Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the master bedroom in the Jinhua Garden villa, casting warm patches across the dark wooden floor. Jiang Yi stood before the mirror in the walk-in closet, carefully adjusting his tie. His gaze drifted unintentionally to the marked date on his phone calendar… October 18, their fifth wedding anniversary.
This date had once meant more to him than any holiday. He remembered their first anniversary, when he had taken Shu Jin to Paris, the city she had always dreamed of visiting, and they had kissed beneath the Eiffel Tower. The second year, he had reserved an entire revolving restaurant and invited her favorite band to perform live. The third year, the fourth year… every single year, he had poured his heart into creating the perfect memory for her.
Even now, when their marriage existed in name only, when his heart had already been shattered beyond repair, Jiang Yi had still made arrangements before the day arrived. It wasn’t just habit… it was his final respect for the love they had shared over the past five years.
He picked up his phone and sent a message to his assistant: cancel all my appointments tonight.
Then, he opened his chat with Shu Jin. The last message was still from a week ago, when she had urgently asked him for money for Gu Chen. Jiang Yi fell silent for a moment before finally sending a short message: I’ll pick you up at 7 tonight.
The message was quickly marked as read, but the reply took a long time to arrive: I can’t tonight. It’s a good friend’s birthday, and I’ve already made plans.
Jiang Yi’s fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
He opened his contacts and checked the reservation at the Mountain Summit Hot Spring Hotel. It was a place Shu Jin had casually mentioned three months ago, saying she wanted to go there to watch the stars. He had specially booked the best stargazing suite and even prepared a telescope.
That afternoon, he left the company early to pick up the gift he had reserved… a limited-edition Tiffany necklace. The pendant featured a delicate starry sky design, echoing the theme of their wedding years ago. He still remembered the sales assistant’s envious smile… “Your wife is so lucky. There are only three of these in the entire city.”
Back at home, Jiang Yi sat alone in the living room, watching the clock on the wall tick slowly toward 7. His phone remained silent. Shu Jin sent no further messages.
At 7:30, he finally drove to the Mountain Summit Hot Spring Hotel.
The stargazing suite offered a breathtaking view. On the terrace, the hot spring pool released gentle curls of steam into the air. The telescope had already been set up, and a bottle of chilled champagne rested on the table.
He sat alone on the terrace, watching as night gradually fell. The city lights below shimmered like scattered stars… yet they could not illuminate the darkness in his heart.
Messages poured in from several mutual friends, all saying nearly the same thing: Jiang Yi, what’s going on between you and Shu Jin? Have you seen her post?
Jiang Yi opened one of the screenshots sent to him, and his breathing froze.
In the photo, Shu Jin leaned against a man’s shoulder, smiling radiantly. In front of them was an exquisite candlelit dinner. Though only half of the man’s profile was visible, Jiang Yi recognized him instantly… Gu Chen.
The caption read: Happy birthday to my dearest. May every year be like today, and every moment like now.
The post had been made at 7:15 p.m… the exact time he had planned to pick her up for their anniversary.
Jiang Yi zoomed in on the photo and noticed a brand-new bracelet on Shu Jin’s wrist. It was a newly released piece from a luxury brand, expensive and eye-catching. Clearly… she hadn’t just forgotten this special day. She had used his money to carefully prepare a birthday celebration for another man.
He set his phone down, picked up the champagne bottle, and took a long drink straight from it. The cold liquid slid down his throat… but it couldn’t extinguish the fire raging inside him.
At that moment, the hotel manager personally came to serve dinner. “Mr. Jiang, shall we begin serving your meal?”
Jiang Yi looked at the beautifully arranged table and suddenly felt that everything before him was unbearably ironic. He shook his head lightly. “No need.”
He remained seated on the terrace for a long time… until the night sky was filled with stars. The telescope stood silently in the corner, never once used.
His phone vibrated again.
This time, it was a message from his mother: Son, happy anniversary. Celebrate well with Xiao Jin. Don’t worry about us.
Jiang Yi stared at the message, his eyes growing slightly warm. Even his mother remembered this day… yet the person he had loved wholeheartedly for five years had forgotten it completely.
On the drive down the mountain, Jiang Yi lowered the car window, letting the cold night air rush in. The mountain air was sharp and refreshing, clearing his mind with brutal clarity.
At a red light, he stopped and took out the gift box containing the necklace. He held it in his hands for a long moment. Then, without hesitation, he opened the window and tossed it into a roadside trash bin.
The light turned green.
He pressed the accelerator… and never looked back.
By the time he returned to the villa, it was already late at night.
Jiang Yi walked straight into the study and took out a photo album from the safe. It contained pictures from every anniversary over the past five years… in each one, Shu Jin was smiling so brightly, so happily.
He flipped through them one by one… then tore them apart, one by one.
When the last photo crumbled into pieces between his fingers, he picked up his phone and dialed his lawyer.
“Lawyer Li, tomorrow morning at 9:00… I want to see the divorce agreement signed by Shu Jin.”
After hanging up, he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in the study, gazing at the silent garden under the night sky.
Five years of love… had finally come to an end on this forgotten anniversary.
And at this very moment, somewhere else in the city, Shu Jin nestled in Gu Chen’s arms, laughing softly as she fed him cake… completely unaware of the day she was meant to cherish.