He Lost Me When He Chose Her

ANIYA’S POV The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the penthouse as I placed the last dish on the dining table. After wiping my hands with a kitchen towel, I glanced at the clock on the wall. 9:17 p.m. Corbin was late again. I reached for my phone and checked the screen, hoping to find a message from him. There was only the text he had sent several hours ago. Work is keeping me late. Don’t wait up. I stared at the message for a few seconds before locking my phone. A small sigh escaped me. Corbin was busy. He had responsibilities, and I understood that better than anyone. His company had been growing rapidly, and being married to a successful CEO meant there would always be nights when work came first. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. I looked at the food on the table. It was still warm. I had spent the afternoon preparing everything he liked, hoping we could have dinner together. Lately, those moments had become rare, and I had started holding on to them whenever they happened. Still, a question slipped into my mind before I could stop it. Was Kenzie with him? I immediately pushed the thought away. Kenzie was Corbin’s colleague. They worked closely together, and I had always respected that. There was no reason for me to be suspicious. I trusted my husband. More than that, I loved him. Maybe I was simply overthinking again. The sound of the front door opening pulled me from my thoughts. My heart lifted slightly. I quickly left the dining area and walked into the living room. “You’re home.” Corbin stepped inside, loosening his tie with one hand while holding his phone in the other. He looked exhausted, his dark hair slightly messy and his expression tense. “Yeah,” he replied absentmindedly. His eyes met mine for barely a second before dropping back to his phone. I tried not to let the disappointment show. “How was your day?” “Long.” He walked past me and placed his bag on the couch. I followed him with my eyes before forcing a small smile. “Dinner is ready. I waited for you so we could eat together.” Corbin finally looked up. “I’m not hungry. I had something at work.” The words hit harder than they should have. “Oh.” He didn’t seem to notice. “I’m going to take a shower. I have an early meeting tomorrow.” Before I could say anything else, he walked toward the bedroom. I stood there for a moment, watching him disappear down the hallway. The smile on my face slowly faded. My eyes drifted toward the dining table. The candles I had lit earlier were still burning beside the untouched plates. Everything looked perfect, except for the empty chair across from mine. I swallowed and walked back to the table. One by one, I began clearing the dishes. I told myself it was fine. This wasn’t the first time Corbin had missed dinner. It wouldn’t be the last. But knowing that didn’t make it hurt any less. As I washed the dishes, memories of the past came rushing back. Corbin hadn’t always been like this. There was a time when he couldn’t wait to come home. He used to walk through the door and pull me into his arms before doing anything else. Sometimes he would wrap his arms around my waist while I cooked, resting his chin on my shoulder and asking about my day. He used to care about the smallest things. If I was tired, he noticed. If I was upset, he noticed. If I had a bad day, he was the first person I wanted to tell. I used to feel completely safe with him. Now, I wasn’t even sure when that had changed. I turned off the tap and dried my hands. Maybe things would get better. Maybe Corbin was simply going through a stressful period. Maybe we just needed time. Tomorrow was the award show. His company had been nominated for one of the night’s biggest awards, and Kenzie was nominated for an award of her own. I had been looking forward to going with him. Maybe spending an evening together away from the office would remind us of what we used to have. Maybe we could finally reconnect. I held on to that thought as I headed upstairs. When I entered the bedroom, Corbin was already in the shower. I changed into my pajamas and sat at the edge of the bed. My eyes landed on the framed photograph sitting on the dresser. I picked it up. It had been taken during the first year of our marriage. We were standing on a beach, laughing at something I could no longer remember. Corbin had one arm wrapped around my waist, and I was leaning against him with a smile that seemed almost effortless. I smiled sadly. Back then, Corbin had made me feel like the luckiest woman alive. He used to come home early just to surprise me. He would bring flowers for no reason, take me out for spontaneous dinners, and remind me constantly that he loved having me in his life. I stared at the photograph for another moment. When had everything changed? Had I missed something? Had I done something wrong? Had I stopped being enough for him? The questions had crossed my mind more times than I wanted to admit. But every time, I pushed them away. I still loved him. That had to mean something. Didn’t it? The bathroom door opened, pulling me from my thoughts. Corbin walked out wearing a dark T-shirt and sweatpants. He barely glanced in my direction before checking his phone. “Are you going to sleep?” I asked. “In a few minutes.” I nodded. There was so much I wanted to say. I wanted to ask him if we were okay. I wanted to tell him that I missed him even though he was right there. I wanted to know if he still looked at me and saw the woman he had once fallen in love with. But the words stayed trapped in my throat. Instead, I placed the photograph back on the dresser and climbed into bed. A few minutes later, Corbin joined me. He turned away from me almost immediately. I stared at his back in the darkness. There were only a few inches between us, yet he felt impossibly far away. I wanted to reach for him. I wanted him to turn around. I wanted to feel his arms around me the way I used to. But I remained still. Maybe tomorrow would be different. Maybe tomorrow, Corbin would look at me the way he used to. Maybe the award show would give us the chance to remember why we had fallen in love in the first place. I closed my eyes and held on to that small piece of hope. I had no idea that by the following night, that hope would be gone. And neither did I know that the life I had spent four years building around my marriage was about to fall apart.