The situation with her family left her no choice
but to marry me.
My parents asked me what I thought, and since
I’d always liked her, I was all in.
I knew she didn’t have any family left in the
world.
So after the wedding, I tried my best to be
good to her.
But she always gave me the cold shoulder.
Besides the daily necessities, she never said
anything else to me.
It was like we were just roommates living
together.
く
Later, she gradually took over her family’s
company, and we talked even less.
She even started staying out all month.
And she openly hired her old high school
boyfriend into the company.
We fought about it a million times.
She could smile at strangers, even rival
companies.
But she always wore a frosty expression with
- me.
It was ridiculous, but I’d never even been on a
date with her.
I didn’t even know what a movie theater looked
like.
Holding hands with the woman I loved, just
<
walking down the street, was a pipe dream.
Every time I suggested she take a break, go out
and relax with me, so she wouldn’t be so tired
all the time.
She’d give me the cold shoulder, “Gus, are you
kidding me? How old are you? Still thinking
about playing around? I don’t have time to play
house with you.”
Then she’d turn around and go to a party with
her ex–boyfriend.
As far as she was concerned, I was just using it
as an excuse to try and get a date.
I didn’t know what I was doing wrong.
I was running my own company, working my tail
off.
But I still made time to take care of her.
く
Waking up at six to make her breakfast, and
only eating what she left behind.
Then I’d drive her to work.
She had a sensitive stomach, so I had a kitchen.
installed in my office.
I’d skip my lunch break, make her a nutritious
meal, and drive it an hour to her company.
Every night, I’d pick her up from work right on
time.
To everyone at both companies, we were the
perfect couple.
CEO husband and CEO wife, a match made in
heaven.
Everyone envied my happy life.
Lused to be happy when I heard those
く
I used to be happy when I heard those
comments.
But I was just fooling myself.
Was I really happy?
If I had to name the most intimate thing I did
with her, it’d be when she gave birth to our
daughter, so our family name wouldn’t die out.
But she probably saw it as just another task she
had to complete, paying back my parents for
their kindness.
2
I still remember the day our daughter was born. She handed her to me, expressionless, and said,
“I’ve paid back your family’s debt.”
Looking back, I chuckled bitterly.
<
Loving her all these years, and all I got was, “I
paid back your family.”
Not this time.
You can’t force things.
I composed myself.
My mom suddenly came in.
She said, “Gus, Joy said she’s applying to the
finance program at New York University. You
met the score requirements, but not by much.
Are you sure you want to risk it?”
I knew Joy wouldn’t tell me anything easily, so I
had my mom ask for me.
I shook my head, “I’m not going to New York.
I’m going to UCLA.”
LIL A F
My mom looked at me in shock, “What? UCLA?
You’re not going to the same school as Joy? I
thought you…”
Before she could finish, I pushed her out.
In the past, Joy and I were both accepted to
NYU.
But not this time.
Joy would meet the guy there who she’d be
thinking about for decades after we were
married.
And I was going to go to the college I missed
out on because of Joy.
UCLA, my dad’s old stomping grounds. That’s
where he met my mom.
My dad always told me it was a place that
brought banniness
Г
I had to see for myself, because I never knew what happiness felt like before I died.
I didn’t want to live so miserably this time
around. I wanted to be happy.
I typed the school name on the computer and
hit confirm without hesitation.
My score was way above what was required,
and since it was my first choice, I didn’t have to
worry about not getting in.
Seeing that the system had saved my
application, I just had to wait for the results.
I felt incredibly
light. This time, Joy and I
wouldn’t have anything to do with each other.
Goodbye, Joy. Or more like, see ya never.
That night, after dinner, I was looking at plane
tickets in bed when someone knocked on the
く
tickets in bed when someone knocked on the
door.
I thought it was my mom, but when I opened it,
it was Joy.
Joy’s parents died young, and her grandfather
was busy managing her family’s company, so
