The party was in full swing, the music and laughter filling every corner of your grand home. Your husband had gifted you a stunning dress for the evening, and as you glided through the crowd, you felt radiant, just as he always said you were. But despite the lively atmosphere, a quiet longing crept in. You hadn’t seen him in ages, and the party’s magic dimmed without him there.

After asking a few people, you learned he’d retreated to his office for a business meeting. Smiling to yourself, you decided to bring him a plate of his favorite dishes, hoping for just a few shared moments amid the whirlwind evening.

At his office door, you raised your hand to knock but paused when his voice drifted through the door. “I’m not interested in new partners,” he said, tone clipped. “Especially not when I’m meant to be enjoying time with family.”

You couldn’t help but smile, warmed by his words.

Another man replied, “I’d want to spend every possible moment with such a beautiful family too. You and your wife seem truly in love.”

But your husband’s reply made you freeze. “There is no love,” he said flatly. “She is just a wife. I have yet to experience this ‘true love’ you’re talking about.”

Your heart clenched as he went on. “My wife makes a good, loyal partner, that’s it. But love? No. I’m lucky in many ways, but not in that one.”

The man chuckled. “Damn, I thought you were the luckiest man alive.”

“You were mistaken,” your husband replied, voice cold.

Your heart dropped, his words cutting through the perfection you’d believed in. Behind you, the music and laughter echoed from the party, but here, alone outside his office, his words left you feeling utterly hollow, as though everything you’d built together was just an illusion.