Goodbye to a Toxic Love

Today marks the seventh anniversary of my marriage to Bruce Green, and it's also my twenty-fourth birthday. The sky outside darkened gradually, and the neon lights of the city filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting mottled shadows across the living room floor. I started preparing three hours early, carefully taking the cake from the fridge and placing it in the center of the dining table in the living room. Twenty-four candles were stuck in the cake, their flickering flames casting a warm glow over the pair of table settings on the table. I sat on the sofa, clutching my phone. On the screen was a photo of Bruce Green and me on our wedding day; in it, he was smiling, his eyes full of tenderness for me. Time passed second by second, the hour hand on the wall clock finally pointing to eight. Just then, the door lock clicked as it turned; I immediately stood up and hurried to meet whoever was coming. The moment the door opened, the smile on my face froze—behind Bruce Green stood a woman I didn't know. She wore a loose, cream-colored dress, her long hair falling over her shoulders, and her hands gently cradled her belly; from her posture alone, it was clear she was pregnant. My heart sank suddenly, and instinctively, I clenched the hem of my dress so tightly that my fingertips turned white. Bruce Green took off his coat and handed it to the servant who had come forward, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather: "Evelyn Xavier, this is Ruby Walker. She will be living here from now on." His gaze swept past me without the slightest pause, as if I were nothing but air. I said nothing, simply staring fixedly into his eyes. Once, those eyes had overflowed with tenderness for me; no matter what mistakes I made, as long as I looked at him, he would soften. But now, those eyes held only coldness, like a frozen lake in the dead of winter, without a trace of warmth. "You'll move to the guest room," Bruce Green said, his tone sharp and commanding, "Ruby needs someone to look after her, and the guest room is close to her room, so it'll be easier for you to help whenever needed."