain that stopped when they were inside the church. His brother and his wife, the epitome of an old married couple; An Ning looking breathtaking in her white wedding dress.

He remembered that moment with Valerie. She was talking to someone on her phone when he came upon her. He watched her, too lazy to move as he listened to her voice. Afterwards, it was natural to fall into conversation with her until he almost forgot the ceremony he just went through and had to be reminded of. Was it when it started, he wondered.

”Why didn't you say anything?” he asked, his voice low and laden with guilt, no longer pressing and angry.

”What is there to say?” she shrugged. ”Too bad the ceremony ended before the two of you met. You noticed I didn't sign the marriage certificate. I had them send it to the house but it's still unsigned. We're probably not married anyway. I'll ask my lawyer.”

”What are you talking about? How can you not sign the marriage certificate?”

”After what I've witnessed? I just saw my not-even-an-hour husband fall in lust with another woman and you want me to sign papers that would bind me to you for life?! I'm not that crazy.”

Richard was livid. ”I didn't fall in lust with Valerie. I was married to you. But you obviously didn't consider it important enough since you ignored the most important part, which is to put your signature on it!”

”Semantics,” An Ning shrugged. ”I'll consult the lawyer. Ok, can I go now? I wouldn't want you to explain to your girlfriend why your wife is still here and refusing to leave. We don't want that, do we?”

”Wait,” Richard was undecided. ”I don't want to leave you in a bind. You can stay here and I'll move out.”

An Ning laughed. ”You really don't get it, do you? Richard, as soon as I saw which way the wind was blowing I've made plans. I bought an apartment as soon as you furtively started sneaking out with Valerie. Why the hell do you think I wasn't here most of the time?

Get a clue, will you? Everyone knows you're having an affair. Everyone. The only one it seems who's not clued in into it yet is you. What the fuck? You're boring. I'm out of here.”

Richard could only fume in impotent anger as he watched his wife of one month, two days, and six hours rode triumphantly and happily out of his life.