The One Who Falls Out of Love First Will Never Find Love

On the day of our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband’s best friend leaned toward him with a grin and asked in French, “So? How did your little assistant taste?” My husband calmly placed a slice of my favorite cantaloupe on my plate—the perfect picture of a devoted husband. Then he answered in the same language, as casually as if they were discussing the weather. “Young. Tender.” “Remember to keep it from my wife. If she ever finds out, she’ll leave me.” The entire group burst into laughter, each of them promising to keep his secret. I stood beside them, gripping my wineglass so tightly that my knuckles turned white. They thought speaking French made them safe. They were wrong. I understood every word. And this wasn’t even the first time I had learned about my husband’s mistress. But I didn’t confront him. I didn’t cry or make a scene. Instead, I quietly submitted my application to a classified national research institute. In three days, I would make his greatest fear come true. I would leave him. And once I disappeared, he would never find me again. —— From the corner of his eye, Logan Miranda noticed that I hadn’t touched the cantaloupe. Concern immediately filled his eyes. “Baby, what’s wrong?” The concern looked real. That was the cruelest part. Only moments ago, he had been discussing his mistress with his friends. Now he was looking at me as if I were the only woman in his world. How many times had he looked at me like this while lying straight to my face? “Nothing.” I forced my voice to remain calm. “What were you talking about just now?” Logan gently pinched my cheek and smiled with the same practiced tenderness that had fooled me for years. “Some overseas business. You don’t like hearing about work, so we switched to French.” He must have been so lost in his affair that he had forgotten I once studied in France as an exchange student. The air in the ballroom suddenly felt too thin. I pushed him away. “Carry on. I need some air.” Without waiting for his answer, I walked straight toward the doors. Whispers followed me across the banquet hall. “That’s Mrs. Miranda. She’s so lucky. Their wedding made headlines around the world, and Mr. Miranda still holds a grand celebration for her every anniversary.” “I know. Why couldn’t I meet a man like him?” Once, hearing people envy our marriage would have filled me with happiness. Now, their words sounded like a cruel joke told at my expense. No one knew that the man who supposedly loved me more than life itself had already betrayed me. Just yesterday, I had planned to give Logan his fifth-anniversary present early. I went to his office without telling anyone, hoping to surprise him. Instead, he surprised me. I had nearly fallen asleep while waiting inside the storage closet when a series of breathless sounds jolted me awake. I opened my eyes. The man who had sworn he would love only me had his young assistant, Angela, pressed against the floor-to-ceiling window. Their bare bodies left streak after streak across the spotless glass. They stayed tangled together for three full hours before finally getting dressed and leaving. Three hours. I no longer remembered how I survived them. I only remembered the despair that broke over me at first. Then the pain slowly faded. By the end, I felt nothing. The moment I walked out of that building, I knew my marriage to Logan was over. My phone suddenly rang, pulling me out of the memory. “Arissa, I’ve submitted your name to the research institute. Someone will come to pick you up in three days.” “You can use these next few days to say goodbye to your family.” My fingers tightened around the phone. Family. Four years ago, my parents died in an accident. Since then, Logan had been the only family I had left. But a man who could betray me was no longer my family. Which meant I had no family left at all.

“Professor, that won’t be necessary. Please ask your superiors to erase every record of my identity.” Surprise filled my professor’s voice. “Why? Once your records are erased, Arissa Miranda will cease to exist. I thought you and Logan were happy. What will he do when he can’t find you?” A bitter smile touched my lips. “He cheated on me.” The other end of the line went completely silent. Then came a long sigh. “When you called me yesterday, I suspected something had happened between you and Logan. I just never imagined…” She paused. “All right. I’ll have your records erased. Use these three days to take care of everything you need to settle.” Only after she agreed did I finally breathe a sigh of relief. Once my identity was erased, I wouldn’t even have to waste time dealing with a divorce. “Thank you, Professor.” The moment the words left my lips, a familiar voice came from behind me. “Who cheated?” I turned and met Logan’s eyes. There was a flicker of panic in them. “My professor has another student whose husband cheated on her,” I answered calmly. Logan studied my face carefully. Only after confirming that nothing seemed wrong did the tension leave his shoulders. He pulled me into his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Baby, you never have to worry about that. I would never cheat on you.” His eyes were so sincere that I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “What if you did?” Logan shook his head without hesitation. “Impossible. You’re the only woman I love.” “I said what if.” He thought for a moment before rubbing his cheek affectionately against mine. “Then punish me by making sure I can never find you again.” His voice softened. “You know you’re my life, baby. If I ever lost you, I wouldn’t be able to live.” I smiled but said nothing. Logan, your punishment was already on its way. In three days, I would disappear from his world so completely that he would never find me again. Logan opened his mouth to say something else, but a woman’s voice interrupted him. “Mr. Miranda, everything is ready.” Angela stood a few steps away in a tight pencil skirt, reporting to him in a strictly professional tone. She looked nothing like the flushed woman I had seen pressed against his office window yesterday. Logan’s expression remained indifferent. He gave her a curt nod, then waved her away. As I watched their carefully controlled exchange, bitter amusement curled inside me. They really were perfect for each other. Even their acting was equally convincing. If I hadn’t seen them tangled together with my own eyes, I might have kept believing their performance. Logan covered my eyes with one large hand and whispered beside my ear, “Baby, I have a surprise for you.” “Five.” “Four.” “Three…” Only when he finished the countdown did he remove his hand. The moment I opened my eyes, countless fireworks soared into the night. One after another, they burst into enormous roses across the dark sky. Then the glittering trails came together to form a glowing number. **10.** Logan wrapped an arm around me, his voice filled with emotion. “Baby, we’ve been together for ten years. Time really does fly.” I tilted my head back and stared at the number in the sky. For a moment, I felt dazed. Ten years. He was right. We had been together for an entire decade. From nineteen to twenty-nine. Ten years could change so much. It could turn the boy who had once loved me with all his heart into a man I barely recognized. It could turn a love that had once been real into nothing but lies. Logan turned toward me and gazed deeply into my eyes. Slowly, he lowered his head, intending to kiss me. I was just about to turn away when his phone chimed. Annoyance immediately crossed his face. “I specifically told everyone not to disturb me today.” He reached for his phone. “Let’s see who’s bold enough to ignore my orders.”

The moment Logan saw the name on the screen, his expression froze. I glanced over from the corner of my eye. At the top of his notifications was a message from a contact saved as: **My Little Assistant.** Logan cleared his throat and subtly tilted the phone away from me. His fingers moved quickly across the screen. But not before I saw the hunger flare in his eyes. Sure enough, a second later, he turned to me with an apologetic expression. “Baby, I’m sorry. It’s our wedding anniversary, and I should spend the entire day with you, but something came up at the company—” I couldn’t bear to hear another lie. “I understand,” I interrupted. “Work is important.” Relief flashed across Logan’s face. Normally, he never left without giving me a goodbye kiss. This time, he merely pulled me into a hurried embrace before turning and walking away. I stood there for a moment. Then I asked my assistant to take care of the remaining guests and followed Logan. He didn’t stop until he reached the underground parking garage. The moment he opened the car door, Angela’s expression completely changed. Gone was the cold, professional assistant from the ballroom. She pouted and threw herself into his arms. “Mr. Miranda, that fireworks show made me so jealous.” Logan sighed helplessly and tapped the tip of her nose. “Didn’t I put on a fireworks show for your birthday a few days ago? What are you jealous of?” He lowered his voice. “I promised you that as long as you stay in line, stay with me, and keep our relationship from my wife, I’ll give you everything she has.” His words brought back a memory. Five days ago, fireworks had lit up the sky over the south side of the city for half an hour. That night, Logan had told me he was working late at the office. I had even taken a picture and sent it to him, jokingly asking what hopeless romantic had put on such an extravagant display just to make his woman smile. Now I knew. That hopeless romantic had been my husband. And I had been a complete fool. Angela gave a dissatisfied hum and traced slow circles over Logan’s chest. “Can’t I be jealous?” Logan caught her wandering hand, his voice dropping low. “Didn’t you say you had something special to show me?” Angela grabbed his tie and yanked him toward her until there wasn’t an inch of space left between them. “You’ll have to unwrap it yourself.” Her smile turned playful. “And I promise you won’t be able to stop once you start.” Logan’s eyes darkened. He swept her into his arms and carried her into the car. Angela let out a startled squeal, but the sound was cut short when he kissed her. The windows slowly rolled up. A moment later, the car began rocking in a steady rhythm. Hidden behind a concrete pillar, I watched as tears slipped down my face and struck the floor one after another. I had already seen them together yesterday. I had already watched them betray me with my own eyes. Yet seeing it a second time still sent wave after wave of dull pain through my chest. When we first married, Logan had sworn he would spend every wedding anniversary with me from morning until night. But one message from Angela was all it took to make him abandon that promise. Was he really that obsessed with her? I closed my eyes and forced down the emotions raging inside me. Three more days. Just three more days, and all of this would finally be over. I didn’t return to the ballroom. Instead, I went straight home and tried to rest. Sometime in the middle of the night, a loud bang jolted me awake. Logan stood in the doorway, his expression tense. Only when he saw me in bed did he release a long breath. “Baby, why didn’t you tell me you’d come home?” His voice was frantic. “Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I went back to the ballroom and couldn’t find you?” I glanced at the time on my phone. **3:00 a.m.** I had come home at nine that evening. Logan had spent six full hours with Angela before he finally remembered to look for me. What a joke.

“I wasn’t feeling well, so I came home early to rest. I forgot to tell you.” Perhaps I had spent so long living beside a liar that I had finally learned how to lie without changing my expression. Fear still lingered on Logan’s face as he climbed into bed and wrapped his arms tightly around me, as if he were terrified I might disappear. “Next time, you have to tell me where you’re going, baby. I was worried sick.” His embrace tightened. “If you ever went missing, I’d search every inch of this city until I found you.” I closed my eyes and said nothing. Because in three days, no matter how hard he searched, he would never find me again. The next morning, perhaps out of guilt over the night before, Logan had an entire jewelry set delivered to the house. “Last night was my fault, baby. Please don’t be mad at me.” I glanced at the jewelry, set it aside, and handed him another box. “I’m not angry.” I pushed the box into his hands. “This is the anniversary gift I prepared for you. Don’t open it until two days from now.” Originally, I had commissioned a designer overseas to create a custom brooch for our anniversary. But the day I discovered Logan’s affair, I threw the brooch away. Instead, I removed the wedding ring I had never once taken off and placed it inside the box. It would be the only thing I left behind for him. Logan accepted the box, curiosity filling his eyes. “But our anniversary was yesterday. Why do I have to wait another two days?” I smiled. “Because there’s a special surprise inside. It won’t mean anything unless you open it then.” Expectation lit up his face. “All right. I promise I’ll listen to you and wait two days.” The moment he finished speaking, the doorbell rang. When the door opened, Angela stood outside with tears streaming down her face. Panic flashed across Logan’s expression. He recovered almost instantly, took Angela by the arm, and led her toward the backyard. “Baby, Assistant Angela needs to discuss something urgent with me. We’ll talk in the garden so we don’t interrupt your breakfast.” I walked to a second-floor window and looked down just in time to see Angela throw herself into Logan’s arms. But Logan tore her away, fury written across his face. “Are you out of your mind?” His voice was low but vicious. “I told you never to come to my house. If Arissa finds out about us, you’ll answer to me.” At his outburst, Angela’s tears fell even faster. She pulled a medical report from her purse and held it out to him. “I know I shouldn’t have come here, but…” Her voice trembled. “I’m pregnant.” “The doctor said what we did last night was too intense, and now the pregnancy is at risk. I was scared.” She looked up at him helplessly. “Mr. Miranda, our baby will be okay, won’t it? This is our first child.” My entire body went rigid. For a moment, I couldn’t draw a full breath. Angela was pregnant? When Logan and I first married, we had discussed whether we wanted children. He told me that a child would take our attention away from each other. He said he wanted our marriage to hold all our love, undivided. He didn’t want children because he wanted only me. Back then, I had been so moved by his devotion that I agreed without hesitation. Only now did I understand. Logan might not have wanted a child with me. But that hadn’t stopped him from getting another woman pregnant. At first, shock crossed his face. Then he read the medical report, and the tension in his brow immediately eased. “You’re nine weeks pregnant?” His voice softened. “You need to take better care of yourself this early.” He handed the report back to her. “Go wait in the car. I’ll take you to the hospital for another examination right away.” His gaze dropped to her stomach. “I won’t let anything happen to our baby.” Only then did Angela smile through her tears. She leaned forward and kissed him. Logan’s eyes darkened. He gripped the back of her head and took control of the kiss. They kissed as if neither of them could get enough. Angela’s arms slipped around his neck. Only then did Logan force himself to pull away. When he spoke, his voice had turned rough.

“You’re pregnant, and you’re still trying to tempt me?” Logan murmured. “Think about the baby. Be a good girl and wait for me in the car.” The moment I saw him turn back toward the house, I hurried downstairs and returned to my seat at the dining table. Strangely, I felt almost grateful. At least Logan and I had never had a child. There was nothing left tying me to him. Nothing that could stop me from walking away for good. The door opened, and Logan entered with that familiar apologetic expression already in place. “Baby, something urgent came up at the company. I have to leave town right away.” He bent down beside me. “Be good and stay home for the next few days. I’ll bring you a present when I come back, okay?” I nodded to show that I understood. Only after studying my face and finding nothing unusual did Logan finally relax and leave. I watched him disappear through the door. Then I glanced at the calendar on the table. Two more days. Perhaps that was the last time we would ever see each other. That afternoon, a text from an unknown number appeared on my phone. Attached was an image of an ultrasound report. “Let me make this clear. I’m pregnant with Logan’s baby. This is his first child—something you could never give him.” “ If you have any dignity left, divorce him and make room for me!” Even without a name, I knew the message had come from Angela. Now that she was carrying Logan’s child, she finally felt secure enough to challenge me openly. Unfortunately for her, I had already decided to leave. Whatever love I had once felt for Logan was dead. The ultrasound report stirred nothing inside me. Just as he had promised, Logan didn’t return for the next two days. I used that time to remove every trace of myself from the house. I sorted through my belongings one by one. I donated what could still be used. I burned what I never wanted to see again. In the end, I kept only a few essentials to take with me to the research institute. On the morning of my departure, I woke before sunrise and packed everything into a single suitcase. I was about to call my professor and ask how long it would be before the institute’s car arrived when another message from Angela appeared. This time, it was a photograph. Angela stood in the middle of a sea of flowers, dressed in a white wedding gown. Logan was kneeling before her on one knee, holding up a ring. “Logan proposed to me. We’re holding our wedding ceremony today.” “He said he’s going to make things official for me and our baby. This wedding is only the beginning.” Another message followed. “No wonder he kept making calls behind my back for the past two days. He was preparing this huge surprise for me.” “ He said that even though everything was arranged in a hurry, he still gave me the very best.” “ He wants me to be the happiest bride and mother in the world.” Then came the final message. “ The next time he comes home, he’ll probably throw the divorce papers in your face.” “ If you want to save yourself some humiliation, you should get out of that house before then.” “ I’ll be the lady of the house soon enough!” This time, I replied. “ Congratulations. You’re about to get exactly what you wanted.” The moment I sent the message, the car from the research institute arrived. I picked up my suitcase and climbed inside. As we waited at a red light, excited voices drifted over from the sidewalk. “Oh my God, look at that wedding procession!” “Whoever’s getting married must be loaded!” I instinctively turned toward the commotion. Logan was sitting in the back of a Maybach, dressed in a suit. Angela sat beside him in her wedding gown. With unmistakable tenderness, Logan reached over and carefully smoothed her hair into place. Then he turned his head. Our eyes met through the glass. His expression changed instantly. His eyes filled with panic. The next second, my phone began to ring.