Chapter 3

"Mr. Gebb, this is the hotel where your wife is having an affair, right? Are you here to catch her in the act?" "You've kept quiet all these years. Is this finally the moment you reclaim your dignity as a man?" "Many people think that you're not good enough for Ms. Bardot. They say that every one of her boyfriends are better than you. Why haven't you divorced her yet?" "Joshua is a much better match for Ms. Bardot than you are. Isn't it pointless for you to keep refusing a divorce?" I smiled and took the microphone from the reporter beside me. I glanced at the logo on it and said, "You're from Sky Entertainment. That's Joshua Levine's label, right? "Why are you so eager for me to get a divorce? Is it because you want Joshua to officially take my place? Even if he succeeds in doing so, does Joshua honestly think that Abigail will be interested in him forever? "In fact, Joshua should be thanking me. He looks a lot like how I did back then. But time flies. I'd like to advise him to make money in ways that don't just bank on his fleeting youth." The reporter's expression quickly turned dark. Clearly, he had never interviewed me before, and he didn't know how blunt I could be. After all, people never liked hearing the truth. I turned to the others and added, "And one more thing. I'll be really grateful if any of you can manage to convince Abigail to divorce me." With that, I walked into the hotel. This was a high-end hotel, so the security guards had to do their job and hold off the paparazzi despite their obvious disdain for me. I went upstairs and knocked on the suite's door. When the door opened, I saw that Abigail was alone in the vast, luxurious presidential suite. But I could hear the steady sound of running water coming from the bathroom. "Abigail, is someone here?" Joshua called out loudly. He reminded me of myself back in college when I was passionately in love with Abigail. Back then, I was full of youth and optimism, with the same boyish looks and charm. Even his voice was uncannily similar. Now, though, my own voice had been irreversibly damaged by the illness, and it had become rough and grating. "Yes. Be a good boy and finish your shower," Abigail replied gently as her eyes lit up with a smile. Suddenly, it struck me that maybe Abigail had truly fallen for him. That was why she was so bold about making it public. "You're here just in time," Abigail said to me. She snapped back to her usual demeanor as she picked up the phone. Soon, a renowned tailor arrived. "Your build and appearance are close to Joshua's," Abigail said, glancing toward the bathroom. "Since he's in the shower now, you can try on these suits for him." For a moment, I'd thought that Joshua was meant to replace me. Now, it seemed like the opposite was true. I said nothing as I stepped forward and began trying on the suits that the tailor handed to me. When I put on the jacket, I realized just how much weight I'd lost. Before, this suit would have fit me perfectly, but now, it hung loosely on me. Abigail noticed this too, and she frowned in dissatisfaction as she asked, "How'd you get so thin?" She got off the bed and walked toward me. Her pale hand brushed lightly over my chest and my waist. I watched her, stunned. Her touch felt familiar, almost like how she used to tease me before. But now, it only made my skin crawl. Although her robe was loose, it was still tied just tight enough to accentuate her curves. The red marks on her neck stood out sharply. I looked away. "You're so thin. I can feel your bones. I told you to take care of yourself, didn't I? How else can you stay by my side?" Abigail looked at me with a complex expression. She then chuckled and showed me her phone. It was open to her Facebook page. In the short time I'd been upstairs, the interview from earlier had sparked hundreds of thousands of comments, and her repost was only fueling the flames. Abigail had posted, "My husband is just joking. Don't take him too seriously. We're not getting divorced, no matter what. So, please stop asking these questions." The netizens were in a frenzy. "Abigail, he's practically begging you for a divorce. Why are you still holding on to him? You're so heartless!" "I bet he's the one who cheated on her. Ms. Bardot must've faked her affairs to make him regret it!" "I wonder what Ms. Bardot sees in him. He's thin, and his voice sounds awful." "Can't Ms. Abigail just get together with Joshua? Why is she keeping him around?" Abigail put away her phone and smiled radiantly. "Too bad. You've lost again. Even those comments online couldn't change my love for you. Why would I divorce you over a few rumors? I've changed my mind. I want you to come with me to tonight's party." I was confused. What party? Just then, Joshua came out of the shower. His hair was damp, and his skin was fair and smooth. He was indeed very handsome. He looked at Abigail with his large eyes and asked softly, "Abigail, did I do something wrong? Is that why you don't want me to go with you tonight?" "Of course not." Abigail smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I just think you look tired today. Go home and rest. He'll accompany me to the boring party instead." Unlike Ted, Joshua knew better than to argue with her. He nodded obediently and said, "Alright. I'll wait for you at home." "Go ahead. William, please send these suits back with him." They shared another lingering, affectionate kiss before parting. William Shaw, the tailor, seemed used to their actions as he packed up the suits. After all, he had been making suits for Abigail's men since we first got married. The only difference was that back then, he'd been making them exclusively for me. Almost every suit in my closet was his work, hand-tailored with impeccable skill. This was the first time Abigail had asked him to make suits for another man. Deep down, I felt uncomfortable about it. After Joshua left, Abigail instructed the driver to take me home to change into one of my own suits. When I arrived at the venue, I hesitated at the entrance. Although the suit I wore now was a little loose due to my weight loss, it still looked sharp. Its tailored lines, elegant cuffs, and pocket square were all carefully coordinated. Each detail had been requested by Abigail. The banquet hall before me was the very place where we'd held our wedding. The place looked just as it had before, but everything else had changed. I took a deep breath and stepped inside. Only then did I realize that the true purpose of tonight's event was an ambush which had been meticulously crafted just for me. The room was filled with familiar faces. They were all former college classmates of mine and Abigail's. As soon as I entered, I was overwhelmed by everyone's scrutinizing gazes.