He Celebrated His Assistant's Birthday Instead of our Anniversary.

On our third wedding anniversary, l waited eagerly for Gray Carroll to come home. But even as the night deepened. there was no sign of him. l scrolled through social media only to find out he was on a luxury yacht, hosting a birthday party for his assistant, Zoe Walsh. He even gifted her a skincare set worth tens of thousands and posted: "Happy birthday, and here's to a fresh start for us." l liked the post and commented, "Wishing you both the best." Moments later, the post was deleted and l received an angry call: "can't you stop being so sensitive?" "I'm just rewarding an employee on her birthday, why do you have to be so petty?" Shortly after, Zoe Walsh updated her profile picture to one of them cutting a cake together. In the past, l would have demanded an explanation from Gray Carroll. But this time, l simply texted him: 'That skincare set costs a hundred thousand, don't forget to transfer it to me." In the early hours of the morning, the front door slammed open. Gray Carroll staggered in, reeking of alcohol and perfume, carrying a fancy skincare gift box. His eyes landed on me, full of mockery. “Well, well, dressed up so nicely-heading somewhere special?" Before l could answer he swayed toward me, grabbed a bottle of serum from the box, and poured the contents all over me. “Selena Carroll, you love this, right? Then use it all up!" He shouted angrily, “Does this ten-thousand-dollar skincare cover it? if not, I'll pour out more bottles!" "You, someone who got to where you are because of me, have the nerve to question my decisions?" The dress i had carefully prepared for our anniversary was drenched. lt was probably ruined. Just like our relationship, which was nearing its end. Yesterday was supposed to be our third wedding anniversary. We had planned to celebrate together. Yet he was out gifting someone else a set of skin care worth tens of thousands. accusing me of making a fuss. In the past, seeing him like this, l would have already apologized, humbling myself. In Gray Carroll's world, he was always right, and l couldn't afford to make him angry. But that only encouraged him to push the limits even further. Now, l was exhausted, too tired to even argue. l quietly walked into the bathroom, slipping out of the serum-soaked dress. "Dressed like that-where were you planning on going tonight?" Gray Carroll stood by the table, pouring himself a drink, glancing at the empty dining setup. l had dressed formally, which seemed to irritate him. He had clearly forgotten the promise to celebrate our anniversary tonight. "Where could l have gone? I've been home, waiting for you." My reply, laced with a hint of sarcasm, stopped him in his tracks. Storming over, he pointed at me, voice rising, “Selena Carroll. what's that supposed to mean?" "You wouldn't even have your cosmetics company if it weren't for my investment!And now you're giving me attitude?" "All l did was celebrate Zoe Walsh's birthday. She's my employee! What's the problem with that? lt's a company benefit!" Seeing his rising anger, l interrupted him. "Have you forgotten what yesterday was?" His furious tirade faltered, confusion flickering across his face. "What?" "Forget it, it doesn't matter anymore." As expected, he had no clue. His assistant meant more to him than remembering our anniversary. Gray Carroll's frustration deepened at my calm indifference. He pulled out his phone, swiping a few times. A notification popped up on my account - he had transferred one hundred thousand dollars, a poor attempt at compensation. “Isn't it just an anniversary? I'll make it up to you today, okay?" “You're almost thirty - why are you still hung up on this stuff?" He stormed off to the study, slamming the door behind him. In the past hearing those words would have melted my heart. But now, l no longer had any expectations of him. Nor did care whether or not we celebrated this anniversary. As l sat at my vanity, for the first time, l felt a sense of peace. No more nights spent anxious, worrying about upsetting him.