Sophia Carter stood at the villa gate, holding a melting cake in her hand.
Her hair was a mess, her clothes wrinkled and stained all over the hem. Honestly, she hadn't meant to show up looking like a total wreck on her fifth wedding anniversary.
But barely an hour ago, she'd just been through a freaking kidnapping.
Some tall stranger had swooped in, saved her, and even brought her home.
She’d called her husband Ethan Bennett more than ten times on the way—every single call got declined.
That wasn’t like him at all. He literally never hung up on her before.
Sophia convinced herself he must be planning some over-the-top surprise, trying to keep things under wraps.
Holding onto that hope, she took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy iron gate.
The sound of music floated out, instantly loosening the tension in her shoulders.
She quickened her pace toward the yard, only to be met by a sea of flowers, balloons, and a massive banner—clearly, this was some big event.
Laughter and clapping echoed from inside. From the sound of it, the place was packed.
Sophia paused, glancing down at the mess she was in, wondering if she should run upstairs and change.
Just then, a warm, familiar voice called out from inside:
"Sweetheart, you’re finally back! What took you so long? Everyone’s been waiting on that cake."
She looked up and felt a little jolt in her chest.
Ethan stood there in snow-white dress pants and a smart gray plaid vest that showed off his broad shoulders and slim waist—looking every bit the perfect gentleman.
He hadn’t dressed up like this in forever.
Sophia’s lips curled into a little smile. The fear from earlier faded as she stared at him, heart swelling with hope all over again.
Holding the cake, she stepped forward, ready to explain, “Babe, I just—”
But before she could finish, an overly cheerful voice piped up from behind Ethan:
“Ethan, is that the cake? I just got back and you already pulled off such an amazing birthday surprise for me? You’re the best!”
It was Clara Fitzgerald, Ethan’s cousin.
The word "birthday surprise" hit Sophia like a slap.
She froze. And then, "thud"—the cake slipped from her hand and hit the ground.
Two weeks ago, she found out Ethan was secretly working on a surprise for their anniversary.
Just a week back, someone told her he’d flown in roses all the way from Provence.
Three days ago, she heard he dropped a fortune at a charity auction for a top-grade jade stone.
Everything added up in her head—she thought he’d been planning a magical fifth anniversary just for her.
Even when he ignored her calls during the kidnapping, she'd given him the benefit of the doubt. She didn’t blame him at all.
But now? Clara's sudden appearance, the so-called birthday party—it shattered every sweet assumption she’d built up.
"The party was all set, just missing the cake. Sophia, what the hell are you doing throwing it on the ground?"
That furious voice snapped her out of it.
Margaret Bennett, Ethan’s mom, stormed over with that usual overbearing tone, looking like she'd just caught Sophia in some huge mistake.
She had never liked Sophia from the get-go. And by now, she didn’t even try to hide it anymore."What... what is this?" Sophia's hand trembled slightly, her voice catching in her throat. "Today’s our anniversary... how did it turn into this…?"
Ethan looked a little flustered. He quickly took her hand and pulled her to the side, lowering his voice.
"Babe, I’m sorry. I really did plan something for tonight. But Clara showed up last minute, said she wanted a birthday dinner with the whole family... so…"
Sophia’s tears welled up instantly. She yanked her hand away and instinctively took a few steps back.
That sudden movement tugged at the pain in her waist—still sore from earlier. The sharp sting made her crouch down reflexively.
Ethan leaned in, trying to help, but Margaret’s voice rang out, loud and impatient from across the yard:
“Ethan! What’s with all that whispering? Everyone’s waiting. So the cake’s ruined—big deal. Come on, let’s figure out something else.”
“Okay, coming.”
Ethan gave Sophia one last look, clearly torn, but the pressure from the other side pulled him away.
Sophia stayed crouched there, alone in the corner of the garden, for a long while before slowly forcing herself upright.
No one noticed how disheveled she was, let alone cared what she’d just been through.
Beyond the rockery, the party had already broken into a chorus of “Happy Birthday.”
Hearing everyone cheer Clara on, one after another, Sophia suddenly realized—ever since she married into the Bennett family, not once had anyone celebrated her birthday.
Even though hers was just a few days apart from Clara’s.
She wiped her face dry and let out a small, bitter smile.
The sun was setting, and her shadow stretched long and thin behind her as she turned and climbed the stairs, quietly shutting the bedroom door behind her.
Facing the bathroom mirror, Sophia pulled off her stained, ruined clothes in one go and tossed them straight into the trash.
With the steam filling the air, the memory from two hours ago hit her again, and she couldn’t help burying her face in her knees.
It took her an entire hour to scrub herself clean.
She changed into a loose set of pajamas and sat curled up in the corner of the living room, eyes glazed as she stared up at the ceiling, waiting for the noise outside to fade... until finally, it went silent.
At eleven, the bedroom door creaked open.
Sophia knew he was back. But instead of jumping up to greet him like she usually would, she just sat there, still as a statue.
Ethan quietly hung his suit jacket and tiptoed over, smelling faintly of alcohol. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, his voice soft and sugary:
"Happy anniversary, babe. Take a guess, what did I get you?"
Sophia pulled his hands off her coldly. "Really, it’s fine. I don’t want anything."
He crouched down in front of her, a gentle smile on his lips. "Still mad? Come on, look—this is a custom-made jade heart pendant I picked just for you. Let me put it on."
He opened a deep red velvet box, pulled out the pendant, fastened it around her neck, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Looks gorgeous on you. Babe, I’ve been thinking… let’s have a baby, yeah?"
Sophia stared at him, deadpan. “That’s not gonna happen.”
Ethan gave a teasing little smirk. "No worries. You don’t have to do anything, just lie back and let me handle the rest.”
Sophia looked him straight in the eyes—hers were like ice. "Ethan Bennett, let’s get a divorce."
The smile froze right on his face.