Charlie straightened up. He was never interested in me to begin with. The ambiguous teasing just now was meant to embarrass me. He won’t lose his control.

I am a nearly thirty-year-old married virgin, emanating resentment rather than a charming fragrance.

“Rosalie, I know today is our fifth wedding anniversary, but I have no interest in all this. If you’re trying to divorce me over this, I suggest you stop bothering.” Charlie stood in front of me, his voice turning cold.

“I haven’t celebrated the anniversary for years. I didn’t start bothering you for this.” I also stood up and looked at Charlie. “Think about it, now my usefulness is almost exhausted. Compared to me, you need this freedom even more, don’t you?”

With that, I headed upstairs to the bedroom without looking back, not wanting to say any more.

There was a rough closing of the door downstairs, followed by the sound of a car engine outside the window. I knew Charlie had left, but this time, I felt calm inside.

My phone rang. It was my friend Jane Donald calling.

“Rose, come out and play! Let’s go to Song Garden!” Jane’s loud voice instantly dispelled my gloom. She is around the same age as me but has always been single.

After marriage, I rarely went out to play. Jane invited me ten times, and I could refuse nine times, but she was still very persistent.

“Sure!” I readily agreed. There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

“Today is your wedding anniversary with Charlie. Are you sure you want to go out?” Jane’s tone was full of doubt and astonishment.

I had used the excuse of wedding anniversary to refuse Jane for four consecutive years.

“Well, an anniversary is not a memorable day. I’ll be right there.” I confidently answered Jane and hung up the phone.

Opening my closet, I saw a sea of black, white, and gray. Even blue was a rarely seen color. Behind every luxury brand, there are various wonderful designs, and I spent a lot of money buying the dullest style among them.

After ten minutes of pondering, I finally selected a less dreary strapless black dress. It had a silky texture, a deep V neckline that nearly reached my navel, and an elastic waist that accentuated my slender waist. My clean, white arms remained uncovered.

I remember buying this dress specifically to seduce Charlie. He didn’t even come home for a month.

The only thing that dissatisfies me now is that my chest is too flat, which feels slightly mismatched with the allure of this dress.

I should eat more in the future.

I comforted myself. After changing clothes and applying makeup, I headed to the garage and drove a red Porsche straight to Song Garden.

During college, Jane, Tina Carter, Yolanda Davis, and I were known as the four talented women in the Music Department. Everyone thought that after graduation, the four of us would achieve great things.

However, I got married early, Jane became a regular at nightclubs, and Tina landed a vice-manager position at her family’s company. Only Yolanda remained true to her music. She participated in music competitions everywhere and vowed to become a singer.

“You finally made it!” Jane assumed a leadership pose, swiftly jumping off her high stool to excitedly shake my hand. The other two nodded in agreement, as I had almost disappeared from the social scene after getting married.

After a few drinks, Tina sighed, “Rose, if you didn’t come out this time, I would have thought that the event I attended five years ago was your funeral and not your wedding.”

“Strange! No candlelit dinner at home tonight?” Jane curiously asked, prying her eyes open. “Come on, let me see if that scumbag Charlie is still ignoring you. Have you been crying?”

“Don’t pull off my false eyelashes, okay?” I swatted away Jane’s hand.