In a luxurious home, at a long dining table decorated with candles, a tart, and several mouthwatering dishes, a beautiful woman in a pastel-colored dress sat waiting. Her hair was neatly tied back, adorned with tiny pearls. She looked incredibly elegant, gazing straight ahead with calm composure.
Before long, a man in a neat suit approached, carrying a beautiful bouquet of red roses and a medium-sized luxury box. “Sweetheart.”
The woman named Clara Amelia stood to welcome her husband and hugged him. Alfred Benedict greeted her with a broad smile.
“Happy sixth anniversary, sweetheart,” Alfred said. “I hope we’ll always love each other.”
When they broke apart, he handed Clara the flowers he was holding. “Beautiful flowers for someone as beautiful as the universe.”
“Do you like them?” Alfred asked, still smiling.
Clara smiled, breathed in the flowers’ fragrance, and hugged them. “I always love anything you give me.”
At this, Alfred’s smile grew even wider. His eyes shone with affection. “And this is your gift.”
This time, he handed Clara the luxury box. She placed the flowers on the table, then accepted the box from her husband. When she opened it, she saw a beautiful pair of shoes adorned with jewels. They were so dazzling and lovely.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I love them,” Clara said. “They’re beautiful.”
“Nothing is more beautiful than you,” Alfred replied before kissing Clara’s forehead.
The woman smiled gracefully, then said, “I have a gift for you too.”
“Oh? What is it?” Alfred asked eagerly.
Clara walked over to the chair beside the one where she had been sitting and handed Alfred a large box. “It’s for you.”
Without waiting, Alfred immediately opened the box. But his smile slowly faded. He froze for a few seconds before asking, “What is this?”
“A gift from me to you,” Clara said lightly.
Alfred held his breath. It was a latest-model camera.
He stared at Clara with an unreadable expression. Just as he was about to return the box to his wife, his eyes unconsciously fell on the paper beside the camera. He picked it up and opened it.
If he had only stood frozen for a moment before, this time he remained frozen for a long while. His heart immediately began pounding. His gaze turned blank. Even his voice sounded like a whisper when he asked, “What does all this mean, sweetheart?”
Clara knew this was a devastating blow to Alfred. And, honestly, to her as well. It was the major decision she had been thinking about for the past several months—a decision that would change everything.
“Alfred, let’s get divorced.” She said it lightly, but her hand gripped the side of her dress tightly.
It had taken tremendous courage for her to say something like this. Even giving him a box containing one of Alfred’s favorite things along with divorce papers had taken courage. It felt as though happiness and pain had become one.
Alfred immediately raised his eyes and stared at Clara in disbelief. “You don’t even call me sweetheart anymore. Sweetheart, why? Did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all.” Clara slowly shook her head. “I’m the one who was wrong.”
“What did you do wrong? I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. We’ve been fine all this time, haven’t we?” Alfred asked in quick succession.
Then he let out a quiet laugh, one that sounded forced. “This has to be a prank, right? You’re trying to surprise me because it’s our anniversary, right? You want to make things feel different, right, sweetheart?”
“No, Alfred. This is real. I’m asking you to get divorced. I’m leaving this house tonight, and I’m not asking you for anything except to sign these divorce papers,” Clara said calmly.
Alfred was silent for a long time. Then he asked softly, “Why?”
“I don’t want to become the kind of person who makes you lose yourself. You’ve given up so much because you love me too much. It makes me feel incredibly guilty,” Clara explained.
“Our marriage… don’t you realize this isn’t healthy? We love each other, but we don’t truly understand or accept each other. We’ve only been thinking about how to keep this relationship intact, without realizing that real love means being able to walk side by side, supporting each other,” Clara continued.
Her beautiful eyes grew misty. Saying all of this was incredibly difficult because she loved the man standing in front of her so deeply—and his eyes were misty too.
“Alfred, chase your dreams. Do everything you’ve always wanted to do, everything you’ve given up just because of me.” Clara then turned to leave, but Alfred set down the box in his hand and immediately wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind.
“Don’t you love me anymore?” he asked softly, sounding desperate.